“Raghav had called her and asked her to stay with me until you both returned. And now that Haider said you’re stranded, she said she would be spending the night here with me.”
I go still. It never even occurred to me to call Esha and ask her to be with Mom, and I’m her daughter. I should’ve thought about it first.
I didn’t. But Raghav did.
My gaze instinctively shifts towards him. His eyes remain closed, but I know he’s listening. For years, taking care of Mom has been entirely my responsibility. Now, for the first time, it feels like somebody else is sharing a part of that responsibility too. The thought makes me feel strangely emotional.
I know that these little things he does now can never make up for what he did. Still, as I settle deeper beneath the blanket, I’m relieved knowing Mom isn’t alone tonight. She has someone looking after her.
All thanks to the man I’m married to.
RAGHAV
Few hours later
I never imagined I’d be trapped inside a vehicle in the middle of a mountain storm with my wife sleeping against me. I can survive almost anything, but spending a night with Siya curled up next to me is proving to be much more difficult than I anticipated. Because sleeping Siya is a completely different creature.
Her head rests against my shoulder, and one hand is wrapped around my arm. The blanket is tangled around both of us. Every few minutes, she shifts closer without realising it, thanks to her habit of cuddling in her sleep. Tonight, there are no pillows.Just me.And my rapidly disappearing self-control.
I glance down at a strand of hair that has fallen across her face. Every now and then, it slips against her cheek, and Siyafrowns in her sleep. Without thinking, I reach up and tuck it away, and her frown instantly disappears.
My princess.
I know I shouldn’t touch her. But this entire situation slips out of my hand when Siya, seeking more warmth, slips her hand beneath my sweater until her palm meets the bare skin of my chest. She leaves it there, skin against skin, as she burrows deeper against me.
F*ck!I close my eyes, but nothing changes. The next moment, as Siya scoots even closer, her hand still tucked beneath my sweater, her elbow accidentally brushes my arousal. I suck in a slow breath.
Control, Raghav. Just a little control.
My wife, tucked against me, seems determined to test every ounce of my self-control. Every instinct in my body screams for me to pull her even closer. But I stay perfectly still because if I move, I don’t trust myself to stop at simply holding her.
“Hmm...” she murmurs in her sleep, and those sleepy little sounds are my undoing. Suddenly, my mind starts imagining what she would sound like moaning my name.
F*ck!The thought lands like gasoline on an already raging fire.
That’s it. I can’t act saner than this. Before I can stop myself, I carefully slide an arm around her, giving her the support she keeps looking for, and press my lips gently to her forehead. The moment I kiss her, she settles down. As if her body recognises the touch of my lips. Like she has finally found what she was looking for.
I close my eyes too. Tomorrow morning, she’s probably going to kill me for holding her like this. Maybe even accuse me of taking advantage of the situation. But I’ll deal with all of that later. For now, I rest my head against the seat and stare into the darkness beyond the windshield.
“You’re going to be the death of me, Princess,” I murmur, pressing another tender kiss against her forehead.
Sleep is the last thing on my mind. But eventually, somewhere between the sound of the rain and the steady rhythm of her breathing, my eyelids begin to feel heavy, and I allow myself to drift off.
*****************
Morning
I slowly open my eyes to the dim golden light filtering through, but I don’t move. The relentless drumming of rain against the roof has stopped. I look down at Siya. My arm is still wrapped around her waist, exactly where it was when sleep finally claimed us. Her head is still resting against my shoulder, and the hand that she slid under my sweater last night is still there across my chest, as if I’m her safest place.
As if sensing my gaze, she stirs. Her lashes flutter before she slowly opens her eyes. For a moment, neither of us speaks or moves. We are still trapped in that strange space between sleep and wakefulness.
Still half asleep, Siya shifts slightly and rubs her cheek against my shoulder, while her other hand grazes my chest beneath my sweater. The movement is innocent, almost unconscious, but it still does something to my heartbeat.
A second later, awareness returns to her eyes, and she immediately withdraws her hand. The warmth of her touch against my skin is gone. As her fingers move through her hair, fixing the mess, I straighten up a bit and relax my strained neck muscles. I’m still waiting for her to tell me how this entire situation is somehow my fault.
Women usually find one reason… Siya finds ten.
So, I wait. But when she finally turns back to me, none of that happens. Only a slight frown appears between her brows.
