Romance The Debugging of Desire

[vickyxon]

The shimmering afterglow was still pulsing through Bavi’s veins, her skin sensitive to even the movement of the air in the room. Shri was just leaning up, his lips parted to say something low and devastating, when a jarring, high-pitched melody sliced through the silence of the suite.

Her ringtone.

Bavi’s eyes snapped open. Her phone, resting on the nightstand, was vibrating with a violence that made the wood rattle. She glanced at the screen, and the blood drained from her face faster than a system crash.

"It’s a video call," she hissed, her voice a panicked whisper. "It’s my mother."

The "Domestic Firewall" had just launched a surprise counter-attack.

Shri froze, his dark eyes narrowing. He didn't pull away immediately, his hand still resting possessively on her thigh. "Don't answer it," he muttered.

"I have to! If I don't answer a video call at 10:30 PM, she’ll call the Bangalore security officer and report a kidnapping," Bavi scrambled, her movements frantic as she grabbed a pillow to cover her bare chest. "Shri, get off the bed! Hide!"

Shri let out a frustrated, low growl, but the urgency in her eyes was real. He slid off the bed with the grace of a shadow, retreating to the dark corner of the suite where the light from the window didn't reach.

Bavi took a deep breath, trying to steady her ragged breathing. She pulled the white hotel duvet up to her chin, smoothing her hair with trembling fingers. She hit 'Accept' just as the call was about to timeout.

"Bavi? Kanne, why did it take so long?" Her mother’s face filled the screen, her kitchen in Chennai glowing behind her. "And why is it so dark? Are you already sleeping?"

"Hi, Ma," Bavi said, her voice sounding an octave too high. She forced a smile, though her heart was hammering against her ribs so hard she was sure the microphone would pick it up. "Yes... I’m just... exhausted. The audit was very intense today."

"You look flushed, Bavi. Are you running a fever? I told you Bangalore weather is tricky," her mother said, squinting at the screen. "And why are you breathing like you just ran up the stairs?"

Under the duvet, Bavi felt a sudden, electric sensation.

Shri hadn't stayed in the corner. He had crawled back to the edge of the bed, hidden from the camera’s view, and his hand was now sliding under the covers, his fingers finding the still-sensitive skin of her ankle.

Bavi’s eyes widened. "I... I just had to run to the door to get my water bottle, Ma. No fever. Just... thirst."

"Is that boy there? The one who went with you?" her mother asked, her tone shifting to that suspicious, maternal investigative mode. "Shri? Is he in his own room?"

Just then, Shri’s fingers climbed higher, his thumb grazing the back of Bavi’s knee. She let out a soft, choked sound that she tried to turn into a cough.

"Yes, Ma. He’s... he’s in his room. Working on some code," Bavi lied, her face burning. "He’s very... diligent."

Shri’s hand moved higher still, his palm cupping her thigh, his touch a searing reminder of what they had been doing seconds ago. Bavi gripped the duvet until her knuckles were white, her eyes pleading with the shadows where Shri was hiding.

"Okay, then. Get some rest. Don't skip breakfast tomorrow," her mother said, finally satisfied. "Call me when you wake up. Sariya?"

"Yes, Ma. Goodnight."

Bavi hit the 'End Call' button and collapsed back against the pillows, the phone slipping from her hand. The silence of the room rushed back in, heavy and thick.

Shri emerged from the side of the bed, a slow, wicked smirk playing on his lips. "Diligent, am I?"

"You are a devil," Bavi gasped, her chest heaving. "She almost saw you! My heart almost stopped."

"But it didn't," Shri murmured, climbing back over her, his weight a welcome, grounding pressure. "In fact, I think your heart rate just hit a new record. Shall we see if we can break it?"