Cuffed on the First Date Chapter 1

My mom set me up on a blind date. Her selling point? "He's got a rock-solid government job."

When I met him, he was a devastatingly handsome ice prince.

He slid a photograph across the table. "Do you know him?"

It was my scumbag ex-boyfriend.

A jolt of electricity shot through me. "Know him?" I seethed, my teeth clenched. "Even as dust and ashes, I'd know that bastard."

A cold smirk touched his lips. "Good," he murmured. "Then our goals are one and the same."

I thought he wanted to help me get revenge. My heart fluttered, ready to be his.

Until he pulled out a pair of gleaming steel handcuffs and snapped one around my wrist.

"I'm a cop..."

* * *

"You must be Lia."

The man across from me spoke, his voice as flat and cool as his expression.

Just yesterday, my mom was screaming at me over the phone. "Lia, listen to me, you're thirty! How much longer are you going to be this picky? This one's a federal employee, a stable job for life! If you dare stand him up, I'll break your legs!"

So, here I was.

The man in front of me was named Ethan. He was undeniably good-looking, with deep-set eyes and a sharp, high-bridged nose. The cuffs of his crisp white shirt were rolled up, revealing strong, corded forearms.

But his presence was overwhelming. He sat there, perfectly still, yet I felt a nervous energy crackling in the air, making me squirm in my seat.

I managed a nod. "That's me."

He hummed in acknowledgment, and then… silence.

The waitress came to take our order. He asked for a black iced coffee, then his gaze shifted to me.

"I'll have the same," I said.

As the waitress left, the awkwardness thickened. I started to question everything. Was this really a blind date?

He finally spoke again. "So, Miss Reed, what do you do for fun?"

I pulled myself together. "Watch movies, shop, a bit of travel."

"I see."

And… silence again.

I decided to take the lead. "So, Mr. Cole, what exactly do you do? My mom just said you worked for the government."

He looked at me, his eyes so deep I couldn't read a single emotion in them.

"My work is classified."

Okay, then. This conversation was officially dead on arrival.

I picked up my glass of water, planning to sit for another ten minutes before making a polite excuse to leave.

But then he reached into his briefcase and pulled out a photograph.

"Do you know him?"

The face in the picture was one I could never forget.

Alex.

My ex-boyfriend. The con artist who had stolen my heart and my money before vanishing three years ago.

I froze. What was my mother thinking? Was this some kind of bizarre test to see if I still had feelings for him?

I slammed my glass down on the table.

"Know him? Of course, I know him." My voice was laced with venom. "Even as dust and ashes, I'd know that bastard!"

Ethan leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping to a low, intense murmur.

"Good."

"Then our goals are one and the same."

My heart gave a violent lurch.