𝐓𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞

𝟑𝟖. 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬

"Hi, baby. Good morning,"

I hear his voice heavy and coarse. Atharv's deep, firm voice, is rich and commanding in a way that curls around my senses like silk.

"Good morning, Atharvvv babyy." I lazily stretch in my blanket. My pink Victoria's Secret pajama set clings to my warm skin, the satin smooth against my body as I shift.

I blink. My fingers instinctively reach out, half-lost in the haze of sleep, expecting to touch nothing but air.

A dream, surely. A very, very nice dream.

But then—warmth. Solid. Real.

I freeze. My fingertips graze the sharp edge of a jawline. And that's when my eyes snap open.

Atharv.

In my bed.

I jolt upright so fast that my loose satin top shifts, slipping just slightly off my shoulder, the neckline dipping dangerously. A peek of the soft skin of my left breast.

Atharv shamelessly stares, his smirk is slow, dark amusement flickering in his eyes. "Good morning to you as well."

His gaze flicks down for half a second before he meets my eyes again, and I can already feel the heat rushing to my face.

"What the—Atharv! What are you doing in my bed?!" I yank my blanket up, as if that'll undo whatever just happened. "How did you even get in?!"

Still leaning back against my pillows like he owns the place, he stretches, his Under Armour compression shirt clinging to every sculpted line of his torso. His square-cut track pants hang low, and his hair is slightly damp, his skin still glowing from sweat.

"Inder let me in."

I gape at him. "You bribed my bodyguard?!"

He smirks, reaching out lazily, fingers brushing my wrist. "I didn't bribe him. He knows better than to stop me."

My lips part, ready to throw another outraged retort, when Atharv suddenly leans in, eyes locked onto mine. His fingers slide up my arm, slow and deliberate, and before I can react, he's tilting his head just slightly to reach for my lips.

I push a palm flat against his chest. "No, no, no. I haven't brushed yet! I stink."

He exhales a low laugh. "You're overthinking, sweetheart. I don't mind."

I shake my head violently. "No way, you're being way too boyfriendy right now."

His fingers flex against my wrist. "Haha. I like that. I like being your boyfriend." He chuckles.

The words send a strange flutter through my chest. A warmth that pools in my stomach, making my breath hitch.

"You're impossible," I mumble, before scrambling out of bed. "Just—give me a second, I need to rinse my mouth."