Page 76 of Lawfully Yours

She was going to Dalhousie with him.

Alone.

Interesting didn’t even begin to cover what that would be.

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Dalhousie – Resort – Night

Kushal stood at the reception desk, completing the check-in formalities while Arundhati stood a few feet away, near the lounge area, updating her uncle about their safe arrival. The call ended quickly, but her eyes didn’t stray far from Kushal.

The resort was picturesque in the way most honeymoon destinations aspired to be, cosy, lush, and undeniably romantic. Large bay windows revealed views of the rolling pine-covered hills, soft jazz played from hidden speakers, and everywhere she turned, couples strolled hand in hand. One pair sat tucked into each other at the café, sipping hot chocolate, while another shared a blanket on the lawn, whispering in between shylaughter. The whole place pulsed with the kind of intimacy she hadn’t felt in months. And wasn’t expecting to feel now. Certainly not here. Not with him.

She turned back to Kushal and her eyes narrowed.

The receptionist was practically melting under his gaze, her fingers trembling slightly as she handed him a form, cheeks flushed. She wasn’t even being subtle, checking him out with unabashed interest whenever he glanced away.

Arundhati crossed her arms. Of course. He didn’t even have to try. It was always like this. Every woman with a heartbeat turned to smoke when he smiled.

She exhaled sharply, trying to shake the thought as irrational. He could flirt with an entire city block for all she cared.

Still, she couldn’t help herself as he finally walked back to her. “What took you so long?” she asked.

Kushal handed her a keycard, the smirk already forming. “They’d booked one suite for us,” he said simply, not looking at her as he picked up his laptop bag. “Two bedrooms, but one suite. Our staff made the reservation under Mr. and Mrs. Nair.”

Arundhati’s hand paused mid-air, stiffening around the card. “Of course they did,” she muttered, coldly.

“I figured you’d have a problem,” he added, stepping just a little too close, the scent of his cedar cologne hitting her at once. “So, I was changing the reservation. Getting us two separate rooms. That’s what took time.”

She blinked, surprised.

“You judge too quickly, Aru,” he added. “You don’t even let people finish their sentence before you’ve written your own conclusion.”

She didn’t respond. Mostly because she knew he was right. He didn’t press. Just sighed and motioned toward the elevators. “Let’s go.”

They walked side by side to the lift, silence stretching between them. When they reached their floor, they moved to adjacent door of adjoining rooms, just a shared wall and a connecting door between them. Arundhati struggled with her keycard, swiping too fast, too hard. The green light wouldn’t blink.

She growled under her breath and tried again.

Kushal, watching her from the corner of his eye, let out a low sigh. “Give it to me.”

Before she could protest, he took the card from her fingers with frustrating ease, pressed it smoothly to the sensor, and the door clicked open.

He raised an eyebrow. “You have no idea how expert my fingers are. This just needed my magical touch.”

Her eyes flared, catching the double meaning instantly.

She grabbed the keycard from his hand to head inside when he continued. “Let’s meet for dinner downstairs.”

“I’m not joining you for dinner. I’ll order room service.”

Before he could reply, she shut the door with a firm click between them.

On the other side, Kushal stared at the closed door for a long moment. He let out a low groan before running a hand through his hair, muttering something inaudible as he turned toward his own room.

This trip was going to test every nerve he had.

And somehow, he still looked forward to it.