This Heart of Mine

Ch. 30: Et Tu, Karen?

Well, the question had nagged Naina endlessly since the first time Ian had kissed her. It hadn't happened again, though he did hug her a lot more whenever they met up. And neither of them had asked the other one if they were together.

So, of course her anxiety wouldn't leave alone her whenever that topic crossed her mind.

Ian let out the longest sigh she'd ever heard and chuckled. "No, Naina, I just kiss random women—yes, we're dating. At least from my side, I thought we were...I hope I'm not the only one thinking that?"

"No. I mean, you're not the only one thinking that. I just—"

He kissed her long and hard. Unlike the first one, which was sweet and slightly passionate, this one seemed to be more of a branding. Like he was physically trying to imprint the message into her. Everything felt more sensitive, from where his hand rested on her hip, burning it's shape onto her skin, to her heart leaving her chest every now and then. Her brain had already sizzled away the moment his lips touched hers.

When he finally let her go, her shirt had ridden up from where his fingers had played with the curve of her waist and his hair was messier than it had been before.

"Um," she said.

He raised an eyebrow. "Do you need any other visuals? You know, to show how much I like you? And want to be with you and call you my girlfriend?"

Without thinking, she glanced at the area below his hips and then back into his beautiful eyes. "No, no more needed—" Her tongue, ever the twisted rope, couldn't speak properly.

"No, just to make sure we've got everything clear." He reached towards the waistline of his pants.

She laughed and slapped his arms. "I'm serious. The last thing I need is for someone to walk in when you're displaying these, um, visuals." Sure they were in a locked room, but who knew what could happen?

"Do you want to hang out this weekend? We haven't hung out alone in a while."

"Is this your way of asking me on a date?"

His cheeks slowly blushed pink and he started rubbing his palm. "Yeah."

"I'd love to go on a date with you, but what about Burrito?" The puppies were growing fast and Naina had moved them to the main area of the clinic, where they were free to roam around in the fenced region Ian had set up for them. She'd already started going through applications for their adoption, screening families that wanted to welcome an adorable corgi. But someone had to be there to watch them and she wasn't sticking that duty on the doctor, who definitely needed his breaks on the weekend.

"Bring her and the puppies along. I'm sure they'd love the change in environment."

"Okay," she squeaked. Her happiness was spilling out and over and she couldn't hold it back.

Oof. He had that slightly embarrassed and happy grin going, like he was struggling to contain the excitement coursing through his body. She knew it, because she wore the same smile too.

But now she had something to look forward to on the weekend. When was the last time that'd happened? She flew through the rest of the week wondering what they were going to do and packing a small satchel...just in case she stayed over.

The morning of the day they were supposed to meet, a woman walked into the clinic with the loudest, most obnoxious chihuahua Naina had seen in her entire life. The thing looked like an oversize rat with eyes the size of marbles and a congestion that even the strongest allergy medication couldn't free up. The moment it saw Naina, it barked like it's life depended on it.