Explosion*

A tense silence settled between them as Nikolai's intense gaze burrowed into her own. For a brief second, Mineah felt a shiver run down her body, a brief spike of arousal washing over her as his captivating eyes and hot breath made her feel like he was about to descend upon her like a man possessed.

"You're asking for this… Aren't you, Mine," he directly stated, his eyes never leaving hers as he broke through the tension.

"I simply aim to please," she directly answered back, her eyes shining with both lust and determination. "I have my duties to you as a wife, and I will not leave a job unfinished."

"A job unfinished, I see…"

Another beat passed, and she almost thought that she had just ruined her chances of gaining the upper hand here with how direct she had been. After all, she was still fighting over the space in his heart with the ghost of Dahlia. It was surreal to even be thinking of such things, but that was just the reality of her situation.