Page 68 of The Unwanted Husband
She looked away fighting her inner spurts of emotions and sensations. “This needs to be taken off my head.” She pointed to the heavy decoration.
She worked on removing her bangles as he worked on taking off the headpiece that was adorned over her thick dark hair, jasmines adding a dreamy scent.
“Sorry.” He let out a growl when she flinched in pain as he managed to separate the intricate piece of jewelry from her hair.
“That’s okay, glad you got that tiara off my head,” she said, running her fingers through her hair loosening her locks, her eyes going up to his as she threw her head back.
He was looking down at her and as soon their eyes met, he looked away. “Why don’t you change? I think your bag is in the room next door.”
She nodded and moved her feet to land them on the ground. She let out a sigh when she remembered how high above the ground the platform of the bed was. “Can I just sleep like this?”
He let out a chuckle. “Isha, I can help.”
She tipped her head forward. “Can you magically make my clothes swap?”
He shook his head as he walked over to where her bag was and asked, “Let me find you your clothes.”
She was too exhausted. “I… I don’t care. I need a break before I get up to change.”
She shut her eyes, leaning against the heavy head post of the canopy bed, her head and shoulder to the heavy wood. As fatigue settled in, she was not sure how long she had dozed off while seated. She was awakened when she felt his fingers on her back. The tugging motion as he opened the numerous knots that were tied by two women to secure her blouse snugly.
The sudden pull from her drowsy state combined with the awareness of his touch, her breathing became ragged. She took in the musky scent of his cologne and associated the zap of energy that made her body come alive to be in response to what Ashok was doing and not because of how close he was to her. Her face was so close to his bare chest, she wanted to bury her face into the warmth. Take a deep whiff of his masculine scent and maybe even get a taste of it while she was at it.
No! You know you cannot go there.
“Do you think you can stand up?” His breath was warm against her shoulder as he worked on the knots on the upper back. “You just need to stand, no need to turn. Hold on to me.”
With those words, she slowly slid off the bed, his hands supporting her hips as she landed her feet on the ground.
“It’ll be just a minute.” His voice was so soft, it felt like a caress.
She nodded, unable to speak. She was even more worked up with how close he stood to her as he reached around her to remove the knots. As if she had no control over her actions, she placed her forehead on his chest, feeling his warm skin against hers. Her chest heaved and now she became hyper aware of the knots that he kept working on and every time his fingers grazed over her skin, they sent a ripple of new excitement.
He is your fake husband, not a real one.
A voice deep inside reminded her but that warning was only registered by her mind. Like her body had a mind of its own, she ran one arm around him, moving closer.
“I’m almost done.” His breath was warm on the nape of her neck.
“How many knots are there?” She was going to take whatever she could get at that moment.
He chuckled against her, making her shudder. “I lost count. Gnarly situation.”
Her normal self would have screamed, Get-A-Knife-And-Cut-Open-The-Blouse, but something about being close to him gave her a comfort she longed for. She stayed close to him, rationalizing her wandering thoughts to how tired she was after all the ceremonies the past few days.
Minutes later, her chest felt free. She let out a moan in relief and felt him stiffen against her, as if in response to her touch. “Oh my God, I can finally breathe.”
He pulled back before offering a t-shirt, one of his. “This should serve the purpose. Let me know when you are done and I will help with your skirt.”
She smiled as he stepped away and turned his back to her so she could take off the blouse and slip on his cotton t-shirt which was long enough for her to make a night shirt. She kept her eyes on his bare back fighting the need to press her bare chest into his back.
She shook that wild thought away quickly. “Such a Gentleman. I still can’t believe you are single.”
He let out a laugh. “What are you talking about? I’m a married man. Married twice now to the same woman.”
“Right. Too bad it’s with me.” She was glad it was a dark colored t-shirt and it didn’t show the outline of her taut nipples as they tented the fabric over her chest.
“Your proposal was so compelling I couldn’t say no.” He was taunting her and she didn’t mind it.
