Page 137 of My Husband’s New Fiancée

“If Bianca knew...”

He shrugs slightly.

“What she thinks doesn’t matter anymore.”

Despite his words, a shadow briefly crosses his face.

Even without truly loving Bianca, he believed she was his friend. And her betrayal is still hard to accept.

For me too, it took time to grieve the friendship we once had.

Once the tomatoes are cut, he starts on the carrots with that quiet precision he puts into everything he does.

“Stop stealing them,” I protest when I catch him snacking on carrot cubes. “There won’t be enough left for the sauce!”

He bursts out laughing.

Asshole.

I brown the minced meat with the onions before adding the vegetables and seasonings.

Little by little, the kitchen fills with warm, familiar smells.

And with them comes an avalanche of memories.

Bursts of laughter. Tender gestures. Passionate embraces.

The kind of moments you never realize the value of until you’ve lost them.

Moments I’m dying to live again.

I scoop up a little sauce with a spoon, blow on it, then hold it out to him.

“Taste.”

He obeys.

Then, taking advantage of how close I am, he gently catches me by the waist.

“Perfect.”

But he isn’t looking at the sauce. All his attention is on me.

The air between us tightens with tension. His Adam’s apple rises and falls, and I follow the movement, mesmerized. When my eyes lift back to his, I find him staring at my lips with unsettling intensity.

And yet, he doesn’t move.

My heart is beating too fast.

And maybe that’s what finally breaks down my last defenses: having control. Knowing I can stop at any moment. Knowing he won’t force anything. That he’ll respect my choice.

I close the distance between us and softly capture his lips. I don’t know whether it’s tenderness—or because part of me is still hesitating.

Then sensation overwhelms me: the strength of his arms around me, the warmth radiating from his chest, his scent, the intoxicating taste of his mouth.

I stop fighting and surrender to the dizzying pull of his embrace.

So what if it’s too soon.