Wicked fate, p.2
Wicked fate, page 2
“Looks like you and I are going to be roommates, princess.”
CHAPTER 2
ARAV
“Oh hell no.”
The feeling’s fucking mutual, but I manage to keep my mouth shut, since she looks close to passing out. I only prefer women passing out in front of me from pleasure. Definitely not from this. The thought of pleasuring puts a vivid image of her in my head, on her knees while she patiently waits for my next command. Fuck, it’s going to be a torture living with her, if I imagine all the ways I want to get her naked. She needs to go before it gets any more complicated. My plans do not involve a woman, no matter how gorgeous she is with a lithe figure and curves for days.
Just when I thought this day couldn’t get any worse, it did. It started with the call from my investigator, then my mother, and, finally, when I found this woman on my doorstep. This place isn’t big enough to stay our separate ways without running into one another. Moreover, I don’t like anybody disrupting my privacy. And she is the epitome of distraction.
“Then feel free to leave,” I bait her, frustration evident in my voice.
I walk by her to the corner of the couch and grab by shirt and put it on. I had just taken a shower when I heard the noise coming from outside, and it pissed me off so much that somebody was bold enough to come steal in the middle of the day that I only put on my jeans before shoving open the door. I was so startled by a strange woman kneeling at my porch that I didn’t even protect her before she tripped and fell at my sudden appearance.
Nothing seems to penetrate my cold heart these days, but I swear when I saw her, there was a little flutter in my chest. My attention then went to her full breasts where the pink knitted sweater was stretched tight due to her position, and leggings that looked painted on.
Then I opened my mouth.
And now she thinks of me as an asshole.
“I know you’re not familiar with chivalry, but a gentleman would offer to leave instead,” she says mockingly while managing to look adorable.
“Since when did I give you the impression I’m a gentleman, baby? Besides, it’s the 21st century, so an independent woman like you should have no trouble finding a new place. You’re not the only one who got fucked over by the owner,” I remind her.
“Do you honestly expect us to share the cabin?” When I stay silent, she looks shell-shocked. “You’re kidding, right?” Her voice gets a little hopeful. The last thing I want to do is share any space with a woman, but currently we have no other option.
“No I’m not, princess,” I tell her.
“I’m going to talk to the manager.” She starts digging in her purse, probably for her phone. Before she can, I take her small hand in mine and stop her. Unable to resist, I caress the inside of her wrist with my thumb, and she sucks in a small breath as if the touch of our skin electrifies us. When she looks up at me, I realize I’m standing too close to her, so I let go and step back.
“I already did. Turns out, they fired an old employee recently, and as a last fuck-you, he double booked the cabin. Before you ask, no, they don’t have any other cabins available, and at this time of year, it’s going to be hard to find a new inn—more so if you don’t plan on sharing. Since neither of us plans on giving up this cabin, it’s best if we share. It’s small for the both of us. But if you stay out of my way, then I’ll stay out of yours.” Understanding dawns on her and she finally nods her head, knowing this is the best option.
“Fine, but if we’re going to be living together, then we need to set some boundaries or some rules,” she demands with hands on her hips, making me notice how easily I could encircle her tiny waist and grab her heart-shaped ass. But first, she needs to learn I’m not a man she can boss around. I’m the one who makes the rules—and breaks them, if necessary.
“What’s your name?” I demand.
“What?” She looks confused.
“It’s a simple a question. Or do you expect me to call you ‘princess’ every time?” I smirk, at which she rolls her eyes.
“I’m Maira. And you?”
“Arav.” I watch her mouth move as she silently repeats my name while I get the insane urge to hear her say it out loud, just so I know how it sounds coming from her lips.
“So, about the rules,” she starts again, but I cross the rest of the distance and put my finger on her lips, effectively shutting her up. Pressing lower, I gently nudge her chin until her face is tilted towards me. It gives me primal satisfaction that I have the same effect on her and that we’re both feeling the attraction towards each other.
“Let me tell you one thing, Maira. I don’t follow rules. The sooner you learn that, the better.” I wink.
“Clearly you don’t have boundaries, either.” Her gaze drops to my chest, where the top buttons are undone, and she doesn’t even realize that she’s biting her full bottom lip. Standing this close to her, I can make out every little feature on her beautiful face. Her skin is silky and soft to the touch with lips begging to be sucked. She has a small, pert nose and big brown eyes that almost appear black. Her cheeks are flushed pink, and I wish I knew if it was from cold outside or my effect on her.
“Then why aren’t you pushing me away?” I can’t help but tease. She tenses, her eyes darkening with fire, yet she makes no move. It somehow amuses me and turns me on, but then I remember why I’m here and the smile vanishes from my face. Fuck. This girl is trouble. Letting her go, I turn around and walk down the hall while shouting behind me, “The room upstairs on the right is yours.”
As soon as I’m in my bedroom, I go to the balcony and light a cigarette while looking at the view in front of me. As usual, my thoughts turn to my son and how he would have turned two this year. There was a time when I didn’t have a cold, black heart beating inside me.
I came here to fulfill the promise I made to him on his deathbed.
Instead, I’ve somehow ended up living with a woman who’s managed to make me feel something other than sadness and anger in just few hours. It only makes me even more determined to keep her at bay.
CHAPTER 3
MAIRA
Pushing my last suitcase up the stairs, I huff a small breath while cursing at Arav for not even offering to help, and his hot and cold behavior towards me. Just before he let me go, I saw how his expression locked tight and all humor left his hard face. It only confirms my suspicion that he’s fighting demons of his own. Then I curse at myself for letting him get to me and wanting to know his secrets. I guess misery does love company. Walking down the hall, I notice his room is shut and is at the very end. Pushing open the door to my own room, I roll my bags inside and push them against the wall beside door. And when I look up, my jaw drops.
There are no words to describe the view right in front of my eyes. The huge bed is on my right, and facing it, instead of a wall, there’s floor-to-ceiling glass with a clear view of snowy hills and tall trees, a vision I’ll wake up to every morning. The restlessness and the frustration I was feeling earlier all goes away, and a sense of calm takes root. I only wish the other walls were the same, but still, I can’t complain. On the other side of the bed is a nightstand with a mirror right above it. There’s a medium sized closet on my left, which is more than enough for my stuff. At the foot of the bed, there’s a big chair for me to snuggle in with my book. This room feels like it came straight out of the aesthetics I keep looking at on Pinterest.
I spend the next few hours unpacking my clothes and neatly hanging them in my closet. I even brought most of my books with me as I love to read and put them on the nightstand. It’s been a long day, and I feel hungry. I was told there are groceries stocked enough to last for a month, and also takeout menus from the nearby restaurants if I don’t feel like cooking. Closing the door behind me, I walk out and I see a door at the end of the hall right next to Arav’s room, so I check and find it’s a bathroom. Then, I remember it said on the website that there’s only one bathroom… which means I’m going to have to share this, too. When I pass by his room, the door is still closed, and there’s no sound coming to suggest he’s inside. I think of peeking, but my stomach growls and decides for me. I realize I’m being silly. Of course, I can’t avoid him every time.
In the kitchen, I move around the counter and open the fridge, finding half-eaten boxes of takeout food, and they look days old. I’ll have to ask him to throw them out. There are some fruits and vegetables, but nothing I can cook fast. Shutting it, I pick up my phone, open Swiggy and order chicken schezwan noodles. Looking in the cabinets above the counter, I easily find the plates and forks in the drawer and set up on the table in the drawing room while I wait for the food to arrive. Just then, I hear Arav’s footsteps come down the stairs, and my stomach dips with nerves.
I avoid his gaze by staring at my phone and watch him walk around the kitchen and pull out one of his half-eaten containers from the fridge. With his back facing me, I shamelessly check him out, because there’s no denying he’s too handsome for his own good with a physique most men would be jealous of. His shape is somewhere between lean and bulky with cut muscles, a trim waist and strong legs. He also looks close to my age, maybe a two or three years older.
“You know I can feel you staring at me,” he calls out, and I flush red from head to toe. Does he have eyes on the back of his head?
“You’re so full of yourself,” I huff.
He chuckles lightly and turns around, leaning his hips against the counter. “Then why are you beet red?” He raises his left eyebrow with amusement bright in his eyes.
“It’s from cold,” I lie and dare him to challenge me.
“Then maybe you should have picked somewhere else for vacationing,” he taunts.
“I have my reasons, and none of them have anything to do with sightseeing,” I blurt out and realize my mistake. I don’t know why, but I don’t want him pitying me. This is why I avoid talking to strangers. It makes me nervous, and I end up telling more than I should, which leads to me overthinking. He goes quiet and serious, staring into me as if he wants to learn all my secrets. Hating being vulnerable and wanting to get back on even ground, I throw back at him, “And something tells me you aren’t either.”
He straightens, and his already dark eyes turn icy, his hands turning into fists at his sides. I know I hit a mark. He deserves it. I expect him to deny it or maybe lash out, but he completely surprises me.
“Then it’s best we stay out of each other’s ways.”
Throwing his unfinished dinner in the dustbin, he walks down the hallway and leaves me alone. I realize I can’t handle this back and forth and the emotions he brings out in me. He needs to go, because I can’t live with a man who brings my vulnerabilities to the surface like an open wound without even realizing. Something deep inside me tells me that we might end up destroying each other in the worst way possible.
****
I wake up early the next day with the morning light streaming in my room through the floor-to-ceiling window. It feels like I’m floating high in the sky, right up there with the clouds and never to come back down.
After finishing dinner last night, I came to my room and plotted how to get rid of Arav. He gives of this broody vibe and everything about him is alpha, which tells me he must hate being pushed and his privacy stolen. I figure if I annoy him enough or make it impossible for him to share the cabin, maybe he will get tired of me—at least enough to run away from here. I just need to find his weakness and use it to my advantage. All of this makes me giddy with anticipation and something to look forward to. A feeling I have been missing lately. I know it’s all very childish, but I don’t really have any other option.
Rising out of the bed, I make my way to the closet and pull out my workout clothes to change into and walk to the bathroom down the hall. It doesn’t take me long to freshen up, and I feel energized to do yoga today with the amazing view in front of me. Yoga has helped me a lot with my anxiety ever since I started doing it last year when it was getting hard for me to get out of bed. I had put on a little weight, which made me feel the fattest girl in the world—especially when everyone around me started pointing it out. It only made me more depressed, but I have come a long way since then.
Pushing those dark thoughts out of my mind, I connect my iPhone to the Bluetooth speaker and play my favorite workout playlist with the volume loud. Then, I lay down my mat and begin with simple stretching exercises. After few minutes, I lie down on my stomach and go into plank and hold my stance for at least two minutes. Next, I do sideways plank, which is not as easy as it looks. I close my eyes and easily get lost in my head and my body relaxes, a feeling of euphoria taking over. Deep breaths in and out, then I move on to the next pose until my muscles start to burn, reminding me how far I have come. In between, I take a break for 10 to 20 seconds, then I stand up to get into downward dog position. As I bend over, I shriek in surprise, seeing Arav standing in my doorway, his lips in a scowl and sparkling green eyes glued to my ass.
Straightening up, I turn around to glare at him for disturbing my morning routine, and before our gazes can clash, his eyes pause on my breasts, which are heaving because of my fast breathing. But the way my nipples have turned into hard points and push against my bra is all because of his presence, and I hate it. Finally, he looks at my face, and I wonder how long he was staring at me like a creep.
“What do you want?” My voice comes out raspy.
I cross my arms and wait for his response. Instead he takes a step towards me, and instinctively I take one back. His walk is more like a prowl, measured and controlled. His messy hair tells me he just woke up, and I drool at the sight of his prominent muscles under his thin shirt and low riding sweatpants. My heartbeat calms down when he walks past me to the Bluetooth speaker and turns it off. It puts me into action.
“Why the hell did you turn it off?” I demand.
“Are you trying to wake up the whole fucking neighborhood?” he growls. “Some of us are trying to sleep.”
“It’s seven in the morning!” I screech. “And there’s no other cabin beside ours.”
“Well, I’m not a morning person. Which means no music this early.” he orders and leisurely saunters out of my room. Like hell he can. I follow him, and just before his door slams shut, I push it back open and walk inside his room just like he barged into mine. His naked back greets me as he’s getting ready to get back into bed, but I don’t let it distract me. Barely.
“You can’t bark orders at me and walk out.”
“I just did, princess.”
He doesn’t even bother to turn around, which pisses me off further. The arrogance of this man. He shifts and sits against the headboard and smirks at me. His room is an exact replica of mine, but the floor-to-ceiling glass leads to a balcony.
“I’m going to play my music as loud as I want, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
I turn around to leave, but his low and deep voice stops me.
“Do it and see what happens,” he threatens in a dark tone, and my body heats up as if he whispered something sweet in my ear.
“Oh yeah,” I taunt. “What the hell are you going to do?”
His eyes spark at the sass in my voice while his lips lose the smirk, and I watch his handsome face turn serious. Ever so slowly, his teeth bite the corner of his lower lip, which is slightly fuller than the top, and I know they’ll feel soft caressing my skin, capable of both pleasure and pain. A shiver goes down my spine when he shamefully lowers his gaze from my face, to my chest, down to my legs, and finally come back to my flushed face.
He threatens darkly, “For your sake princess, you better hope you never find out.”
Giving me another heated look full of wicked promises, he lies back on his bed and closes his eyes, dismissing me while I stand stunned, pissed, and a little turned on. His bossy attitude only strengthens my resolve that he needs to go, and now I know just how to do it. I’ll show him he’s got another thing coming if he expects me to blindly obey.
“Go back to your room, Maira. Unless you plan to glare at me all day long,” he says with his eyes closed, and it takes everything in me not to show him the finger.
I am so going to enjoy making his life hell. Especially his mornings. I’m not scared of his empty threats.
Let the games begin.
CHAPTER 4
ARAV
Fucking hell.
This woman is going to get the spanking of her life if she doesn’t stop ruining my mornings. She’s a brat, plain and simple. Every day is the same: she wakes up at the crack of dawn and plays her loud-ass music while bending in positions meant to give any red-blooded man a hard-on. My mind conjures all the ways I could have her beneath me, fucked and spent. I probably would, if I didn’t want to strangle her half the time. Since the first morning I confronted her, the image of her stretched and bent over has been stuck vividly in my head. I couldn’t take my eyes off her heart-shaped ass, those slim legs, and her perfect breasts, shaking with every move she made and each breath she took. The sexy sight of her made me stand there, staring at her while she had no clue.
I have dated many beautiful women, but no one has had the same effect as her. She’s stunning, but there’s also a fire inside her that calls to me. Every time she gives me sass, it makes me wanna push her harder. I thought I was dead inside yet she excites me, challenges me, and that’s exactly what she’s been doing these past few days. I can tell she’s up to something, because she’s been going out of her way to push me. It’s these little things like playing the goddamn music, hogging the bathroom until all the hot water is gone, filling the whole fridge with her veggies and fruits… and yesterday, she went as far as to leave my balcony doors open so that when I came back from outside, my room was chilled to the bone.
