Inder's gaze softened as he looked at Seraphina, a playful smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. He stepped back, his hands falling to his sides. "Alright, first things first," he began, his tone casual, as if the tension between them had completely dissolved. "We both need to wash our faces and brush our teeth. After that, I'll handle the sweeping and mopping."
Seraphina blinked, momentarily taken aback by the sudden shift. "Wait, what?" she asked, confused. "Why are you suddenly talking about that again?"
Inder shrugged nonchalantly, clearly amused by her reaction. "Well, it's what we need to do, isn't it?" he said, crossing his arms. "After that, I'll pick out some clothes for you, so you don't have to worry about it. And then, I'll head to the kitchen to make us breakfast. You can take a shower while I cook."
Seraphina stared at him, her eyebrows furrowed in disbelief. "You've already told me all of that," she said, her voice tinged with frustration. "Why are you repeating it?"
Inder chuckled softly, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Because I figured you might need a reminder," he teased, his grin widening. "You seemed a little... distracted earlier."
Seraphina's face flushed again, and she bit her lip, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks. "I wasn't that distracted," she muttered under her breath, crossing her arms defensively. "I still remember what you said."
"Oh, really?" Inder raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying her flustered state, "then you might want to tell me what I said just a minute ago.." his grin only grew wider.
Seraphina's face burned even hotter under Inder's teasing gaze. She shifted uncomfortably, trying to hold onto her confidence, but he was making it difficult. His grin, that playful glint in his eye-he knew exactly what he was doing, and it was driving her crazy.
"Of course, I remember," she shot back, though her voice lacked the usual conviction. She crossed her arms tighter, her mind racing to recall his words. But all she could think about was the way his lips had felt against her skin, the taste of his breath mingling with hers, and how close they had been only moments ago.
Inder tilted his head, waiting, his smile never faltering. "Go on then," he urged, his tone still light. "What did I say?"
Seraphina opened her mouth to answer, but nothing came out. She was drawing a blank, and the longer the silence stretched between them, the more flustered she became. Her heart thudded in her chest, and she felt the familiar weight of embarrassment pressing down on her.
"I..." she began, then stopped. She could see Inder's smirk widening, and it only made things worse. Her frustration bubbled to the surface. "Okay, fine! Maybe I was a little distracted," she admitted, throwing her hands up in defeat. "But that's not my fault. You were the one who kissed me!"
Inder's laugh was warm, a low rumble that seemed to fill the room. "True," he said, clearly pleased with himself. "But you didn't exactly stop me."
Seraphina's blush deepened as Inder's words hung in the air. She opened her mouth to retort, but the truth of his statement stole her words. He was right - she hadn't stopped him. In fact, she hadn't wanted to.
Her gaze dropped to the floor, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. "That's because..." she trailed off, feeling the weight of her unspoken feelings pressing against her chest. The urge to tell him the truth surged again, but she pushed it down, too afraid of what it might change between them. Instead, she deflected, as she always did. "I just didn't want to ruin the moment," she said quietly.
Inder's laugh was soft this time, not teasing, but gentle, like he understood the tension she was trying to navigate. He took a step closer, his presence overwhelming in the small space between them. "Well," he murmured, "I'd say you made the moment even better."
