Page 45 of Miami Ice

“It’s toffee.”

“Really?”

I nod. “It’s a boutique blend. I love that it has a sweet, milky, toffee-like scent.”

“It’s nice,” Beckham says simply.

Nice.

Not sexy, butnice.

Why does that answer disappoint me?

It shouldn’t,my brain reminds me.Beckham isn’t looking at you in that way, and you’d do your heart a favor to remember that.

He abruptly shifts his gaze back to the ice cream. “Before you were distracted by my cologne, I was telling you I used to eat bubble-gum ice cream. Now that makes me sick to think about.”

“I loved cookie dough as a kid.”

“They have a Jack Daniels and Coke ice cream,” Beckham says. “That speaks to me.”

“Nope, you aren’t having that on my watch,” I tease. “That gets dangerously close to club-like activity.”

“You are the first woman besides Sofia to tell me no.”

“I’m glad. I think it’s good for you.”

“I think it’s good for me, too,” he says quietly.

My eyes fly to his. He’s staring down at me with a serious look.

I quickly shift my eyes back to the menu board as my brain directs me to do. “I have to go with the sugar cookie shake,” I say, switching the subject.

“Christ, Georgie, how much sugar is in that?” he asks in a shocked voice. “Sugar cookie ice cream, topped with whipped cream, holiday sprinkles, and a freshly baked sugar cookie?”

“We’re celebrating your win,” I come up with on the fly.

I feel him giving me a side-eye. “I think your sugar bomb of a shake is more dangerous than a Jack and Coke at a South Beach club.”

Hmm. He might be right. But I won’t concede that.

“What are you going to get?” I ask. “I’ll be very disappointed if you go with something like plain chocolate.”

“Do I strike you as a plain anything kind of guy?”

“How would I know? I’m just getting to know you,” I say cheerfully.

“You are, aren’t you?” he asks softly.

My heart flutters inside my chest again, with my head apparently not able to control this response at all.

“I am,” I say, and I don’t even bother to tag it with an origin story disclaimer.

Beckham nods. “Well, I’m not that boring. It will definitely be more than chocolate.” His gaze shifts back to the board, and mine does, too, studying all the “Winter Seasonal” options. Then I see one that’s perfect for him. “I think you need The Grinch,” I declare.

Beckham searches the board, and his eyes stop on the description. “The Grinch. Mint chocolate ice cream, marshmallow cream, green sprinkles, whipped cream, and Andes mint candy sprinkles.”

“It would suit you, Grumpy,” I tease.

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