I don’t let him finish. Guided by instinct, I lift his hand and my lips close around his finger, my tongue gently soothing the reddened skin. He goes absolutely still, his entire body tensing, but I don’t let go of his finger, too worried that he might be hurting.
“Does it hurt?” I whisper as I look up at him.
His gaze darkens, his pupils dilating as his voice comes out rough, almost a growl. “Not anymore.”
Seeing his reaction, I suddenly realize what I’m doing and abruptly pull back, his finger slipping from my lips. My face heats up, embarrassment crashing over me. “I... I didn’t mean to—”
His hand moves before I can step away, his fingers curling around my wrist, holding me in place. “Don’t apologise.” His eyes stay locked on mine, his chest rising and falling in unsteady breaths. “You... you have no idea what you do to me,” he says, his eyes dropping to my lips. I can feel my pulse quicken, and my knees going weak. I should say something, step back, do anything to break this spell, but I’m too weak to take control.
His voice drops to a whisper, his thumb stroking my inner wrist. “If you keep looking at me like that... I won’t be able to stop myself.”
At his words, my heart pounds so loudly that I’m sure he can hear it. But I don’t look away. I hold his gaze as he begins to lean in, his face inching closer, his grip on my hands tightening.With each heartbeat, the world narrows to just him—the heat of his breath, the overwhelming pull between us. His lips hover just a whisper away from mine, and for a second, I forget how to breathe.
But just as his nose brushes mine, I blurt out, “Lunch.”
He stops and pulls back just enough to meet my eyes. His gaze flicks to my lips before returning to my eyes. “Lunch?”
I swallow, trying to gather my scattered thoughts. “Yeah... lunch.”
A slow, teasing smile spreads across his face as he leans in again. My breath hitches, but instead of my lips, his mouth brushes against my nose. “Lunch…” he murmurs.
Before I can say anything, he takes my hand, his fingers lacing through mine as he leads me back to the car. My heart is still racing, my skin tingling where his lips touched my nose. I glance at him, half-expecting some smug remark, but his expression is easy, relaxed, like he didn’t just leave me breathless.
The rest of the drive is surprisingly smooth. He doesn’t push and doesn’t crowd me. Instead, he keeps the conversation light, asking me about my favourite movies and teasing me when I admit I have a weakness for cheesy rom-coms. He shares his own guilty pleasure of old action movies with terrible special effects and we laugh, feeling at ease with each other.
Lunch is even better. He picks a cosy corner table, and for the next hour, we talk about everything under the sun. He tells me stories about his childhood mischief, and I find myself spilling tales from my own childhood that leave him clutching his sides with laughter. It’s easy, comfortable, and I find myself smiling more than I have in a long, long time.
I realise then that I’m glad I gave this a chance. That despite my fears and my doubts, being here with him feels... right. And as he walks me back to my car, his fingers find mine again,weaving them together like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
I can’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, this is the start of something worth holding on to.
Chapter 18
Aditya
The knock on my door at seven in the morning doesn’t surprise me. It’s got to be my mom. I’ve managed to hold her off for two days, dodging her endless questions about Sana. But I know her patience has its limits, and I’m dangerously close to pushing them.
The only reason I haven’t told her about Sana yet is because there’s still a lot I need to do before Sana says yes. But something tells me it won’t be long before Sana confesses her feelings for me. She’s on the brink of giving in. I can see it in the way her eyes linger on me when she thinks I’m not looking, and the way her guard slips when I get too close. She’s fighting it, but we both know it’s only a matter of time.
My mind drifts to our date. Everything about it was perfect. And what had my blood racing was the way her lips wrapped around my finger. Slow. Soft. It damn near unraveled me. It took every ounce of willpower not to pull her into my arms and lose myself right then and there.
The knock comes again, more urgent this time. I sigh, knowing I need to open up before Mom breaks the door down.
I toss the sheet aside and grab a T-shirt, yanking it over my head as I make my way to the door. I take a deep breath and grip the handle before swinging the door open.
Mom stands on the other side, arms crossed, her lips pressed into a thin line. Her eyes are sharp, drilling into me with that look—the one that says she’s done waiting for answers. I knew I was pushing my luck, but seeing her like this, I realise just how close I’m to the edge.
I force a smile and greet her. “Morning, Mom.”
She doesn’t return it. Instead, she says, “We need to talk.” She then brushes past me and heads straight to the living room.
I sigh, shutting the door behind me. “Time to confront the storm.” I mutter under my breath. I knew this was coming, but that doesn’t make it any easier.
Turning around, I find her already seated on the couch, her foot tapping impatiently.
I walk over and cross my arms, leaning back against the wall.
“So, what brings you here this early?” I ask, even though I already know the answer. She’s here for only one thing. She wants to know the name of the woman who has my heart.
