|| 15. PAIZE 1 ♥ ||
Met with stark silence, receiving the assurance of after all being with her warm fluffy, Mohana hastily inhaled a ragged breath. Shoving away nerve wrecking anxiety, she cuddled closer when the delayed sexy drawl appeared “We are together. You and I”
She nearly sprang from the bed, if not for the iron clad grip around the waist keeping her bound to the immensely warm strength. The room got bathed in a low golden hue where her plushy gigantic fur bear not only seemed amiss, but was replaced by a wall of hardened steel, which much to her surprise glimmered fabulously under the warm lights.
Her heart banged in her chest, causing far greater havoc than the ravenous butterflies dutifully aligning to the barrier along her midriff. Confident this was all part of her daily scheme of dreams, she murmured “Where’s Polo?”
In a swift move Mohana got inched from the muscular torso, to come face to face with the famous designer celebrity Omar Shaan. His tousled hair, handsome features had her stare at him unreservedly. Getting lost in the enchantment of his dazzling presence, her conundrum of finding Polo, the incessant banging in her chest and her misbehaving butterflies, all seemed to momentarily fade in the wonder of his existence.
“You’re feeling alright?” Omar asked, making her heart frolic listening to the velvety rich notes in his voice
Awestruck, needily searching his eyes, she earnestly murmured “Yah”
Stroking his palm along the curve of her waist, he checked “But something’s bothering us from sleeping?”
“Noh” she automatically mumbled, the fluttering butterflies rampantly mapping the back and forth of his strokes made her nervously shift in his embrace
Tucking a blonde tendril loosely behind the ear, Omar nudged her closer “We’ll close our eyes..” but finally managing to process the specifics around closing eyes, she anxiously whispered “Where’s Polo?”
“Can you try another sentence?” Omar growled, his eyes completely black missing all luster, nearly mimicking the solid darkness she was used to seeing in the eyes of her stuffy
Abidingly giving him a tiny nod, she followed the order “I think. I am missing Polo? My Polo? He’s warm and he’s snug..”
“Got it..” gruffly declaring, Omar straightened them to sit on the bed “..I asked for another sentence. And we were going to try to say something that didn’t have that name in it”
Nervous of his hands leaving a trail of fire across her waist, sliding lower through the contours of her body, skimming all the way to her thighs but then disappearing altogether, had Mohana breathe a heavy “O..hh”
She looked at his powerful hands receding, then at her own torso unsure if she was troubled or relieved at the loss of his touch. Drowned in a black tshirt, legs now covered with silken sheets, she sat in the lap of the most attractive man: the mighty Omar Shaan.
Her heart bobbed at the base of the throat feeling his hand on her forehead “How about you tell me how you’re feeling?”
The flood gates to her disappointment flew wide open “Not good? I slept with my Polo but now he’s not here and I can’t find him. And..” she nervously gulped looking at his stern expression “..somehow I guess? I don’t know how, but I am stuck in my dream? because he usually doesn’t become you..” pausing to review the craziness of that possibility alone, she considered to land a precarious fingertip on his chest to ascertain his presence
Capturing her delicate hand mid-air, halting her investigation before it had even begun, Omar gruffly declared “You slept with me”
Convinced this had to be another one of her dreams, for there could be no way for her to be talking to the real Omar Shaan, let alone having slept with him on a luxurious bed of silken threads, Mohana gave him an absent minded nod. Lost in thought, gathering she needed to find a way of waking up from her dream, she attempted to identify a loop hole in the make belief situation “You? I? slept? together?”
“You and I, us, yeah” Omar confirmed, his tone soothingly calm but his spheres still deep with darkness
Amazed at the intricate details of his long lashes she could admire from this close, despite her favorite sparkles being amiss, Mohana wanted to squeal with happiness, applaud her imagination for the attention to detail in carving her dream man. But dismissing the sheer joy bouncing inside, her head warned her to snap out of the dream and accept her reality.
Quivering a sigh she focussed on the black tshirt covering her torso, bravely countering, mainly to emphasize a consolation to her own heart “In real life, it will only be me and my Polo”
“Then your reality has changed. It’s only us, you and me. because we are together” the growled out response made huge innocent silver eyes land back on the magnificent celebrity, who remained unmoved, looking as strikingly handsome as ever
Her cheeks flared catching a glimpse of his bare chest, yet her eyes determinedly roved through his ripped torso, excitedly admiring the attractive man, their trajectory only coming to a disappointed halt at the pool of black sheets. Easing her hand from his hold, she consciously landed a fingertip on his heart this time “This is..? You’re.. hard”
Running fingers at the back of his neck, Omar off handedly murmured “That. that’s just. whatever. we’ll leave that aside. it’s nothing that should come in our way to bother you”
She cluelessly frowned “But it is.. bothering me? because there seems to be some confusion, the only thing I can for real have in my bed is Polo..” getting smashed against his strength, her words abruptly came to a stop
“You and I are together. There is no confusion. I won’t let this whole. whatever. hardness concern you but the only real thing we have is us, and that’s all there is going to be on this bed and all other beds. You’ll stay with me through everything including whatever it is with the babies and I’ll take charge of them” Omar declared, making her innocent eyes grow wider. The shock of his words traversing speedily through her, making Mohana confusedly look first at their bed and then at her own torso hidden by the black tshirt
Tugging her closer on his lap, ridding the minuscule distance she had introduced between them, Omar twirled a wavy blonde lock loosely in his fingers “It doesn’t show up in this short a time, so we’ve got some bandwidth to play around with, but it would work in our favor to announce about us right away. The team is on standby waiting for your approval on the cover”
Mohana opened her mouth, but words refused to surface above the cluelessness of her own dream saga, making her gulp on some air instead. She nervously touched her abdomen, her entirety puzzling with a tornado of conflicting emotions: she was going to have a baby with the man of her dreams?! While the thought buzzed a harmony, the possibility of such an occurrence with Omar Shaan, even for a fantastical dream, seemed beyond outlandish.
Scrunching her eyes tightly shut, Mohana daringly squeaked them open again, only to reaffirm the presence of the designer celebrity, so close to her, his hand covering hers on the tummy “Is it hurting?”
The haphazard tsunami of fluttering butterflies raging in her abdomen had Mohana hastily pull her fingers away “No. I. Uh. this. all of this. I didn’t mean to. I thought it was him.. um can you.. something? clothes? wear?” she hinted with a raise of eyebrows to his uncovered glorious torso
Easing hold on her tummy, Omar refused to budge from his stance, wrapping an arm firmly around her waist to factually inform “You’re in my tshirt”
Nervously giving him a nod, Mohana swallowed, her chest heaving from inhaling anxious breaths. Most assured this was all part of her imagination, albeit many notches higher, she rattled an explanation “This is some sort of a dream. This can’t be happening with me for real. I can’t be with you. You of all the people in this whole wide world. Why would I ever.. this is not your tshirt.. this is all happening because I am dreaming of missing my Polo..”
“This is our reality, yours and mine” interjecting her Omar grimly confirmed. Grabbing the digital device from the low bedside table he flipped over to the drafted Sophista December cover
The magnificent chiseled torso of Omar Shaan that had peeked from the column of his unbuttoned blue shirt, was now nearly blocked by a woman standing ahead of him. Her back to the camera, silver-golden tresses flowing with the wind, turquoise dress in sync with the blue of his shirt, complimenting the platinum toned jacket, dark denims and the sea behind them.
|| 15. PAIZE 2 ♥ ||
Her heart bobbed looking at the digital screen, cheeks glowing with color, seeing herself with the famed fashion designer on the cover of the chic Sophista journal. The only botheration which knocked inside was the picture somehow appeared changed from how she remembered their stance of his arm being wrapped around her, the feeling of which she had kept reminiscing since.
As if having listened to her thoughts of dissatisfaction, Omar soothingly stroked her small back “It’s the last photograph from our collection, only one where I am not holding you, happened right before you had left after the vertical expanse discussion. For our purposes, we finalize this because it’s subtle, only shows your back and will amply convey our stand of being together. The team has also voted on this, from their perspective the mystery about the woman in my life will make a bump in sales”
Assured that she had not been outrightly imagining his strong bound, Mohana stared at the glass screen. Her heart knew no bounds to the happiness for seeing Omar Shaan on the cover, his shirt open yet without his entire spectacular torso on display, leaving his immaculateness only for her.
Her prior considerations had been to flip the cover to an earlier shot of him where all the buttons were secured properly, but this dream of searching Polo seemed to be making all her wishes come true, in ways she had never thought feasible. Eagerly wanting to revisit all their moments together, she queried “C..ollection?”
Murmuring “Yeah. Ours” Omar flipped along an entire set of photographs, giving her a glimpse to the many poses in which they had been clicked together, one after another pictures of her petite frame in the lush dress, affixed to Omar Shaan flowed through.
In every snap, her blonde hair were breezily swaying while she stood flushed against the designer celebrity, bound by his arm which halted her dress from ballooning higher from the wind. The only changes were the increasing expanse of his torso as his shirt got unbuttoned, the jeans closure got eased, and some shots where his abs were only partially visible getting hidden behind her frame.
Her cheeks blazed with color, shyly shifting on his lap, molding herself in the crook of his arm, she instinctively hid her reddened face on his chest. Seeing them together in the same frame sent a strange tingling throughout, one that made her want to live those moments in his proximity again.
“Finalize our selection?” Omar held the digital pen for her, his tone hardly posing an impression of a query but informing of a determined choice, that had already been made. A solution which ran in holistic sync with Mohana.
Agreeing with his decision, she hastily nodded on his chest. His pick seemed the safest bet to her delirious head, where Mohana almost covered his muscular torso, yet their pose of departure left a mysterious hint of subtle sensualness to spark reader interest. Slipping the cylindrical device from his fingers, holding her lower lip between her teeth she tentatively looked at the pristine man “But this is a dream?”
“It is our reality, m’anam, yours and mine” Omar confirmed in his masculine deep voice, raising a stir inside Mohana as she picked on his endearment for herself: my soul
Held protectively in his embrace, her body basked in warmth as her secret wishlist got so straightforwardly fulfilled: his presence in her life, his spectacular torso not on display for anyone else to see. Staring at him with an adoration filled gaze, uncertain how any of this could be happening beyond her own web of fantasy, she whispered seeking assurance for her delusional heart “Reality? Our reality?”
“Yeah, together” his affirmation had Mohana instinctively land a shy fingertip on his chest but the loud hammering at the skin contact made her hand nervously curl. Despite being larger than life, her stuffy Polo was excessively plush and its pillowy effect was definitely amiss from the taut chest ahead of her.
Her head badgered to accept the missing presence of her fluffy Polo while her heart swayed, rattling in enthusiasm of being his m’anam. Hesitantly clenching onto her tshirt, extremely puzzled at how she could have landed in Omar Shaan’s embrace, Mohana looked up. Contradictory to his eyes, which otherwise gave her glimpses of intriguing glimmer, today his spheres remained pitch black “Why is my Polo..”
“We’ll talk about him later. sometime later. when we get around to discussing other things, because right now what’s pressing is our need to finalize the journal cover, which requires your approval” Omar interjected, flipping aside the additional bundle of their pictures
Unable to find Polo and justify her stuffy’s continued absence in the facade of a dream, the bubble of her ardent imagination came to a shattering halt jolting Mohana to grapple the actuality which appeared anything but that. Recollecting the mention of a bed, some more beds and the baby, she curbed the fear frantically raising inside, gripping harder onto the tshirt in her clasp.
Hesitantly looking at their proposed cover shot she swallowed on a parched throat “How did we get these photographs? My staff wouldn’t be allowed to take my pictures like that and..”
“Like you opening my buttons? Good thing Indigo was trying a new lens with Efe during the break. These were some samples, but they work out great for us to build our collection” his explanation sounded matter-of-factly, but just the mention of buttoning and unbuttoning those closures on him, made color deepen on her blushing cheeks
“Indigo, ya, ya. sure. fine. If Efe was there and Leya has approved of the shot, the quality, lighting, angles, all that there is to photography, we are fine. Everything’s fine” glancing at herself in the picture with Omar Shaan, her nervous fingers slightly shook hovering above the signature line. Not wanting to interpret the tumultuous banging of her heart, ignoring her shallow breathing, she formally authorized the Sophista December cover
Slipping the thin gadget from her fingers, Omar offered “How about I’ll get you something to eat and we can then approve of the accompanying set?”
“No. Am not hungry. There are more pictures? but we don’t need to review any more samples, because this is done?” her query nearly ended on a plea, not certain anymore if she wanted to get caught red handed for drooling over more of his photographs
“Nah, not pics. Just these bunch of words and legalities to ensure everything is on track for us to proceed with the cover and any next steps needed from there” setting aside the cover samples for the December issue, Omar flipped to another document
The tumble of reality teasing apart from the concocted web of dreams sent a stern reminder of her erroneous actions, but mainly having landed on one of the many beds of Omar Shaan pricked terribly at her heart. Nearing on a sob, clenching the tshirt across her abdomen, Mohana rattled “Next steps..? I.. I can be out of my mind, but why aren’t you smart? You’re a playboy, you have other beds, you know this game, why didn’t you tell me not to do it? you obviously don’t end up giving babies to all the Peggys in this world”
Cupping her cheek Omar tenderly stroked the salty drop that had rolled “I didn’t know, but it doesn’t matter. I am with you and I’ll take care of everything. We’ll sign this and get it out of our way”
Her heart and butterflies agreed to his assurance, yet the maze of drastic occurrences had Mohana nervously shift on his lap. Determined to stop his bare torso from becoming a printed accessory in the stacks of a published journal for perpetuity, even the muddling events leading to her own inconvenient presence on the cover seemed acceptable “Hm. Yaah”
Tugging her to rest her face on his chest, mapping fingers along her nape, his thumb gently caressed the column of her neck as he began the walk-through of the paperwork. While his touch felt protectively soothing, it stirred a strange upheaval, keeping her severely diverted and despite every effort she took to listen to his explanations, none of the legal jargon made sense
Being pictured on the cover with one of the world’s hottest heart-throb, an eligible bachelor with an unsurmountable crazy fan following, Mohana clearly understood the risks that could come from the pretense of their suggested togetherness. She relished his voice explaining the worldly details, but descriptions on residences, ownership around entire lists of entities, then address changes, made it all overwhelming.
Swallowing nervously she slightly shifted “I can’t change my address because I.. I stay at my office? It is a paired loft, its not mine, I pay rent but there’s exceptional security, I’ll be safe if there’s a hype about your cover”
“We’ll let the address stay same if you want, no one will dare to bother you anyways” his gruff voice bordering on a threat made Mohana unconsciously shuffle back closer to him. On her whispered hum of agreement, Omar continued their review of the contract which delved into even stranger subjects of bonds of possession, rights on a variety of another set of lists and more details around proprietorship, leaving her further rattled in confusion.
“I am only an employee of Stauox Media House.. under their journal? Sophista? I get a paycheck, there are no bonds to my name that any reader can challenge” Mohana earnestly informed, uncertain how beyond a certain level of security any such complex documentation could be needed to fend raging fans
Offering her the digital pen, Omar explained “It’s a blanket of paperwork for all things that could be investments on your behalf or mine ensuring it all to remain sorted. This document accounts for us to add any approved clauses at a later stage if we decide to include changes. Based on my review I’d say it looks good, the only thing from here is for us to sign and we’ll dispatch it to the team to formalize the December cover”
A shooting pain buzzed through her, honing in on the fact that the extensive contract wasn’t for the rowdy readers or her protection but his team had documented every speck of the detail to shield the mighty Omar Shaan, his investments, his ownerships from the fear of her clutches, lest Mohana considered defaming him through the cover.
Acutely embarrassed to assume they were together through this, as if it was yet another one of her fantasy filled dreams, Mohana pulled back, ashamed of her desperation to cling onto him.
|| 15. PAIZE 3 ♥ ||
Guilt-ridden for her actions, her fingers hovered inches from signing the document, twisting the digital pen, Mohana looked into his pitch black onyx eyes “This. I didn’t think. If I could take it back, I won’t be here. Not with you. Never. Because I..” words halted as her courage wavered, sinking behind the darkness of her own misdeeds
“Hardly matters. You are here. with me” his growl pierced through her heart making her glide the signature above the dotted line
Discarding the gadget aside, Omar scooped Mohana in his arms, making his way around the bed grandly adorning the pompous room “Sorted. Now let’s get you ready to go meet Zaniha”
“Zaniha?” she croaked in between the loud hammering of her heart, the mention of the other woman along his touch under her thighs made her nervous fidgeting increase manifold
“Ya, we have a couple additional things that need mapping out for which we need to make sure you are feeling better, and your doctor needs to tell me you are healthy” he provided pragmatically though her restlessness notched all the way to the top
Ignoring another turmoil inducing flip in her tummy, Mohana hastily checked “But Zaniha? Your.. your Zaniha? We have to meet her? because she has to take me to the doctor?”
“Zaniha is the doctor. Modeling was something we did for fun, she has a legal background and is a medical professional just like Jasper. Today’s visit is only for an overall check up, for our next appointments we can go to whoever you’re comfortable with” slipping Mohana against his frame, Omar let her feet touch the floor
“Oh” restive at the information, distressed of her own actions for landing onto his bed, she craved an escape from the world of her dream man altogether and attempting a hasty remedy, she increased the distance between them. Glancing around to absorb the posh space, glossy white marble floors, the large glass shower, deep soaking tub, gigantic mirrors on the richly done walls, she nervously filled the void of silence by saying aloud the one thing she regretted as soon the words were out “This is not my washroom”
“It has been for the past few hours and we’ll keep it ours for a while longer” his words made her further antsy, sending another heart wrenching reminder of her stunt “Do you feel like you want to do this yourself?”
“I.. can’t..” she courageously looked up, taking yet another step away from him
Reaching for her, Omar assured “Hey, it’ll be alright. We’ll close our eyes and I’ll get you out of them” his hand along her waist tugged her closer but Mohana stepped away, moving out of his reach altogether
“You..?” uttering in surprise, ruffled at the mere possibility of Omar Shaan having dressed her in his tshirt, she hastily stared at herself, despite an ounce of hope she still managed a request laced with desperation “I wore this?”
“As I am the designer, that responsibility was granted to me. And I thought black went better with the tshirt than the lingerie color you let Indigo choose” Mohana stepped back further taking another haphazard breath but capturing her elbow, Omar had her halted
Raking nervous breaths, she covered her eyes with her palms declaring “Doctors! I was saying I can’t do doctors! Because I don’t like them and I can’t manage them. I also don’t think I like anyone right now. Including everyone in this washroom. Your Indigo can’t choose my.. stuff! I only took her help because I needed someone to make me wear the saree for Sarrata. And my team was on a hike..”
“I was in the same suite, one door away! but you chose to take help from Indigo because you decided to like my personal assistant?!” Omar sneered pulling her palms away from her eyes only to find them scrunched close
Mohana adamantly shook her head “Noh! It’s not that. She gave directions to Jojo and then Jojo helped me”
Stroking his thumb along her dainty wrists still in his clasp, Omar suggested just as casually tugging her closer “If you’re going to keep your eyes closed we might as well discuss this while taking the shower together”
Her eyes instantly flew open, her face crimson, further deepening with heat “You’re not a fan of saving water it seems. Who gave directions to Jojo?” Omar asked, occupied in unfurling her captured fists to rest on his bare chest
“Indigo? Your personal assistant. She spoke to my Jojo on the line and taught her how to wrap that pink. red. fabric” Mohana provided nervously, her hands shyly curling on his carved torso
Seeming dubious at the unraveling of this information, caressing her wrists, his thumb traversed her palms “And Indigo, she, didn’t choose your pink-red lace?”
“Of course not!..” Mohana attempted to free herself, but his hold had no give “..I wear what I want and I had. my.. my stuff! which matched because it came with my clothes. and I wore.. uh because it was mine”
She felt a whisper of his breath brush her forehead as his husky voice enquired “Am assuming you’ve obviously never taken the time to meet my personal assistant, and she has never spoken to you?”
Mohana quickly gave him an affirmative nod “I didn’t meet her. I didn’t want to meet her.. because..” successfully tugging her wrists free in this attempt, she stepped back, waving her hand in the air to denote yet another one of his affairs “..you and her and.. there’s no reason why I’d meet anyone who uh.. but more so I won’t meet anyone’s employee without their permission”
Regardless of her own skewed actions, the reminder of other women in his life came as a much needed taunt, making her nails dig deeper into her palms. Listening to him casually drawl “Certainly. I would much prefer it this way” she stole a quick glance, but his eyes still appeared devoid of any specks of glitter
Brushing her temple, the back of his fingers caressed along her hair line, bringing Mohana to a breathless pause, lightly tucking a golden tendril behind her ear, Omar added “I am trusting you to not push yourself or am going to stay right here”
“No! Ya. No” she rushed, not wanting to think through the possibility of his words, but her defiant heart danced to his earlier suggestion imagining the two of them together, saving water in the shower
Leaning against the marble counter top, hands to the side holding onto the white stone, Omar crossed his legs at the ankles “Sure. Go ahead”
His toned muscular back reflecting in the mirror, immaculately ripped bare chest right in front of her eyes made Mohana anxiously swallow, her fingers twisting within each other, far certain that before any water she would need saving “No. No. I mean. I won’t. I won’t mess up. I’ll.. it’s your washroom.. I won’t let you down”
Not budging from his stand, Omar lightly shrugged “If you say or..”
At the imagination of what was to come, her cheeks flared making her dart on the commitment instead “No. No. I won’t do anything wrong. I promise!”
“All the clothes are in the closet, through our bedroom. The necessities you’ll need are in the drawers here, and if you do decide to save water or want help with any color matching, give me a shout” Omar offered straightening from the counter
She committed to not give anyone a shout, none at all, let alone the majestic man ahead of her. If she wanted to save water she would rather take a swim through the ocean and for any lingerie color matching, she would find herself a hatchetfish to consult.
“See you soon” on that husky note, his magnificent body appeared closer, before his steps receded taking him through the door altogether
Left alone in the luxurious space, flustered at the turn of events, her mind whizzed back and forth grasping on certain occurrences while unable to pick on others. Encouraging herself to be fast, lest she got doubted on her intentions, Mohana intuitively looked around for her toiletries bag.
Taking in her surroundings, she rolled her eyes, baffled on what could even get possibly stolen from the attached opulent accessories and fixtures to drive such concern in the designer celebrity, when opening one of the top drawers her sulking came to a stop.
Set on an artistic golden tray, two elegant monogramed toothbrushes screaming luxe richness, met her sight. While both wands held the same G alphabet, the neatly scribbled digital note ‘mine’ above them, had her heartbeats race. Completely awed by the gracefully drawn cursive initials of the letter in gold, she murmured aloud “Even his toothbrush is designer, no wonder all the women want him. If you’re lucky, you get your own in the morning and he humors you by using your initial to keep you company. A very lucky G, whoever she is”
