Page 22 of Cuffed By Your Love

He laughed so hard that his shoulder bumped against mine. For a brief moment, I didn’t feel the ache.

After we placed our order, he eagerly dug into his cup as if joy were a topping he needed two scoops of. I just sat there watching him, thankful that I hadn’t given up on life when it seemed to give up on me.

This boy saved me. He inspired me to want to be better and to stay. Even amidst this sweetness, Jonay still crossed my mind. That face, those guarded eyes, that sharp mouth, and heavy silence. She lingered in my thoughts.

She was the kind of woman who didn’t seek attention, yet it found her effortlessly. She made people want to understand her on a deeper level, rather than just being with her.

I pulled out my phone and stared at the screen for a few seconds.

Elias:

You good?

It was simple. No pressure, no games, just a genuine man checking in on a deserving woman. I set my phone aside, took another bite of EJ’s ice cream, and leaned back in the booth.

That was when the little silver bell over the door chimed.

I looked up, and there she was. Jonay.

She had on distressed jeans, a yellow cropped hoodie, and locs pulled into a messy bun that somehow looked like a crown. The shop lights kissed the gold flecks in her brown eyes, making her look like honey drizzled over fire. She caught sight of me and paused, the corner of her mouth twitching like she was fighting a smile.

“Fancy seeing you here,” she said, stepping inside fully.

Before I could reply, EJ shot up in his seat. “Miss Pretty!” His voice was sticky-sweet, just like his ice cream.

She came over, leaned down, and without hesitation, looked at EJ’s ice cream and went back to hand the cashier a few bills. “Can you add extra sprinkles to his cup? On me.”

EJ lit up brighter than the neon sign above the counter. “Yesss!”

I shook my head. “You spoiling him.”

Her gaze slid back to me, playful, teasing. “Maybe I’m spoiling you too, and you just don’t know it yet.”

Damn. She said it so softly, but it hit harder than any shot of espresso.

I smirked, leaning back, trying to play it cool, even as my chest tightened with want. “Careful, Jonay. You keep talking like that, I’ma start thinking you like me.”

She blushed and ordered her ice cream then came to sit with us, handing EJ sprinkles to dump over his ice cream.

She dipped her spoon into the Strawberry Dream ice cream she’d ordered and lifted it slowly, letting the ice cream linger before sliding it past her lips. Her tongue flicked against the silver, catching the drip, and my whole body went on alert. My throat locked, my pulse hammered, and I had to lick my bottom lip just to ground myself.

Her eyes caught the movement, and she didn’t look away. “And if I did?” she asked, voice low, laced with something daring.

I wanted to groan right there in that booth. Watching her eat ice cream felt like watching sin dressed up as Sunday best. The way her mouth curved around the spoon, the way she closed her eyes briefly to savor the taste—I wanted that to be me she savored. I wanted to be the flavor melting on her tongue or her lingering on my tongue. Damn.Get it together, E, the fuck? Ya baby boy is here, man.

I leaned forward, elbows on the table, voice rougher than I intended. “Then I’d have to make sure you never regret it.”

She arched a brow, swirling her spoon in the cup. “That sounds like a promise.”

“It is,” I shot back.

Her lips tilted, a sly grin forming. “You think you got that much pull with me already?”

“I know I don’t,” I admitted, honestly, because she deserved it. “But I want to. And I don’t half-step with what I want.”

Her laugh was soft but sharp enough to slice through my defenses. “You always talk this smooth, Detective, or am I special?”

“Both,” I said without hesitation, licking my lips again because I couldn’t help myself. “But trust me. Youaredifferent.”