Page 43 of Love Locked
Kyra was confused and irritated when he called her by her name again, but she didn’t find it shocking because she gradually understood Kabir’s exact nature. He, too, was aware of their mutual connection and the evolution of their friendship. She realised he stopped calling her princess when he wanted to put distance between them. He thought the wall he was building around his heart was impenetrable, but she had breached it last night when they had a heart-to-heart conversation about their lives.
FIFTEEN
Kyra woke up with a start. She blinked and wiped her cheek.
Was she drooling?
She noticed that the fire at the base had died down, leaving only flickering embers. When she yawned and turned over, the fort of pillows dug into her back. Peering to her left, she shook her head. So, Kabir didn’t come up to sleep on the bed last night. He might have slept on the couch as he did on their first night here. He spoke in monologues and was distant. He was clearly heading back to his haughty, stuck-up self.
A grey glow of cloudy morning filled the room. There was no fresh snow outside, and the sky appeared somewhat clear. She looked at her phone and saw it was 8.30 a.m. And to her surprise, she discovered that the network had been restored. There were unread messages and missed calls from her parents and her sisters. The storm seemed to have passed. She had to contact everyone. But first, she needed to go to the bathroom.
Once she got downstairs and was done with her business, she thought she could get some work done as the network was back. She climbed upstairs to retrieve her laptop from the room, pondering how Kabir had changed after the snow fight. Bringing up their morning incident, where they woke up in an intimate position, was a mistake.
She needed coffee. She went down again, thinking about what she could eat for breakfast. Just as she entered the kitchen, she was startled by the sight of Kabir standing near the stove, shirtless, flipping the pancakes.
A shirtless Kabir was attractive. But a shirtless Kabir, cooking with his tattoos on display, was smoking hot. His hair was mussed, and his track pant hung low, revealing some small symbols tattooed on his lower abdomen. She gripped the entryway.Was she having heart palpitations?Her hungry gaze traced his naked back, and when he turned around, Kyra gasped. She was grateful that her tongue didn’t lol out of her mouth when he turned to face her.
Kabir had a face that was all hard edges. She closed her eyes as she saw his glasses perched on his roman nose. God. His glasses always stole the show. And his naked torso… well, that was another thing that she hadn’t gotten a glimpse of, even when she was practically plastered to his front last morning. His tattoos were on full display, enhancing his attractiveness.
Kyra shifted her weight, realising one thing. She was a step away from mauling Kabir Oberoi, who was a sexy beast. He was much more masculine, sculpted, and tempting as sin in real than her half-baked fantasies. Her mouth dried as she tried to memorise each and every detail of his magnificent body while he scowled at her. She gave herself a mental kick recalling his icy behaviour just after the snowman-building session.
“Good morning.” She smiled at him, trying hard not to gawk at his abs.
“Morning.” He turned around, dismissing her.
If he was going to be this grouchy the entire time, he had another thing coming since Kyra was nothing but relentless. She wanted their conversation to flow effortlessly like it did yesterday. “How did you sleep?” She bit her lip.
“Fine.” His jaw was set in a hard line as he flipped another pancake.
“Pancakes, huh?” She made an effort to keep the topic neutral.
“You can see that, right?” Kabir snapped.
Her smile dimmed. “What is wrong with you, Kabir?”
“Nothing’s wrong, Kyra. That’s just the way I am.” He growled.
“Everything’s wrong. You’re calling me Kyra.” She snatched the spatula from his hand, so he would look at her for once.
“That’s your name. What’s wrong with that?” He turned to face her, hands folded across his chest, looking as calm as a millpond.
“Everything.” She exasperated. “This rude, gruff side you’re putting up is not real.”
“Who told you this crazy shit? This is the real me.” He scoffed, pointing his thumb at his chest.
“Your body told me this crazy shit. You want me, Kabir. Don’t lie to yourself.” She wanted to bang the spatula on his head.
He shut his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose, as he shook his head. He walked forward, and Kyra stepped back of her own accord. “You need to remember what I’m saying. What happened between us over the past two days was nothing. You’re a sweet girl, but maybe you should have some dating experience with a guy your own age.”
“Fuck you, Kabir.” She rested her hands on his chest to push him hard. Her eyes shone with tears. “I’ve had a crush on you for what seems like forever, and that’s all I can think about. I thought we had a chance at something real.”
“You thought wrong.” Kabir gripped the counter hard.
“You’re slipping away. You’re pushing me away. I can feel it, and it’s driving me crazy.”
A short silence ensued.
“Please, Kabir.” Her voice trembled.
