Page 92 of Obsession

Mihir Oshnov had shattered her world once, and if she wasn’t careful, then he’d shatter it all over again. Her brain warned her of the consequences of continuously giving in to him—reminding her that she could end up hurt again… But right now, her heart was too much at peace to think straight. Tomorrow. She’d tackle everything tomorrow. That was the last thought she had before she drifted off the sleep.

* * *

Something tickled her nose.Her eyes fluttered open. Mihir was wrapped around her, his head on her chest, his hair tickling her nose. Warmth flooded her heart. Him cuddled like this into her was so damn familiar. This was how she used to wake up at one time. He shifted, resting his head on the pillow next to her, still asleep. Her eyes burned. So easily they’d gone back to how they had been at one time.

She sniffed, clearing her throat. He opened his eyes.

His lips curved in amusement. “You snore.”

She gasped. “I do not.”

“You do.”

She threw him a glower.

He laughed. “It’s not a big deal. I’m not complaining, Anna. It’s cute.”

She flopped back on the bed, covering her face with her hands. “Sure, that’s what I want the man I’m sleeping with to think—that I snore, but cutely. Ugh!”

He pulled her hands from her face. “Youarecute, Anna.” He kissed her forehead. “And smart.” He kissed an eye. “And sexy.” He kissed a cheek. “And gorgeous.” He kissed her mouth. “And…”

She planted his mouth back on hers. A long moment later, he lifted his head and tucked her to his chest. They stayed like that for a long time, she staring at the fire crackling in the fireplace in front of them, and he playing with a strand of her hair. Her heart was at ease. For the first time in a long, long time,shewas fully at ease. This moment in time with him was peaceful, like she was meant to be here. Like he was meant to heal every hurting bit of her. His hand caressed her bare arm and shoulder, round and round, up and down. She liked it.

Her eyes fell on his tattoo. She traced her fingers along it. “Why an anchor? What does it mean? Why do all three of you have it?”

“How do you know my brothers also have this tattoo? Did your sisters tell you?”

She rolled her eyes. “We had a pool party at your house, remember? I saw their tattoos then. Armaan has it on his back, and Vedant on his arm. And youmustknow that Navya and Reina never give out personal details about their men. They protect their privacy.”

He smiled. “I like that about your sisters. They’re loyal, and they love my brothers very much.”

She traced his tattoo again. “So, about this…”

“The anchor stands for loyalty, strength, and stability. It is a reminder that we must remain grounded.” He spread a hand out, pointing to the lavishly done room. “That we didn’t have all this at one time. And now that we do, we need to appreciate it and cherish it every single day of our lives, and not let it get to our head.”

She arched a brow. “But ithasgotten to your head. You come across as someone who thinks he owns the fucking world and everyone in it.”

He laughed. “That’s true. However, I reserve my arrogance for people who deserve it.”

“Like me. You’re always too supercilious with me.”

He tickled her waist. “Of course, I’d behave like that with you. I know how much it irks you.”

Seeing her eyes widen, he said, “I will always know everything about you, remember?”

She stared at him for a long time, not saying anything. Not asking the questions she knew she needed to ask. Instead, she settled back in his arms again. She didn’t want to disturb this tentative peace between them for now.

“How long have you lived here in this house?” she queried.

“Since Alexander brought us from India. The first time we came here, we were so scared.”

Her hand stilled on his chest, and she looked up at him. “Why?”

“We knew Alexander was rich, but we hadn’t understood justhowrich he was until we entered the gates of this house. We’d never seen anything so opulent—it was a freaking palace. He showed us around and gave each of us a separate room, with wardrobes filled with clothes, shoes, and watches from brands we’d never even heard of, but looked expensive.

That first night after dinner, I returned here to this room and couldn’t sleep. I was pacing when the door opened, and Vedant came in. Soon, Armaan joined us. Like me, they, too, were terrified of everything. Besides, we had never slept alone, ever. The three of us slept in my room for many nights. Vedant and I on the bed, and Armaan on the couch, until Alexander learned what we were doing. That’s when he decided to separate us.”

“What?” She shifted out of his arms, rising slightly to look at him. “Why?”

---