Dangerous Desires

21

A year later.

Tenebroso was a beautiful baby, his dark hair and eyes a striking contrast to his fair skin. He babbled and cooed in my arms, his tiny hands grasping at the air. Mark sat next to me, a smile on his face as he watched me interact with my son. "He's growing so fast," he remarked, his tone filled with pride. "It's hard to believe it's been nine months already."

"I can't believe it either," I replied.

Mark chuckled, his eyes fixed on my son. "He's a strong little fella," he said, nodding in approval. "Got a good pair of lungs on him, too. I can already tell he's going to be a loud one when he grows up."

I laughed softly, looking down at my son with pride. "Yeah, he definitely takes after his father in that regard," I said, thinking of Arsenio and his tendency to speak louder than necessary.

Mark chuckled, nodding in agreement. "No kidding," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Looks like he's going to inherit more than just his father's lungs though. He's got your eyes, you know."

I glanced down at my son's face, seeing the familiar dark, almond-shaped eyes that were so reminiscent of my own. "Yeah, he does, doesn't he?" I said, a sense of pride swelling in my chest.

Mark smiled, his gaze shifting from Tenebroso to me. "You know, you've always had the most beautiful eyes," he said, his tone suddenly softer, more earnest. "They're like deep pools of chocolate, so rich and velvety."

"Thank you..." I said with a smile.

Mark returned my smile, his expression warm and affectionate. "Just stating the truth," he replied, his hand impulsively giving my knee a light pat.

As he pulled his hand back, his fingers brushed against my skin, causing a tingly sensation to spread throughout my body. The unexpected touch sent a flutter of butterflies through my stomach and I couldn't help but feel a bit flustered.

Mark seemed not to notice the effect his touch had on me, his attention focused on my son, who was now attempting to grab at my hair. "Looks like someone's got a bit of a grip there," he said with a soft laugh, watching as Tenebroso tugged at my locks with surprising strength.

I let out a soft gasp as Tenebroso continued to pull at my hair, his tiny fingers gripping the strands tightly. "Hey, be gentle, little one," I said gently, attempting to untangle my hair from his grasp.

Mark chuckled, clearly amused by my son's antics. "I think he's just trying to get your attention," he said, watching as Tenebroso protested loudly each time I tried to untangle my hair.

I  winced as Tenebroso's grip only tightened around my hair. "Well, he's certainly got it now," I said with a wry smile, trying to carefully loosen his grasp without tugging too hard.

Arsenio froze for a moment as he spotted me and Mark sitting close together, his eyes narrowing slightly as he observed the situation. He tried to hide his initial surprise, but it was clear that he had misinterpreted the scene.

"No, just our little one tugging at my hair," I said softly.

Arsenio's expression softened slightly as he glanced at Tenebroso, who was still tugging at my hair with determination. He chuckled softly, but then his gaze shifted back to Mark, his expression becoming more guarded.

"I see," he said, his tone still casual, but his eyes fixed on Mark. "You mind giving us a moment, Mark?"

Mark's eyes flickered between me and Arsenio, sensing the subtle shift in the atmosphere. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then he nodded in understanding. "Sure thing," he said, standing up from the couch.

"Thanks," Arsenio said, his tone slightly curt. He watched as Mark walked away, waiting until he was out of earshot before turning to me.

He sat down beside me, his gaze lingering on my face as he spoke. "Can I talk to you for a moment?" He asked, his voice now softer but still holding a hint of seriousness.

"Yeah," I nodded.

Arsenio took a deep breath, his expression now serious. He shifted closer to me, his eyes locking onto mine. "What was going on just now? You and Mark looked pretty comfortable together," he said, his tone holding a hint of possessiveness.

"What do you mean? Mark is just helping me with Tene right now, what's wrong with that?" I asked with a little firm tone.

Arsenio clenched his jaw slightly, his eyes flickering with a mixture of jealousy and frustration. "I saw the way you were sitting together, how close you were," he said, his voice tinged with restrained anger. "And he was touching you, your knee. Was that necessary?"

"He gave my knee a light rub, I'm close to him because he's my best friend and when you're busy with work. He's just here to help me," I replied.

Arsenio's expression hardened at my explanation. "A light rub? That's all it was?" He clenched his fists, trying to control the jealousy that was coursing through his veins. "And you're okay with him touching you like that? You don't mind him getting so close to you?"

"You're acting like I'm cheating on you," I said firmly.

Arsenio's jaw clenched tighter, his eyes darkening with anger. "I just don't like seeing other men touch you like that," he said, his voice low and tight. "I'm your husband, and I don't like the idea of another man getting too familiar with you."

He paused for a moment, his gaze intense and almost possessive. "You're mine, Indira," he said firmly. "I don't want to see you getting too cosy with anyone else, especially Mark."

"I'm not even getting cosy with him," I glared at him.

Arsenio's jaw muscles tensed, his eyes narrowing at my glare. "You're defending him, aren't you?" he said, his tone laced with suspicion. "Maybe you're getting too attached to him. Maybe you're starting to like his touch more than mine."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Arsenio's expression grew even more tense, his jealousy and possessiveness reaching a boiling point. "I'm talking about the way you were sitting together, the way he was touching you," he said, his voice growing louder. "You looked too comfortable together, and I don't like it. You're my wife, not his."