Page 54 of Cuffed By Your Love

Jason was still salty, shuffling the Uno deck like it had betrayed him personally.

“Nah, I don’t like how that ended. Run it back.”

Jonell stretched out in the chair, smug as hell. “Or,” she drawled, “we could graduate to Spades and really hurt your feelings.”

Leila clapped her hands. “Yes! Spades. Now we gon’ see who really know how to play and who just talkin’ noise.”

Jason perked up, his pride ready for redemption. “Bet. I got Leila. Jonell, you can sit this one out?—”

“Excuse you?” Jonell cut him off, sliding to the table. “Ain’t no game without me. But since you think you the king of cards, go ahead. Take Leila. I’ll sit out.”

That left me.

Elias leaned forward, smile slow and dangerous. “That means I got Gorgeous. Y’all better get ready to lose.”

I blinked at him, startled. “Do you even know how to play Spades?”

His arm brushed mine, confidence rolling off him. “Better question, do you trust me?”

The way my chest fluttered at that nearly had me folding before the first hand. I swallowed. “Yeah. I trust you.”

“Good,” he said, voice low, that smirk curving just enough to set me on fire. “Then we already won.”

The game kicked off, and the table was all trash talk. Jason slammed cards like they owed him money, Leila was hyping him up even when he was dead wrong, and Jonell sat back, sipping wine like she was watching a pay-per-view fight.

Elias and I, though? We were locked in. Every time I played a card, he followed like he’d read my mind. Every time he leaned back with that smug look, I knew he was holding heat.

“This gon’ be our game. Watch,” Elias called, tossing down his card smoothly. Jason groaned so loud the neighbors probably heard.

“Boy, you ain’t even supposed to know how to?—”

“Book,” Elias cut him off, calm as Sunday service. He slid his arm around my chair, eyes glittering. “Good lookin’ out, gorgeous.”

Heat climbed up my neck as I tried to keep cool, pretending my heart wasn’t sprinting. “Just don’t mess it up, Detective.”

He chuckled lowly, licking his lips. “Mess you up? Maybe. This game? Never.”

By the time the last hand hit the table, Jason had his head in his hands, Leila was fake-pouting, and Jonell was wheezing from laughing so hard.

“Game!” Elias declared, leaning back with a grin as cocky as it was fine. “Me and Gorgeous, undefeated.”

I couldn’t help it; I threw my hands up, laughing so hard I had to lean into him. Elias caught me easily, his arm snug around my waist. He kissed my temple like the win was just the excuse he needed.

“Told you,” he murmured against my skin. “Trust me, and we’ll always win.”

“Y’all disgust me,” Jason grumbled.

“Y’all got dusted,” Jonell shot back, pointing at the score. “Big bro finally met his match.”

Elias’s gaze dipped to mine, his lips curving slowly, secretly. “Nah,” he whispered just for me, voice warm as honey. “I met my partner.”

The blush lit my face up so bad Jonell hollered, “Lawd, she glowing again!”

And honestly? I didn’t even care. Because for once, I wanted them to see it.

We cleaned up in waves, cards stacked, empty glasses taken to the sink, and leftover snacks tucked away. I ducked into the bathroom to pin my locs up for the night, but on my way back, I paused in the hallway as I heard voices drifting from the kitchen.

Jason’s low rumble. Elias’s steady tone.