Arranged by the Stars

by Kamy Chetty

  Ash watched the empty space she’d stood in and wondered if the conversation had happened or if it was a figment of her imagination. She let her head drop back on her pillow and closed her eyes, wanting it all to go away. It did for a while, until she got that familiar scent and her blood fizzed and came to life. She sighed and whispered the name that was in her heart and fell into a deep sleep.

  A few hours later her eyes opened and her gaze went to the recliner chair they had placed in the room when she’d first been admitted. Slowly she shifted so she could lie on her side and watch Kieran sleep with his hands tucked under his head like a little boy. This explained the scent of pine needles so strong in her room.

  It didn’t explain what he was doing here.

  She found she didn’t care until his eyes opened and he realised he was caught out.

  “How long have you been awake?” he asked yawning as he lifted his head and stretched out on the recliner.

  Ash tried to do the same but winced at the effort. “A few minutes.”

  “They must have reduced your pain relief,” he went to the chart at the foot of her bed and flipped through the chart.

  So he’d been checking on her. “How long have you been sleeping in my room?”

  Without answering her question he came over and sat next to her. Even in jeans and a loose t-shirt he still was a larger than life entity in the comfortably sized room. She had no right to have her heart shift rhythms like she was about to free fall from one of those planes she jumped out of when she was doing that charity event for Cancer Kids. She was spoken for.

  So why was she leaning closer so she could close her eyes and relive that kiss on the beach. The kiss that rocked her world and for a moment made her forget she was in pain.

  He tilted her head to one side so he could see the bruise on her face. “You have an impressive purple bruise there.”

  Did he also feel that low current energy flow when he touched her?

  His gaze narrowed and the pressure of his fingers on her chin increased ever so lightly.

  Was he going to kiss her? She searched his gaze and realised there was nothing but the unanswered question there. She bit back the sigh that stuck in her throat. With no memory of how the bruise happened she nodded. “Yes, I heard it’s an impressive bruise.”

  “You’re being discharged today. You will need medical care even after your discharge. Where will you be staying?” he asked.

  It was scary that he hadn’t mentioned anything about Alok or her aunt. Maybe he was saving it for when she was at full strength. She nipped the edge of her lip. “Didi is taking me back home. Flights are booked and I leave this evening.”

  He nodded. “We had spent some time together but I don’t know a lot about you. Where is home?”

  It still hurt to swallow but somehow this would have hurt anyway. “Alok has a one year contract in New Delhi and we’ve pushed the wedding forward so Didi wants me to move there.”

  That vein at his jaw was beating again and this time she wasn’t sure why. Dammit why didn’t she have the courage to tell him about Alok? Was it too late? Maybe if she told him how scared she was when she was growing up and how easy it was to say yes when her aunt gave her the option of a lifetime of security. A home. Surely he would understand something like that?

  He looked around the room like he was searching for the exit sign. Moments passed as his gazed bounced from the door to her, and when she thought she’d lost, he went to stand at the window. His voice sounded gravelly and she could swear he was forcing out the words. “I don’t think you’ll be able to travel so soon after having surgery. You’ll also need medical care. Maybe Alok needs to stay here with you.”

  “Alok has been made partner and it’s important he be at the firm right now. He left two days ago. Didi can’t leave her business for too long. I am strong enough to travel.”

  His gaze met hers and for the first time the brown depths darkened to such a colour it was obsidian. Each step he took towards her stole oxygen from her lungs and she straightened her spine in anticipation of his next move.

  “For two minutes you were not breathing.” He stopped in front of her, and the air sucked out of the room. “For one minute and forty-five seconds you had no heartbeat.”

  The room had suddenly become so compact that nothing else existed except the two of them in a vacuum. She could feel the heat fall off him and her heart was jumping against her chest in a frantic beat. Her lips quivered as she tried to figure him out, and failed dismally. She had lied to him, by omission, which was still a lie. She had tested the limits with him in many ways. Yet he stood in front of her. “That meant I was clinically dead, right?”

  His gaze heated and all she got for an answer was silence.

  She shivered in anticipation of unknown possibility. She knew he cared, but how much? “So no trip to New Delhi. I will have to find other living arrangements. Thanks boss. It was a pleasure working with you.” She paused and watched him flinch. “Maybe our paths will cross sometime.” Her arms crossed over her chest. Why did it hurt so much to cut him loose?

  Now all she needed was for him to leave so she could have her heart break into a million pieces, and she could fall apart without him there to bear witness. She could feel the room spin and either she was still reacting from the medication or they were having an earthquake and the floor was coming up to meet her. Either way, she didn’t need him there to see her break.

  “You’ll stay with me. I’ll pick you up at ten in the morning. Tell your aunt you are staying with someone who can provide you with medical care. No strings attached.” He didn’t turn back or give her a warm goodbye.

  For the second time, she looked at an empty space and wondered if she was dreaming. After reaching for the chart hanging on the edge of her bed, she flipped through it looking for the drug sheet. What drugs were they giving her?

  ******

  The hum of the air conditioning unit sounded very much like the purr of the motor. Kieran waited for the sound of the crash he knew would come. It always came. Only this time the shriek came first and tumbled him out of that world. He shook himself awake and looked around. It wasn’t his scream. Not this time.

  It came from the next room.

  Ash.

  Within seconds he was at her door. It was a bad idea to take responsibility for her care. Worse to be here alone with her.

  “Ash, are you okay?” He couldn’t hear anything.

  He pushed the door open and took a tentative step into the guest room.

  She was still asleep. Restless and twisting around. The sheet was twisted around her arm. What was she afraid of?

  He shook her gently. “Ash?”

  She twisted away from him before slowly opening her eyes. When she realised he was in her room, she pulled the sheet to her chin and sat up looking around the room.

  “You were screaming,” he said.

  Her pupils were still wide and her breathing was fast. He should have warned her to expect nightmares. She’d been buried alive. He’d done nothing to give her psychological support. He was such an idiot.

  “I’m sorry to wake you.” Her gaze went to the clock. “It’s midnight and you have work.”

  His fingers brushed through his hair. “Do you have nightmares about the compound?” He couldn’t even say the word buried.

  The room was smaller than his. He’d offered her his room, but she’d insisted this one would do just as well. She took her time answering. She’d been here for a few days now and he should have asked her this before.

  “You would think that being buried alive would be the worse, but it’s not.” Her chin dropped and he could see the wetness gather around her eyes. “When that shot rang through the air, all I could think about was my parents. It was like I was taken back in time.”

  His hand went to her shoulder and he squeezed. That moment when she was shot, was not one of his best moments. “Do you remember much of what happened to your parents?”

&n
bsp; She shook her head. “What I told you mostly. The crash, the screaming and blood everywhere.”

  It was so easy to pull her against his shoulder and give her comfort. As she leaned into him, he breathed in deeply. “Do you remember much about your parents?”

  She shrugged. “They were happy. I think, but they travelled a lot. I asked Didi about that because I couldn’t remember a lot when I was younger.”

  She shifted and her head tucked more comfortably against his shoulder. His fingers pulled back the dark folds of hair that fell against him.

  “She told me that their father had this business partner who he’d known for years. The business was doing very well and my grandfather thought the natural progression would be to arrange a marriage between the two eldest children of both houses.” She pulled away from him and smiled. “It’s the Indian way, right?”

  Why were arranged marriages so popular?

  “That was with your father?” he asked. Maybe that’s why she was marrying Alok.

  She laughed and shook her head. “No way. When mum went to college she fell in love with dad who was an entrepreneur. It was with mum and someone else.”

  This made even less sense. “So your mum fell in love with your dad, and didn’t marry her betrothed. Was she banished never to come back home?”

  Ash cocked her head. “Not exactly. Grandfather reluctantly agreed to the marriage after a lot of persuasion but he was never happy about it. Dad was a businessman, so we moved a lot.” He watched her pick at the thread on the sheet that covered her legs. “Mum would always talk about having a nice home. I think she missed out on being a wife and mother. We never had a place to call home, and as much as she tried to make it work, it was hard.”

  Kieran watched the longing in her eyes and it started to make sense. She chose an arranged marriage, which would give her stability. “Can I ask why you chose Alok?” He swallowed against a dry throat wondering if he really wanted to know the answer.

  Ash avoided his gaze. “I didn’t exactly choose him. You know it doesn’t work like that. Didi made the arrangement. I agreed when I realised he would be a good match.”

  If this were arranged years ago, she would have been very young and impressionable. “Did she tell you why she chose him?”

  Her hooded gaze watched him. “It was to put things right once more. I was going to make things right for the family.”

  It was beginning to make sense. “Alok is the son of the man your mother was to marry.”

  Ash sighed. “Something like that. Quite romantic, don’t you think?”

  He watched her for a moment longer. Did she really believe what she said or was her aunt selling her a story she knew she’d believe to make things go smoothly? “I don’t think so Ash. I think you’re capable of something much more.”

  She turned and met his gaze. “Don’t be silly. Of course I’m not. Anyway it’s past midnight. You need to go to work in the morning. I am quite capable of taking care of myself.” She gently pushed him off the bed.

  He stood. “When you’re not being buried and shot at.”

  She folded her arms across her chest. “That only happened because I met you.”

  He tried to think if he’d ever met anyone like her before but came up empty. Yes, he knew she was trouble from the moment he’d met her, but why was his heart speeding up at such a rate that it was impossible to breathe? His hands curled into tight fists at his side.

  As many times as he could say this was not going to happen he knew it was too late. He had already lost the battle.

  *****

  Ten days, and five hours of pure boredom. She looked out the balcony and contemplated jumping. Even without the aid of a bungy cord. Ash didn’t care that the man behind her had spent hours trying to save her life. Neither did she care that he had spent weeks taking care of her. “If I don’t get out of this room, I will jump.”

  Kieran sighed and left the tray on the kitchen counter. “I know this must be difficult for you but you need to rest. I’ve made your favourite breakfast. Why don’t you sit out on the balcony and I will bring it out to you.”

  She was not a child who needed to be told what to do and she sure as hell didn’t need Kieran Kanna treating her like priceless china. “My stitches have been out for days. My real doctor said as long as I take it easy, I can mobilise or ambulate or whatever else that means. I take it he means I can move about.”

  Kieran avoided her gaze. What was he hiding? He’d been acting strange for the last few days and she wasn’t sure why. “Are you going to tell me what’s bugging you?”

  “How about breakfast first? If you’re still up to it, we can take a day trip. Maybe something that wouldn’t get you into trouble. So that would be no beaches, no drugs. Maybe something the tourists would do,” he said.

  Ash raised her eyebrow. Now she was more than suspicious. She gave the room a once over and wondered if there was anything she’d missed. He hadn’t acted out of the norm aside from the behaviour modification. Whatever it was, it had to have happened in the last―

  “You’re not listening to me, are you?” he asked handing her a glass of orange juice.

  No she wasn’t. It wasn’t really her fault. It was clearly his. He was wearing one of his loose fitting t-shirts again. Why he bothered, she wasn’t sure. They still managed to show off his well-defined muscles and for someone who’d been locked in a hotel room for the last ten days, it was like candy to a toddler.

  After all, she had hormones. Plenty of it. She was one to appreciate the male body and he had plenty of it to appreciate. She took a large sip of the juice and almost choked. “I need to get out of this room.”

  He tsked. “I knew you weren’t listening. So what movie would you like to watch?”

  Three hours in close proximity with him would be the perfect solution. Not. “Tell me you’re not serious. I’ve been buried alive, shot and locked in hospital, not to mention this room, and that’s the best sort of entertainment you can come up with?”

  If that was guilt that darkened his gaze it kicked her gut and forced out an ounce of sympathy. She forgot he went through the experience too. She picked at the piece of toast from the tray and chewed on it. “I’m sorry. Can’t we go sightseeing?”

  His chin dropped. “Anything you want to do.”

  That was too easy. “What’s going on Kieran? You don’t usually grant me all my requests.”

  He shifted until he was next to her and the sofa dipped and she found herself even closer. She left both the juice and the toast back on the tray and turned to him. He was as stiff as a board. Without even thinking her hand went out to touch his cheek and she almost pulled back when he flinched, but then she realised it wasn’t rejection. So if it wasn’t rejection, what troubled him?

  “I got a call from your aunt yesterday.” He struggled to get the next words out.

  Ash wrapped her hand around his shoulder. She knew what his next words would be. Didi wanted her on the next flight to New Delhi. Her only saving grace was that the stars were in her favour and she didn’t have to marry Alok. Yet.

  He’d never asked her why she’d agreed to the marriage. In fact it was never discussed. They spoke about many things. Never their future. “You told her I was doing better and she wants me back home.”

  Kieran leaned back and closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them, his gaze met hers. “That wasn’t all she wanted me to tell you. The priest had news. The stars have changed and there is one good day for your marriage to take place. Two weeks from now the stars are aligned for you and Alok.”

  What?

  There was no way this was happening. Not now. Not when she’d found―

  Found what? She didn’t even know what she found. Alok was safe. Kieran was not. He hadn’t even told her how he felt. If anything. “So what must I do?”

  He walked to the balcony. The very balcony she was willing to jump off earlier. She went and stood behind him, and felt heat fall off him. “You’ve made a
commitment to marry this man. You’ve never said why. How would I know what you should do?”

  He was right. But that was before she met him. Before the promise of a man like Kieran. Couldn’t he understand that?

  He turned and she found her lips an inch away from his. Could he not see how perfect they would be together? What about the chemistry they had? She’d never felt that with Alok. Not in the ten years she’d known him, did her belly do flip flops like it was doing now.

  She stood on her toes until her lips brushed his. His breath caught and she opened her mouth against his. He tasted like coffee. But she expected that. Coffee and chocolate. So he’d figured out her secret. When?

  He surprised her by opening his mouth and slipping his tongue against hers in a sensuous stroking movement. She gasped as sensation flooded her mouth and her nerves. Blood gushed through her veins and her ears pounded. At first he started teasing and nipping at her tongue and mouth, but before she could get used to the sensations invading her palate his hand moved to her back and she grabbed the back of his t-shirt wanting more.

  As if he sensed the urgency he pulled her arms up and pushed her against the wall. She’d seen movies and dreamed of scenes where a man would kiss her this thoroughly. Her mouth opened wider as she waited for his tongue to plunge into her mouth and when it did, she sighed and sucked his tongue into her mouth. Her nipples were so sensitised that as soon as his hand touched them she moaned and pushed against him, knowing that with every move she made, heat was rapidly surging through her bloodstream.

  But he tasted so good that she couldn’t let this moment stop. He let her arms go and she was free to let her hands roam to his chest. It was so easy to lift up that t-shirt and touch his flesh. It would be so easy to place a kiss in that small space below his nipple. It looked like such a good place to start. With her gaze trained to that one spot she gasped when he hitched her higher and wrapped her legs around his body to keep from falling.

  She wasn’t sure who groaned or who was breathing faster, but the spot she now aimed for was his nipple and when he gasped and pulled her closer she felt another power surge. This time white-hot heat flared as she bucked against him in response to the ripping pleasure that swayed her body.