Playing With Fire

Chapter 19 - Blush

He didn't reply specifically about her request, but did bring up their project for the
evening. "Speaking of painting, we are starting awfully late in the day. This place won't be able to air out in time for you to sleep here tonight."

Oh! She hadn't even thought about the fumes. She could try to sleep with the windows open, but then she'd probably freeze to death in the process. "Well, I can probably give Pri a call. If she's not around I can go to a hotel for the night. I do want to try and at least get started here tonight if that's okay with you."

"Might as well just stay at my place. That way we can work here until we're ready to crash and then just head next door."

Her body betrayed her by suddenly feeling faint. Her pulse pounded. Blood rushed
through her veins as a wave of heat rolled over her. Then her nerves set in. Would he
expect something out of her, since she'd let him do all these favors for her? No, not Shahru.
But maybe he did think since they were playing the part of a happy couple they should play one in all aspects of the term. The scary part was, in some ways she wanted that too.
She wanted to experience something with him she'd never had with another man, and that thought frightened her to the marrow of her bones.

"I'm not propositioning you." He stood. "Look at you—who knew the sweet little Angel had such a dirty mind."

Yeah, and clearly she wore her expressions a little obviously as well. Now the heat in
her body had more to do with embarrassment than anything. Trying to save face she looked at Shahru and said, "Don't be silly. I didn't think you were."

"Yeah, right."

His eyes danced with a glimmer of amusement that made her belly do flip-flops.
Good God, this man got to her. He did something to her no man—her ex-fiancé
included—had ever done to her before.

She wanted him.

She connected with him.

She wanted to know more about him. Everything about him.

She needed to nip those thoughts in the bud.

"A little conceited, aren't you?"

He stepped up to her, so close she felt the heat radiating off his body. "No, just observant." The pad of one callused finger touched the hollow spot at the base of her throat. "Your pulse is beating out of control. It gets faster by the second the more you think about it." His hand moved up to her cheek. He brushed his thumb over her cheekbone. "You turn pink right here. This dusty rose colour always tinges your cheeks when you get embarrassed or nervous."

Kajol closed her eyes, concentrating on nothing but the feel of this innately masculine man. His touch enflamed her. Comforted her. Tickled the inside of her belly.
She stepped forward, their bodies only a breath away from each other. "Shahru ... I..."

"Shh. I know. Don't say it." He spoke in a whisper. "I won't be able to stop if you say it."

When he pulled away and the loss of contact left her cold. A shiver trembled her body.

"I shouldn't have touched you like that." He ran a hand through his hair as if uncomfortable. "We can only be friends, Angel. I'm not going to lie and tell you I don't want you, but friendship is all I can give you. Anything else and you'd end up getting hurt. I'm sorry."

"Why?" She heard herself unable to believe the word came out of her mouth. "Why can't we have more? Why would you hurt me?" Even to herself the questions were ludicrous. She'd just gotten out of a serious relationship. They'd only known one another a short few days, and he had secrets. The list went on, but right now none of it seemed to matter.

"It's who I am."
She wasn't surprised when he didn't elaborate any further.
"Let me get this door fixed. These walls aren't going to paint themselves."

Kajol turned her back to him. She continued opening cans and putting all the ingredients together in the pan. Her body was aware of every movement he made behind her. She ached to feel him touch her again, to break down those walls he'd built around himself. This lightheartedness was a mask. She knew that now. Maybe it was who he used to be, who he wanted to be, but something held him back. If he wouldn't have stopped her, she would have kissed him. She wanted to kiss him, to explore the passion for him that simmered in her body. Now isn't the time. I should be concentrating on my "right now." But it didn't feel right. Yeah, this time in her life was about her, but somehow, in some weird way she didn't understand, it felt as if it was about Shahru too.

She felt drawn to him. One she didn't understand and sure as heck had never experienced before. Crazy as it sounded—crazy as it was—she didn't know if a friendship with him would be enough. She yearned for more.

* * **

The curry simmered in the kitchen. Shahru had her door working, and they were just
finishing up taping off all the moulding that didn't need to be painted. Not much longer and they'd be ready to paint. "No matter how many times you roll up those sleeves, they will keep falling down. I'm going to have to buy you a new shirt when we're done." Shahru had insisted she borrow one of his work flannels so she didn't risk ruining any of her own clothes. According to him, he worked in them all day, every day so a little paint wouldn't hurt them, unlike her more fashionable attire.

Kajol didn't argue for long. The idea of being wrapped in a warm shirt that had housed his muscles sounded pretty darn good to her. Every few minutes she'd inhale deeply, letting the rugged scent of Shahru tickle her senses.

"It's a work shirt. It's supposed to look worked in."

"Yes, but I'm not supposed to be the one messing it up. You are. For that I'll owe you a new shirt." He snickered from across the room, and she could have sworn she heard him mutter something like, "Crazy woman." They hadn't talked any more about where she'd be sleeping tonight, though she had no doubt exactly where she'd be. For Shahru it was probably easier not to talk about it because ... Well, because he was a man, and men didn't like talking about anything, Shahru even more so than the rest.

Now she just had to figure out how she'd sleep in the same apartment with him without making a fool of herself by kissing him like she almost had earlier.

"I'm ready if you are. The sooner we get started the better."

"Yep, I'm ready too." Shahru grabbed the paint, poured a small amount into two separate paint trays, handed her one, and took the other.