His Scandalous Bride

20: Now

She wanted to know if he found her uncomfortable. He was sprawled on the floor of his office with empty cups of coffee and papers littering the floor like a mad person and that was what she wanted to know; if he finds her uncomfortable. He doesn't. So what does she mean by she has found him? Was she looking for him? Did she actually worry for him? Most importantly, why is she here? She couldn't have followed him here with divorce papers, right? His head throbbed with immense pain as he wonders what he would do if she were to serve him divorce papers right now.

He looks at her suspiciously while waiting for the other shoe to drop. If there's anything he'd learned about Aisha, there's nothing simple with her.

"Why haven't you been coming home?" She lowered her head, looking embarrassed.

Saddiq blinks. What? What did she just say? He couldn't believe his ears. Is it possible that she isn't here with divorce papers but is here because she was worried about him? But even to him, it sounded impossible. Aisha can't be worried about him. She simply couldn't.

However, he couldn't stop staring at her.  He wondered if he stared long enough, eventually, it would come to him. The answer. He looked away. And instead of answering, he began clearing the mess, determined. Desperately wanting her to not insist. Desperately needing her to let it go.

Her laughter suddenly fill the space between them and he lost his breath. He didn't know why she was laughing but it doesn't seem to matter. She was laughing and his chest which was until a moment hurting like hell suddenly felt free. . .light.

Is this love? This overwhelming need to be seen without words; to touch and be touched; this indescribable urge to merge your soul with another. Is this love? This dangerous sensation full of equal parts insanity and equal parts sanity. He wondered as he pushed the fourth, fifth. . .eleventh, twelfth. . .he paused, staring at the paper cups still littering the floor not quite believing he drank it all. In his head, he remembered only drinking water.

"So, this is where you work?" Her voice distracts him from his thoughts. What is she really thinking? He wonders once more as he looks towards where she stands. He needed to know so he can match her. He needed to know so he won't lose his mind.

She wasn't there. Where could she have gone? His heart skip a beat. She couldn't have gone far. Her voice was still near. Or did he imagine it all? Has he finally lost his mind? He wipes his face with his hand as if to wake himself.

"What exactly do you do?"

That voice. He wasn't losing his mind. She was here. She must be. He turned to his seat and there she was, sitting comfortably behind his desk as if she own it smiling at him with all traces of embarrassment, gone. Why is it difficult to keep up with her? He would really love to know what goes on in that beautiful head of hers. He looked away not sure how much more of that smile he could take before he unravels completely in front of her.

"Why are you here?"

One. Two. . . Five. . .ten. He looks at her. She was staring unabashedly at him with her elbows resting on the desk and her hands supporting her chin.

"What?" He asks suddenly conscious. Was there something on his face. And again he wonders, what is she thinking?

"I want to kiss you again."

The entire contents of his hands rushes to the ground as he stares agape at her, "What?"

"I said I want to kiss you again."

How many seconds is in an eternity? Saddiq was certain he had just found it even if science describes it as more of a philosophical or spiritual idea rather than a measurable quantity. There is no specific number of seconds in eternity because the concept of eternity as infinite or without end. That's the most logical answer. They were wrong.

". . .make sure you go home today, okay?" He hears like a dream and before he could gather his thought, the door of his office was left swinging as it closes behind her.

What just happened? Saddiq was left there rooted in shock wondering just how much of all this was he expected to take before he loses his mind. She had found him. She was happy to see him. She wanted to know if he was uncomfortable. She wanted to kiss—

And what, she just left? Why? Is she toying with him? What exactly does she want with him? His legs suddenly lost all feeling and he finds himself holding his desk for support. How can she just leave after that? Why would she even ask? And before he could stop himself, he finds himself running after her. It wasn't intentional. He has no idea why or even how. His legs seems to be moving on their own. They had stopped. . .on their own, and now, they run. . .on their own.

He caught up with her as she was about entering the elevator. He pulled her back, swinging her to face him only to find himself hugging her. One. Two. Three. She pushed him in alarm no doubt agitated from sheer unexpectedness of the impact.

"What do you think you're doing?"she fumed. It was clear she wasn't finding whatever that was funny.

She was angry. Good. He finds himself smirking as a sudden lightness rushes through him. It was the first time since they met when he doesn't feel overwhelmed by her. For the first time, he feels as if he has the upper hand. He takes a daring step towards her but she stood her ground, glaring at him.

He took another, then another, and then another yet she wouldn't budge. He refuses to stop either as he hold her gaze daring her to stop him. She doesn't stop him. But when the space between them couldn't be more than a step or two; he could taste her, she took a step backwards. He took one forward and she matched his backwards until she was backed against the wall and he has his hands over her head on the wall.

One. Two. She close her eyes tightly. He watches her wondering if they were thinking the same exact thing for the very first time. He closes his eyes as he breathe in her scent. She smells of oud and life itself. He opens his eyes.

"Repeat what you said earlier." He whispers huskily in her ears and her eyes flew open.

"What?"

Her voice. He almost danced with joy. She can't hide it. He isn't the only one affected. She was feeling something too.

"You said you wanted to kiss me, didn't you?" He held her gaze. One. Two. Three—

"What if I do? Would you kiss—

His lips crashes on hers with a force much like gravity. Would he like to kiss her? God! Yes! It was all he could think about in the last three days. There's nothing he has ever wanted as much as he wanted to kiss her, and as their lips merge, he realizes why he had been out of sorts ever since he met her. It is love. There was no denying it. He had fallen completely in love with her, and God help him, he    has no idea how to stop.