"I won't," I promised, voice low and earnest, meeting her eyes fully. My heart thudded as I continued, hoping my sincerity shone through. "Watching you defend yourself is one of the sexiest things I've ever seen."
"Sop," she dragged the word out, the tip of her ears red from embarrassment. "Did your mother say anything else?"
“She tried forcing me to divorce you.”
That got her attention. She paused mid-bite and slowly looked up at me. “She what?”
“She tried forcing me with the company,” I explained. “Luckily, I planned ahead.”
Evania’s appetite vanished as she set her fork down, eyes searching mine with disbelief before she let out a slow, disbelieving exhale and shook her head.
“Well,” she muttered under her breath, “your mom is taking her role of a Monster-in-Law a little too seriously.”
A laugh escaped me before I could stop it.
A laugh escaped me before I could stop it. I hoped it would lighten the tension, but instead, her shoulders tightened, and she let out a quiet, annoyed sigh.
I raised my hands slightly in surrender. “Sorry.”
The silence between us lasted only a few seconds before I decided to change the subject entirely. “So,” I said, clearing my throat slightly, “I was thinking my name is a bit long.”
She eyed me suspiciously. “I guess you could say that.”
My lips twitched with barely concealed amusement. "I thought you could choose a nickname for me.”
She blinked. “A nickname?”
“Yes. I want something cute.”
That earned a real smile from her. “You want a cute nickname,” she repeated slowly.
She studied me like she was trying to decide if I was joking. “You’re serious.”
“Very.”
“Well,” she said thoughtfully, “I do like the nicknames you’ve given me, I think I’ll like them even more now that we’re a real couple.”
My grin widened immediately. “A real couple,” I repeated.
She nodded once.
A real couple.
Something about hearing her say that out loud made my chest feel lighter. She tapped her fork lightly against the plate. “I’ll have to think of the best nickname for you.”
“That serious?”
“Of course,” she replied. “This is important.”
I chuckled.
“Well, take your time then.”
Dinner continued quietly. Once we finished eating, we both got up and cleaned the kitchen together. She washed while I dried. The simple routine was oddly comfortable. When everything was finally put away, we headed upstairs. The hallway was quiet as we walked toward the bedroom.
Vani headed straight for the bathroom to brush her teeth, and I followed after her. She was the first to climb into bed, sliding under the covers and getting comfortable. I turned off the lights and joined her a moment later.
At first, neither of us moved. I was ashamed to admit that I was incredibly nervous. I've slept with other women before, but having Vani this close to me gave me heart palpitations. Then she shifted closer to me, and my heart all but stopped.
