𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬

XXII

Are you saying you wouldn't fight for me?
Darling, I would burn this world for you.

-

Arjun woke up and reached out to find the bed empty. A shadow passed over his face, darkening his usual cold expression.

Instinctively, his mind went to the worst, maybe he'd gone too far last night, maybe she regretted having sex with him and that had pushed her away. His hands tightened into fists at the thought, and a familiar hardness returned to his features. But then, in the silence, he caught the faint sound of movement coming from the closet.

Without a word, he got up and made his way over, his steps deliberate and quiet. He reached the doorway and stopped, his gaze settling on Sara. She was standing in front of the mirror, carefully draping a soft white colored saree over her shoulder, her movements unhurried, graceful. She looked peaceful, her brow furrowed in concentration, completely absorbed in her task.

Arjun's icy expression softened just a fraction as he watched her, an unguarded moment breaking through his usual hard demeanor. Her presence did something to him, something he couldn't quite understand or control. The world around him could burn, but seeing her here, focused on something so simple, gave him a feeling he couldn't name-a feeling he barely allowed himself to recognize.

With silent footsteps, he walked forward, slipping his arms around her waist from behind. Sara gasped softly, her hands freezing mid-movement, but when she saw his reflection in the mirror, a small, hesitant smile appeared on her lips.

"Arjun," she breathed, her tone a mix of surprise and warmth. "I didn't hear you come in."

"Good morning," he murmured, his voice low and unyielding, though his hands were gentle as they held her. He pulled her close, his fingers tightening slightly at her waist, as if grounding himself in her presence. His chin rested near her shoulder, his gaze never leaving hers in the mirror.

"Good morning," she replied softly, her cheeks warming at his touch. "I didn't expect you to be up so soon."

A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "I didn't expect to wake up alone," he replied, his tone cool but laced with something softer, something reserved only for her. "You had me wondering."

Sara looked up, her expression both gentle and questioning. "Wondering? You thought I left?"

His jaw tightened slightly, an unspoken vulnerability crossing his face for the briefest moment before he forced it away. "Let's just say it wouldn't be the first time someone left," he muttered, his voice taking on that familiar steel edge. But as he looked at her, the harshness in his tone faded, and he shook his head, almost as if dismissing his own words. "But I should have known better with you."

She placed her hand gently over his where it rested on her waist, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I'm still here," she whispered, her voice steady. "I don't plan on going anywhere."

Arjun's hand tightened slightly around her waist as his lips moved along her neck, his breath warm against her skin. The morning light filtering through the curtains cast a gentle glow over them, but Arjun seemed unaffected by the hour, his focus entirely on her. He pressed a lingering kiss just below her ear, his tone low and a little rough when he spoke.

"Where are you going this early in the morning?" he murmured, his voice barely more than a whisper, filled with a quiet possessiveness as his lips brushed her skin once again.

Sara let out a soft sigh, tilting her head to allow him better access, momentarily lost in the sensation of his warmth against her. She closed her eyes, savoring his touch, feeling the way his presence seemed to envelop her entirely, making it hard to remember anything outside of this moment. She struggled to focus, to remember why she was up this early in the first place, his nearness making it all too easy to forget.