Page 53 of Cuffed By Your Love

The table was pure chaos. Jason shuffled the deck like he was auditioning for Vegas, Leila sat curled into his side but talking the loudest, and Jonell had her shades back on, indoors, narrating every move like she was a sportscaster.

“Go on and deal ’em, Jason,” Jonell said, fanning herself. “Just don’t rig the deck like last time. Man swear he slick.”

“I don’t gotta rig nothin’,” Jason fired back, passing cards around. “I win fair and square. Y’all just sore losers.”

“Fair and square?” Leila snorted, snatching her hand up. “Baby, you skip me one more time, and we gon’ be separated in this marriage.”

We all hollered. Jason leaned over, kissed her cheek, and whispered something that made her swat him, laughing.

Elias sat behind me on the couch, my back resting against his chest. He had one hand steady on my hip, the other lazily tracing circles on my arm while I held my cards. Every now and then, he’d peek over my shoulder, pretending he wasn’t absolutely cheating.

“You see this?” I whispered, nudging him. “You supposed to be my man, and you spying on my hand?”

He smirked, lips brushing my ear. “Correction. Iamyour man. And yeah, I’m spying. Gotta make sure you don’t fold under pressure, gorgeous.”

My stomach flipped, heat rushing to my cheeks again. “You’re impossible.”

“And you’re fine,” he murmured, like that was the only truth that mattered.

Of course, Jason caught the tail end. “Aye, Elias, quit sweet-talking my sister while she tryna play. That’s cheating.”

Elias grinned, unapologetic. “Everything with her is cheating. She got me from day one.”

The table went wild, Leila squealing, Jonell hollering, “Ooooh, that’s game,” while I buried my face in my cards.

Jason leaned back cockily, three cards in his hand, grinning like the villain in a movie. “Aight, y’all might as well pack it up. Game’s over. Big bro always wins.”

Leila smirked, leaning into him, sweet as sugar. “Oh yeah? That so?” She laid a card down slowly, eyes glittering. “Draw four, husband.”

The whole room erupted. Jonell nearly fell out of her chair. I slapped the couch cushion so hard Elias had to catch my hand midair. Jason’s face crumpled like somebody stole his lunch money.

“You…” he sputtered, glaring at Leila. “You supposed to be on my team!”

Leila kissed his cheek and shoved the draw pile toward him. “Ain’t no teams in Uno, my love. Pick ’em up.”

Jason groaned so loud the walls shook, dragging four new cards like they weighed a ton.

Jonell was already cackling, shuffling her hand like a magician. “Oh, it’s my time to shine. Everybody, sit back. Skip, skip, skip.” She threw cards like confetti. “Ain’t nobody moving but me.”

“Unfair!” Jason shouted. “Illegal play!”

“Shut up and eat your cards,” Jonell sang, slapping her final skip down.

I glanced at my hand, heart thudding. Only one card left. I laid it down, smooth as silk. “Uno out.”

The room froze, then chaos.

“What!” Jason bellowed, cards flying from his lap. “Hell naw! Run that back!”

Leila was doubled over, tears in her eyes. “She really dusted you like that!”

Jonell pointed at me like a preacher in the pulpit. “Ladies and gentlemen, your reigning champion, Deputy Gorgeous!”

Elias’s laugh rumbled against my back as he wrapped his arms tighter around my waist. “That’s my girl,” he said before kissing my temple. “Smart, fine, and undefeated.”

I tried to hide my grin behind my hands, but Elias tugged them down, whispering against my ear where only I could hear. “Told you. You don’t just play the game, gorgeous. You own it.”

My blush gave me away, but for once, I didn’t care.