6. Avery

Chapter 6

Avery

The sweet scent of cinnamon mingling with a masculine cologne tickled my nose as I slowly stirred awake. I rolled over and stretched my back, then instinctively reached out for my Daddy Santa.

But the sheets beside me were cold and empty.

My heart sank as the fog of sleep cleared and reality set in. I was alone in my bed, still wearing my sticky diaper from the night before. The mattress and blankets were infused with his warm, musky scent as a bittersweet reminder of what we'd shared.

Vivid flashes of his strong arms cradling me in the shower filled my mind. Those gentle hands drying me off and later holding me close against his broad chest as he fed me, nourishing me in the most intimate way. It was the best night of my life.

But now he was gone. My sexy Santa Daddy had vanished with the morning light. A lump formed in my throat as sadness washed over me. I hugged a pillow to my chest, breathing in the lingering traces of his cologne for just a few more seconds. "Where are you?" I whispered to the empty room. "Why did you leave me?"

Tears pricked at my eyes, but that was even more annoying. I shouldn’t have felt so small and lost without him. I was doing just fine until he showed up, and now everything seemed colder, scarier without him.

I buried my face in the pillow and let out a muffled sob. "Please come back. I need you, Daddy."

But there was no answer, only silence. I was alone with the ghost of last night's passion and the ache of abandonment growing in my heart.

Shuffling down the hallway, that warm cinnamon scent was back, and then I froze. He was there. The hot delivery guy who’d showered and fed me was standing in my kitchen wearing that damn uniform that hugged his muscular frame in all the right places. He carefully buttered a piece of golden-brown toast and then sprinkled cinnamon and sugar over it.

"Hey. Good morning, Avery. How are you feeling?" He put the toast on a plate and nodded for me to have a seat at the table. “Hungry?”

His deep voice sent a shiver through me, and I just gaped, unsure how to respond.

"I'm Dexter, by the way. But Daddy Santa works too. Or Daddy for short.'" He winked and then held out his hand for me.

My cheeks flushed hot with embarrassment as I took his hand and let him guide me to a chair. "Um, morning, Dexter."

"I made you some cinnamon toast. Extra cinnamon, light on the sugar. Am I close?"

I nodded, surprised that he’d guessed so accurately. “Yes, thank you.”

He made a plate for himself and sat down across from me at my small dinette table. "So, want to tell me what you were doing out in the snow last night? You're lucky a warm shower and some sleep was enough to get you healthy again."

“And milk.” I shrugged as guilt churned in my belly. I had no good explanation for my reckless behavior.

Dexter's brow furrowed slightly, and he sighed. “Yes, the milk helped, I think. But that doesn’t answer my question, Avery.”

I looked away, staring down at my food. He was obviously upset with me, so I clamped my mouth shut and waited for him to leave me.

"Avery?’ He reached across the table and placed his hand over mine. “You okay?"

I nodded again, unable to meet his gaze. “I’m fine. And I’m sorry for being reckless.” I took a bite to change the subject. "This is delicious," I mumbled between bites, glancing at the clock. "Thank you for making breakfast."

"Of course.” Dexter smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners, but then he looked at his watch. “I’m gonna have to get going in a minute. I have morning deliveries, and you know how people get if their books arrive late."

I forced a smile as I shoved the last bite into my mouth and brushed crumbs from my shirt. “Yeah, me too.” The store wouldn't open itself, and I didn’t want to keep him…especially if he didn’t want to stay.

Dexter stepped into his boots and a pang of anxiety shot through me. Last night felt like a dream, and now I was awake. It was over. He turned toward the door.

I couldn't stop myself from reaching out. "Wait," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Dexter paused, his hand on the doorknob. “Yeah?”

I swallowed hard, willing myself to ask the question that had been gnawing at me since I woke up. "Are you done being my Daddy Santa now?"

The words hung in the air between us, fragile and charged with meaning. I couldn’t breathe as I waited for his response, my heart pounding in my chest. “I hope not, my little snow angel. Maybe I can bring you dinner tonight and we can talk about it some more.”

My heart leapt at his words and a rush of warmth flooded through me. The promise of seeing Dexter again, of continuing what we'd started, made me happier than I’d felt in a long time. I wanted to throw my arms around him and kiss every part of him, but I didn’t.

We both had to get to work, and he said he’d come back for dinner. “Yeah, I'd like that." My tummy finally felt less fluttery and more excited. "What time should I expect you?"

“Is seven okay?”

I nodded, already planning my day around seeing him next. “That’s perfect. Call if anything changes.”

“Oh, good point.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and brought up his message app. “Send yourself a text so I have your number. And text me if you need anything or just want to say hi.”

I cocked my head at that. “It’s okay for me to just say hi?”

He pulled me up to my feet and then wrapped his arms around me. “Anytime. Day or night. No matter where things go with us, Avery. You can call me anytime and I’ll be here.” He pulled back and held me by my shoulders. “Do you understand?”

“Yes, Daddy Santa.” Everything went lax when he smiled back.

“Good. Then have a great day, and I’ll talk to you later.” He kissed my cheek and took off out the front door.