Page 142 of The Bittersweet Bond

Evin raised an eyebrow. “The calm before the storm, I fear. We were practically caught.”

“Caught?” Bas grinned. “If that counts as ‘caught,’ I don’t even want to know what you consider ‘completely caught.’”

Evin snorted and nudged his shoulder lightly. “Let’s not find out,” she said softly, smiling to herself. “You should be grateful she likes you. Otherwise, you’d probably be heading home in your underwear right now.”

Bas chuckled under his breath, stealing a quick glance at her. “You know how it is—mothers love me.”

“Oh, of course,” Evin replied, her tone sugary sweet and exaggerated. “The perfect son-in-law. A charmer and an Uno legend.”

“Charmer? And coming from you,” he said with a wink as they reached his car.

“You’re bringing out new sides of me,” she countered, eyes gleaming with challenge.

“Good,” Bas said, not missing a beat. “Glad I have some kind of effect on you.”

“If you only knew…” Evin trailed off, turning slightly away from him. She wanted so badly to say more. To show more. She crossed her arms and met his gaze, her eyes searching.

Bas reached for her hands, pulling her closer until she leaned against him. “Did you like what you saw tonight?” he asked, his voice teasing, but underneath it, she could hear the curiosity.

Even with her head resting against his chest, she could feel his heartbeat quicken. But she kept her composure, tilting her chin up slightly to meet his eyes.

“It was… okay.”

“Okay?” Bas scoffed, shaking his head as his grin widened. “That was top-tier entertainment.”

“If you say so,” Evin replied, but the corners of her lips twitched, betraying the smile she was trying to hold back.

As they kept walking, a comfortable silence settled between them, though the tension in the air was palpable. Evin felt his gaze flicker to her every so often, and she couldn’t deny that she liked it.

“So,” he started, “Valentine’s Day.”

Evin lifted her head, glancing up at him. “What about it?”

“Do you have plans?”

“That depends,” she mused, toying with one of her necklaces, her voice playful. “What are you thinking?”

“Seeing you,” Bas said without hesitation.

Her heart skipped a beat, but she gave nothing away. Instead, she tilted her head slightly, studying him. “And what does your grand plan entail?”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” he replied, his grin stretching even wider.

“I hate surprises,” she said, though her eyes told a different story.

“You’re going to love this one,” he murmured, his voice warmer than before.

Before she could respond, Bas stepped closer. His hand slid gently to her waist, and his gaze locked onto hers.

“I’ll just pick you up at seven,” he said softly.

As they pulled apart, she could still feel his eyes lingering on her.

“So, tomorrow,” Bas continued, his voice low and relaxed, “we’re all meeting at ten, right?”

Evin nodded, absently playing with her necklace. “Yeah, at the community hall. Milka said she’s bringing the rest of the decorations.” She lifted her gaze, meeting his eyes. “And you’ll be on time, Montgomery?”

A small smile tugged at his lips. “I’d never be late if you’re there.”

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