Page 24 of Beyond Question

“Go right ahead.” I motion toward her. “Don’t worry about me. I have work to do myself.” I reach to the other chair and pull my phone out of the breast pocket of my coat then wave it in the air.

Her eyes narrow, but she gives me a curt nod, then picks up what I assume is a manuscript, grabs a churro and drags it through the Bavarian crème, then settles back into her chair, and begins to eat while she reads.

As I eat my chocolate-filled churro, I pretend to stare at my phone screen, but my attention is on her. Of course it is.

And, honestly, watching Paige read a manuscript is far sexier than it has any right to be.

For the next ten minutes, I study her shamelessly.

She licks her lips every few moments. Runs her hand through her silvery hair. Her nose scrunches up each time she adjusts her glasses, as if assisting her finger with moving the frames. When she reads a line she particularly enjoys, her lips twitch on a smile she refuses to let loose.

And when she makes a note within the manuscript, she frowns, deep in thought, and it’s all I can do not to reach across the desk between us and drag my thumb over that full bottom lip—

“I thought you had work to do,” she says without looking up from the papers in her hand.

“What’s that one about?” I tuck my phone back into my jacket pocket and link my hands over my stomach. We both know I haven’t done any work since I sat down.

Paige sighs, then looks up at me. “You’re relentless.”

Smirking, I incline my head. “And you’re catching on.”

Her lips twitch with the barest hint of a smile. Fuck, I miss that smile. But I also kinda enjoy the way she fights to keep it hidden whenever she’s in my presence. It feels a bit like a game, trying to get her to let it slip. “This one is a romance,” she begins, then that smile tries again to slip out but she holds it back. “Obviously. But it’s nothing like our usual submissions.”

“No? How come?”

“They’re both serial killers,” she deadpans.

My eyebrows creep up my forehead. “Really?”

“Dark romance is very popular right now.”

I nod. “So I’ve heard.”

“Everyone loves a redeemable villain.” She says this almost pointedly, but when I don’t take the bait, she moves on. As if I’m a villain. Please. She’s going to find it increasingly difficult to hold on tothatmisperception of me. “They don’t know that they’re hunting one another, that they’ve landed on the other’s list.”

“Ooh, like a kill list? Nice. And they’re both bad guys, right, but if they’re in a romance, they’re redeemable.” I pause and she nods. “So…” I pause again, then splay my hands in front of me. “LikeDexter?”

“Somewhat, yes.” When she still doesn’t smile, I have to bite back a growl of frustration. “There are certainly similarities to everyone’s favorite serial killer.”

“Interesting.”

She returns her attention to the manuscript and I return to studying her.

What? It’s been awhole week. Let a man get his fill without judging.

After a moment, I ask, “Do you have plans tonight?”

Paige sighs, then her eyes lift slowly to meet mine. “Travis.”

I fucking love when she says my name like that. “Paige.”

She folds her arms on her desk and I feel like I’m about to get a lecture from the teacher.

The insanely hot teacher.

“We’ve been over this.”

I sit up straighter. “Honestly, no, we haven’t.” I lean forward and grab another churro, then take a bite, chewing while I hold her gaze. Once I swallow, I say, “We didn’t really go over anything. You gave me some pretty lackluster excuses, which I rebutted impressively.” I pause, then add, “And then you ran.”

---