The Royal Deal

31.

May you find a man
who looks at you like
you're the definition of love.
-Author

*****

Shaina Singh Shekhawat.

"Are we late?!"

I was panicking because we were the hosts and getting late to my own wedding reception was definitely not in my bucket list.

I looked at him for the answer as I adjusted my earring and he cleared his throat before he shook his head.

"We're not." He answered when I looked up and he was staring. The realisation erupted uncomfortable feelings in my stomach because he rarely stares. Or maybe I rarely catch him?

"Is something not right?" I asked him as I looked down to check the plaits of my maroon saree causing my open hair fall on my shoulders like they wanted to veil my face from him. My plaits are perfect, even the pallu. Then what's the problem?

I looked back at him and he blinked away from me as he puts his hands on his back

"Nothing's wrong." He curtly responded when his eyes met mine once again.

"Oh?" I mumbled as I pushed my hair behind. So, he's staring because? I look good. Duh. No matter how confident I am, I felt my cheeks heating up with the realisation.

"Do we have a lot of time?" I tried to cover for my flushed face with my sarcastic words.

"No, it's fine. We can go to our own reception after the guests leave. It's no big deal." I taunted him, giving him back what he gave me when I didn't immediately move to hold his hands this morning, he looked like he wanted to smile but all he did was raise his eyebrows

"I wouldn't dare to even think like that, princess." He used the same taunting tone as mine as he closed the distance between us in a few long strides. He towered my height by a few three or four inches and I took a step away from him to create a cautious distance between us instead of responding to his taunt.

He held my right wrist making my bangles clink louder when he pulled me to stand closer to himself and honestly I felt a lot harder to keep the eyelock with him because I was much closer to him than I was before.

"If we're done with our nonsense taunts and absolute bullshit." He spoke whilst the fingers of his free hand rested below my chin prompting me to look up at him again.

"I need you to listen to me and oblige, can you do that for me, Shaina?" He asked me while his two fingers remained under my chin and other hand held my wrist.

Isn't this guy hot?

"Can you?" He asked again

What the fuck does he want me to do? I don't know.

But did I nod in agreement? Absolutely.

Why? Because this dude got me under some spell.

I, for a fact, know that he has done some black magic on me.

"You're going to stay by side throughout the evening. Yes?" He sounded like I wasn't allowed to say no to this and it should've made my blood boil but it didn't instead all I feel like is to remove the very little distance between our bodies.

What's wrong with me? His closeness.

Can I eradicate it? Absolutely.

But did I? I don't think I look insane enough to do that.