Page 49 of The Unwanted Husband
Anticipation building, she held his gaze as he moved closer and she closed her eyes taking in the moment and that’s when she felt his stubble rub against her cheek. “My sister has a spy in the store. He is going to report back to her as to what our dynamic really is.”
Yanked away from the moment, she realized it was all still part of the act for him. But she was having other reactions. Evenas she processed the reality of the moment her body had a mind of its own. Her hand went up to his cheek, her fingers going into his hair.
He stayed still as she turned her face to plant soft kisses on his cheek. “How do you know she has a spy here?”
He didn’t respond immediately and that’s when she noticed that his breathing was strained just like hers. She felt the pressure on her hand he held. “I…I just know.”
“I love the ring, Ashok,” the words were genuine but she didn’t know why she felt the need to say anything.
He remained silent and a moment later he was pulling away from her when their eyes met. Everything around them seemed to freeze and as if under a spell, she tightened the hold on his hair as she closed the gap between their lips.
She gently brushed her lips over his, slowly, unlike the time she angrily kissed him. The feel of his lips on hers was addicting and she could not get herself to pull away. Even as her body took in the bliss, her mind fought the absurdity of the moment. Embarrassment hit her hard and her eyes flew open.
She jerked away and looked down at the ring. “I hope your sister’s spy is convinced we are a real couple.”
Ashok leaned closer and planted a kiss on her head. “If we buy the entire set, the spy will be convinced.”
The endearing gesture made her heart go haywire. She placed her right hand on her chest as she looked at the ring on her finger. It felt good at that moment but she could not figure out why in the world she felt compelled to kiss Ashok for absolutely no reason. It scared her how aware she became to his presence and proximity.
Was she attracted to him? She had to be! The guy was decent looking and she knew he wasn’t an asshole.
Not good, Isha. Cut it out.
*****
Later that night, Ashok smiled to himself as he heard Isha mumble to herself, half asleep. He kept his eyes on the road as he rode through empty city streets. It was late for him but he didn’t mind her company.
That evening they went to one of the best restaurants for dinner and he was able to reserve the best spot there. The evening breeze and the grand view of the city lights made it enjoyable. What was a surprise for him was how much fun Isha was. In his mind she was stuck up but she had a lot of thoughts to share, aware of world affairs and yet there was a vulnerability that he had not seen before.
A shudder passed through him at the memory of her soft, pillow-like lips brushing over his and it took all his resolve to not kiss her back. He had made that mistake once in the heat of the moment a couple of months back, but never again.
“Ashok, why were all the women looking at you?” her soft yet clear words made him smile.
He had been holding off on responding to her somewhat random questions since he knew she had a bit too much to drink. She kept repeating how much she needed the outing and he did too. He had not been active socially and had been ignoring the calls of the women who made good companions for a dinner date.
Especially since the time Isha’s and his marriage was legal. He knew his family had been watching him all along. He didn’t expect his sister to call BS on the legal marriage. Isha was quite resourceful in coming up with a decently believable story about how they had a connection in the past.
“Ashok, why were they all looking at you?”
Her question made him chuckle. “I don’t know.”
She fell silent again and he could tell she had her eyes shut. Moments later she was awake. “You need a ring too. They don’t know you’re married.”
Another chuckle escaped him. He was used to the attention from attractive women but he could not recollect looking at anyone that night. He had his eyes on his date for the night.
His wife, only legal.
“Ok, I’ll get a ring.” He knew she was only half listening.
“Good,” she murmured, settling deeper into the passenger seat. “I can’t have women thinking you’re available when you’re not.”
He chuckled as the irony wasn’t lost on him. She claimed he was unavailable when their marriage was nothing more than an arrangement. And yet something about the possessiveness in her drowsy voice made his chest tighten in a way that had nothing to do with their fake relationship.
Ashok stole a glance at her profile in the dim light from the vehicle dashboard. Her face was relaxed, lips slightly parted, completely vulnerable in a way she never allowed herself to be when awake. He had a great time with her that night. Way more than he had expected to.
The same woman who had kissed him to break out of his grasp. Earlier that evening, it was extremely hard for him to not pull her into a deeper kiss when she grazed her lips over his at the jewelry store. He stepped back then, reminding himself of the boundaries. But now, in the quiet intimacy of the car, he needed to muster up the resolve to fight his thoughts that stated that the boundaries felt increasingly meaningless.
“Ashok?” Her voice was barely a whisper.
