38. OS 18. Too Tempting to Resist (Part 38)

Part 38

Arnav looked at the time on his phone. It was late.

Where was Khushi? Why hadn’t she come to bed? He had been so looking forward to teasing her.

A small smile on his lips, he sauntered down the steps to the living room.

He looked around. There was absolutely no one anywhere. All had gone to bed.

He pulled out the phone from his pocket and called her. He heard the faint sound of the phone ringing, Chalo Maiyya ke bhavan, bhavan, bhavan.... in the kitchen before it was cut off.

A frown appeared on his face.

From the kitchen? Her phone was in the kitchen? A kitchen that was locked from outside?

Or was Khushi in the kitchen?

 He smirked. Must be hiding from him, he thought.

He made his silent way to the kitchen door, unlocked it softly and stepped into the dark room, shutting the door behind him, careful not to make a sound.

                                                            ***

Khushi glared at her phone in the darkness. “Can’t you remain silent?” she asked crossly. “If Arnavji had heard your screech, then he would have barged in here by now and would be standing here, staring at me with those...those eyes...”

The door of the storeroom creaked.

Khushi drew in a deep breath of fear and shock, her hazel eyes as wide as saucers.

An imposing male figure moved to stand before her, looming over her in the darkness.

“Hey Devi maiyya, raksha karna,” she whispered, the warm fragrance of his body hitting her like a potent drug.

He smiled. “You were hiding from me?” he asked softly.

“No...” she stuttered.

He stood silent.

She could almost see one eyebrow arching in question.

“I—I was just...” she began and paused. She tried again. “I didn’t feel sleepy...”

“So you thought to chill in the storeroom?” he asked, biting back his mirth.

“No...yes...” she fought her way through a tangle of thoughts clouding her poor, heated brain.

“No or yes?” he insisted.

She could hear the laughter in his voice. Miffed, she turned her head away.

He bent his head and whispered in her ear, “Were you hiding from me?”

She said nothing, just turned her head away so that her ear was away from his wicked lips.

“Why should you want to hide from me?” he mused. “What are you scared of?”

She said nothing even as her heart raced in her chest.

“Shall I guess?’ he murmured, his breath stirring the fine strands of hair near her ear.

“No, you may not,” she blurted out, trying to lean away from him as far as she could. After all, her sanity was at risk here.

He leaned in closer and whispered, “I know. You are scared. You are scared of my touch, Khushi.”

‘How does he know?’ ran through her head. ‘I never told him.’

“You are scared of what my touch does to you,” he insisted, his hot breath scorching the silky skin of her cheek.

“I am not,” she breathed.

“You are not?” he asked.

“I am not,” she insisted even though she was woefully short of breath.

“Prove it,” said the master negotiator in his husky voice.

Khushi had a scary feeling of slipping into a deep pool of goo.

“Why..why should I prove anything to you?” she managed to ask.

“Coward,” he teased, his hot lips near her flushed cheek.

“I am not,” she insisted even when she knew it was wiser to keep her mouth shut.

“Then prove it,” he insisted.

Khushi found herself nodding.

Slowly, one finger touched her nose.

Khushi jumped.

The finger ran down to her lips and then her chin, leaving behind trails of fire.

Khushi shut her eyes tight and held her breath.

The finger trailed along her jaw and reached her ear to wreak havoc there.

Khushi fell against the wall.

He crowded her.

His finger traced the shape of her ear, teased the lobe and moved down the side of her neck to stop on her shoulder at the stitch of her blouse.

Khushi’s knees gave way.

She would have fallen to the floor in a puddle of mush if his hands hadn’t decided to rescue her and hold her by her waist.

Khushi gasped at the feel of his hot, hard, large hands on her bare waist.

He moved her against the wall for support and moved closer till his body was flush against hers. Then he cupped her face.