Keep You Forever ✓ | AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE AS A PAPERBACK/EBOOK! [Sample]

06 | turbulence

I stare into his green eyes with a happy essence in my own, and Asher gives me one smiling glance before the colour drains from his face.

We're standing outside the open door of my uncle's house. Like that.

What happens next reminds me of a cliché Bollywood movie scene.

Asher throws me from his body and I stumble into standing position, meeting two pairs of curious eyes staring at us from inside the living room. Nathan and his girlfriend, aka my cousin Katy, stop in between their make-out session and nearly tumble off the couch in surprise. I sense myself going red from head to toe, and the His Highness Asher Prince doesn't look anything like the super confident badass he was just trying to be.

In fact, he looks roughly as embarrassed as me.

I move my jelly legs with a lot of effort and scamper across the living room, going straight up the stairs and into my room. It was his idea to pick me up in his arms like some fairy-tale hero, so he can stay right there and deal with the consequences. I'm not planning on explaining to my cousin and Nathan why Asher Prince was just carrying me in his arms as though we're long lost lovers, when we've barely met.

It's complicated.

Inside my room, I throw off my soaked clothes and step in for a hot shower. I take my sweet time washing my hair and body, and then stand platonically under the warm water struggling to wash off his warmth from my skin. It is indescribable how soothing the heating radiating off his body felt against the harsh, cold winds of the storm. Oh, boy. I knew coming to this town was a bad decision. And now I can't get his eyes out of my head, his bewitching, velvet voice out of my ears.

Just what I needed.

After putting on fresh clothes (a loose white t-shirt and sweatpants), I blow dry my hair and pace around the room, forcing myself to think rationally. Maybe I should go down and help Asher. Take the humiliation and teasing that's meant to be mine, you know.

As I'm leisurely descending down the stairs, dreading everything but mostly having to look at his face again, I observe that Asher's sitting on the kitchen counter. Still in his wet clothes and shoes, shivering alarmingly. Nathan and Katy are seated on the couch, amiably sharing a cup of what looks like coffee. He's got too much ego to ask for a towel, but I too have got more humanity in me than I give myself credit for.

I bounce back up the staircase, barge into my room and fetch a clean towel for him.

"Wow, you two got close," Katy giggles, eyeing the towel in my hand distastefully. Nathan snorts, quietly indicating he might burst from holding back his laughter. I roll my eyes and start walking towards Asher. Queen Bee doesn't quit commenting.

"Look at our dear little Lissa, caring for her spoiled jerk," she squeals, and swivel at the heel. It's like she's purposely trying to be mean to me.