In a sleepy Vermont town, tucked behind the scent of old pages and espresso, Honey & Paper is more than just a vintage bookstore café — it's a place where secrets simmer.

Lina, a 23-year-old art student and part-time barista, has nursed a quiet obsession with her brooding, older boss Camden — a former novelist who hides too much behind silence and coffee cups. But when Ezra, her bold and charming best friend, arrives in town with fire in his eyes and curiosity in his touch, everything begins to unravel.

What starts as teasing flirtation turns into something forbidden. Tension brews. Glances linger too long. And in the dim back room of the café, beneath shelves heavy with dust and poetry, the three of them cross a line they can never uncross.

Desire ignites. Boundaries blur.
And no one is ready for how much they’ll feel.

A sensual, slow-burning exploration of lust, longing, and the aching beauty of wanting what you people feel you shouldn’t — In the Back Room is a modern LGBTQ+ novella that dares to ask: What if the people you crave are the ones who ruin you best?

Camden – 42, bookstore owner. Ruggedly handsome. Ex-writer. Reserved, smoldering, keeps his past locked up.


Lina – 23, part-time barista and student. Artistic, observant, with a crush she won't admit.


Ezra – 26, Lina's friend. New to town. Flirtatious, bold, and drawn to things that hurt a little.


With Lina not planning to fall for her boss.


But there was something about Camden—the way his fingers moved when he shelved first editions, the slow drag of his voice when he read aloud on rainy Sundays. He was older. Worn. Dangerous in the way quiet men are when they're too still.


Chapter 1 - IN THE BACK ROOM