“You do realize it’s rude to stare, right?” she asked, her voice soft and gentle.
I blinked back to the present, a small grin tugging at a corner of my lips. “It’s not if you’re staring at your wife.”
She managed to meet my gaze, lips pursing to suppress her smile. “Well, it’s making me uncomfortable.” Her manicured fingers clenched around the stem of her glass, half-filled with red wine.
“It’s notmyfault you’re pretty,” I answered, my gaze steady on her. “Get used to it.”
Her cheeks flushed at my remark, and she looked away, lifting her glass for a sip. “Flattery will get nowhere.”
“Wanna bet on that?” I flashed her a teasing smirk. “Five hundred bucks says you’re wrong.”
Eva let out a soft chuckle, her fingers tucking her hair behind her ear. As she beamed at me, her stormy blue eyes offered a glimpse of something I’d yet to name.
My God, she was absolutely gorgeous!
“You’re beautiful,” I said, unable to stop myself from blurting it out.
Her expression softened, and she turned her head, but not before the blush gave her away. Color bloomed across her face, soft and unguarded.
“Thank you,” she murmured, almost as if the words embarrassed her.
I twisted my lips into a mischievous grin and reached for my glass of wine. “You weren’t this shy when you were riding the hell out of me last night.”
“Shhhh….” Her eyes widened in shock, her brows rising instantly. “Keep your voice down, Jesus!” she whispered, glancing around as if to make sure no one was listening.
I chuckled lightly.
“It’s not funny, Demyon,” she said through gritted teeth.
“The truth sucks. I know.” I sipped from my glass.
She set down her cutlery and lowered her voice. “You wanna know what actually sucks?”
“I’m guessing you’re gonna tell me anyway,” I teased, basking in her unease.
“You’re damn right, I will,” she said, staring right at me. “It’s you, Demyon. You suck.”
I let out a quiet laugh. “Of course I do. I’ve sucked you before, and I’m looking forward to doing that again.”
“Oh, my God, Demyon.” She hid her face in embarrassment.
I watched her try so hard to hold back her laughter—lips pressed together, shoulders twitching despite her best efforts to stay composed.
A strange sense of satisfaction washed over me when she finally gave in. A brief, amused laugh slipped from her, and she shook her head, her eyes crinkling at the corners.
That radiant smile that lit up her face thawed something inside me. For the first time, I was able to make her not just smile but laugh. A weird feeling of triumph swelled up within me, and as I met her gaze, I felt…peaceful.
In that moment, time itself seemed to hold its breath, the world around us slowly fading into the background. I couldn’t explain the feeling of staring into those amazing eyes of hers, but it felt really good.
When she looked at me with that soft expression, her usual hint of hatred and disdain was nowhere to be found. I wasn’t sure if this was a sign that she was starting to accept her new reality or if it was just a fleeting moment of bliss.
My phone buzzed on the table, interrupting our peaceful staring contest. A faint frown flashed across my face. My eyes left her face and settled on the phone’s lock screen.
It was an incoming call from Ilya.
She glanced at the buzzing device. “Aren’t you gonna take that?”
I didn’t respond, just sipped my wine in silence.
