The penthouse felt impossibly quiet compared to the city noise they had left behind. Mira kicked off her heels and sank into the couch, the silk of her dress shifting against her skin.
Her hand, almost automatically, drifted to her stomach, brushing the faint swell beneath the fabric—a reminder that even two weeks in, the life growing inside her already felt like hers to protect.
Cassian's voice cut through the soft hum of the apartment, steady and deliberate. "I'm going to shower," he said, unbuttoning his shirt slowly, one hand brushing over his chest. "Ten minutes. Maybe fifteen. Don't get into trouble while I'm gone."
Mira's lips twitched into a small, teasing smile. "Trouble?" she echoed, voice light but amused. "With ice cream in the fridge, I'm practically a menace."
He gave a sharp, approving look before disappearing into the bathroom. The sound of running water soon filled the room, leaving Mira alone with her thoughts—and her appetite. She leaned back, grabbed the tub of ice cream they had stashed, and spooned a generous bite into her mouth, savoring the sweet cold that contrasted with the warmth still lingering from the day.
Her eyes wandered to the bathroom door, imagining him behind it, water streaming down his skin, muscles tense and defined even in the casual movements of a shower. She couldn't help the small, guilty thrill that raced through her chest as she licked the spoon clean, mouth full, completely unaware that someone was watching.
When the water stopped, the soft scrape of a towel against the floor announced his exit. Cassian stepped out, water dripping from his hair, droplets sliding down his sculpted abs and disappearing beneath a towel loosely wrapped around his waist. His gaze caught hers immediately, eyes sharp yet amused, and Mira froze mid-lick, ice cream dripping slightly onto the couch.
"You're eating that like a child," he said, voice low and teasing, stepping closer, each movement deliberate and unhurried. "With the baby inside you, no less. Do you even realize how adorable you look right now?"
Mira swallowed quickly, cheeks heating as she tried to look innocent. "I'm… hungry," she said defensively, holding the spoon like a shield. "It's late. It's two weeks into… well, you know."
"I know exactly," he murmured, thumb brushing a stray strand of hair from her temple. "And that tiny life… it's inside you. Already. Don't act like you're not enjoying spoiling it—and yourself."
The room felt smaller suddenly, the air thick with unspoken amusement and tension. Mira's hand drifted again to her stomach, touching lightly, almost shyly, as though she were acknowledging both the baby and him. "I—" she started, then stopped, unsure how to explain the strange thrill of being caught by him, being seen in such a simple, silly moment.
Cassian leaned closer, lowering his voice, letting the teasing edge sharpen just enough to make her pulse quicken. "You remember," he said slowly, "this isn't the first time we… you know, shared a moment like this." His smirk was unapologetic, teasing, dangerous in its intimacy. "And now… well, the result is right here, inside you."
Mira froze, a soft, nervous laugh escaping her. "You're impossible," she whispered, gripping the spoon a little tighter. "Absolutely impossible."
He chuckled, warm and low, stepping even closer until her bag nudged the wall, limiting her movement. "Maybe," he said softly, letting the smirk soften into something gentler. "But you don't exactly hate it, do you?"
"I—" she began, then giggled, finally giving in to the absurdity of it. "I… can't deny that it's… cute. And terrifying. And everything at once."
Cassian's hand found hers, squeezing gently as he let his gaze travel over her face, softening into something protective and teasing at the same time.
"Cute and terrifying is the perfect combination," he said, brushing his thumb across her knuckles. "Just like my baby… and you."
Mira rolled her eyes, laughing softly, despite the sudden flush in her chest. "My baby?" she said, voice teasing, yet her fingers pressed lightly to her stomach, feeling the impossible proof of his words. "It's… not even visible yet. Two weeks and you're already claiming ownership?"
"Claiming? No," he said, leaning closer, voice low and warm. "Acknowledging. Appreciating. Teasing, of course." He allowed the last word to hang, his smirk playful but something softer lingering behind it.
She laughed again, a small, breathless sound, letting the warmth and the absurdity settle around them. "You're ridiculous," she said finally, shaking her head. "And dangerous. And very… distracting."
"Good," he said, voice low, leaning even closer, eyes glittering with mischief. "I aim to be all three. For you. And for the little one growing in there."
Mira pressed the spoon into the ice cream once more, hiding a grin. "You… you know, you might make me eat this slower just so you can keep staring at me," she whispered, teasing.
"I might," he admitted lightly, voice soft, letting the words linger like the heat in the room. "And you might like it."
Her heart skipped as he stepped back slightly, giving her just enough space to breathe, but not enough to forget his presence. "I—maybe I do," she admitted quietly, still brushing the back of her hand against her stomach, the thought of him, the baby, and the teasing all blending into one dizzying, impossible warmth.
Cassian laughed softly, brushing a stray drip of water from his hair. "Good," he said. "Because we're just getting started.
And you? You'll need all the energy from that ice cream… for everything coming next."
Mira's eyes widened slightly, eyebrows raised in playful suspicion. "Everything next?" she asked, voice breathless, half teasing, half curious.
"Everything," he murmured, voice low and deliberate, letting the words hang like a promise that was both naughty and protective, terrifying and comforting.
And in that quiet penthouse, ice cream melting in her hand, Cassian's teasing smirk, and the small, impossible life growing inside her, Mira realized the contract had taken on a weight she hadn't expected—messy, thrilling, intimate, and undeniably real.