Page 37 of Cuffed By Love

I scoff, “Life of the party? Is that what you call getting absolutely tanked and having your best friend carry you out of there before you started to striptease?”

Devin laughs, “That was Logan’s fault. He had everyone chanting for you to strip.”

I smile. “Thank God you stopped me. I don’t think I would have ever lived that down otherwise.”

I swallow the gasp that was about to escape me, and my heart beats a touch faster when his fingers play with mine tenderly. “When compared to the numerous dumb shit you stopped me from doing over the years, yours was nothing, believe me.”

I sigh when Devin’s finger draws circles over my palm. “Stealing Mr Bryant’s motorbike because he kept calling you out in his class, you mean? Your stupid arse would have gotten arrested if I didn’t stay back and follow you after school.”

“I would have been expelled. That conniving bastard always had it in for me for some reason.”

I giggle, “Could it be because you didn’t pay attention in his class and used it as a napping period?”

“It’s not like I did it on purpose. He had a tedious tone, and I would, through no fault of my own, always drift off in his class no matter how hard I tried to stay awake. I just couldn’t. That man’s voice cost me a good few brain cells, I’m sure of it.” Devin explains with a deep throaty laugh.

As Devin stated, Mr Bryant was our geography teacher and was quite possibly the most boring human to have ever graced this planet. He was exceedingly dull and spoke in a droning tone that would send half his class into a heavy-eyed trance. And for some unbeknownst reason, he would single out Devin every single time.

There was a rumour circulating the school that he had it in for Devin because he was always flirting with Miss Hudson, our very young and attractive maths teacher who had the attention of every male in the school. You know the teacher/student cliché that most boys fantasised about, well it turns out Mr Bryant was rather smitten with her. When word had gotten out that Devin was flirting with her, it invoked quite the resentment.

“Well, you’ve only got yourself to blame. You shouldn’t have been flirting with the love of his life right in front of him. Maybe he wouldn’t have treated you so unfairly then.” I tease him jauntily and can practically hear him roll his eyes.

“I was not the only one flirting with her.” He grumbles defensively. “Every male in that school was infatuated with her. The only reason he singled me out was simply because I was her favourite. The bald-headed git couldn’t hack that she wasn’t interested in him. As if he ever stood a chance with a girl like that. He was like ten years older than her.”

I titter, “Oh, and you did? You were ten years too young.”

“I had a better chance than he ever did, that’s for sure.”

I gape at him in the dark. “Hold it, you swore up and down that nothing ever happened with the two of you.” I slap his arm. “Did you lie to me?”

Devin hisses, “Ow, no! It didn’t. I’m just saying I had better odds of winning her than old fart Bryant.”

I scoff. “Forever the humble Casanova.” I drawl wryly with a roll of my eyes. “The enormity of your ego still astonishes me, King.”

Devin laughs deeply, pleased by my remark and drops a lingering kiss on my knuckles. “When the merchandise is this good, it would be a dire shame to not flaunt it, Shortcake.”

I snicker and pull my hand out of his grasp, “Do you hear yourself? You sound like such an egomaniac.”

“Without you around to keep me grounded on the daily, my ego just kept budding and flourishing, and now it’s just gotten to this stage where it’s out of control.”

And whose fault is that?I wanted to snipe back, but I bite my tongue. I wasn’t in the mood for another argument. “It would be my utmost pleasure, Devin King, to knock you down a peg or two…or maybe five.”

“I have absolutely no qualms that you will, Tiny Tinks.”

I smirk at the haughtiness laced in his tone. This boy was and has always been an expert at knowing exactly how to get right under my skin. I couldn’t relax. Despite my best efforts, my mind wouldn’t let me. Just having Dev in my bed, half-naked and this close to me, made me feel a type of way I couldn’t quite decipher.

I’ve shared a bed with Devin many times growing up, but it doesn’t feel normal and innocent like it used to after sleeping with him. I keep getting this feeling that we are both very aware of the other being so close. The tension is practically oozing off of us in waves while we lay side by side, our handcuffed hands resting between us.

‘Maybe it’s all in your head, and you’re just making it awkward.’

Could it just be me reading too much into it? I do have a tendency to over-scrutinise the shit out of things as of late. You know what, it doesn’t even matter. I will be damned if I let Devin King start messing with my emotions again.

After a good while of pondering, the chaos I had going on in my mind finally lets me doze off to sleep, where I absolutely did not have an erotic dream of the outrageously good-looking Adonis sleeping beside me.

If you couldn’t detect the sopping sarcasm there, that was a load of hogwash because I did. I dreamt he was doing all kinds of sordid things to me, and I loved every raunchy second of it. Every moment felt so vivid. His touch left trails of an addictive tingling sensation on my already sweltering skin. I could practically taste him, feel his tongue tortuously teasing my own.

I woke up the next morning abnormally wet, accompanied by a wanton ache between my legs—oh, and I was wrapped up in his strong arms.

Crap.

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