Reiha slammed the door of the study.
“What was that back there? You almost killed him, Arthav.” She swirled her finger at him.
“This could lead to war.”
“I don’t care. ” Athav grumbled.
He turned to her, his hand hovering near her face, then curled to a fist.
“How dare he?” he exhaled deeply.
“I am going to kill him.”
“No, you are not gonna do anything stupid. And why do you care, Arthav?”
Arthav took a step closer to her; she stepped back nervously and hit the bookshelf behind her.
A few books fell down on the linen carpet.
He pressed his body on her until there was no space left between them, not even an inch to pass air.
His lips lightly brushed on Reiha’s cheek as he leaned down near her ear.
“Why do I care, huh…?” he murmured in a low voice.
“Let me show you why I care, love.” Arthav softly brushed his lips on her cheeks.
Reiha froze; a shaky breath escaped from her lips, and her heartbeat quickened.
“What are you doing, Arthav…?”
Arthav caught her wrist before she could move.
His dark eyes stayed fixed on her face, intense and unreadable.
Arthav pinned both of Reiha’s wrists above her head with one hand.
Reiha’s breath faltered.
“I can’t act anymore, Reiha. I am tired now.”
Reiha looked at him with confusion.
“What act? What act, Arthav?”
Arthav cupped her cheeks, and he leaned closer.
The study is silent except for the sound of their breathing on each other’s faces.
He leaned closer and kissed her lips; he ate her lips like he had been hungry for ages.
Reiha wanted to push him away, but she couldn’t.
Her mind said to kick him again, but her body resisted.
Reiha hesitated at first.
The love she once carried in her heart slowly overpowered the hatred she had built lately.
Arthav’s hand traced her breast; he pulled the dress down from her arm.
He looked at her for a moment.
“Let me love you tonight. Love.”
She nodded once.
Arthav lowered his head to her neck, sucking the skin on her neck softly until a pink bruise bloomed.
His lips traveled from her collarbone to her breast,” Reiha sighed slowly.
She breathed against his ear, “Arthav.”
“Hush… love,” Arthav whispered on her skin.
Arthav licked his middle finger while making eye contact with her, and his hand slid inside of her panty from the slit cut of her dress, making it easier to reach between her thighs.
Reiha gasped softly.
Arthav kissed her lips, following her rhythm.
Reiha’s mind went blank at that moment.
But she soon came to her senses; she opened her eyes and pushed Arhav away with all of the strength she had that time.
“Move,” she shouted.
Her breath turned uneven and her heart raced like a horse.
“You won’t get access to me again, not after what you did.” She pointed her finger at him.
“I won’t play your dirty games again.”
Arthav looked at her, his eyes softened, waves of guilt rising in them like a stormy ocean.
He looked deeply ashamed of himself.
Then, slowly, Arthav lowered his eyes to the ground before looking at her again.
“I am not playing any games.”
“Let me love you… just for tonight.” Athav gulped and licked his lower lips.
“Hate me,” he whispered.
“Tommorow if you want.”
Reiha looked at him in disgrace, her stomach clenched, and she felt like she would puke just by looking at his face.
She scoffed, “You are as disgusting as you were yesterday; nothing changed.
Her eyes burned.
“So what now?” she mocked coldly.
“You touch me tonight, then go back to treating me like your enemy tomorrow?”
“Listen to yourself, Arthav.” Her voice cracked with anger.
“Do you even hear the things you say?”
She moved his hands away from her face.
“You’re a pathetic piece of shit.”
Arthav went silent after her words.
For a moment, he just stared at the floor between them.
“I know you hate me. Well, I deserved that after whatever I did to you,” he exhaled deeply.
Then he slowly reached for the fallen strap of her dress and pulled it back onto her shoulder carefully, as though afraid of touching her too much.
Reiha froze.
His fingers trembled slightly before he pulled his hand away again.
“I know,” he murmured quietly.
There was no anger in his voice.
No arrogance.
Not even defense.
Only exhaustion.
Arthav bent down and picked up the books that had fallen on the carpet when she stumbled against the bookshelf.
One by one, he placed them back properly onto the shelf in silence.
Reiha frowned faintly, confused by the sudden calmness in him.
“You should leave,” she said coldly.
Arthav nodded once as though he deserved that.
But before walking away, he removed his blazer and placed it over her shoulders without asking.
“You’ll feel cold when you leave the study,” he said calmly.
His eyes drifted briefly toward the reddish mark blooming on her neck.
His jaw tightened.
When he spoke again, his voice had lowered.
“Put ice on that bruise later,” he muttered quietly.
“Your skin marks easily.”
Reiha stared at him speechlessly.
Arthav avoided looking at her eyes after saying that, and without waiting for her response, Arthav turned and walked toward the door.
Reiha watched him walk out of the study, her fingers clenched on the blazer draped over her shoulder, and she inhaled deeply.
It smelled like dark forests after rain, faintly burned wood, and whiskey lingering beneath it all.