Page 128 of One Hellish Love

Damn it!

She needed to get out of here. Slowly, carefully, she tried pushing him away without waking him, but it was too late. His eyes fluttered open, immediately locking onto hers with an unreadable intensity. She froze, caught in his gaze, feeling the tension wrap around her like a vice.

Shit! He was awake. Watching her.

The next instant, she shot up from the bed, sitting upright as Rudra relaxed back into the pillows, stretching lazily as though nothing unusual had happened.

“It’s such a lovely morning, isn’t it?” he said, completely nonchalant.

Her breath caught.What?Why wasn’t he questioning her? He had just woken up with herin his arms—why wasn’t he demanding an explanation?

“Why are you staring at me like that?” Rudra teased, smirking.

Kashish’s jaw dropped. He wasn’t just ignoring it—he was enjoying this!

“Aren’t you surprised to find me in your bed, beside you, so... close?” she asked.

Rudra leaned closer, his hand reaching out to lightly trace her cheek.

“No. Because this is where you belong.”

Her heart stuttered as his husky morning voice but her suspicions clicked into place. Had heknownthis all along?

“That’s right,” Rudra confirmed, reading the shock on her face. “When I woke up last night, I wasn’t hallucinating. I knew you were actually here... with me.”

Kashish’s pulse raced. She knew he wasn’t lying.

“I… I thought…” she stammered, searching for her words. “I thought you were asleep… I thought staying was the only way to help calm you down… so I stayed the whole night.”

Rudra rolled his eyes, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“So what?” he replied, leaning back against the headboard. “Big deal. Didn’t you hear me? You belong here—next to me.”

She flushed, pushing him away in frustration.

“You kissed my hair,” she accused.

He glanced at the spot where his lips had touched her head, then smiled, eyes gleaming with mischief.

“I can take it back if you didn’t like it.”

Heat surged through her, twisting in her stomach. She shoved his arm again, harder this time, her emotions spiraling.

“This... this is a sin! We’re not supposed to be like this!” she cried.

Rudra’s brow shot up sharply.

“Sin?” he asked, incredulous. “Sleeping next to meis a sin? Kashish, what century are you living in?”

Kashish balled her fists, standing her ground.

“I believe it is a sin. We’re not a couple, Rudra. And we never will be. Maybe this doesn’t affect you, but it does affect me,” she shouted.

Rudra’s playful smirk vanished, replaced by a firm resolve.

“Then let’s fix that,” he said smoothly. “Let’sbecomea couple. Let’s erase this ‘sin’ from your mind forever.”

His bold declaration struck her like a blow. He was using her every word against her, twisting it to prove his point. He was relentlessly pushing her toward the one thing she feared the most—his proposal. She couldn’t help but replay the night’s events when she couldn’t leave him to tackle his nightmares alone.

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