Page 62 of Always With You

Do I want him? Yes. Is it too soon? Yes. Is it risky? Probably. But I don’t care, because all I want is to be in his arms and for us to start this new journey. I love the way our lives have become so intertwined, so in sync with each other. I never thought I would find the perfect person to spend forever with, but he came into my life like a whirlwind. That’s the last thought I have, which has a calming effect on me as I drift off to sleep cocooned in his arms.

Chapter 27

Ranveer

I wake up early in the morning, the sun shining through my window. Blinking my eyes open, I find myself cuddling Alisha. My arms are wrapped around her possessively and her back is against my chest. I smile. A man can get used to this.Nothing compares to the feeling of waking up with her. Alisha begins to stir in my arms. After a few minutes, she turns over in my arms, coming face to face with me. Her eyes flutter as she opens them. I bid my time, dreading to see nervousness, or worse, regret appearing on her face. But I notice none. Instead, what I get is an adorable blush. A strand of hair has escaped her braid. I smoothen her hair from her face and rest my hand against her soft cheek, admiring her gorgeous face.

“Morning, Wifey,” I greet her in my husky voice.

In a matter of a couple of hours, my world has turned into a freakish benison. This moment of having her in my arms feels too dreamlike to be real. I have been pinning my hopes on her to give consent to our relationship, which she finally promised me last night and wish like hell that the daylight doesn’t change her decision. This is what I want forever — to start my day with her beautiful smile and end it while holding her in my arms at night. She did agree to give our relationship a try, and I do trust her on that. Still, I need to make sure this is what she genuinely wants before we move along.

“Morning,” she says in her soft sleepy voice. “When did you wake up?”

“A few minutes back,” I reply, my eyes lingering on her face. “And I must admit, it’s the best feeling to wake up to the face of the woman I am so madly in love with.”

A slight blush creeps up her face. “I had the best sleep last night,” she says shyly, lowering her gaze.

My fingers lift her chin, gently urging her to look at my face. “Me too.I haven’t felt this comfortable in years.” I don’t hesitate or hold back to be emotionally transparent. She turns mute and silently gazes into my eyes. I can feel the wheels turn in her head, which gets me to voice what has been going on in my mind for a while now. I miss a beat at the thought of putting my thoughts in words, but I go ahead and question her for my peace of mind. “Alisha, do you regret the decision that you made last night?”

“No,” comes her prompt reply without any hesitation in her voice, which makes me release the breath I didn’t know I was holding.

“Then what’s troubling you?” I ask.

Alisha holds my stare and takes a deep breath. “I meant it when I said I want to give our relationship a chance.” Her eyes fill with love as she speaks to me. “You are perfect for me. My heart melts every time I see you. It’s just that…” She swallows hard. “Please don’t ever hurt me or break my trust. I don’t know if I am strong enough to handle it.”

“I’m never going to hurt you.” In one swift move, I have her on her back with me on top of her. Her breath hitches at my sudden movement. I rest my weight on my elbows, not wanting to crush her. Our closeness stirs the desire in me, which mirrors in her eyes as well.

“Ranveer…” she whispers.

“Shh…” I place my fingers on her lips, silencing her. “I won’t take this any further till you are ready for it. I simply want your attention. Do I have that?” I raise my eyebrows.

I can see her face flush with colour as she nods her head.

“I would do anything for you, you are my everything.” I kiss the tip of her nose. “I love you like crazy. This feeling I have for you will only intensify with time. You make me happier than I ever thought I could be, and the best part is that it’s only getting better every day. There isn’t a single thing I would change about being married to you because you make me a better man. Don’t ever doubt how much you mean to me, and how much I need you.” I pull her hand and hold it against my chest, right over my heart. Alisha closes her eyes. When she opens them, I see the love for me brimming in them. “I never knew I could feel so strongly for someone until I met you.”

She nods her head in understanding. “You make me feel like I am the only woman you see in this entire world.”

I rub my nose with hers. “That’s true. You are so beautiful that everything around fades away.”

She chuckles, her voice a bit throaty with the leftover sleep, and I relish the sound. “You do have a way with your words.”

“What! I am just being honest. Don’t you believe me?” I ask with a fake horrified look on my face.

She hits my chest playfully. “I do trust you.” She pecks me on my cheek, pleasantly surprising me. “Now move, I need to make breakfast,” she says as she lightly pushes me but I don’t budge.

“I have one more thing to discuss before we leave the room.”

“What?”

“Once we get back home, I want you to move into my room.” Her eyes fill with uncertainty, and she opens her mouth to say something but I cut her off. “Alisha, please, now that you said you will give us a chance, I want you close to me. I promise I will not make you uncomfortable. I will not make love to you without your consent. But please don’t say no. I want to spend every waking moment with you,” I plead, desperation evident in my eyes. Now that I know what it is like to fall asleep with her in my arms, I doubt if I will ever be able to sleep peacefully without her. I want her to be comfortable with me in every sense. I will move heaven and earth to make sure that I do everything such that each step she takes will lead her nowhere but to me.

“Okay,” she murmurs.

“Thank you.” I smile, kissing her forehead.

She shakes her head and lets out a humourless laugh. “This is not what I expected.”

My eyebrows furrow. “What?”

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