“But I want you to be fabulous.” Caden winked at her and turned to grab a few things from the refrigerator.
His statement repeated in her brain. For what seemed like months, Brooklyn had simply existed. Hunted, she’d hidden in a series of apartments and hotels, scared Brent might knock on her door at any moment. Caden suggested she should reach for more.
“I’d like to be fabulous,” she whispered, watching him cut the bread.
He paused to meet her gaze and smiled. “Then we’ll make that happen. Tell me how you discovered you were Little.”
Her cheeks heated. Brooklyn resisted the urge to look away from him in embarrassment. She forced herself to be brave and answer. “I found a book. I read it five times, over and over.”
“What was it about?”
“A little girl who found her daddy at a BDSM club. Of course, she had to go through several who were total jerks. But he rescued her and claimed her as his own.”
“What was her name?”
“Dorie. She was tall and plump. She didn’t think anyone would ever consider her as a little girl,” Brooklyn shared, eager to share her favorite storyline.
“Little girls come in different shapes and sizes. Was Dorie a young Little or was she more of a Middle?” he asked, turning to grab a pan from the drawer next to the stove.
“Little Little,” Brooklyn answered automatically, before realizing how much of herself she’d revealed. She tensed with panic. What would he think of her?
Caden didn’t react with shock or aversion. He simply flipped on the gas and set the pan on the burner to warm. Soon the sandwiches toasted slowly. A delicious scent filled the kitchen area.
“That smells so good!” she told him.
“Fingers crossed I don’t burn them.” Caden told her as he reached up to the top shelf of a cabinet.
Brooklyn couldn’t avoid noticing how he moved. Caden was handsome from the front and the back. Distracted, it took her a minute to see the items he removed from their packages. It was a set of pink dishes with tiaras printed on them.
He brought them over to the sink and washed them. Brooklyn struggled to find something to say. She loved the cute pattern on them. Should she let him see how excited she was?
“A grilled cheese sandwich will taste so much better on a cute plate, don’t you think?” he asked.
She nodded. “Did you buy those for the other woman?”
“No, Brookie. I bought these for my little girl. Just like the nursery, I knew I’d find you someday. I’m excited for you to use these. Will you try them for me?”
“I’d like that,” she whispered.
“Good girl. Let me flip these over before they burn.”
She stared at the adorable pattern and wiggled happily in her chair. She’d never owned any Little stuff. Caden rejoined her on his side of the island. He dried the cup and filled it with milk before snapping on the sippy cup lid.
When he set it in front of her, Brooklyn stared at it. What would it feel like to take a drink from the spout? Watching his face, she reached for it, ready to abandon the cute container if he laughed at her. Her fingers brushed the plastic.
“Oh, no!” Her gaze ricocheted to the cup as it tumbled over. Horror filled her. She was such a klutz.
Caden moved quickly and righted it. “It’s okay. Look how well your scientific experiment to test it went. There are exactly three drops of milk on the counter.” He wiped them up with a paper towel, erasing her mistake. “And they’re gone. Try another experiment. Take a drink. Does it taste any different in that fancy sippy?”
Brooklyn lifted it to her lips and took a drink. Cold milk slid down her throat as she swallowed. “It’s milk,” she answered, shrugging.
“Perfect.” He paused and smiled at her. “I’m so glad I found you, Brookie. Oh, no! The sandwiches!”
Of course, the food was fine. Brooklyn didn’t believe Caden could mess anything up. He handled everything with ease. She tilted her head, fascinated by him. Even when doing something as simple as slicing up an apple and cutting a sandwich into triangles without the yucky crust, Caden oozed control. Was there anything he couldn’t do well?
“Oh! I’ll set the table!” Brooklyn slid off the stool and carefully carried her cup to the round wooden table.
Caden met her there with napkins and forks. “Thank you, little girl. Let’s have you sit here next to Daddy’s chair.”
