Playing With Fire

Chapter 31 - A Mouse

Shahru peeked through the curtains on his living room window for the fourth time in
the past fifteen minutes. Angel should have been home by now. Maybe they'd asked her to work late? Maybe she had to run to the grocery store when she got off. Maybe, maybe, maybe. He was driving himself crazy coming up with different reasons for why she should be late when really it shouldn't matter to him why she was late. The fact that it did, that he kept peeking through the window every two seconds, fretting like a damn woman ... now that should worry him.

He could tell himself it was because she'd had her first day of work and he wanted to see how it went, that he just wanted to be sure she made it home okay since the weather wasn't so hot outside. Yeah, that was all true, but he also wanted to see her. To talk to her, kiss her, feel the magic of her feminine body beneath his. Shit, this meant trouble. At this rate he'd be spouting poetry in no time. Since when did he think of a woman's body beneath his own as magical? Shahru needed to walk away, and he needed to do it now before Angel got hurt. Before she made him hope just like Juhi had. He couldn't handle another failure. He couldn't fail Kajol.

Trying to keep himself busy, Shahru pulled himself away, ready to go get some work done. He pushed his feet into his black work boots before opening the door and walking out. When he did, he saw her opening the door to her own apartment. His palms instantly became sweaty like a wet-behind-the-ears teenager seeing his girlfriend for the first time after they'd had sex. Girlfriend? Where the hell did that word come from?

"Hi." Kajol spoke first.

"Hey. How was your day?"

"It was great. You can come in if you want. I'll tell you about it. I mean if you have other plans that's okay. I just—"

She was nervous. He heard the little catch in her voice. "Are you kidding? Of course I want to know how your day went. I need to keep up with my tenants, you know. I need to make sure this job will work out, so I know you'll be able to pay your rent." Shahru winked at her trying wipe away the nervous tension between them.

"Check you out. Mr. Professional over there."

"Hey, the big guys come down on me if you don't pay. I'm just doing my job here,"
Shahru kidded with her. He closed the few steps between them and followed her into her apartment. "So you wowed them, huh?" he asked, leaning against the counter. Damn, she was beautiful. Her black hair fell in curtains down her back. Her penetrating honey eyes entranced him. He wanted her. Again. The memory of the night before made the blood boil in his veins. Angel turned to him and smiled, almost knocking him off his feet. What the hell was wrong with him tonight?
"Well, I don't know about wowed them, but I think we had a pretty good day. Rekha is going to let me be in charge of their activities for the Celebrate Kindness fair."

It was amazing how easy it was for him to take her advice and just take this one day at a time. He'd wondered how he would be able to do it. His prideful side wanted to claim her as his own now, while his logical side wanted to tell her goodbye before they got themselves in any farther over their heads. Somehow, being around her calmed him so he could do just as she said: take it one day at a time. "That's great. I know how bummed you were that you weren't participating this year."

The fair needed her. Otherwise the whole thing would be filled with people like Angel's mother who participated when everyone knew she really didn't give a flying fuck about the people less fortunate than herself in the town. Angel on the other hand did. She'd keep the integrity in the event that it deserved.

"I can't wait to see my mother's face. She hit below the belt when she took this away from me. Of course I have no actual proof she's the one who took it away, but inside I know it was her."