Incandescent

Chapter 23

"You know, you need to stop sneaking out on me early in the morning. I don't like it when I wake up alone even when you're in town," Arnav's voice was grumpy as he sauntered down the stairs into the dining area of his penthouse.

Khushi snorted and got up to get his coffee from the kitchen. Arnav's eyes followed the movements of her lithe body clad in only an over sized t-shirt. Pity she refused to model for him anymore. She had a great body and she had been good on the ramp.

"I have to do it if I plan to get any work done at all."

She was back couple of minutes later with his mug of coffee which she placed before him and returned her attention to the papers she had spread out on the dining table. She was putting them together so that she could finally give her dissertation for binding.

"You're the boss. You can do what you like but I have a project to complete and get back to Kolkatta by this weekend. You don't control the university time chart," she added for emphasis.

He made a face and said, "That is so not correct, Mrs. Raizada. I'm the boss and so I have extra responsibilities. But I get that you're busy."

Khushi watched him with a smile as he took a sip of his coffee. She knew he missed her a lot when she wasn't around and he knew the feeling was mutual. She walked up to where he was sitting and sat herself on his lap. She cupped his face and brushed her lips over his lightly as she said, "Once I am done with this project and my final exams, I'll be all yours. It's just that I had so much going in my head consolidating all the findings and getting the final report ready. And then the exams in a month looming over my life."

Arnav pressed his mouth to hers, his kiss harder and his hands searching. He rubbed his hands over her bare thighs, inside her t-shirt up her body and groaned out loud when he found that she wasn't wearing a bra. She pushed his hands away as they curved under and around her breasts and jumped out of his lap saying, "Arnav ji, I have to get this report ready today. I don't have anymore time. And as much as I love your stubble and beard, my skin burns after we have made out. Not to mention these marks. I have to apply a truckload of concealer or everyone knows," she complained.

He laughed and said, "I would have been a little considerate about that when you were just my girlfriend. You are my wife now. You might not like hearing this and I know I kind of sound like a caveman but I like the idea of it. Good for everyone to know who you are and who you belong to. Will keep all your Romeos at bay."

At her widened eyes, he asked, "What?"

As far as Khushi was concerned she had always belonged to him and him only. She wouldn't want it any other way either. Funny how he kept saying he didn't believe in marriage and yet thought marriage to him made her his wholly. She loved it when he referred to her as Mrs. Raizada. And she loved the caveman in him. But she wouldn't say this aloud or he would be quick to refute.

So aloud, she said, "I don't have Romeos!"

"No?" He asked folding his hands on his front. He knew men repeatedly tried to flirt with her and asked her out on dates. Khushi had talked to him about it initially and then she stopped. Not that he liked it but Arnav had at times wondered what her life would have been like if he hadn't entered and complicated it so early and with his history.

"Not for a year at least. Since we got married my face has been on the news constantly. Not only our wedding pictures and the pictures of us together, they are digging into my past and posting my modeling pictures too. I have a hard time keeping low profile but it's not at all hard to keep anyone from getting too close. And not after there is a new story about our... erm... courtship everyday on the newspaper."