Page 32 of Mariah

“Okay, Daddy.” Her body felt floaty and her eyelids were heavy. As they fluttered shut, Graham leaned over and kissed her cheek.

“Goodnight, my sweet little Sousie.”

“G’night, Daddy,” she whispered back as he tiptoed to the door.

She was asleep before the door closed behind him.

Chapter 14

Graham

Mariah bounced in her chair, far too painlessly for someone who’d been thoroughly spanked the night before. “What does Baze want to talk to us about?” she asked.

Graham shook his head. He’d been equally dreading and looking forward to this meeting since Baze had all but cornered him coming out of Mariah’s room the night before and asked to meet after breakfast. “I don’t know, little one. Probably just wants to check in, make sure I’m being good to you, find out what my intentions are, that sort of thing.”

Mariah, Littler this morning than he’d ever seen her, giggled. “What are your intentions, Daddy?”

Graham shook his head, amused at her antics. “Let’s just wait for Baze so we only need to have this conversation once,” he told her.

To an outside observer, it might seem like he was still standoffish, or that his heart wasn’t fully in it, but the reality was precisely the opposite. He knew exactly what his intentions were and he wanted Mariah so fiercely it scared him. He couldn’t remember ever feeling like this, and he knew he’d certainly never met a Little like her. His intentions were that he wanted it all, and sooner rather than later.

He just had to convince both her and Baze that he was what was best for Mariah. Tapping the table, he scanned the room for Baze even though he knew he wasn’t there yet. After breakfast, his boss had taken the rest of the Littles back up to the penthouse, giving him and Mariah time to clean up.

They’d rushed through dishes and even managed some lunch prep and still they were waiting.

“Look, Daddy! Here he comes!” Mariah spotted Baze before he did.

Baze strode though the casino and into the abandoned restaurant. He took off his jacket as he joined them at the table. Why the man was wearing a three-piece suit on a Saturday, Graham didn’t know, but Baze rarely wore anything else.

“So,” Baze said as he sat down, jumping right into business. “What is… this?” He pointed between the two of them with two fingers and frowned. “It seems kind of sudden.”

Graham inwardly groaned. He could see his boss didn’t plan on making this easy for them. It was okay, though. Graham loved a challenge and he had love on his side. Honesty was the best policy.

“Well, Sir… when I first came to Utopia, I came for the job. Having been hurt pretty badly in a prior relationship with a Little who had some very toxic behaviors I had no interest in fraternizing. But when we first met, right out of the gate, you asked me to hire one of your girls. I couldn’t say no. I wanted the job too much.”

His boss frowned, his brows furrowing together. “I see. Go on.”

“I was determined to hold her at arm’s length, to keep it professional and polite, but I quickly realized we had a lot in common and that she was nothing like my ex.”

Beside him, Mariah was beaming, still bouncing.

Baze just nodded and motioned for him to keep going.

Clearing his throat, Graham continued. “Well, I still tried to hold off. I kept my walls up. Or at least I thought I was. In reality, I was already a goner; making birthday cakes and special menus. I’m a chef. I show my feelings through food, even, apparently, when I can’t recognize them myself.”

Mariah was giggling, and Baze was still just nodding, but now there was a hint of a smile on his lips and his eyes were bright with understanding. He waited for Graham to finish talking about getting to know Mariah through work and food, and then he spoke.

“I understand pain, and walls, and being too stubborn to see what is right in front of you. I made some of those same mistakes when I met Luna. You might be smarter than me. I jumped in and then waited for my brain to catch up.” He grinned. “We got there though. So, what’s next?”

“Well, as of yesterday, Mariah and I are official. She is my Little girl and I am her Daddy. And I’ll be as patient as you both need me to be, but if it was up to me, sir”—Graham smiled—“I’d go all in.”

“All in, huh?”

“Well, this is Vegas, sir. Seems like the perfect place to do it.”

“Indeed,” Baze agreed. “I’m a gambling man myself and a gamble on love is a sure thing in my book. So I’ll leave you to it, with my blessing.” With that, he stood, shook Graham’s hand, kissed a very confused looking Mariah on the cheek and rushed from the room, leaving them alone.

Mariah was sitting at the table looking befuddled. The gambling talk had gone over her head, but no surprise there. Mariah was a good girl.