Mommy for Billionaire's Baby

"Yeah, Nathan," Tasya says as she releases her husband's embrace. "When will the food arrive? I want something soupy."

"It should be here soon," Nathan says as he takes off his jacket. He turns on the room heater to ward off the cold. The room is brightly lit. A large, neatly made bed with a blanket and a sprinkling of flowers is tempting to lie on. But not now. There will be time for that, and he doesn't want to rush.

They still have a long time together here, right?

Not long after, three resort wait staff bring trays containing Nathan's order. It's complete. Nathan has ordered almost all of the resort's specialty dishes. They are placed precisely on the table. There are no chairs because the resort's concept follows the Japanese dining style. They sit cross-legged on thin cushions atop bamboo mats, which are covered with thick carpets.

"Enjoy your meal, Sir, Ma'am," one of the servers says after making sure all their orders have been delivered.

Ramen with a poached egg and seaweed sheets, along with pieces of meat that make Tasya's mouth water. There's also tempura shrimp, a fish roll, and beef teriyaki on separate plates. Not to forget two small bowls of rice that Tasya won't even touch. She can't wait to enjoy her Ramen.

"I hope it tastes good," Nathan says.

"Is it not supposed to taste good?"

"How would I know?" Nathan laughs. He takes a portion of his Ramen and slowly slurps the broth, closing his eyes lightly. As if he were a professional chef evaluating his team's cooking. "It's good, though. It'd be even better with some chili powder."

"No chili or sauce, huh?"

"And you're asking about meatballs, Tasya," Nathan teases, but it makes Tasya laugh. "We should have requested a special visit from a meatball vendor here, shouldn't we?" "Do you want to?"

Sometimes Tasya forgets that Nathan can grant things that seem trivial to her. Countless times she's casually mentioned something, and in less than a few hours, Nathan has made it happen. If Tasya had said yes to Nathan's question just now, there might have been a meatball cart around the resort tomorrow. With all the trimmings, of course.

"No need. This is enough."

"If there's anything missing, you tell me. I'll make it happen."

Tasya's smile widens. She takes one of the crispy tempura shrimps. "Eat, Nathan. So you can sleep well tonight."

"Who said I'd sleep well tonight?"

Tasya chokes on her food, clearly not expecting that response.

"Uh... no need to be nervous like that, Tasya. Just relax," Nathan bursts into laughter.

***

Intentionally, Nathan lights up all the candles in the room, replacing the bedroom lights with them. It creates a dim, serene atmosphere, quite different from the usual. The night sky is still the same as when they arrived a few hours ago. Clear. "I didn't expect the view to be this beautiful," Tasya praises with a twinkle in her eyes that can't be concealed. They're lying down together. They're still fully dressed, mind you, not undressing each other just yet. Firstly, they're still too full from the meal they devoured without leftovers.

Maybe it's because they were hungry or because the atmosphere was just right for a romantic dinner together. Tasya was entirely focused on Nathan, who, deep down, had a lot on his mind. No complaints came from Tasya's lips, though. She did everything with a lot of patience and smiles, even though sometimes her words left Nathan speechless.

"Usually, this area gets a lot of rain," Nathan says with a chuckle. He tilts his body slightly, facing Tasya, who's still enjoying the clear night sky from where they lie. The transparent dome that covers their resort is one of the unique features of the place where they're staying tonight.

"You can't see the stars, can you?" Tasya laughs. "Your room is nicely designed too. I particularly love the corner with the glass window." She turns to where she knows Nathan has been gazing non-stop. She repositions herself with her hands supporting her head. "I like your room."

"You don't like the owner?"

Tasya laughs. "If I didn't like you, I wouldn't be in the same bed as you."

"My intention was to have our room in the one I'm staying in now. But if you like the old one, we can make that the master bedroom. Does it need to be renovated?"

"No need, Honey." Tasya smiles as sweet as honey. She uses her hand to gently stroke Nathan's cheek. "I fell in love with that room the first time, Honey. It would be a shame to change it, and it's quite spacious, isn't it?" Nathan blinks excitedly. "Wait a minute... Did you just call me 'Honey,' Tasya?"

"Honey?" Tasya repeats, puzzled. "Is that wrong?"

"No, no." Nathan quickly shakes his head and sits up slightly. "I... I didn't expect you to call me 'Honey,' Tasya."

Tasya sighs softly. "Besides, isn't that kind of nickname normal for couples?"

"Could you say it again?" Nathan asks while tucking a strand of Tasya's slightly disheveled hair behind her ear. "Honey." With obedience, Tasya follows Nathan's request.

"Again."

"My dear."

"Um... Again, Tasya. I like it."

"Every day, you're going to hear it, Honey. It's tiring repeating endearments like a broken record."

Nathan laughs. "Stay close to me, Tasya." He hugs his wife's waist to bring them closer together. In the dim candlelight, in Nathan's eyes, Tasya is truly tempting. He has deliberately taken his time to make his wife feel more relaxed. Even though they often spend time alone together, it's usually in a work context, not like this, where their collaboration leads to a blissful world.

There's a noticeable long sigh that Nathan senses from Tasya. "Afraid?"

"More like... Nervous," Tasya says, looking down. She's embarrassed at the thought of Nathan looking at her so closely when she feels her face burning and probably as red as a tomato.

"Look at me, Tasya," Nathan says softly. He positions Tasya to sit on his lap as comfortably as possible, even though he realizes that Tasya suddenly becomes stiff and trembling. "No need to be nervous," he lifts Tasya's chin gently. "I'm not a predator."

Tasya laughs. "You're absurd."

"You call me Daddy Raptor."

"Expert hunter," Tasya adds, still laughing.

"That's right." Nathan steals a brief kiss from lips that are still giggling, which for some reason, he suddenly promises, he'll make sure that laughter is a constant in Tasya's life from now on. Oh... No. Since Tasya came along with Grandma Alexa, Nathan couldn't look away.

He's truly fallen for Tasya.

"But now, I only have one request," Nathan grins. "Only Mama Raptor goes by the name Tasya."

"It feels so inappropriate for me to be called Mama Raptor," Tasya grumbles, but she quickly erases it with a small laugh. "I'm not a hunter, after all."

"But you're fierce and overly possessive of your child."

"Yeah, well," Tasya falls silent. "Uh... From the beginning, I didn't consider Naina as a child, you know. But as a sibling. A sibling who really needed a confidant and attention. Over time, that feeling gradually turned into a desire to protect her, like that, Honey."

"Great, then. That means I didn't choose the wrong Mama for Naina, and a wife for myself."

Tasya's smile doesn't want to fade.

"You look incredibly beautiful without glasses, Tasya."

"But I can't see clearly," Tasya complains.