Her hands clutched her dress as she looked down. I placed my both hands each side of her head on the wall and caged her. She was terrified to be in that position. "Move back. What are you doing" Turning her face to a side she pushed me with both han...
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When Shafiyya stirred awake, the first thing she noticed was the warmth.
Not the sun peeking through the curtains, but the lingering heat of someone who had been lying close. Her fingers curled instinctively around the blanket, drawing it tighter around herself.
But the bed was empty.
She blinked slowly, disoriented. The space beside her—his side—was crumpled, still holding the faint imprint of his body. The soft sound of water running from the en-suite bathroom reached her ears, steady and rhythmic.
He's in there.
And then she noticed something else.
The pillow wall.
Gone.
Her eyes widened slightly. She sat up, heart skipping. Her side of the bed... had shifted. She was lying on his side now, tangled in the covers like she belonged there.
She didn't need anyone to tell her what had happened.
He was here.
He had held her.
And she had let him.
Not because she wanted to.
But because in her sleep, her body had betrayed her fear. Had surrendered to comfort. To safety.
Her eyes fell to the spot beside her again, heart thudding with unspoken thoughts. Confusion. Embarrassment. Maybe even something else she didn't want to name.
She slipped out of bed quietly, avoiding the mirror, avoiding the door. She needed space before he walked out of that bathroom. She needed to breathe.
Just as Shafiyya was about to slide off the bed, the bathroom door swung open.
She froze.
Arsh stepped out, a towel wrapped loosely around his waist, steam curling out behind him. His skin glistened, still damp from the shower, drops of water trailing down his chest and disappearing into the curve of his abs.
Shafiyya's eyes widened, locking onto his broad shoulders, then slowly drifting down to the well-defined lines of his chest... and then lower—
Oh no.
She blinked, realizing where her gaze had landed.
Her heart leapt to her throat.
"Ana astaghfirullah!" she whispered sharply, slapping her palm over her eyes. Her face turned crimson as she scrambled off the bed, nearly tripping over the edge in her haste.
Arsh blinked, confused for a second—until a smirk tugged at his lips.
"Didn't mean to scare you," he said casually, folding his arms across his chest, clearly enjoying this.
