Page 36 of His Kidnapped Irish Mafia Virgin

A small smile found its way onto my face. “You always did know how to make a convincing argument, Miss Walsh.”

She smiled. I reached out and brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear before resting my hand lightly against her cheek. She leaned into the touch for just a moment before slipping her arms around my waist. I kissed her gently, and she returned it without hesitation.

Neither of us wanted to rush the moment. We were kissing so slowly that I could feel every movement of her lips. But when she gestured that I should lock the doors, I picked up the tempo.

The moment the door clicked shut, she pulled me closer while my hands immediately gripped her waist. I lifted her onto the edge of the desk, sending a few papers sliding onto the floor.

We both knew we had only a few stolen minutes, and that knowledge made everything more urgent. My jacket became crooked beneath her hands and her hair loosened around her face, and neither of us bothered to fix it.

She talked dirty between hurried kisses, and we held on to each other as the tension between us finally broke. She assured me again that she would be careful. A few minutes later, we stood quietly, catching our breath and straightening our clothes.

“You know, intimidating customers isn’t actually in your job description.”

“That’s unfortunate. I was getting rather good at it.”

She laughed and shook her head. “Come on. Those four men are probably wondering whether they should join a witness protection program. You should send over a complimentary round.”

Together, we walked back toward the office door. Nora stepped out first and disappeared into the bustle of the bar. I waited a few seconds before following her, watching as she greeted another table with the same easy confidence she’d always possessed. I still found myself looking in her direction more often than I should. Some habits weren’t weaknesses. They were simply the price of caring about someone.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Nora

A few days had passed since I’d gone back to work. I was starting to think that life could actually go back to being somewhat normal. It didn’t happen overnight. The first morning I woke up for work, I was expecting to feel that familiar knot in my stomach, and it was still there. The next morning, it was a bit better.

By the time I put on my apron after my lunch break at the café, I realized I’d gone almost two hours without thinking about everything that had happened. It was enough to remind me that getting better didn’t always happen in big moments. Sometimes it happened quietly, while you were just living your life.

The café was always different from the bar. People came in with their laptops, newspapers, or books they never seemed to finish. Some people stayed for twenty minutes before rushing back to work, while others stayed for half the morning, slowly drinking one cup of coffee like they had all the time in the world. It was calmer, slower, and more predictable. After everything, I found myself appreciating that more than I ever had before.

I’d just finished tying my apron when Sofia looked up from the coffee machine and smiled.

“I’m so glad you’re back. I was starting to think you found another café on Mars. Customers kept asking where you were, and after a while I was running out of excuses.”

I laughed as I finished adjusting my apron. “You sound like everybody I know. They gave me the same talk when I went back to the bar, and I’m starting to think you all practiced it together. I was only away for a few weeks, but everyone is acting like I was gone for a year.”

Sofia crossed her arms and shook her head. “A few weeks feels like a year when you’re doing someone else’s work. Do you know how many times I wanted to give a tray to someone else and say, ‘Go deal with that table; they changed their order again?’ You left me with some tough customers, Nora, and I’m still not happy with you.”

“I knew there had to be a reason you were happy to see me.”

“There. I’m not sorry. Now stop standing there and help me. These people need their coffee.”

We got a lot of orders that day. People thanked us when they left and every familiar face made the café feel like home. Mrs. Henderson sat in her seat by the window with the same book she’d been reading for months. Michael, the university student who was always on his laptop, ordered his latte and went to the corner like he owned the table.

Sofia talked to me while I was carrying two coffees. “I don’t know how you still remember what everyone orders. Mrs. Henderson didn’t even have to ask before you made her coffee, and Michael looked offended when I asked if he wanted his usual. I think you’ve spoiled these people.”

I smiled as I put the cups on the table. “I remember the little things. Mrs. Henderson likes her coffee with sugar even though she says she’s cutting back. Michael loves his lattes and Mr. Collins always says he doesn’t want banana bread five minutes before he orders some. After you serve the same people for a long time, you stop remembering the orders and start remembering the people.”

Sofia smiled. “I missed working with you because you notice things I don’t. The café was different without you. I didn’t realize how much until today.”

Her words stuck with me as I looked around the room. Life was good. It felt normal and nice. Maybe that was why I didn’t pay much attention when another customer came in and sat by the window. He looked like anyone else who came in for coffee and a quiet morning. At least, that’s what I thought at the time.

I picked up a menu and walked over to his table with the same smile I gave every customer. “Good morning. Welcome to our café. Do you need a minute to look through the menu, or have you already decided what you’d like to order?”

He looked up from the window and smiled politely at me. “I think I already know what I want. I’ll have a coffee and one of those blueberry muffins by the counter. They’ve been distracting me since I walked into the café, and I’ve decided it would be rude to keep ignoring them..”

I smiled at him. “Your order will only take a minute, so please make yourself comfortable.”

He nodded at me. “Take your time. I’m not in a hurry. Places like this café are becoming harder to find. I’ve learned that a good cup of coffee isn’t something to rush.”