Page 42 of Kisses and Paperclips

“Still think once was enough?” I asked, my voice low, rough with what she did to me.

She didn’t answer right away. Just let out a breath. Half a laugh, half a sigh, and shook her head against me.

There she is.

So, she’s not as unaffected as she pretends to be. Not even close.

Serena loves an excuse to run, And there’s no running from me.

Just when I had her exactly where I wanted her, close enough to see the truth in her eyes, to push her past that line she swore she’d never cross, the door opened.

“Hey, Serena, I’ve got—”

The guy froze mid-step, mid-sentence, mid-thought. Whatever he’d walked in here for? Gone. His eyes darted back and forth between us, searching for the missing pieces of an exciting puzzle.

Serena jumped back from me like I’d burned her, hands smoothing her skirt, flustered. I just stood there, arms crossed, trying to block his view.

“Steven,” she snapped, her voice a razor cutting through the air. “Since when do employees enter my office door without knocking?”

“Girl, like an hour ago.”

“Well, it’s not appropriate; you see a closed door. You should knock.”

The guy looked like he was on the verge of bursting into laughter. His brows jumped as if trying to hold his composure. He eyed me up and down, a satisfied curve playing at his lips.

Did he just…

He clutched a stack of papers to his chest with a look of being thoroughly entertained on his face. “I—I didn’t realize…” he stammered, his eyes dancing between us. “I thought—”

“You thought wrong,” she cut him off sharply, her chin lifting, her posture snapped back into boss mode even as her flushed cheeks betrayed her. “Next time, knock.”

I bit back a grin, watching her handle it. Despite being shaken by me, she projected an image of fierce control, her fiery demeanor captivating even if it was a facade.

Steven hesitated, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his face. Then, as if deciding against whatever comeback was on the tip of his tongue, he placed the stack of files on the nearest table with exaggerated care. His movements were stiff now, almost defiant. “Sorry about that, Ms. Hayes” he said flatly, the playful tone gone. “Maybe use the lock next time.” He said, the door clicking shut behind him.

The silence that followed was heavy, stretching across the room like a taut wire ready to snap.

Serena didn’t look at me right away. She started pacing instead, her heels clicking against the floor as she muttered something. Embarrassment was written all over her movements, the shakiness of her breath the way her hands fidgeted at her sides.

Spinning around to point a finger at me, her voice sharp and cutting, “This is exactly why I don’t mix business with pleasure.”

I leaned back against her desk, crossing my arms, my gaze steady on hers. “Funny. You didn’t seem too worried about business two minutes ago.”

Her eyes narrowed, her lips pressing into a thin line. “Are you insane? This could spread like wildfire through the office. It’s inappropriate.”

“It’s not anyone’s business what we have going on,” I countered, my tone calm but firm.

Her lips parted, her eyes narrowing as if she was about to unleash some scathing comeback. But instead, she just stared at me, her chest rising and falling like she was trying to catch her breath, her lips still swollen from our kiss. She looked flustered, yes, but there was something else—something raw and vulnerable just beneath the surface.

“It doesn’t matter to you; you’ve only been here for five minutes. My employees respect me, and I respect them and this work environment. That can’t happen again.”

I closed the space between us, my movements slow and deliberate. She tensed as I stepped closer, her breath hitching when I stopped inches away. Her pulse fluttered wildly at the base of her neck, and I knew I had her.

“You can keep fighting it, Serena,” I said, my voice low and steady, the words a deliberate challenge. “But we both know it’s still there.”

“And this,” she said, her tone biting but her voice wavering just enough to give her away, “is why I know you’re not qualified to be CEO.”

Her words were sharp, but her body was told a different story. She wanted this as much as I did. Maybe more.

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