Sabrina chokes on a laugh. I pinch the bridge of my nose.
Nathan glances at me, grinning. “I love her.”
“Yeah, I bet you do.”
Sabrina finally looks up, eyes bright with mischief. “Hey, husband.”
“I missed you.”
Her expression softens—just for a second—before she hides it behind a smirk.
I take a step closer, scanning the chaos. “You’ve been busy.”
“Very,” she says proudly.
I nod, impressed despite myself. “Looks like it.”
But the longer I stand here, the more I can tell what’s not here. No boxes. No suitcases. Not a single packed thing in sight.
I turn back to her slowly. “You didn’t pack.”
Her chin lifts, defiant. “I told you I’d get to it.”
“When?”
She shrugs. “Eventually.”
Mrs. D lets out a tiny laugh before pretending to cough. Nathan looks like he’s watching his favorite sitcom.
I take a few steps toward her until we’re inches apart. “You like testing me, don’t you?”
She tilts her head, all sweetness and sass. “Maybe I like watching you try to win.”
Something low and hot tightens in my chest. “Sweetheart,” I murmur, “I don’t try. I do.”
She blinks up at me, all fire and challenge. “What if I told you I’m not moving?”
“Then I’d tell you I don’t care if you pack a single thing,” I say, voice low, calm. “I’ll buy you all new clothes, new furniture, new everything. I will throw you over my shoulder with just the clothes on your back and take you home.”
Her lips twitch. “You wouldn’t.”
I step closer until her breath hitches. My hand comes up, fingers slipping beneath her chin, tilting her face up to mine.
“Try me.”
The words hang heavy between us—low, rough, and full of promise.
Her eyes search mine, heat flickering there with something that looks dangerously close to surrender.
Behind us, Mrs. D clears her throat. “Well,” she says brightly, scooping up Olga. “Looks like I should take the dog for a walk.”
Nathan bursts out laughing. “I’m coming too before this turns into something I can’t unsee.”
They disappear out the door, leaving just me and my wife in the middle of her storm of papers, staring each other down.
And for the first time all day, I realize I’m not sure who’s actually winning.
She’s still glaring up at me, chin caught between my fingers, her pulse fluttering against my touch.
