Page 30 of Daddy's Little Worker
He was coming up with a nickname for her. Where did this come from? Why was he doing that? Had she missed something?
“Now, tell me why you were crying,” he demanded. “I can’t make it better unless I know.”
Frankie opened and closed her mouth several times, trying to come up with the words. She was not expecting him to be talking to her. She thought it was someone who she hadn’t met before.
“Frankie,” Noah gently coaxed. “Come back to me.”
“Sorry,” she mumbled.
“You don’t have to be sorry. Can you tell me why you were crying?” he asked.
She shrugged. She didn’t want to tell him it was because she thought he was talking to another woman, and she didn’t want to lie.
He sighed. “That’s okay, shmookams. Do you want a hug?”
Her nose wrinkled at the icky nickname. “No shmookams, but yes to the hug.”
Noah chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close and tight to him. Frankie closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting her body relax into his. First hug by Noah, and it was everything she had dreamed about. The warm feeling, safety, and comfort. She could fall asleep in his arms… or maybe that was just because she was exhausted.
“Now, I’m going to take you home today and install in the cameras and new lock.” Noah pulled away.
Frankie bit her lip, stopping herself from whimpering and begging him to wrap his arms around her again. No. She didn’t need to get used to this.
“Do you have everything you need?” Noah asked.
“Yes,” she replied, grabbing her bag, but before she could put it over her shoulder, Noah had it in his hands. “I can carry that.”
“I know youcan, but I’m going to carry it for you. Now, hold my hand while we go through the club and out into the parking lot.” He held his hand out.
Frankie grabbed it without thinking and started to walk next to him. Everything she was trying not to do, she was doing.Holding his hand and hugging him. Who was she, and why had she started doing things she said she wasn’t going to do?
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Frankie.” Dominic waved at her.
“Bye!” She waved back.
They walked to the car, Noah put her bag in the trunk before opening her door and helping her in.
“Is Dominic always here?” she asked. “He seems to work long hours. Does he need help with stuff?”
Noah helped her into his car, buckling her up. “He takes the middle of the day off to go do things with his mother. She can’t drive, and he helps her go to doctors’ appointments and other things.”
“That’s so sweet of him,” she gushed.
Noah grunted and closed her side of the door. Her eyebrows pulled together as she watched him round to his side of the car. Did he not think it was sweet of Dominic to do that for his mother? Did he not like that Dominic took off that time in between shifts?
“Did I say something wrong?” Frankie asked when Noah got into the car.
“I want to be the only one you call sweet,” Noah declared.
“Um,” she whispered, not knowing what to say.
“Shit.” He sighed. “I shouldn’t have said that. What Dominic does is very nice of him. His mother is the sweetest person.”
Frankie giggled and shook her head. Did he really tell her he wanted to be the only person she called sweet? Does that mean there was something going on between them?
No, she had to be imagining things. There was no way Noah liked her or had any interest in her.
“When we get to your place, I want you to change into comfortable clothes and relax while I do everything,” Noah explained. “I’m going to be installing several small cameras inthe hallway and one inside the entrance just in case someone gets in and avoids the ones outside.”
