Playing With Fire

Chapter 18 - Can't read him

Offering to help her out by continuing their charade for two weeks had to be the stupidest thing he'd done since meeting her. Still he heard himself make the offer and then stood there waiting for her to reply without taking it back. Her wide-eyed expression gave away the fact she was just as shocked by his words as he was. Her prick of an ex hit the nails in his own coffin today where it concerned Kajol . If she wanted him to stay away, Shahru would do anything in his power to keep the slimy bastard away.

His smooth demeanor didn't fool Shahru. He'd seen it time and time again, only then
he'd been too young to do anything about it. Every word he'd heard through the cracked door of Kajol's apartment reminded him of the games his father had played with his mum. When he first stepped to the door, he'd heard the same old routine. We belong together. I love you. Yada yada, until he wanted to put his fist through the slime balls face. He almost turned back and headed for his apartment until he heard Angel stand her ground. Then he'd heard the asshole practically call her a slut, and he'd almost lost it.

Been there, done that. He wasn't too young to step in between an abusive jerk and a woman anymore.

Still, he'd taken it a little too far now. He already wanted her. She already had him
contemplating throwing out all his carefully planned rules, and now he'd have to be even closer to her. He'd have to play the part of the caring boyfriend he knew he could never be. He'd have to spend time with her, touch her, smell her sweet floral scent until it drove him insane. Jesus, what had he done?

"I don't know what to say, Shahru. You'd really do that for me?"

Her sweetness wrapped around him like fine silk. Which was what she was. She was
silk, he was sandpaper. It would always be like that. "It's nothing," he lied. "I don't trust your ex, Angel. If you don't want him in your life, maybe me sticking around a little bit will help keep him away."

"What about my parents? You'll have to play the part around them too. I'm sure
they'll come calling again. Especially after Amir tells them what happened here today."

"I'm counting on it. I'd like to teach them a little lesson too. They shouldn't be taking his side over yours."

The sadness in her eyes seared his already broken soul. "I know. You don't understand. It's difficult."

"Shh." He screwed up even further by touching her cheek. "It's your business. I don't need to understand anything. If we do this, we'll do it however you want."
"Then we do it all the way. I mean," she giggled. "Not all the way all the way, but
we play the part for everyone. Well, not Pri but everyone else. Maybe along the way my parents might learn what a good man you are. Maybe they'll learn not to judge."

Yeah, right. He pulled his hand away and stuffed it back into his pocket. "I don't care
what they think of me. I don't want this to affect you. If you're not sure, if you change your mind, the act ends." For some reason those words didn't sit well in his aching gut.

"Same for you. You're the one helping me here, Shahru. I hate to push my way into your life like that. I hate for you to have to act all the time."

He laughed. "Don't worry about it. I'm a good actor, Angel. I'll be right back. Let me get my tools and the paint so we can get started."

Shahru needed to get to work. The palms of his hands itched for the cool metal of one of his tools, for the power of something electric that could not only take something apart but put something together as well. That was what he'd been trying to do for years. He'd already let himself fall apart and put himself back together again. Now he worked to keep those pieces intact. Right now his hands also itched for Kajol . All those soft, feminine curves and arches of her body called to the primal male inside him who wanted to stake claim on her body. He yearned to bury himself inside her for hours, to give in to the pleasure he'd denied himself for so long.

In the past five years, he'd only given in a handful of times, and even then he hadn't
lost himself in the pleasure and wonder of a woman's body. Taken the edge off, that's all he'd done, and until he met Angel, that was all he wanted. Getting too involved, too intimate, attached strings. That was why he always chose women who would be okay with one night. Shahru couldn't do strings. He couldn't hurt another woman the way he had Juhi. But right now, damn, he wanted to get lost. He wanted to get very intimate and very personal with Angel. "Shit. What the hell am I getting myself into?"

Shahru grabbed the paint and set it in the hallway by the door to Angel's apartment.
The sooner he could get to work the better. Nothing cleared his head like hard work.
Once he got going next door, he'd work his crazy offer and Angel right out of his head.
That was until he had to tell her she'd be spending the night at his place tonight.

While she waited for Shahru to come back over, Kajol dropped the chicken pieces into the pan. Aimlessly, she stirred the chicken, ignoring the sizzle and pop. She had her mind on Shahru instead. She couldn't figure the man out for the life of her. But she wanted to. My, how she wanted to know more about that man. No one in her life besides Preity would do the things Shahru had done for her lately. Today he'd extended himself to do even more.
What he did meant more to her than she could ever tell him. In this crazy, mixed-up time in her life he was her constant.

"What'cha makin, Angel?"

She dropped the spatula on the floor. "Geez! You scared the crap out of me."

He gave her a laugh, and she knew the light-hearted Shahru had returned.

"Chicken curry. Do you like it?"

"I'm easy. I like anything. Why don't you get that going, and I'll fix your door first."

"All right. Thanks again for fixing my door."

"It's my job. No big deal."

Ugh, the man was so frustrating! He couldn't accept gratitude or a compliment in
any way. She slammed an empty can on the counter. "Well, maybe it isn't a big deal to you but it is to me. You have no idea how much I appreciate everything you've done and are doing for me. It would make me feel better if you'd just say You're welcome and not minimize all that you do, Shahru. You're going to help me paint my apartment tonight. That's going above and beyond your job."