“Ms. Alami, why would I object to Victoria Crowhart’s pastry chef being in my kitchen if you clearly don’t? I assume she’s teaching him?”
Reem smiled, a rare sight in Paloma’s memory.
“He came begging for her advice. Something about cupcakes. He even brought a book. That crazy old woman needs him to bake hundreds for some event of hers. And she demanded he do it by the book. But the book makes no sense. I read it too. So, Deryn is trying now.”
“I’m not trying, I am succeeding!” Deryn crowed. Khalid appeared slightly awed and apprehensive about being surrounded by all these badass women. And judging by thefurtive glances he was throwing at Paloma, he was particularly scared of her. She had to smile at that. Smart man.
“I thought Victoria threw you out because you were in Khalid’s way?” Paloma looked on as the man grew even paler.
“Ma’am, no… I mean… I wasn’t… She wasn’t…”
He stammered, then closed his mouth with a snap and looked at Deryn, a plea clear in his eyes.
“Khalid, Khalid, Khalid… It’s a good thing you’re gay, bud, otherwise this would be super embarrassing. I mean, yes, she is really gorgeous, so I get it.” Deryn batted her eyes in Paloma’s direction. Reem rolled hers and snapped her fingers.
“Ay, enough. You both are over the top. Khalid, gay or not, Ms. Allende is Deryn’s significant other. Why, considering Deryn is a clown, I don’t know.”
Deryn laughed.
“Clearly, it’s the cupcakes. They bring both the girls and the boys to my yard, apparently, since both Ms. Allende and Khalid are here.”
Reem made a shooing gesture at Deryn, one which Paloma really wanted to imitate. Why was this woman so irritating? And yet so…attractive. With a splatter of god knows what across her chest, her hands covered with flour, her face… Was that chocolate?
Paloma sighed, then crossed her arms—just in case they wanted to reach out and clean that smear of chocolate from Deryn’s jaw.
Because… absolutely not.
“It must be because she is respectful, Reem, and calls her ‘Ms. Allende.’ I hope only in public, though.” The sole male voice in the room sounded quiet but resolute.
Every jaw in the room but Khalid’s was on the floor. A second, then two, and Deryn started laughing as Reem sputtered. Paloma smiled. The boy had a backbone. And a senseof humor, as he bit his lip to hide the grin and was brave enough to glance at her. If she didn’t like Victoria Crowhart as much as she did, Paloma would’ve poached him then and there.
“Ha, good one, Mascarpone Boy.” Deryn finally collected herself enough to respond, but it was weak, especially by her standards. Reem simply resorted to giving Khalid a narrow-eyed look, but Paloma could see there was no malice in it at all.
“So… Ah… Um…” Deryn wiped her hands on her apron and stepped closer to her. “Aside from witnessing me solve the issue of Victoria’s cupcakes—and no, that’s not a euphemism of any kind, and I don’t ever want to think about this again—may I ask what I can do for you…darling?”
The word came out tentative, almost furtive. Paloma’s eyes widened, her fingers flexing, the smear of white chocolate on Deryn’s jaw almost irresistible.
“There was an issue with the cupcakes?”
It was really the first thought that came to her mind amidst the insanity she was fighting in her attemptnot to reach for the pale skin.
“Um, yes, you see, she brought Khalid a sample and no recipe. Just one she had somewhere on the mainland at some reception, and she demanded that he replicate it. I mean, he’s no Mary Berry here, our Khalid, but he’s good. Still, he was stumped by the combination of ingredients.”
“It’s a tiramisu cupcake, ma’am.”
Khalid said it like it was supposed to be the key to the puzzle. Paloma lifted an eyebrow. Deryn blinked.
“Yes, well. Anyway, he’s good, but I, however, am much better. And I have discovered the secret ingredient that has been messing up Khalid’s baking for days.”
Deryn was standing closer now, gesticulating, and the scent of vanilla, the memory of it, enveloped Paloma, making her sway a little closer, trying to inhale more. Sweet, so sweet?—
“We have a rack ready if you want to try one, ma’am?”
Khalid’s words made Paloma snap out of whatever foolishness had taken over her. She did not miss Reem’s elbow to his side. He almost covered his yelp with a cough. Deryn dashed to the massive fridge just a few steps away and opened the doors, revealing rows upon rows of ivory cupcakes paired up like dancers in a ballet.
“They’re about ready to come out…Paloma.”
The name felt novel pronounced in that low, slightly rusty voice, as if Deryn had not spoken in days, as if her name was the first thing she had uttered in a long time. It felt as if she had been calling the name forever, the intimacy of those pink lips wrapping around every syllable of it making Paloma shiver.
