Page 24 of No Other Love

It was even more fun to watch Vikrant be cutely domestic. He’d never shirked his duties when we were living together, and he had acquitted himself well today too. And, best of all, his mother said not a word when Vikrant helped in setting the table and clearing the dishes.

There was just that one disturbing moment when he’d helped me get off the ladder where I was sure, sosure,he would kiss the fuck out of me. Where he’d tell mefuck the divorce, I love you forever.

Then, his mom ruined the moment, and I came to my senses.

This was all a charade, an act, to keep his father stable. Nothing more.

All of the yearning and longing for love and happily ever after was on my part.

Vikrant wanted me, no two ways about it.

But… I wanted everything. I had it before and I was damned if I was going to settle for just lust…even if my hormones were sitting up and begging for him as they had been all day.

***

‘Ani,’ Vikrant appeared at the top of the stairs. He held my duffel bag in one hand and the stuff I had strewn on the bed was visible through the half-open zipper.

‘Yeah?’

He blushed. My ex-husband’s ears went red, and he had a flush under the healthy gold of his skin. Desire licked at my core and mocked my gritty resolve of moments before.

I physically resisted the urge to curl my hands into fists.

‘Ramesh Kaka and Smita Kaki are sleeping in here.’ He indicated the room I had occupied for her nap with a jerk of his head. ‘My parents are next to them.’

The words sank into my desire-hazed brain. ‘Oh.’ Then I processed them and, ‘Oh.’There were only two bedrooms on the upper floor. And two on the lower floor, next to the massive living room and kitchen. They were earmarked for the cousins, and I could not sleep in them anyway if we had to pretend to be happily married.

Conclusion: I had to share Vikrant’s suite with him on the top floor. And his bed…

He nodded. ‘I’m sorry. You don’t mind, do you?’

I winked. To cover up my turmoil. ‘If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were trying to get me into bed but you’re not, are you?’

God, I wished I didn’t sound as hopeful as I felt.

‘Haha. Very funny, Anika.’ He sounded sad, which made no sense.

I shook my head. ‘I’m an on-call doctor, remember? We can sleep pretty much everywhere.’

He looked visibly relieved, and we walked up the stairs to the third-floor bedroom.

***

I gasped in surprise as I took in the huge room, which covered half the floor in one large, flowing space.

It was gorgeous, done entirely in white with that same cerulean blue accent wall. The windows were covered with mosquito nets, the rain a pattering against the roof, with a balcony jutting out of the sliding doors. The furniture was simple wood, and it was so…pleasant…but also so lifeless.

There were no pictures here, no books even. The king-size bed was pristinely made, with a navy blue spread and matching pillows. Surely the price tag wasn’t hanging off the corner of the sheet? What? Did he never use the bed at all?

Then I spied a roomy couch. It sagged on one end and had a white pillow and bed sheet piled neatly on one side. A pile of books was stacked against the couch with Vikrant’s reading glasses and laptop flickering in the dark.

So, this was where he slept…

My heart twisted fiercely at the idea of him sharing this huge bed with anyone. But it hurt worse seeing the lonely pillow and sheet.

‘You can take the bed. I’m comfortable on the sofa.’ He stowed my stuff in the massive wooden cupboard which looked woefully under-utilized.

‘It’s a big bed, Vikrant. You don’t have to suffer on the sofa.’