Series: Paige Michaels
Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 44664 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 223(@200wpm)___ 179(@250wpm)___ 149(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44664 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 223(@200wpm)___ 179(@250wpm)___ 149(@300wpm)
“Of course. It will take them a few minutes to get set up. Don’t you worry. We won’t miss it.” He lifted her onto a stool at the bar.
“Hey there,” said the man behind the bar. “You must be Gemma. I met your Daddy earlier. Welcome to Blaze. I’m Cameron.” He extended his hand.
Gemma shook his hand and smiled at him. “Nice to meet you. I didn’t realize there was a bar here. I guess I wasn’t looking when I came in.”
He slid a glass of water toward her. “Not many of the Littles come to the bar. I’m also not the usual bartender. I just fill in when Riley needs a night off or when she’s performing.”
“Oh, right. She mentioned that.” Gemma spun around to look at Anton again. “Can we go watch now, Daddy?” She didn’t want to miss it.
“Drink your water first, and then we can go.”
With a sigh, she picked up the glass and downed the entire thing in one long drink. Gemma spun sideways and was just about to jump down from her stool when a man stepped up to the stool next to her. Not just any man. She recognized him as the town’s police captain, Trace Barnes.
There were two women with him. One was another police officer, Avery Reynolds. Gemma had seen Trace and Avery several times at Little Cakes. She knew they were a couple. She had not known Avery was Little and Trace was her Daddy. That was apparent now based on the cute dress Avery was wearing and the way her Daddy had his hands on her shoulders.
Avery smiled at Gemma and gave a little wave. “Hi,” she whispered.
Gemma figured she was probably nervous about seeing someone she hadn’t known to be a member of Blaze before tonight. Gemma couldn’t blame her. The world could be unkind. She gave Avery a mirrored wave. “Hi.”
Trace held out a hand toward Anton and introduced himself before turning to Cameron behind the bar and ushering the other woman with him forward.
The woman had brown hair tucked behind her ears. She was wearing a pretty dress with a pastel floral pattern and sandals, but Gemma couldn’t tell if she was Little or not.
Trace cleared his throat. “Hey, Cameron. We ran into this nice woman at the front desk when we arrived. She’s visiting. Do you mind if she sits here at the bar until someone can give her a tour? They’re really swamped up front right now.”
Gemma took the opportunity to slide off her stool. “She can have my seat. We were about to go watch the Shibari demonstration.” Gemma figured her Daddy would read between the lines and realize she wasn’t being simply altruistic. She also was trying to hurry him along so she didn’t miss the rope play.
Anton grabbed Gemma’s shoulders to stop her before she managed to duck under his arm. “Slow down, Little Bee. Remember your manners.” He reached around her to help the new woman climb onto the stool. “Nice to meet you. We’re new to Blaze, too. My name’s Anton, and this anxious Little girl is Gemma.”
Gemma tried not to fidget as she worried about missing the rope play. She pasted on a smile. “Nice to meet you.”
“You too,” the woman said softly. “I’m Aria.” She glanced around. “I’m not sure I should have come. It’s overwhelming.”
“Don’t you worry,” Cameron interrupted. “Let’s get you a soft drink. I’ll be on break soon. I’ll give you a tour myself.”
Aria swallowed. “Oh. Okay. If it’s not too much trouble.”
“Not at all.”
Anton gave Gemma’s shoulders a squeeze. “I’d invite you to join us, but I’m not sure Shibari is the place to start if you’re new to the club.” He chuckled. “I’m not even sure about Gemma.”
Gemma gasped and twisted to look at him. “They’re my friends. I’ll be fine.”
He smiled at her. “Let’s go see, Little Bee.”
“Nice to meet you all,” Aria said as Trace and Avery headed in one direction while Anton guided Gemma toward the Shibari demonstration.
Gemma could barely contain her excitement, and she was relieved when they arrived to find a crowd had gathered but Riley and Milo had not yet started.
Chapter Twenty
“That was amazing!” Gemma exclaimed two hours later when they were on their way home. “I had no idea people did things like that in real life. It was like human art. Milo is so good with rope, and Riley was stunning. Can you believe he had her hanging from the ceiling like that, Daddy?”
Anton pulled into the garage and shut off the engine, grinning indulgently at his Little girl. Her excitement was palpable. He loved how wide her eyes were and how much she’d enjoyed herself.
Initially he’d been uncertain if the Shibari demonstration was the best thing to watch on her first night at the club, but she’d been mesmerized the entire time. It probably helped that she’d known Riley and most of the Little girls gathered around.