Deryn took a cupcake out and placed it gently on a little plate. Paloma saw no way to refuse politely when the plate was already directly in her face. It would look ridiculous. It would look…awkward. And while Paloma did not mind making others feel awkward—not at all, since it was a useful tool during negotiations or business in general—in this particular moment, she didn’t want to do it.
She took the dainty fork and speared a small piece of the cupcake, careful to get both the crumbly cake and the creamy frosting. The cut revealed the dark brown interior, and the scent was all coffee and something undeniably tiramisu. It was unmistakable. And yet, while familiar, it was also distinctly unique.
She placed the piece of cupcake in her mouth, careful not to get any of the cocoa or sugar on her blazer.
It was…divine. There was no other word for it. Paloma closed her eyes and savored. Sweet, creamy, yet so light it was almost airy…the taste and texture were unbelievable. She didn’t know how much time had passed, but Paloma allowed herself to chew slowly, eyes still closed. When she eventually swallowed, shelicked her lips. She was aware of a sound escaping, maybe even a moan, and when she opened her eyes, everyone was looking at her. Deryn’s cheeks were blazing crimson. Khalid was holding his side again. Reem’s eyes were fixed on him.
Paloma reached for another bite, then stopped herself. Was she missing something? Why was everyone staring?
Just as she was about to ask, Lachlan—all six foot seven of him—came barging through the door. The boy really did not move in silence. No, he elicited as much noise as was humanly possible, and since he was one big human, the noise was proportionate.
He clambered in, took one look, zeroed in on her plate, and shouted, “Oh my goodness, is that a cupcake?”
He did not wait for an answer, merely snatching the rest of it and stuffing it in his mouth before finally looking around.
“Ah…hello, everybody?”
Reem took the plate out of Paloma’s hand and disappeared. Deryn still looked dazed, though her regular color had returned.
And then, there was Khalid, who stood quietly to the side, not making any sound. By some strange chance, Lachlan turned, and what happened next was very movie-like. The big bear of a man finally noticed the willowy and ramrod-awkward pastry chef. Khalid ignored him entirely. Lachlan stopped almost comically abruptly, startled, eyes wide, then blinked, gulped, and clearly choked as he proceeded to cough. Then he coughed some more. He doubled over, waved his arms for Paloma and Deryn not to smack him over the back, and then popped back up and threw out his hand to Khalid.
“No, no, I’m okay. I’m better than okay, ladies, because helloooo! And you are?”
Khalid sniffed and did not extend his hand. In fact, he looked at his nails before looking back at Lachlan, then said, “I’m someone who helped bake that cupcake that was not for you.”He turned to Deryn. “Ms. Crowhart, thank you for your help. Now, I know that it was Kahlúa liquor, I will be adding it to my batches when I bake them for your aunt. I appreciate your time. Ms. Allende, it was nice meeting you.”
Lachlan was not deterred.
“And what about meeting me?”
Khalid sniffed again and took a few steps toward the elevators.
“I haven’t.”
He was gone, leaving Lachlan visibly stunned. Then the giant shook his head, grinned, and turned to Paloma.
“He’s the one. All those men in L.A., New York, London, and mine was on Dragons all along.”
“You’re not gonna ask his name?” Deryn propped her hip against the counter. Reem suddenly reappeared in the doorway and gave Lachlan a long, assessing stare. He smiled at her widely, laying on the charm.
“Nope, I shall find that out myself. He is clearly in love with me already, so this is fated.”
Paloma shook her head at her assistant’s antics. Reem looked unimpressed.
“Why are you here, Lachlan?”
He started to speak, then pursed his lips, clearly having already forgotten why he came down to the kitchens to begin with. Then he slapped himself on the forehead.
“Oh! Ms. Crowhart called and wanted to confirm that the Library Board of Governors meets in an hour and that you would still be attending.” He paused, looked at Deryn, and amended. “Ms. Ceridwen Crowhart. The eldest of her name.”
Deryn laughed and reached into the fridge for another cupcake, handing it to Paloma.
“You don’t need to film your content, or whatever you call it?” Paloma watched the long fingers holding the confectionary gently. She remembered the taste. It was magnificent.
“Oh, yeah… Well. Later.” Something in the way Deryn was watching her, as if she were desperate for Paloma to take another bite, was disconcerting. And appealing. And disconcerting. Yet so damn appealing.
Paloma shook her head.
“I need you to be ready in forty-five minutes if you’re going to accompany me to the Board meeting. Doable?” She infused her voice with as much niceness as possible for Reem’s sake. This event had been on their joint appearances list for weeks now. Surely Deryn remembered.
