Innocent Temptation

Chapter Seventeen: An almost Kiss

"SO, should I consider this as our first date?” Greg asked as they came to a stop outside Mac’s house.

“Maybe.” Aira smiled at him, thinking how he was charming and comfortable between her people without being annoyed that she had cancelled their dinner date.

Greg took a step closer to her as he said, “Well, I met your family on our first date so that sounds promising.”

Aira laughed, feeling herself getting relaxed for the first time this whole evening. And at that thought once again Mac’s disapproving words came back to haunt her. And she knew it was because of him that she had been unable to enjoy Greg’s company which she hated because she had this feeling if given the chance she’d like Greg. And she wanted to try.

So, she said, “Are you going to come to the shelter tomorrow?”

“Wouldn’t miss a chance to see you.”

She flushed. “Riya was planning to go to that club this weekend.”

He smiled. “I’ll pick you up.” She nodded. “Gosh, you are so beautiful.”

Her smiled dropped a little. And not for the first time she wondered if he was pursuing her only because of how she looked. It had happened with her in the past too. Boys and men liked her for the way she looked but never tried to understand her or get to know her, and when they realized she wasn’t going to be one of the casual hookup kind of women— which wasn’t wrong in her opinion as she never judged anyone, but for her it was all about life long companionship and building a family that she has always wanted— and once those boys get to know that very fact they’ll just stop giving her the attention they once showered her with.

Aira startled when Greg cupped her cheek and closed the distance between them. “Do I get a good night kiss?”

She blinked at him, for a moment her mind went blank as suddenly her skin burned where he touched her. But as he lowered his head, a loud clang had her stepping back. She swàllowed, her heart thudding inside her chest. Greg looked over her head and made a face. She turned around to see what that noise was and saw Mac standing there at the entrance of his house. He had pushed the small gate a little too hard that it was still shaking.

Aira closed her eyes, her frustration coming back in full force. “Hey, man.” Greg said, sounding too jovial for her taste. It was like he didn’t see the look of disgust on Mac’s face every time he looked at him.

Mac glared at her and almost growled, “Ma is looking for you.”

“I am sure she is. Tell her I’ll be there after saying goodnight to Greg.”

She felt more than saw him stiffening as she grabbed Greg’s arm and said, “Let me walk you to your car.” Because of the narrow street with houses on both side, Greg had parked his car at the curb which allowed Aira to walk with him down the street.

“He is a big man he can walk himself.” Mac gritted out, following them like a shadow.

“Yeah, it’s fine—” Aira didn’t let Greg finish as she hissed, “It’s my choice. If I want to walk him to his car then I will.”

Greg looked between the two of them and asked, “Do you guys need a minute?”

Aira huffed. “For what? He just doesn’t look like a mountain but talking to him is the same. Whatever you speak is going to echo back to you without any sensible response from the other side.”

Greg opened his mouth, but Mac replied, “It won’t be like that if the other person listened what she’s told and do it.”

Aira stopped mid-step and turned around to face Mac. “You think you can tell me what to do and I will do it.”

Mac took a step closer to her, looming over her and gritted out, “It’s for your own good.”

Aira'd had enough of his highhandedness, she pushed at him with both her hands. But it was like a butterfly was trying to displace a boulder. With a loud annoyed huff, she grabbed Greg’s hand and speed walked to the curb. And because she was still so furious, irritatingly so, she glared at Mac as she hugged Greg. The thought of kissing him wasn’t settling well with her but if not for her hesitation she’d have shown Mac that he has no right to order her around. But still she saw with some satisfaction as his jaw tightened and fingers balled into fists when he saw her hugging Greg.

With a voice too cheerful, she said, “Let’s meet tomorrow. I’ll make it up to you for missing tonight’s dinner.”

Greg seemed to do a better job of ignoring the living mountain, who was breathing beside them like he was a second away from splintering and sabotaging everything in its wake, as he kissed her on the cheek. She thought she heard a low grumble from behind her, but she focused on Greg who said, “Tomorrow, then.”

She nodded. And stood there waving at him until he sat in his car and drove away. When she turned around to go back to her own house and ignored the man who was glaring at her, she was stopped by a large hand.

Mac whirled her around and pressed her against the wall to Mrs Sharma’s house. She gasped and asked, “What are you doing? Will you stop manhandling me like this?”

“I should be the one asking you that, little girl. What do you think you’re doing?”

Aira bristled. She hated him calling her that. She wasn’t a little girl anymore— okay, fine, she might be a little small in height at five three as compared to him because he was a giant at six four with heavy muscles and body built like a, well, building. But she was still a woman now. A grown up woman who can stand up for herself. Right. Do it, then. Yes. She should do it.

She gulped, looked at his hard face and dark eyes. She said, “What did it look like, Macalister?” His jaw clenched. She forged on, “I was just walking my boyfriend to his car.”

“Boyfriend.” He said the word like it was a most disgusting curse ever in the history of English language.

She nodded. “Ah..han..”

“First of all it should be the other way around. You shouldn’t be walking him to his car. Second of all, he is not and he will not be your anything much less a boyfriend.”

“He sure is. Didn’t you see that I just hugged him and then he kissed me?” She asked, batting her eyes at him, even as inside she feared the dark look on his face as with each word he seemed to be getting angrier and angrier.

Mac’s jaw tightened. He leaned closer, his voice dropping low, almost to a harsh rumble as he said, “Break it off with him.”

Aira blinked, stunned by his demand. “Excuse me?”

Mac’s glare was cold, his anger making his whole body turn into stone as he seemed to be trying hard to control himself. “I said, break it off. He’s not right for you.”

Aira laughed, though there was no humor in it. She stepped closer, for a moment, not giving his anger and her fears any attention as she said with her voice sharp with anger, “Who the hell do you think you are, telling me who I can or can’t date? Did I not tell you that you have no right to order me like that? And, why should I even listen to you, it’s not like we have something or ever had anything?”

Mac didn’t back down. “I am someone who knows what’s good for you, who knows you deserve better,” he said harshly, his eyes boring into hers.

Aira’s temper flared. “And what’s ‘better,’ Mac? You?” She snapped, her voice rising with frustration. “You have pushed me away all my life, and now you’re trying to control who I see? You don’t get to decide anything about my life!”

Mac’s temper, always tightly controlled, slipped. He grabbed her shoulders in a tight grip and gave her a shake. His dark eyes seemed to flicker between fury and an emotion similar to what Aira felt— indescribable frustration. Aira’s breath caught in her throat, her heart pounding. She’d never seen him like this—so intense, so raw. “I told you not to fûcking test me. But you are doing everything to push my buttons.”

“I haven’t done anything! I don’t even want to talk to you, see you or think about you!” Her words echoes around them and Mac looked at her in stunned silence. Feeling guilty, she took in a deep shuddering breath as she said, “Mac, please, let me be.”

“I will once you promise that you’re going to break it off with him.”

Aira gritted her teeth and demanded, “What are you going to do if I don’t? I am not afraid of you, you know.” She was lying. She was starting to get afraid at the way he seemed to tremble with something.

A cloak of darkness engulfed him and his hand slipped from her shoulder to her throat. She sucked in a breath, her heart pounding like crazy. Unable to take this anymore, she asked on a whisper, “Why do you care so much?”

If she thought she’d get an answer, she was sorely disappointed. All Mac did was lean closer still, until she could smell him. Feel the heat of him. “Aira…” His eyes dropped to her lips and her tongue peeked out to lick them on its own accord.

Aira stared up at him, her chest rising and falling rapidly. She was furious, yes, but also… something else. Being this close to him, feeling the heat radiating off his body, it was like every nerve in her body was on high alert. The anger, the tension, it all mixed with something deeper, something she didn’t want to name.

“Get off me, Mac,” Aira said, her voice trembling slightly, though she wasn’t sure if it was from anger or the electric pull between them. But Mac didn’t move. His head dipped closer, his breath hot against her cheek. She could almost feel the touch of his lips against hers.

And then he cursed and slammed his fist on the wall just beside her head. Aira flinched. Her eyes wide in fear as she looked at his hand, then back at him. “What?” She swàllowed. “What did you do? W-why?”

Mac glared down at her. “Why don’t you fûcking understand?” He gripped her face, his fingers trembling as if he was stopping himself from hurting her and then he dropped his forehead to hers. “Don’t do it.” At first she thought he was talking to her but a moment later she realized that it wasn’t her he was saying those words to. But himself.

For a brief, suspended moment, she thought he might kiss her now as once again his eyes flickered down to her lips, and his eyes closed as if in resignation. She could feel the tension radiating off him, almost like a physical force and his proximity sent her into a whirlwind of confusion and longing.

Aira’s fingertips tingled, wanting to reach up, to close the distance that she’d yearned to cross for so long. She was about to do just that when he pushed back from her and turned his back to her. He said, not looking at her, “You made your decision ignoring my warning, then be prepared for the consequences and don’t blame me for them.”

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A. Gupta