Free Laura's Solo Honeymoon - The Ice Cream Shop Boy #1 (Erotic Romance) by Mimi Strong Page B

ground, reading my newspaper, though I could feel the girlfriend hating me. Suck it , I thought. I wasn't leaving.
    The girlfriend ranted for a few more minutes, alternating between yelling at him for dating crimes committed over the past several months and yelling at the dog to stop barking. Neither was terribly effective at getting her what she wanted, so, finally, she scooped up the dog and marched out the door in a huff.
    After a moment had passed, I turned back to the guy at the counter. Completely ignoring what had just happened between him and his awful girlfriend, I stuck my hand out and said, “I'm Laura, by the way. We've been talking nearly every day, and I don't think I introduced myself.”
    He broke from his tense posture, like an iceberg melting in the warm sun. He put his hand in mine and gave me a firm handshake. “Nice to meet you, Laura. I'm Shawn.”
    We smiled at each other, still holding hands. He had a stubbly beard, as though he hadn't shaved in a week. His longish, straight brown hair fell down over his ears and across thick brown eyebrows.
    He said, “We have a new lemon cream today. Do you want a taste?”
    I said, “Absolutely.”
    He looked down at our hands, laughed, and let go of mine. “Sorry, I don't know where my manners are.” He crossed over to the cooler, putting glass between us.
    His mannerisms made me believe he might be … thinking we could be compatible .
    I know I was.
    My heart fluttered, and I got this excitement, anticipation of something that was absolutely not going to happen. The guy was younger than me, and … and what?
    I didn't have a husband, or even a boyfriend. I was absolutely free. Free to do what I wanted.
    The thought of all the possibilities before me made my skin pull taut, my nipples harden under the thin fabric of my dress. I should have been demure and crossed my arms over my chest to hide them. That's what I would have normally done, being the reserved person I am.
    I was still staring at Shawn, and noticed his eyes darting down to my nipples, so clearly visible under my dress.
    He took a step further away from me, to the edge of the ice cream cooler, putting more distance between us. I wondered how he was feeling right now, if he was thinking about me, or about that repugnant girl.
    I remembered how I used to feel after arguing with Lars, and how the adrenaline of the fight made me want to hit him with something or … made me agree to make love with him, even though I was still angry. We always had hot sex after a fight, and I felt like I was betraying myself.
    I wondered if Shawn had gotten excited during his fight with his girlfriend, or perhaps if he was excited by me. He kept looking at my nipples, and shyly resisted meeting my gaze.
    “I'll definitely try the new lemon cream,” I said. He grabbed a little plastic spoon, curled up a piece and handed it to me.
    After tasting, I said, “Zesty.”
    “Real lemon zest,” he said, then he handed me another tiny scoop with pink ice cream. “Wild cherry,” he said.
    I took the spoon with my other free hand and tasted. “Wow, that's tart.”
    He chuckled. “That batch could have used more sugar.” He scooped up what looked like chocolate and held it out over top of the cooler.
    I still had a little lemon and cherry on the two scoops I was holding, as I was taking my time. “Can't,” I said. “Hands are full.”
    He got a devilish look in his eyes and leaned over the cooler toward me. “Open wide,” he said.
    He made eye contact just as the chocolate ice cream went into my mouth.
    “Mm,” I said.
    He slowly withdrew the plastic spoon. “That's my favorite,” he said, no longer shy about making eye contact.
    “I can see why.” I looked down at the vats of ice cream in the cooler. Funny, I didn't want any of them. I didn't want ice cream at all. I wanted Shawn. I wanted him to put his hands on me, kiss me, press his body into mine. I wanted to slip my hand down the front of his jeans and