Page 26 of Safe Word

The rich, inviting aroma wafted through the room, already doing its job of melting away my grumpiness.

‘I got us all macchiatos,’ she added. ‘I didn’t know what you drank.’

‘Oh, I don’t drink coffee, sorry,’ Vinnie said with a dramatic wave of his hand towards his chest. ‘My body is my temple.’

I shot him a sideways glance, grunting.

Paula raised an eyebrow at him, her lips quirking just slightly in amusement. ‘That’s blasphemous in my book,’ she retorted playfully.

I couldn’t help it – a grin spread across my face, wider than it should have been for such a simple comment. There was something about her delivery – the way she didn’t hesitate to challenge Vinnie – that took me by surprise in the best way. And let’s not mention the fact that his charm definitely wasn’t working on her.

‘Macchiato is good,’ I said, picking up a cup and meeting her gaze briefly. ‘Thanks.’

Her lips twitched again, emotion suppressed. ‘You’re welcome.’

Vinnie, clearly unimpressed with being outdone, muttered something about caffeine being overrated, but I ignored him, taking a sip of the said poison. The bold, rich flavour hit my tongue, and for a moment, I let myself enjoy the simplicity of it – just coffee, no complications.

But when I opened my eyes and took in Paula still standing there with that faint glimmer of amusement, I knew simplicity wouldn’t last long.

‘That desk’s temporary,’ I muttered, jerking my chin towards the scuffed slab in the corner. She didn’t make a face. No sigh, no glance of judgment. Just slipped the strap off her shoulder, pulled out her own laptop from the bag, and got to work like she’s always been here.

Efficient.

Unbothered.

Fucking sexy.

I’m weird.

Paula wasn’t soft. And I needed to remember that.

I kept my tone brisk, trying to maintain some semblance of professionalism.

The way she moved made something stir in the back of my mind, something I shoved down before it could rise. Her posture was straight as she powered up the laptop. Her fingers danced over the keys, the rhythmic tap-tap-tap filling the room.

Then I noticed her nails – long, curved, and gleaming faintly. They looked sharp enough to leave marks across a chest—fuck! I stopped that thought dead in its track. My fingers curled against the underside of the desk, nails digging into wood. Count.

One.

Two.

Three.

I had trained women to kneel with less effort than it took to keep my eyes off her.

I was slipping.

‘I’ve sent you an invitation to the workspace platform,’ I said, my voice gruff. ‘I used the email from your CV. Let me know when you log in so we can talk about what kind of system we should have.’

She nodded once, her focus entirely on the screen in front of her. Her long lashes cast soft shadows over her cheeks as she typed, lending her a kind of quiet, unintentional allure. The air between us felt charged, and I couldn’t decide if it was because of her or because I was letting my mind wander where it shouldn’t.

‘Cain.’ Vinnie’s voice cut through my thoughts, and I turned towards him, grateful for the distraction. He frowned down at his phone, his blond brows furrowing. ‘I’m registering for the Spice Me Up book convention this Friday at club Trionfo. Last year was pretty good. You game?’

‘Sure,’ I replied, reclining in my chair. ‘Paula?’ Her name rolled off my tongue too easily, and I realised too late how much I liked the taste of it.

She looked up, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips. ‘Already registered, thanks. I go every year.’

I nodded, an unfamiliar warmth spreading in my sternum as her smile softened her otherwise stoic demeanour. My gaze shot back to Vinnie, who was grinning like the idiot that he was, probably reading too much into the moment. He resumed scrolling, eyes glued to his phone – grin intact.