Innocent Temptation

Chapter Fifteen: First and Last warning

The sun had set half an hour ago leaving the air cold and damp with clouds hovering at the distance, and as Aira grabbed the chillies her mother had told her to bring, she wished that it won’t rain. She’d have liked to be anywhere but at her neighbor’s house attending the barbecue party happening there. And to top it off, Greg was going to join her for the dinner and she had no idea what he was in for. If somehow her father didn’t like him then he will sure wish for an early death. But at the same time she was afraid what will she do if her father actually liked him.

She pushed the door open to the Colson house and entered, instantly smelling the grilled food and hearing the sound of laughter coming from the backyard. As she made her way to the kitchen to plate the dish, Mrs Colson entered from the back door and when she saw Aira she exclaimed, “There you are!”

Aira smiled and held up the casserole she was holding. “Mum’s chillies.”

“Give that to me and go meet everyone.” She pushed her in the direction of the backyard and then asked, “And, what about your boyfriend? When is he joining us?”

She gulped down the urge to correct her that he was not her boyfriend but she sighed and said, “He will be here in a few minutes.”

“Good. Good. Now, go and enjoy yourself.”

She had only taken a few steps and before she reached the door, it opened from the other side and the man she was avoiding stood there in all his giant, hulking glory. If it was possible he looked like he was about to go on a hunting spree in the wild forest. It was late November, then why the hell was he wearing a vest that showcased his wide shoulders and muscled arms.

And then her eyes dropped to the white lines and other scars marring his arms. Her eyes widened. Before she could think the better of it, her hand lifted and she took a step towards him. “What happened?”

Her fingers were just barely inches away from his skin when he stepped back and gave her look that suggested he’d rather burn in fire than let her touch him. Her hand dropped and she felt her cheeks getting hot at the embarrassment and rejection.

“It’s none of your concern.”

She resisted the urge to flinch back at his hard tone as she nodded and started to sidestep him. Maybe she’ll just say hello to everyone and then slip out to go back to her house and no one will know. But before she could walk away from him, he asked, “Where is your new boy toy?”

She stiffened and then slowly turned around to face him. “None of your concern.” She threw his words back at him.

His dark eyes narrowed on her. He said, “Maybe not mine, but our fathers are asking about him.” He gestured at the door behind her.

She opened her mouth but she was interrupted as her phone pinged. She looked at it and saw that it was a text from Greg. ‘I am outside your house.'

Pasting a bright smile, she held up her phone and said, “Seems like he is here. And why don’t you meet him before our fathers, you seemed to be more interested in him than anyone else.”

He looked surprised and she was surprised too. She had never talked back to him, but it seemed that after getting hurt by him again and again, and being treated like she meant nothing more than a pesky annoyance, she had finally had enough.

She moved around him deliberately walking with a sway to her hips and she thought she heard him curse. When she was out of the house, she let out a loud exhale and fisted her shaking fingers. Well, that was brave of you, Aira. She thought to herself.

She walked out of the house and saw Greg standing there with his back to the wall. “Greg, Hi!”

He pushed back from the wall and sauntered toward her. “Aira.” He held up a bouquet of red roses and she smiled, even though she’d never liked red ones.

“Thankyou,” Aira replied, “These are beautiful.”

“Not as beautiful as you. You look exceptionally pretty.”

She had worn a pink ruffled skirt with a white blouse that showed a silver of her belly with her hair in French braids. “Thank you, Greg.”

Greg took her hand and was about to press a kiss when a shadow fell over her and startled her enough that she snatched her hand from his grip.

“The party is inside, not here on the street,” Mac said, his features set in stone and lips pressed in a disapproving line.

Aira didn’t want to notice how Greg looked like a young boy in front of Mac with his heavily muscled body half bare and him standing there in his black best with arms crossed like he would have no problem breaking anyone in half. She hated herself for noticing it and finding Greg lacking in that way. Like she never understood why she felt attracted to the fact that Mac was build like a mountain while she was half his size.

Aira glared at him and then slipped her arm in Greg’s. “Come on, let’s meet my family and then we can go out.”

“What?” Mac stood there like a wall in their way. “Where do you think you are going?”

“Like I said, I have a date. And we are going to go, I decided to just add this stop before we go out for dinner.” With that Aira moved around him and tugged Greg with her. And as she made her way back inside the house, she felt his eyes stabbing her back.

She had no idea what she was doing, all she knew was that she didn’t like this uncertainty that had engulfed her since last night and especially didn’t like how Mac was hell-bent on poking in her life when she had promised herself that she won’t pay him any attention and won’t succumb to the same feelings that she used to have in the past. But with him appearing at every turn, he was making it difficult for her to avoid him.

When they arrived in the backyard, turned out Aira’s worries were for nothing as Greg easily charmed her father and mother, but her brother on the other hand was totally a different subject though. She had been afraid that her father would make it awkward by asking too many questions of Greg, but turned out she should’ve been worried about her brother. And Mac, who didn’t let a single opportunity pass to question poor Greg like he was interviewing a personal guard for the royal palace.

Mrs Sharma who lived down the street said amidst the chatter, “Well, I am happy that our Aira has someone here with her.” She patted Greg’s arm as she said, “Young Man, make sure you take care of her. She’s very precious to all of us.”

Greg kissed Aira’s knuckles in front of everyone as he said, “I’ll do that.”

Jay slid between them, pushing Greg aside as he wrapped an arm around Aira. He said, “No touching, man. Keep your hands to yourself.”

Aira felt her ears burning and she elbowed her brother. “What are you doing?”

Her brother pouted. “I don't like anyone trying to take you away from me.”

She rolled her eyes. She said, “Why are you behaving like him?”

“Like, who?” Jay asked.

She turned to look at the man who stood near the grill, glaring at her and Greg. Jay said, “Oh, yes. So you were asking who told Dad about your date?” She looked at her brother and he gestured at the glaring man. “Apparently he did. And the word on the street is that he was the one who made sure that we have this impromptu barbeque tonight.”

“What?” She almost yelled.

Her brother shrugged and said, “Mrs Colson said so, about the impromptu barbeque, that is.”

“And how do you know that he was the one who told Daddy about my date?”

He pointed his head. “Simple deduction methods, big sis. Who else will snitch on you.”

Aira turned to look at Mac, but he was no longer there. She looked around herself and didn’t find him outside. Feeling betrayed and angry, she made her way inside the house. And found him in the kitchen.

She was angry enough that she didn’t think as she marched to the kitchen counter and then grabbed the loaf of bread sitting there which she chucked at his head.

Slowly, Mac turned around and faced her. She glared at him with defiance. He looked down at the floor and picked up the packet of bread. He said, “What are you doing?”

“What am I doing? What do you think you’re doing, butting in my business when you have no right to?”

He shook his head once and responded with, “I don’t know what you are talking about.” And then he turned back to what he was doing, slicing a tomato.

“Look at me when I am talking to you, you big headed giant!” She curbed the urge to stomp her foot at his dismissal.

He didn’t look at her as he asked, “What do you want, Aira.”

"You told Daddy about Greg?"

"And, what if I did?"

"You had no right to."

"I was doing what anyone in my shoes will do."

"And, that is?"

"Making sure that the kid next door isn't in trouble."

Aira narrowed her blue eyes at him and seethed. Breathing harshly, with her patience thinning at his tone like he was indulging a child, she said, "I am not a kid anymore."

His eyes travelled down her and she felt like he was dissecting every inch of her. She felt goosebumps pebbling her skin at his perusal, then he said, "If you say so."

And then because she wanted to see if she could push him and annoy him as he did her. She said, “You know what, he wasn’t my boyfriend and I wasn’t planning to get into relationship with him. But I guess, I’ll give him a chance. He seems nice enough. He even brought me flowers.”

She stood there. A beat. Two. But he didn’t respond. Biting on her bottom lip to stop herself from screaming, she turned around to leave.

Strong fingers grabbed her by the elbow and hauled her around. She gasped loudly but was soon silenced as his big palm covered her mouth and he pushed her against the pantry door behind the refrigerator, half hiding in the narrow space.

He loomed over her like the mountain he was and Aira wondered what was it with him and pressing his palm to silence her. He said, “Listen to me, little girl.” She glared and tried to kick him. He almost smiled. He said, “Don’t try to make sense of what I am doing and why I am doing. All I can tell you is to not push me on things that I know are better for you.”

She bit down on his palm but he didn’t remove his hand. She stopped when she thought she’d draw blôod. He leaned down and said, “Are you done?” Of course, he wasn’t waiting for her to answer. He continued, “He is not good enough for you, so don’t take it any further. It’s my first and last warning.”

Then, just as he had gripped her, he easily stepped back and extended his arm as he said, “Go.”

Aira was startled. The look in his eyes told her to take his warning seriously. But she had lived all her life being equally infatuated and scared of him. And she didn’t want to live like that. Not anymore.

But she also hated when he manhandled her, not because she didn’t like his hands on her— she’d hate to admit it but she did like his hands on her far too much than she should— but she hated it because they never did the things she wanted those hands to do to her, and also the way he subdued her it left her with no resorts to get back at him. Not even to talk back as he keeps silencing her.

After putting several feet between them, Aira turned to look at him and said, “Who I date and where I go has nothing to do with you, Mac. You don’t get to decide who’s good enough for me.”

"You don't even like red roses. He doesn't know you."

Aira hid her surprise and said, "I like them now, and he'll come to know me. maybe you're the one who don't know me anymore."

Mac looked at her, his expression a mix of anger and something that Aira couldn’t pinpoint. For a moment, she thought he might say something—anything—that would finally make sense of the tension between them. But instead, he simply nodded, his face hardening once more.

“Fine, you are giving me no choice.” Mac muttered, with a dark edge to his words that Aira didn't like.

“What does that mean?” He didn’t answer as he turned away abruptly and went upstairs to his bedroom, leaving her standing there.

Aira watched him go, her heart aching with a mix of anger, confusion, and the lingering hope that he might just turn back. But he didn’t. She made her way outside, knowing whatever she was going to do now will end up being a drastic mistake but she was furious enough that she didn’t care. How dare he? How dare he threaten her and give her ultimatums? How dare he still treat her like a child? How dare he behave like he cared or behave like a possessive man who wanted her for himself when he obviously didn’t as he took every opportunity to put distance between them and reject her like she meant nothing.

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A. Gupta