His name was Nathaniel

111

The apartment had quieted down after the last guest left, leaving behind the soft hum of the fridge and the occasional clink of dishes being returned to their rightful place. The lingering scent of homecooked food and vanilla candles still filled the air.

Nathaniel rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt as he carried the last stack of dessert plates to the sink. His dark shirt was slightly untucked, and the collar hung loose around his neck, revealing just enough of his toned chest to make Adaliya's thoughts stray from dinner to something much more distracting.

He was talking—something about a partnership deal in Dubai and the irritating way one of the foreign stakeholders had insisted on changing the agreement last-minute—but Adaliya had long since stopped listening.

From her seat at the counter, she rested her chin in her hand, eyes trailing the way his biceps flexed every time he rinsed a dish, the muscles along his back tightening with every movement. The overhead light cast warm shadows across the broad lines of his shoulders, and she sighed—visibly.

He looked good. Too good. Especially after the chaos of the evening and the whirlwind of emotion they'd shared earlier. She tilted her head, lips tugging up in a smirk.

Still talking, Nathaniel ran a hand through his hair as he stepped back from the sink, grabbing a towel.

"—and if they try to pull out of the merger again, I'll just redirect the acquisition through our subsidiary in Germany. They won't see it coming," he said, mostly to himself.

Adaliya stood, her bare feet silent on the hardwood floor as she crossed the space toward him.

Nathaniel noticed her movement in the corner of his eye but didn't turn, continuing to wipe down the counter. "I swear, I'd rather renegotiate the entire contract than deal with another virtual meeting at three in the morning—"

He stopped mid-sentence as her hands slid around his waist from behind, her fingers gently caressing the ridges of his stomach beneath his shirt.

She leaned in and pressed a kiss to his shoulder, her voice low. "You know I have no idea what you're talking about, right?"

A small smile tugged at the edge of his mouth. "Figured."

She chuckled, resting her forehead against his back. "It's okay. You talking about business makes for excellent background noise when I'm admiring my husband's arms."

Nathaniel turned just enough to glance at her over his shoulder. "Are you admiring or plotting something?"

"I don't think you mind either way," she murmured, hands smoothing over his chest now.

He arched an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

She leaned in again, this time nuzzling the side of his neck. "Mhm. I think we've had a long day. And I think," she whispered, voice laced with meaning, "we should go to the bedroom and unwind properly."

Nathaniel gave a soft laugh, placing the towel down as he turned to face her fully. His hands found her waist, holding her close as he looked down at her.

"You really have no patience tonight, do you?" he teased.

She pouted. "Don't act like you don't know what I'm trying to say."

"Oh, I know exactly what you're saying," he said, brushing his nose against hers affectionately.

"Then say yes."

Nathaniel's smile faltered just slightly, his hands tightening around her hips as he looked down at her belly. There was still no real bump, but the weight of the truth was there.

"I want to," he said quietly. "But I'm scared I might hurt you."

Adaliya's face fell, her hopeful grin replaced by a disappointed frown.

"Nathaniel..." she muttered. "I'm not made of glass."

He chuckled softly, leaning in to kiss her forehead. "No, you're just carrying something a little too precious for me to risk getting carried away tonight."

She sighed and stepped back, arms crossing with a small huff. "Fine. Just reject your wife. On your birthday."

Nathaniel laughed, grabbing her hand and pulling her back into his chest. "You're grumpy."

"I'm touch-starved. There's a difference."

"I'll make it up to you. Tomorrow," he murmured, placing a soft kiss just below her ear. "Scout's honor."

"Since when were you a scout?"

He grinned against her skin. "Never. But I'm very persuasive."

"Hmm. You better be."

They stayed like that for a while, tangled in each other's arms in the dim glow of their apartment—newly expectant parents, still figuring out how to love fiercely while carrying the weight of uncertainty.

And despite the teasing, the pouting, and the aching want between them... they were exactly where they were meant to be.