Heaven From Here

twenty four

Saif tapped on the keys furiously, exhaling in frustration that he couldn't log into his laptop. He sat at the dining table as he drummed his fingers on the surface of the table. Should he just go back to his office at the vet surgery and sort it all there?, he wondered.

"What are you doing with my MacBook?" he heard Hanna question him curiously from somewhere behind him.

"This is my MacBook," he grumbled, "and I can't fuckin' log in."

He felt her presence next to him, but he refused to look up, especially after their encounter in the room. The smell of mandarins and sandalwood pervaded his senses as she leaned over and looked at the log in screen.

"You can't log in because this is my laptop, Saif," Hanna said gently. "See the log in photo? That's mine..."

"Fuck!" Saif swore under his breath and made to stand up when he felt Hanna's hand press him gently on his shoulder.

"Sit, I'll get it," she said softly. Hanna walked over to the main door and picked up Saif's bag and placed it on the dining table. She heard him mumble a thank you and she hummed and smiled in return as she collected her laptop.

Putting it away on the kitchen island, Hanna filled up a kettle with hot water thinking of making some tea. Pausing, she asked, "Saif, I am making some tea. Would you like some?". Saif lifted his eyes from his work and allowed his gaze to wander all over Hanna's body. She had pulled over a loose cardigan over her t-shirt but he continued to admire the curve of her neck with her hair piled high on her head. He blinked when she turned to look over at him, her gaze expecting.

Clearing his throat, he shook his head and faced the screen of his MacBook. Successfully logging in on the first try, Saif winced and frowned. How did he not notice the completely different log in photo? He sighed as he fished through his bag and took out a hard case.

The snap of the case made Hanna turnaround from making her tea. She had always thought that there was no way for Saif to look more desirable than he already did, but she was wrong. He had a pair of clear framed spectacles on as he tapped away on his laptop. Everything about him entices her, gnaws at her to get closer to him. But the moment that she lets herself get comfortable with him, she could feel Saif pulling back.

She went back to making her tea quickly without getting caught at staring at Saif. In her haste she ended up spilling the boiling hot water on her fingers. She hissed in pain, not noticing that Saif stopped his work and was looking at her. She quickly turned on the tap on cold and left her fingers underneath the running water.

"What happened?" she heard him ask softly.

"I spilled some hot water on my fingers," she answered in an equally soft voice, as she tried to mask her pain.

"Come here," he beckoned, as he widened his stance at the dining table by pushing his chair back; giving Hanna space to stand between him and the table. "Let me see," he reached his hand out to her.

Hanna walked over and perched herself on the table as she placed her hand in his. She watched as he with gentle fingers examined the inflamed area. It was pinpricks, she felt. Pinpricks of desire that nipped at her from her fingers that was in Saif's hand to her heart which traveled to the rest of her body. It was then, that she knew her fate was sealed.

She wanted him with a quietness that had crept up on her and held her still. The circumstances on how they got together didn't matter anymore. She was with him, and she wanted him. Even then, Hanna was aware that he might not feel the same way to her. And that was her challenge, to make her husband want her.