𝐆𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐬

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 43

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Morning light seeped through the white curtains, but let's be real, it didn't wake me up—I'd already been awake for an hour. Because apparently, my brain decided 5 a.m. was the perfect time to overthink how my life did a full 360-degree spin in the last few months.

And here I was, lying next to Aan, who was still asleep, snuggled into my neck like a giant, overgrown baby. Cute, right? But do I dare call him cute to his face? Absolutely not. Why? Because cute isn't "manly." Last time I tried, I end up on edge, punished by his usual smug smirk as he walked away, victorious. Trust me, the urge to wipe that smirk off his face is strong, but—ugh—I love this man.

I tried nudging him off me to get out of bed, but no. This guy sleeps like a tank. A literal Hulk in disguise. When I pushed harder, he rolled over—only to drag me along with him. My head landed square on his bare chest, and just like that, I was trapped. His heat radiated against me, and my eyes zeroed in on the tattoo over his heart.

'Pixie.'

It still made me emotional every time I saw it. My so-called birthday gift. Oh, and did he forget to tell me about it? Absolutely. The next day, he casually rolled up his shirt and showed me like it was no big deal. I was furious. Why would you ink my name? I yelled at him. Isn't that painful?

But this man, this absolute menace, just smiled and said he'd gotten it done on his 18th birthday and had been hiding it with concealer taken from Nats all this time—just to surprise me on mine.

And that was it. The waterworks came on full blast.

How does he love me this much? For years. Through everything. Even when we were just kids.

I pressed a soft kiss over his heart and then tried to slip out of bed quietly, but before I could even make it an inch, a firm hand circled my wrist, tugging me back. Before I knew it, I was beneath him, his body hovering over mine with that infuriating mix of dominance and affection that left me breathless.

"Where do you think you're going?" he murmured, his morning voice low and husky, the kind that sent shivers straight to my core.

"Aan, I need to get up," I managed, my hand instinctively sliding up his neck. "I have to go to the office with Divu today."

His response was slow and deliberate. He leaned in closer, his lips barely grazing the side of my neck. The soft pressure of his breath against my skin made my heart stutter. "Important?" he whispered, his lips brushing just enough to leave me on edge. "More important than me?"

I sucked in a sharp breath as his lips trailed down to the hollow of my throat, each kiss warm and maddeningly slow.

"And you, Mister, also need to leave before someone catches you sneaking into my room," I added, shooting him a pointed look.