Page 20 of The Pursuit
When I looked back at him, his eyes dropped to my lips for a split second. His face was just inches away.What were we doing?Krish’s hands cupped my face, forcing me to meet his intense gaze. My skin burned everywhere he touched me. We were standing so close I could feel the heat radiating from his body. My heart stuttered as I recognised the desire darkening his eyes.
If I moved even slightly, our lips would meet. The very air felt electrified with possibility. We were both breathing heavily, hearts racing like mad. This was dangerous, a point of no return. But I was helpless to pull away from the raw need reflected in his eyes. I involuntarily swayed closer, my lips parting reflexively as we hovered a hairsbreadth away.
I could see the battle playing out in Krish’s eyes—longing wrestling with restraint. But as his gaze dropped to my mouth again, all I saw was raw desire. We were so close to that point of no return. Every cell in my body screamed to close those last few millimetres between us.
But just before our mouths met, panic pierced through the haze. I twisted out of Krish’s grasp, my heart pounding in my chest. His hands dropped from my face. The spell broke as abruptly as it had formed. Without looking back, I raced to my room, slamming the door shut.
What were we about to do? I pressed my palms againstmy flushed cheeks. We very nearly crossed a line that could ruin everything. I paced my room, working to slow my ragged breathing. This staying under the same roof had brought out intense feelings in both of us. But I had to stay vigilant and remember what was at stake, despite the magnetic pull between us or how tempting it was to lose myself in Krish’s arms.
CHAPTER 8 (Shoot Out)
KRISH
As Trisha ran away, the loss of her presence hit me like a physical blow. My hands dropped uselessly to my sides, still burning from the feel of her soft skin beneath them. For a dizzying moment, we had teetered on the edge, so close I could almost taste her lips. It took every ounce of restraint not to pull her back and press my mouth to hers. But then she was gone, the charged air between us turning cold in her absence. The slammed door echoed with sharp finality, leaving me alone with my ragged breathing and pounding heart.
Part of me, the part that had been longing for this moment for far too long, wanted to chase after her, to pull her into my arms and seal what we both knew was brewing between us with a kiss. It felt like the natural progression of things, the culmination of the undeniable chemistry that crackled between us whenever we were together.
But another part of me, the rational part, knew that Trisha wasn’t ready for that. She was still grappling with the fallout of Daniel’s betrayal, still burdened by guilt and self-blame. Pushing her into something she wasn’t ready for would only complicate matters further, and I couldn’t bear the thought of adding to her already heavy load.
I raked my hands through my hair in frustration as I stood there alone in the living area. The memory of her soft lips, tantalisingly close, lingered in the air. I couldn’tshake the feeling that I had missed an opportunity, that I had let fear and uncertainty dictate my actions instead of following my heart.
But maybe it was for the best. Maybe this was a sign that we needed to take things slow, to let whatever was between us simmer and grow organically. And maybe, just maybe, when the time was right, Trisha would be ready to take that leap with me. Until then, I would wait patiently, knowing that our connection was too strong to ignore and too powerful to be denied.
***************
The next two days buzzed with activity inside the safe house, even though it was just Trisha and me. We were constantly plotting and planning our mission to capture Daniel. The stakes were high, and time was of the essence. We knew we had to act before Daniel could get suspicious that we were coming for him.
The third day passed in a blur of video calls and strategy sessions. Our team, though remotely connected, was as involved as if they were right there in the safe house. The walls echoed with our voices, discussing, debating, and deciding the best course of action. We could track Daniel’s location, just like we could track every movement of every agent in GLEN. His location still showed he was in Kuala Lumpur, which is why the team there was planning their mission to catch him. Daniel was a traitor, and we had to bring him to justice. Trisha and I poured over maps and surveillance footage, analysing every possible angle and every potential risk, determined to outsmart our adversary at every turn.
But amidst the chaos of this mission, there was another,more personal battle raging within me—the memory of our near-kiss haunting my every thought. I couldn’t shake the image of Trisha’s lips, so close yet so out of reach, the taste of what could have been lingering on the edges of my consciousness.
On the fourth day, I found myself watching Trisha as she sat cross-legged on a yoga mat, her eyes closed in meditation. She exuded an aura of calm and serenity, a stark contrast to the chaos that surrounded us. Lost in the moment, I failed to notice the pillar in my path until it was too late. With a loud thud, I collided with it, my balance lost as I stumbled backwards, landing unceremoniously on the floor.
Trisha’s eyes flew open, concern etched on her features as she rushed to my side.
“Krish? Are you okay?” she asked, her voice laced with worry as she inspected the forming bruise on my forehead.
“I’m fine,” I said, wincing as she gently touched the tender spot. “Just attacked by a rogue pillar.”
Trisha chuckled, the sound felt like music to my ears. “You should have watched where you’re going instead of blaming the pillar.”
“Hey, I was walking in a perfectly straight line!” I protested. “It’s not my fault the architect put that pillar right where people walk. Who does that? Hazardous design if you ask me.”
Trisha rolled her eyes playfully. “Admit it, you just weren’t paying attention. Your focus was elsewhere.”
Now, I am stunned.
“Can you see with your eyes closed?” I asked, hoping she hadn’t seen me openly admiring her doing meditation, the only reason why I couldn’t see the pillar in my way.
“Nope,” she replied, a smile playing on her lips. “But you are becoming pretty predictable these days, Director. It’s not hard to guess why you couldn’t see the pillar.”
She knew I was ogling her during her meditation.
“Just another day in the life of Krish,” I joked, flashing her a lopsided grin.
She rolled her eyes playfully, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
“You’re lucky you didn’t knock yourself out,” she teased, blowing gently on my forehead bruise, a sign that she cared.
