Page 30 of Cuffed By Love

"A little." Mira sighs, wincing a little when I pull her hand away from the water to take a look at her finger.

"Do you have any ointment?" Mira lifts her eyes to look at me and frowns thoughtfully while she chews on her bottom lip. I will myself not to gawk at her mouth. Still, my own body defies me and my eyes lower to her soft pink lips for a second before I coerce myself to fix my gaze on her forehead instead.

"Ayla might have some in the bathroom." She replies after a beat. "I'll check after we're done cooking. I'm fine for now. I can barely feel the sting anymore."

I shake my head, "You can't feel it because your skin is cool from the water. It will start burning again in a couple of minutes if you don't put some ointment over it. Let’s go find some. You don't want it to scar, do you?" I ask, and her eyes grow all big, and she shakes her head.

Satisfied she didn't argue for a change, I reach over and turn the stove off and pull her out of the kitchen through her open plan living room toward the stairs to the first floor. "Bathroom?" Mira points to the white wooden door at the end of the corridor. Mira follows me while I push the door open and look around for a light switch. It automatically comes on. "Sensored lights. Nice." I utter, smiling and let her lead me through the spacious bathroom. While Mira looks through the drawers for the ointment, I look around, taking in the bathroom's décor. Very modern and chic, much like the rest of the house. White marble effect walls and floors, a large walk-in shower to the back of the bathroom, one of those deep standalone bathtubs sat under a frosted window, and the toilet was to the right. The wall where the basin was situated was entirely a mirror giving the bathroom a very open feel.

"There you are." I hear Mira mumble and turn my gaze to watch her. My fingers itch to take the little tube from between her fingers and apply it for her, but if I know Mira—and I know I fucking do—she will only snatch it back and tell me off for coddling her. So, I opt for observing her as she applies the ointment to her finger, wincing a little while she bites down on that luscious bottom lip of hers that I once had the pleasure of nibbling on.

I'm a rotten bastard.

I have to stop thinking about her like that and get these urges of mine under control fucking pronto. Oh man, if I weren't in a relationship, I'd have her up on that counter by the basin, my tongue insatiably tasing every inch of her gorgeous body, her gasps and sexy moans lingering in the air as I drive her wild with desire. Watching her flushed face avidly in the mirror as I drive myself deep inside her until she's singing my name.

My mouth goes so dry that I can hear myself swallow at the mere thought of taking her.

Ten fucking years and I still want her as desperately as I did back then. I can't even tell you how many days and nights I've spent, dick in hand fantasising about all the things I would do to her if she were in bed beside me or on my desk at work.

Oh bollocks.

I curse myself when I feel my cock grow in my trousers, accompanied by an excruciating ache that pulses through me, causing every hair on my body to stand on end.

I can't even whack off to relieve myself. It's already been a good few days since I've had any release. I knew I should have done it this morning while lying in bed, wide awake and throbbing. But no, I didn't. I chose to have a cold shower instead. I need to lose this boner before she notices. I lift my gaze to the ceiling and think about anything that comes to mind that would kill this painful erection I’m sporting as soon as fucking possible.

'Come on, Dev, you’re a grown arse man, you absolute moron!'

"Dev?" I turn my gaze to Mira and meet her questioning gaze. "Are you okay?"

I nod. "Mhm, I'm good. Why?"

Mira frowns and shakes her head. "You made a weird groaning sound."

"Oh, I did?" I wince inwardly. Well done, idiot. "I'm starving. Is your finger okay?" I ask, swiftly changing the subject and sigh in relief when she nods and drops her gaze from mine to her finger.

"Oh, yeah, It stings a little, but it's fine." She replies with a little shrug and puts the ointment back in the drawer before she washes her fingers, careful not to get any water on the finger that's burnt. "I'm hungry too. Let's go finish making dinner." I nod and follow her out of the bathroom back down to the kitchen again. Cooking dinner took another ten minutes. We were finally settled on the dining table, attempting to eat, which again proved to be a struggle thanks to the handcuffs. Ayla and Wyatt soon joined Mira and me. We sat around the dining table drinking wine and reminiscing about the past.

"So, Dev, tell us about life in Singapore," Wyatt questions curiously before he takes a long sip of his chardonnay.

I shift in my seat and stare down into my glass of wine. "Singapore is great. It took a bit of getting used to, but it really grew on me over time. It's such a beautiful country with so much to see and do." I explain, circling my thumb around the rim of my glass.

Ayla clears her throat after she finishes off her glass of wine and looks around the table, then back at me again. "That's it? You've been out there for ten years, and that's all you've got to say?"

I chuckle a little and rub my forehead feeling rather awkward all of a sudden. "What more is there to say? Were you after a full report of my day to day activities? I spend most of my time working between the label and the publishing house. I don't have much time for much else, if I'm honest." I explain somewhat cagily.

"No relationships then?" Wyatt pipes up, his dark brows rising up to his hairline while he waits calmly for a response. I don't know why, but I hesitate, and the word 'no' almost came flying out of my mouth, but I caught myself just in time. Instead, I take a rather long sip of my wine and nod as I swallow.

"I did the casual thing for a while solely because I didn't have the time for relationships," I tell them, shifting in my seat again. My throat suddenly felt really tight.

"Devin King, destroyer of hearts." Ayla teases, and I chuckle uneasily. "You always were a heartbreaker even as a kid." She adds jokingly and casts a look over at Mira. I can see from the corner of my eye that she's staring down pensively while pushing a piece of chicken around on her plate.

"So you're still enjoying the bachelor life then? No intention of settling down sometime soon?" Wyatt asks, refilling his and Ayla's glasses of wine, and I press my molars together.

I force a smile and shake my head, my hand fists under the table. Why is this so fucking hard? Just say it. "It's been a long time since I've given up the bachelor life, bro."

"Oh?" Ayla and Wyatt utter together.

I nod, rubbing the back of my neck. "Yeah, I've been seeing a girl for about five years now. Her name's Megan." I finally reveal and exhale slowly. I was supposed to feel better after finally getting that out there, but I fucking didn't. Admitting that I have a girlfriend out loud hurt, someplace deep inside, my chest aches wanly. I notice Wyatt's eyes quickly glide to Mira over the rim of his wine glass, and I can't bear to look at her, so I keep my eyes trained on the salt shaker sitting in front of me.

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