Chapter 98: Reminiscing Her

The sentence alone had the power to create terrors of chills on her spine.

She moved her lashes to his chest and didn't even realize her chin had gotten wobbly.

"I want to sleep," she said, trying to divert the topic, and was about to walk away when another arm was placed in front of her face, and she was trapped between his arms and the wall.

"You are driving me crazy," he lowered his eyes to her level. "I want to touch you, be inside you all day and all night, and it is driving me crazy." She could notice how his voice had gotten dark and hoarse.

"Don't look away when we talk," his voice was soft with a subtle threat. The underlying warning constricted her throat, making her look up at him.

"Please, leave," her voice had gotten raspy. "People will leave no chance to taint my character."

"I will slash their throats in front of your very eyes,Sheharzaad."

"You do—" she said, turning her head towards him and winced, only to realize a strand of her hair was stuck in his shirt.

His eyes lifted from her face to his button, upon which her fingers were working so she could get the strand of her hair free, and it appeared to be getting tangled more. His hand that was on the wall slid against her waist and pulled her closer to him, and then he asked, "Better?"

She inhaled the same air he exhaled. Moments elapsed as he didn't let them move. His eyes flickered from hers to her lips as he leaned towards her. She was fast to turn her face to the left.

"I want to s-say something," she whispered, knowing her turning away from him had him angsted.

"Say."

She stepped back, creating distance, but her hair was still stuck.

"As w-we are marrying," the words felt like a weight being placed on her shoulders, "I don't w-want you to t-touch me as our r-religion does not allow this." With her breath in her throat, she continued speaking, anticipating his reaction. "And I don't w-want this either."

Lifting her eyes up, she stared at him, head to head. "Until we—we are married. If y-you consider me as your fiancée, then at least...I...listen...I...listen to me," she stuttered.

"Is there a scissors around?" he asked, making confusion dance in her eyes.

"What are you going to do with the scissors?" she asked abruptly yet cautiously. She began to think of a new way his mind must have sorted to torture her, as her words might have offended him.

She saw him biting his lips, looking at her intensely. After a few moments, he spoke. "Maybe to cut your—"

Her hands were fast as she placed them on his lips. "What are you saying?" Panic struck her eyes. "Why would you cut my tongue?"

He placed a soft kiss on her palm before taking it in his. He then took a pocket knife out of his pocket and proceeded to cut the strand of her hair that was stuck in his button.

He held it between his fingers. She had tangled the hair more in nervousness, and it seemed

pretty bad to unstruck it, so he opted for cutting it and then keeping it.

His eyes landed on the pin in her locks as he unpinned her hair, letting a strand fall free before taking the hairpin and fastening the cut-away strand of hair with it before keeping it in his pocket.

She observed him doing so when he unlatched his eyes from his pocket and landed them on her.

"I like your hair," she heard him mutter. His voice deep and throaty.

"And I," he tucked that strand behind her ear which had fallen out because of unpinning it, "needed scissors for this. Why would I cut your tongue, little lady?" he questioned, looking away from her hair towards her face.

In that dark corridor, while he had pinned her to a wall, he seemed nothing like the same person who had made her pay a visit to that abhorrent basement and made her gaze at the sight, which was still instilled in her mind.

He seemed calm. Looked calm. His eyes, though callous, weren't deadly. They were just quiet.

"And about your previous statement, little lady," her heart started to throb in her chest; it seemed like she was waiting for her result, "fine. I won't touch you until our wedding night. I let you free until our wedding, so use the freedom wisely."

"Free?" she asked.

"You can come to the office if you want," he just said.

(Quick question, why did he specifically say, 'You can come to the office if you want' when there were many things he could have said? Any guesses?)

"And?" she batted her lashes. She needed him to say more. She wanted him to say that she can do whatever she wanted without the fear of him. Like a lover waiting for his beloved's confessions, she waited for him to utter her desired words.

"I won't interfere. You won't need my permission. You can do what you want. But," his voice dropped octaves down, "if you're seen near as much as an inch near any man, I'll kill him with my very hands, and what I'd do to you is another story. Also, don't dare remove your ring from your finger."

"No. I won't do that," she almost whimpered.

"Now you can go back to sleep," he stepped away from her, and she passed him a suspicious glance.

"Won't y-you leave?"

"I keep my word. I won't touch you," he addressed the suspicion in her eyes, "now go to your room," he said, and she began to head towards the room while he followed behind. With his hands tucked behind his back, he observed the surroundings. She thanked God that the house had been empty for the previous two weeks. At least it could serve as an explanation for the boxes filled with stuff that were lying here and there.

"It's just, Amna...we are renovating this lounge," she explained to him.

He didn't say anything, and when they reached her bedroom, she again looked at him.

"Are you not going?"

"No," he settled at the nearby couch.

She blinked her lashes in confusion.

"Sleep," he said again, and she was pressed to follow his command. She didn't want him to show her his other side.

Minutes later, she didn't realize when she had slept as he sat there and kept on looking at her.

If she hadn't asked him not to touch her, he might have actually taken her against the wall. It was better for him as it may keep him away from her.

Because if he again came closer to her, then he might have broken her beyond repair.

It was better to wait for things to turn official so her naive mind could also accept the things he intended to do with her.