Page 24 of The Broken Keys

“That was pie. This is ice cream. Different rules apply.”

“What rules?” She tilts her head, hair falling over one shoulder. It makes me want to reach out and touch it. “Enlighten me.”

I lean closer. “Ice cream rules are simple. Whoever bought it gets priority access to the good parts.”

“The good parts?” Her voice drops to a rasp.

“The chunks. The swirls. All the pieces that make it worth the wait.” My gaze drops to her lips. “The parts that matter most.”

“And what if someone wants to share the good parts?”

“Then they have to ask nicely.” I take the utensil back, deliberately letting my touch linger against hers. “Really nice.”

“Please?” The word comes out all breathy. “Can I have some of the good parts, Callum?”

Hearing my name in that voice, with that question hanging between us, makes my pulse spike.

“Since you asked so sweetly…” I scoop up the treat loaded with cookie dough and hold it out to her.

Instead of taking it, she leans forward and lets me feed it to her. Her lips close around the spoon in a way that makes my jeans feel uncomfortably tight.

“Better?” My word comes out rough.

She nods, but there’s something in her eyes that suggests we’re not talking about ice cream. “Much better. Your turn.”

She takes the utensil and returns the favor, her free hand coming up to steady my jaw as she feeds me. The innocent touch zaps me with desire.

When she uses her thumb to wipe away a drop from the corner of my mouth, I nearly lose my mind.

“Messy eater.” She doesn’t move her hand away.

“Only when I’m distracted.” I turn my face slightly, pressing a soft kiss to her palm before I can stop myself.

Her fingers tremble against my skin, but she doesn’t pull away. “What’s distracting you?”

“You. Everything about you. The way you laugh. The way you bite your lip when you’re thinking. The way you say my name like it means something.”

“It does mean something.” Her thumb traces across my chin. “You mean something.”

The admission hangs in the air between us, heavy with possibility. I wanna kiss her so badly it physically hurts, but I can feel her walls rebuilding even as she touches me.

“Lily…”

She’s already moving. “We should finish this before it melts.”

But the damage is done. The careful distance we’ve been maintaining has cracked, and now we’re both pretending we can’t feel the heat bleeding through the fractures.

We finish the ice cream in charged silence, every accidental touch and lingering glance adding fuel to the fire we’re both trying not to acknowledge.

And when the container is empty and there’s no reason for me to stay, I find myself searching for excuses to hang out just a little longer.

I push away from the counter, inching closer to her. “Lily, you need to know something.”

“What?”

“I’m standing in front of the person I wanna build a life with.” I shrug. “That’s all.”

She studies me, something unreadable easing in her eyes.