Her eyes widened. “Heavens, no!”
“That is a shame,” he said lightly. “You would find I am very seducible.”
Her cheeks burned. “You shouldn’t say such things.”
“Why not? We are husband and wife. Surely it’s permissible to engage in the noble art of conjugal flirtation. Or, as I prefer to call it—the dance of naked bodies.”
“No one says that,” she muttered.
“It will catch on,” he said confidently. “Give it time.”
She gave him a withering look. “You are enjoying this far too much.”
“I am, myKicksy-Wicksy,” he admitted with a grin. He stepped closer. “After all, you are the one who crept into my bedchamber uninvited. What was I to think?”
“That I was hiding,” she replied.
“From me?” he asked, mock-offended.
“No,” she said with a sigh. “From your father.”
Evander blinked. “My father?”
She nodded, tucking a stray curl behind her ear. “I saw him in your mother’s room. He was holding her hand… and crying.”
Evander’s brows shot up. “Crying? Are you sure?”
“Yes, I saw the tears and I panicked. I didn’t want to be caught eavesdropping, so I fled into the nearest door. Unfortunately, that door was yours.”
He crossed his arms slowly, digesting her words. “I confess, I’m not sure which is more shocking—my father’s emotional display, or your daring escape into my chambers.”
“He looked… human,” Olivia said softly.
“Well, that’s a relief,” Evander replied. “I had long suspected he was made of stone.”
She gave a quiet laugh.
“Did he see you?” he asked.
“No. I was very stealthy. Like a ninja.”
“A ninja who stomps everywhere she goes?” he teased.
“I do not stomp.”
“You do. But it’s endearing.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Aren’t you supposed to be charming?”
“That depends. Will this conversation end in a kiss?”
“It will not.”
He sighed. “Then, no kisses, no charm.”
“You are impossible,” she said, reaching for the door.
“You married me,” he reminded her smugly.
