“Just to sleep?” he asked.
She paused. “Yes. Just to sleep.”
“Okay.” He slipped his hand into hers and followed her to the bedroom.
He changed into his new shirt and took off his pants, leaving him in black boxer briefs that made Meghna immediately regret herdecision. She wanted him. And he wanted her. Clearly. Just a few moments ago, when they’d been lying on the floor, she had felt how much. There had been nothing subtle about it. It had been…impressive. She shook her head, stopping the direction of her thoughts.
Karthik seemed unaware of her inner struggle as he slid under the covers, dropping his head onto the pillow. She stood still, watching him, taking in the sight of him in her bed. A little strange, but also somehow…right.
“Are you coming?”
I wish. A nervous giggle rose in the back of her throat, but she held it in.Get it together, Meghna. She switched off the light and climbed into her usual side of the bed. Her body was awkward and stiff. Her limbs were too heavy to move. She kept still, staring at the ceiling, all too aware of the mouthwatering man beside her.
“Meghna?”
“Hmm?”
“Should I go back to the couch?”
She turned onto her side, but she couldn’t make out his face in the darkness. “Why?”
“I…You seem uncomfortable with my being here. And that’s fine. Completely. I’ll be okay on the couch.” Some of the pressure lifted off the mattress. Almost as if he was getting up. She flung her arm out, meaning to stop him, but in the dark, she couldn’t gauge the distance. Her arm swung wildly, hitting him hard in the stomach.
“Oof.”
She winced at the sound. “I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” he said, a little breathless, as if she’d knocked the wind right out of him. “I’m fine. I’ll move to the couch.” He took in a large, gasping breath. “In a moment.”
“No, stay. I’m fine with you…in my bed.” She let out the laugh she’d been trying to suppress. “I’m sorry. I’m not laughing at you. I’m…” Another laugh bubbled out of her mouth. The situation just felt too odd to be real. Her very attractive not-real, normally closed-offfiancé had unexpectedly come to Dallas, showed up at her play, shared incredibly personal news with her, and was now lying next to her in her bed. And she’d hit him. She gained control over the laughter and was about to explain when, to her surprise, Karthik let out a chuckle of his own.
He lay back down beside her, his head hitting the pillow with a soft thud.
“It’s fine,” he said. “I’m fine.” His hand touched her shoulder, trailed down her arm, then closed around hers. “Face the other way,” he said, squeezing her hand.
She turned onto her side, facing away from him, her heart beating loudly. His arm came around her waist, pulling her back into his chest as he curled his body around hers.
“This okay?”
“Yes,” she whispered. It was more than okay. She felt cherished, taken care of, understood.
“You sure? If I do anything you don’t like, feel free to take another swing at me.”
She laughed, her insides warming at his teasing. “Oh, you know I will.”
He laughed in return, the vibrations rumbling through his chest. She closed her eyes, soaking in the sound and feel of that laugh. Rough and gravelly and genuine. She loved it. She wanted to hear it again and again.
She relaxed into his embrace and quickly fell into a dreamlike state, not quite awake, but not quite asleep. He murmured something, and she stirred slightly in response.
“Shhh.” The arm around her waist tightened, and she thought she felt his lips skate over the top of her head. “Go back to sleep,” he whispered gently.
And she did.
The next morning, Karthik woke up to a warm, shapely leg wrapped around his torso. Meghna was half lying across his body, clinging to him like a koala. He smiled and placed a kiss on her forehead before carefully extricating himself from her embrace. He would have loved to linger for a few moments, but he didn’t want her to feel awkward or uncomfortable. Especially after the way things had gone last time.
He left the room quietly and went to her kitchen to turn on the coffee maker. As it brewed, he leaned against the counter, his elbow bumping against a messy pile of papers. Curious, he picked up a page, a good portion of which was marked up and crossed out with red ink. He read the first few sentences and raised his eyebrows at a handwritten comment that just said:HORRIBLE.He read the line it was referring to and agreed with the assessment. “Your eyes as deep as the ocean blue / You know I’ll always love you”?Yikes.
Meghna had sent him a number of Seth’s songs, and he had to admit that he’d actually enjoyed most of them. But if this was what they were like before Meghna got to them, Seth owed her a great deal.Karthik dropped the papers, opening the refrigerator to grab eggs, milk, and bread. Then he started cooking breakfast.
