Page 126 of Lawfully Yours

One night…he had said.

Just one.

Fine.

Just this one night.

And with that surrender, she melted back into him… and again, like the nights in Dalhousie, sleep finally came to her too.

******************

Next Morning

Kushal stirred as the pale morning light filtered through the planks of the curtain. He blinked, adjusting to the dim glow, feeling more rested than he had recently. The reason lay curled against him, her breath warm against his neck, her hair a soft, silken mess across his shoulder.

Arundhati had shifted in the night, now facing him fully, her forehead nearly touching his jaw. His arm was still draped around her waist, and as usual, their bodies had moulded so tightly that there wasn’t room for even a whisper of air.

Kushal’s gaze trailed across her face, taking in the long lashes resting on her flushed cheeks and the faint pout of her parted lips. His hand twitched slightly, recalling how last night, though his intentions were only to hold her, his fingers had strayed. The satin of her nightdress had done little to hide the soft fullness of her breasts, her body fitting against his so perfectly that it had been torture not to do more. His hands had wandered over her skin, her soft breasts, those firm buds beneath the satin she’d tried to hide. He wasn’t sure if they were both too groggy to care, or if she’d been too tired to stop him.

He knew she would, though. The moment her eyes opened. The moment her ego kicked in…she was going to explode. Not just because of what happened, but because he’d shown up like that at her home, uninvited at midnight.

Still, he didn’t feel guilty. He never would. Nights like this, just the two of them, curled up together, meant everything to him now.

He leaned in and pressed a featherlight kiss to her lips…just a soft brush, but her lips parted slightly, as if responding, like they wanted more.

He would kiss her … again…full and raw…all heat and tongue, but only when she was wide awake and ready for more. For now, a gentle morning kiss would have to do.

With effort, he pulled himself away, brushing a final glance at her face before slipping into the bathroom.

The sound of the door closing made her eyes fly open.

Arundhati had been awake since the moment his lips grazed hers. Why hadn’t she stopped him? Why didn’t she feel anger…only desire and warmth? Her chest tightened with a mess of feelings she couldn’t name.

Deep down, she knew, she had slept well again last night. And the reason was him. But how could she allow him all this? That one question she had no answer to at the moment.

The bathroom door clicked open, and Kushal stepped out of the washroom, face freshly rinsed, droplets still clinging to his jaw. She wondered idly if he’d usedherface wash, probably yes. He moved to the mirror, wearing his T-shirt again, then adjusting his night pants and raking a hand through his damp hair. From the bed, Arundhati watched him in silence, her gaze tracing the line of his nape down to his back, lingering to the contours of his back, the way his nightwear clung to his strong b*tt. Gosh! This wasn’t helping.

That’s when he turned around, and their eyes met.

He didn’t seem surprised to see her awake. As if he knew she was watching him.

He crossed the space between them, fast but not rushed, and stood by the bed.

“I’m already late. I’ve got court today,” he murmured, leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to her forehead like it was the mostnatural thing in the world. Like nothing had changed. Like they were still a couple, still in love, still whole.

“I’ll see you at the office by afternoon.”

And just like that, he left the room.

She lay frozen, unable to speak, unable to stop him. Her mind was spinning. What the hell just happened? Did he really believe that because she hadn’t let him confront the past, he could just move forward like everything was fine? That if she wasn’t ready to talk, they would simply…skip it all? Just pretend all was okay?

Because if that was his plan, she wasn’t sure whether to fight it or fall deeper into it.

And that terrified her most.

Suddenly, she heard a sharp scream from the living room.

“Didi!”