Page 136 of A King's Oath

“I will come there, huh!” She threatened.

“Come.”

She perked up. Avantika jumped up and dashed to him but he dashed inside the bathroom and locked it shut.

“Samarth!!!” She rattled the door. Nothing but laughter from the other side.

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She was half-asleep by the time he came out of her bathroom. Avantika scratched her head, clawing her hair back from her face as she squinted at the man in a towel.

“Sleep in there,” she muttered groggily. Her body felt like a limp noodle after the hot shower she had had inhisbathroom.

“You know I have a perfectly comfortable bed in my room, right?” He reached one big palm out and shook her head before running away from her swat. Avantika kicked away the duvet, stretching to get a better look at him across the open connecting door. Was he really planning to sleep in his bed? What was this Sati Savitri behaviour?

The rattle of things, unzipping and zipping of the suitcase, pouring of water in a glass. It was so quiet in the rooms that she could even hear him gulping. Or she was so crazy in half-sleep that her senses were extra sharp. She was also out of tact now so she hollered out point-blank — “Are you coming to sleep here or sleeping there?”

“So bossy,” he came, tugging a threadbare cotton T-shirt down his torso. He wore a pair of loose black night shorts and was running his fingers through his damp floppy hair. Before she could scowl to her heart’s content he dimmed the lights in both their rooms and slipped in beside her.

“I like the lights on during sex,” she sassed, turning her back to him.

“Remind me again, when did you last have it?” He pushed closer to her.

“In my dreams.”

His mouth landed in the crook of her neck and his scent attacked her full force. Leather was subdued now, it was all soft blossoms and lemons. Citrus. Fresh. His damp hair dampened her cheek. She moved her side closer into the cradle of his hips. His leg came over hers and with one hand he pushed a pillow between her legs. She stopped moving.

“Samarth…” she whined.

“Sleep, Ava. We are both tired. I am exhausted,” he pulled the duvet over them.

“Mmm.… Wait! Are you in pain? Shit, I didn’t even think that before attacking you…” she turned to face him. “I’m so sorry…”

“I am not in pain. I sat in a cold bath.”

“That’s what took you so long?”

He nodded, his fingers pushing the strands of hair away from her face. Instead of tucking them behind her ear, he caressed them slowly with his fingers.

“What’s your recovery thing like?”

“It’s usually an ice bath immediately after a match but everything went for a toss today. Tomorrow I have a massage session early morning followed by physio and stretching.”

“At Villa a Sesta.”

“Hmm…” he let her hair go and traced his knuckles down her jaw. She loved it, melted into his touch.

“You came all the way to Arezzo just for me…”

“Not just for you, for you. Period.”

Her eyelashes fluttered, between wanting to stay awake and needing to doze off.

“I should be telling you to not stress yourself physically like this but I love this.”

“I know.”

“When will you finish tomorrow?”

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