Page 28 of Fixation

“Are you comfortable here?” Vedant asked.

She shrugged. “To be honest, it’s been a good break from the hospital. I’d just begun a ten day continuous shift when you were brought in. While I was... am angry that we were brought here by force, I have accepted the break from my routine. I can sleep more, eat well, exercise and…” She held her novel up. “I can read something non-medical for a change.”

“So, you’re doing okay?”

“Well, I do have a patient who can behave very nasty and rude at times,” she quirked a brow. “But other than that, it’s all well.”

He studied her. He had been rather rude and nasty to her when all she had done was try and help him.

“I’m sorry for everything,” he finally said. “For Mihir bringing you here by force and not allowing you the option of leaving. But mostly, I’d like to apologise for being difficult and rude. If you give me another chance, then I promise to do better, to be better. I promise to listen to everything you say and follow all your instructions with regards to my health. You were right. I was angry with myself about the attack, and I took it out on you. I was wrong to do so. You saved my life, and I never even said thank you. Thank you.”

Her mouth formed a perfect O of shock. A moment later, she cleared her face and gave him a smile. “Alright. Apology accepted.”

“Promise me that you will ensure I am on my feet again. That I will recover fully.”

“I promise. Now you really do need to rest. Doctor’s orders.”

“Will you stay?” Her being beside him truly made him feel better and stronger.

“I’m right here, Mr. Oshnov.”

“How many times…” He shook his head. “I’ll wait for the day you’re ready to take my name.”

And one day, she would. It was a promise he made to himself, to ensure that he heard his name from her pretty lips. For that, he needed to spend more time with her. Tomorrow, he would tell her that he needed her around more. Tomorrow, he would make that a rule. He grimaced. No, not a rule; he’d make a request. He had to be better with her, which meant he couldn’t order her around like a tyrant but request her like a proper human being and hope she accepted.

Perhaps, once she agreed to spend more time with him, then he’d finally figure out why she fascinated him so.

10

Reina blinked her eyes open. Pale sunlight drifted into the room from the crack in the curtains. Something hard was pressing against her nape. The scent of fabric softener hit her nose. She opened her eyes and looked into the sleeping face of Vedant Oshnov. She’d fallen asleep with her head resting on his bed. His large, heavy hand was now pressed on her nape, his fingers entangled in her hair—hair that had unknotted itself at some point in the middle of the night and hung loosely down her back now.

Vedant whimpered. His fingers stroked her hair before they tightened against her nape, and he turned his head to the side, still fast asleep. Her heart jumped. Her breathing became choppy, and all those tingly feelings she’d ever only experienced with this man returned in full force.

Her interactions with men thus far had been very limited and this… this felt rather intimate. In fact, it probably was the most up-close and personal she had ever gotten with a man.

While in high school, she’d always had her nose buried in a book and med school had given her no time for frivolous interactions with the boys in her class. Not that she had beenactively seeking anything of that sort. Her trust in men was rather slim.

In fact, it was only after she’d started living with her adopted family that she developed some form of trust in men, thanks to her adopted father and brother. Yet, she’d continued to fear being in a relationship for most of her life. She’d avoided the imminent heartbreak and pain that she expected out of such liaisons.

And that’s why she was shocked to feel all the intense emotions she was feeling right now. Her heart felt like it was running a freaking marathon. Her eyes wouldn’t stop staring at this sleeping man and his perfect mouth and that sharp jaw that looked even more gorgeous now, covered by all that facial hair that hid all his bruises. Her mind wouldn’t stop wondering how it would feel if she kissed him. What would he taste like? What did a man taste like? She didn’t know, and until now, she’d never been curious to find out. But now, with him, all her raging hormones had woken up and come out to play. She breathed out. She’d never harboured scandalous thoughts about any man before this. But now… Now, she had to stop thinking of her patient and get the hell up and leave.

Still, she couldn’t bring herself to leave his warm embrace. A second more, she told herself.

His eyes opened and locked on hers. It took him a moment to realise where his hand was. But he didn’t make a move to remove it from her nape. In fact, he lifted a strand of her hair in his hand, caressing it softly.

Now, the very air around her thickened with tension. Even breathing became hard. Lifting her head, she slowly untangled her hair from his hand. She stood. She had to leave at once. His hand captured her wrist, halting her. Her heart jumped again. Fire lit under her skin. She exhaled and turned to face him.

He was once again staring at her hand, as if he too was baffled by this heat they felt every time they touched. His gaze found hers and he gave her a smile. Her breath hitched. With his morning stubble more pronounced, his hair tousled and those dark, sleepy eyes, he looked sexy. Sinful.

“Good morning,” he greeted her, his voice hoarse and raspy.

“Umm, hi.”

Umm, hi? She sounded dumb to her own ears. Shaking herself out of whatever spell she’d temporarily been under, she once again disengaged her wrist from his grasp. A furrow formed between his brows the second their physical contact ended. His gaze, deep and intense, burned into her. She couldn’t help but stare at him. Last night had been a complete contrast from all their prior interactions. He’d opened up and shared his fears and insecurities with her. She’d listened to him with rapt attention, enjoying her conversation with him. She’d discovered an unseen side of him—one filled with gratitude and grace. And she had to admit she had warmed up to him after that revelation.

Even after he’d fallen asleep, she’d stared at him for a long time, captivated by his features—the angle of his jaw, the tilt of his cheek, and the curve of his lips. Last night, she’d attributed her intense interest in him to merely a product of her imagination, influenced as she’d been by the seductive hero of the romance novel she’d been reading. This morning, however, she only had herself to blame for how keenly she was staring at him. He licked his lips, and her gaze was irresistibly drawn to his mouth.Look away, Reina.Yet, she didn’t look away.

Something was shaking loose inside her chest. She couldn’t understand what it was and why exactly she was behaving so unlike herself. She knew nothing about this man besides what he’d shared last night and what she’d read about him in those damn magazines that he wouldn’t stop teasing her about. Then how was she so drawn to him? It made no sense.

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