Astha woke up slowly, feeling the warmth of Arin’s body curled around hers. The early morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the room. She was nestled against his chest, his arms locked securely around her, as if even in sleep, he didn’t want to let go.
She blinked, her mind catching up to the events of the night before. The tenderness, the intensity, the way he had made her feel completely and utterly his.
A slow, satisfied sigh escaped her lips, and almost immediately, she felt him stir.
“Mmm,” Arin murmured, tightening his hold on her. “Good morning, wife.”
She rolled her eyes but didn’t move away. “You really need to stop calling me that.”
He nuzzled into her hair, his voice still thick with sleep. “Not happening.”
Astha huffed, but her lips curved into a smile. She turned slightly in his arms, meeting his drowsy, content gaze.
“I should go,” she said softly.
Arin lifted an eyebrow. “Or, you could stay.”
She chuckled. “I have work. We have work.”
He sighed dramatically, his fingers tracing lazy circles on her back. “I don’t see the urgency. You’ve already conquered the office with your brilliance.”
Astha smiled. “I still have a job to do, Mr. Editor-in-Chief.”
Arin exhaled, pulling her closer for a lingering kiss before finally loosening his grip. “Fine. But let it be known that I’m deeply against this unnecessary separation.”
She shook her head, pushing the blanket off her and reaching for her clothes. “You’re impossible.”
“And yet, you keep ending up in my bed,” he teased.
Astha shot him a warning look, but her cheeks betrayed her, warming under his gaze.
Office Tension and Stolen Moments
By the time they reached the office, they had both switched into their professional personas, but the awareness of last night lingered between them.
Astha had barely sat at her desk when her phone buzzed with a message.
Arin: Did you always look this beautiful in the morning, or is it my effect on you?
She bit her lip, shaking her head before typing back.
Astha: Are you planning to work today, or just annoy me?
Seconds later, another text arrived.
Arin: Who says I can’t multitask?
Astha rolled her eyes and was about to respond when a voice interrupted.
“Someone’s in a good mood,” Priya from HR teased, leaning against Astha’s desk.
Astha stiffened slightly. “What do you mean?”
Priya smiled. “You’re smiling at your phone like a love-struck teenager.”
Astha quickly schooled her expression. “Just reading something amusing.”
Priya gave her a knowing look but didn’t push. “Well, whatever it is, it’s working for you. You seem… lighter these days.”
Astha glanced toward Arin’s office, where he was now reviewing a document with a serious expression, but the moment their eyes met through the glass walls, he smiled.
She quickly turned away, focusing on her laptop. “I have work to do, Priya.”
Priya chuckled. “Alright, alright. Just don’t let whatever it is distract you too much.”
Astha exhaled as Priya walked away, her heart still pounding. Keeping this a secret was going to be harder than she thought.
A Dinner Invitation
That evening, as they drove home, Arin glanced at her. “You know, you owe me dinner.”
Astha frowned. “For what?”
“For making me work so hard to keep my hands off you all day.”
She shot him an amused glance. “Oh, poor you. The suffering must have been unbearable.”
Arin smiled. “It really was. And to compensate, I expect a proper dinner. Tonight. Your place.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Shanaya will be home.”
“Good. I haven’t beaten her at Scrabble in a while.”
Astha laughed. “You never beat her.”
“That’s beside the point.”
She sighed, shaking her head. “Fine. But you’re helping with the cooking.”
Arin grinned. “Done.”
And just like that, another evening in their tangled, chaotic, and undeniably beautiful world began.
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