Baaraatis CC #25 (Link to Thread 26-Pg 150)

I glance up from my laptop at the sound of the door opening, easily recognizing the soft padding of my wife's feet.

She rubs her forehead in exhaustion, smiling tiredly at me.

"Kids asleep?"

"Yeah, he wanted to read the littlest Harry Potter, and threw a fit when I said that it was time for him to go to bed."

I snigger at her position, knowing that I just slipped out of mediating yet another argument between them because of my proposal that's due.

She glares at me as she walks into the bathroom, pulling her hair up into a messy bun. I know I look like a sop right now, with my rapidly softening eyes as I watch her patter around our room carelessly.

She closes the bathroom door, and I can hear the shower turning on. I know her skin will be flushed with the heat of the water, and I can't stop the images that flood into my brain. The gentle, wet tendrils that brush her exposed neck, and the soapy lather that she's rubbing up her legs.

I'm about to get up and open the door to interrupt her right then, but I'm startled into laughter when I hear the out of tune, loud singing that echoes out. I shake my head, realizing that some things never change.

She turns the water off before I can join her in the shower, singing and all, and the door swings open.

I trace her face with my eyes, almost jealous of the wet curls sticking to her neck. Her skin is absolutely radiant, and she's wearing a worn t-shirt that she's clearly stolen from me. Her bare legs peek out from underneath, the t-shirt riding up as she tiptoes towards the bed.

"You do know that you're wearing my shirt, right?"

She grins impishly, tossing me a wink as she slides underneath the covers, grabbing a book from the side table.

"Your shirt? Sweetheart, this is my shirt now."

"You owe me a shirt. This is why I'm always left with the holey ones."

"It's not like you wear them anyway. Most of the time, you're not even-"

She trails off, blushing profusely when she realizes her train of thought is about to be revealed to me. I grin wickedly, reaching for the book in her hands just as she's about to open it.

"Hey! I'm reading that!"

I'm about to toss the book into a random corner as my hands slide up to the hem of her t-shirt to pull it off, when she snatches the book back roughly, giving me a reproachful look.

"Not until after I finish reading."

"Seriously?!"

"She's a good friend, okay? She just got publish-"

"Oh my god. I knew fanfiction would somehow get in the way of-"

"Hey now, don't forget that you were the one who helped me test that... scene. And if you continue pouting like your children in the room two doors down, you're never helping me test again."

I roll my eyes, sinking against my pillow, disdainful and lonely. I sneak a peek out of the corner of my eye, wanting to see just what has my wife giggling yet again.

Stripped by Chokri_ASR

I continue typing on my laptop, glancing at the book in her hands strictly more than I should be. My curiosity overwhelms me when she slips out of the room to use the restroom, and I quickly grab it as soon as she leaves.

Central Park

New York

"Almost there...a few more minutes Khushi, you can do it..."

I keep chanting this mantra to push myself to finish my run around Central Park. There's nothing like a run in the morning to get me energized for the day.

5 miles in 45 minutes! Not bad, I think to myself as I complete my run and look at the reading on my pedometer. I decide to buy a bottle of water from the food cart near one of the many fountains in the park, and then walk over to a bench so I can catch my breath.

Moving to the city little over a week ago from Delhi, this is the place I have discovered to come and get away from the craziness...an oasis inside the concrete jungle of New York City. It is a beautiful, serene place. Nothing you would expect in the midst of all the tall skyscrapers that are outside this park. Luckily I was able to find an apartment a couple of blocks away to enjoy this whenever I find the time.

One of the best parts of being in a city away from everyone you know is you can truly be yourself. It wasn't easy leaving my job and family behind but I really needed some time to myself to figure out what I wanted from life.

What's next for me?

I look up guiltily when she walks back into the room, expecting to encounter the same horrified reaction she had to my discovery of her erotic fanfiction.

Instead, I glimpse the beginnings of a smug smirk, and I grit my teeth. She's grinning like the Chesire cat, completely satisfied with herself.

"Good book?"

"It's... Okay."

"Okay? You looked very guilty."

"Give me the book back so I can finish, and give you an actual verdict."

She snatches it out of my hands, placing it neatly on the desk as she tugs off her shirt and leans over me.

"What do you say we... test that title out?"

She sits down in my lap, reaching around herself to drop the red, lacy bra onto the bed.

I've never loved the title of a book more.