Maybe she should have felt ashamed of the jab she had taken back at him, verbal though it was and despite the fact that her tone had been completely beyond reproach. And maybe she should have lowered her eyes and apologized right there and then, practiced the art of the submissive wife so well that it would have made both her parents proud. But his insult had been cruel, and the way that he had delivered it intentionally hurtful. He had pulled her in close and then shoved her away – he was lucky that she had as much practice as she did holding her temper. A lesser woman might have bitten him.
It was still sort of tempting.
Especially when he moved toward her again, his larger form moving back into the space she occupied. Nali didn't move, only turned to face him, her eyes ticking up to his. Large and dark and lovely, but with just the slightest bit of a narrowed look. Of course there was more that she wanted to say – how much of it she could talk herself into keeping behind her teeth was the real question. For a moment, frustration and hurt feelings threatened to sharpen both sides of her tongue.
In the end, though, Nali pursed her lips together and averted her eyes, taking another second before she spoke – quietly, and with restraint. "We are here together, whether or not I am a disappointment to you. My offer was genuine, not meant to insult you. It did, clearly." She should apologize – her mother would have told her to apologize. But the tigress within growled at the thought, a low rumble that rolled through her senses; the words turned to ash in her mouth.
Instead, the did what she could to gentle her tone a little further. "This is now how I would like us to begin, Ranveer. Perhaps you would have chosen something else, someone else, but couldn't we at least be friends?"