Playing With Fire

Chapter 22 - The Invitation

Whatever all the cryptic phrases he always said to her meant, she didn't know, but she did know it was very personal to him. And she did know that no matter how he'd left her last night he was a good man. For some reason he feared hurting her, and she had to respect him for not wanting to. Although she did wish he would have decided that before kissing her senseless. "Later that night, we ... um ... got a little close. Shahru pulled back before it went too far and walked out on me." There that just about told her everything without telling her too much. Preity had always been darn perceptive, anyway. If anyone could figure this out without all the details it was her.

"Was there kissing?"

"Yes."

"Touching?"

"Yes."

"And then he just walked out?"

"Pretty much. I got..." This was really embarrassing, even though she spoke with
Pri. "I got a little lost in the moment and asked him to make love to me."

Preity's body lurched forward. "Holy shit! That's so unlike you, Kaj. Good for you."

"Obviously not! Right after I said it he told me he was sorry and walked out on me."
Kajol buried her face in her hands. "Ugh! I can't believe I said that!"

Preity scooted over closer to her and wrapped her arm around her. "There is nothing
wrong with what you said. You took control and asked for what you want. You should be proud of yourself."

"Thanks." She didn't really feel the word, but she said it, anyway.

"I'm going to say again what I said before. I think Shahru has it bad for you, but I also
think that scares him. I think he has some things to work through, and you have to decide if you want to help him do that or not. You just got out of a shitty relationship, and what he has going might be a little too heavy for you right now. Do you really like him, or was it really a lost-in-the-heat-of-the-moment kind of thing?"

Kajol thought for a second before replying. "I really do like him. He's a great friend, and honestly I don't know what I'd do without him right now, but I don't think I'm falling in love with him or anything. It's just ... right now I think he can give me what I need. Friendship-wise mainly, but once he kissed me ... Pri, It's as if he opened the floodgates. I felt a kind of passion I've never experienced before."
"Then I think you need to go with what you feel. Be careful, though. I don't want to
see you get hurt. I'm trying to be open-minded here, because I know you're different than me. You're more trusting, and while I do think Shahru is a good guy and I do think he likes you, I'm always going to be a little skeptical. That's my issue, though, not yours. I can tell you he sounded like hell when he called last night."

And she felt the same way. She didn't really know exactly what she wanted right now. She didn't know where this would lead, but she did know she wasn't ready to let him go. Something told her she wouldn't be able to even if she tried.

"Shopping?" Preity asked.

Kajol thought a moment. She didn't want to blow a lot of money, but she did need to get or at least look at some furniture. Plus, it would be the perfect distraction to help her get her mind off the gorgeous brooding man who had somehow captured her attention so thoroughly. "Shopping."

Her furniture was absolutely perfect. They'd shopped for hours today, but nothing
called out to her. Finally, when they were just about to quit for the day and head out of the small shopping complex in the town, Preity spotted one more store that looked promising. They made it not five feet inside when Kajol saw the set for her. The chocolate-chip colour of her new sofa matched that of her crown molding perfectly. The couch had thick, fluffy cushions she sank into when she sat down. They were warm, comforting—just what she'd hoped for.

She hadn't gone with a couch and a loveseat due to the size of her apartment and the budget she wanted to keep to. They'd had a very nice old-fashioned-looking oak chair that immediately caught her eye. It was beautifully crafted and reminded her of something Shahru would make, only not as good. To tie in the red brick of her fireplace she picked out a pretty red rug and throw pillows for her couch. Lining the mantle on the fireplace she had a mixture of big, chunky square candles in sage green, chocolate and red.

She hated spending the extra money to have it delivered, but she would hate asking Shahru even more. Even if they hadn't left things the way they had the night before, he still had done so much for her she refused to ask anything else of him. And who knew, even if she wanted to, she doubted she would be able to ask anything of him right now. The way he'd looked at her last night, desire and sadness both fighting for the primary emotion in his eyes, she wasn't sure the friendship they'd formed would still be intact. On his part at least. Mortified or not at her plea for him to make love to her, she still wanted to spend time with him.
Kajol sat down on her new couch in front of the fire Preity had helped her build before she left, and sipped her hot chocolate. The moving men had long since left. She'd changed into her lounging clothes and wanted nothing more than to relax and enjoy her new completely beautiful apartment. She didn't yet have a stand for the television she'd brought from home, so the appliance still sat in her room on the floor. Nothing had called out to her today in that regard. Or for a coffee table, either. Since she didn't watch much TV, anyway, she could afford to wait until she found something she really loved.

Closing her eyes for a brief reprieve, Kajol leaned back into the couch, her arm on the rest holding her hot chocolate. Unable to stop herself she flashed back to last night with Shahru. She'd had so much fun painting with him. Unlike Amir he listened when she spoke and asked questions, truly curious about what she had going on in her life. She'd never had that before. Even if she didn't consider the men—or man—she'd dated, she still hadn't experienced this level of relationship with anyone other than Pri.

The few other friends she had were all from this little town. "finest" citizens who'd been raised just as she was in the same circles as she as well. Most cared more about themselves than they did anyone else. Since Kajol hadn't ever been a "me" person, she usually got lost in the shuffle. Shahru was so different he fascinated her on a level she'd never experienced before. He also made her want him on a level she'd never experienced before. Kajol reached up and touched her lips. She craved him: the delicious press of his lips on hers, the heat of his rough hands rubbing across her skin, the tingling ache that flooded her belly when his rock-hard body tucked against hers.

Kajol craved it all.

She craved Shahru.

Ringing pierced the air in the room, jerking her from her daydream. Kajol walked to the counter in the kitchen where she left her cell. She put her cup down and picked up the phone. "Hello."

"It's your mother, Kajol."

Like she didn't recognize the number on her cell. What did her mother think? "Hi. How are you?"

"A little dismayed actually, but I'm willing to put that aside for now."

Wow. This concerned her. What was this all about? Before she could ask, her mother
continued.

"I spoke with Amir, and he told me what happened yesterday. Your father and I decided we'd like to meet this ... gentleman ... you're dating. You're to be here tomorrow night at six for dinner."