AAYAT’S POV

I laugh and twist in the bed, pushing Harry under me. He shoves a hand in my hair, half kissing me and half laughing. No one said anything funny. We have absolutely no reason to laugh and yet here we are.

Acting like the crazy people we have become since I kissed him two days ago. "If someone saw us laughing like this, they will think that something is wrong with us." He hums against my mouth, smiling like a Cheshire cat and kissing me again.

"We will tell them, I'm crazy and as a therapist, you're treating me with the most effective method ever." His teeth nibble at my jaw and I laugh.

I don't remember the last time I laughed so much. Every time I look back at my past, all I see is absolute pain and sadness. Nothing else exists and bothers me as much as that monster did.

But I don't even care for him anymore. I'm not going to let him ruin my life with Harry anymore.

I push at my husband's chest. "I have to go to work." More like ask for it back. We came back yesterday and I called my previous office immediately. I had given them valid reasons to leave, my husband being in the coma and so I asked if I can come back.

I didn't get a definitive response but they seemed welcoming and were open to discussing my coming back to work. So I got up and got dressed in a maroon straight kurta and pants.

Even Harry got up and got dressed for his office but like a switch flipped and we both ended up rolling in between sheets, kissing and laughing.

His shirt is all crumpled now. He kisses my throat. "How about you work in my hospital? We have space for a therapist. That way I can find you during the day too.." He ends his sentence by shoving his tongue into my mouth.

"As tempting as that offer is, neither of us will work if we are in the same building. At least for a little while, and then a couple years down the road when we are sick of each other, we would hate being in the same building."

He pulls away with a frown. His eyes a bit darker in the dim lighting of our bedroom. "I could never be sick of you." I smile at him. "You say that now, Harry, but two years down the road, you will be sick." He shakes his head, flipping us around so I'm under him.

"No." He sounds like a grump. "Okay. Whatever you say." I respond softly. "You don't want to leave me anymore, do you?" I shake my head in an answer. I wanted to leave because I was scared of falling in love with him and knowing that he won't feel the same.

But that's a fear of my past self. I thought he would eventually find someone better than me. Someone who wouldn't jump at his touch. But he made sure to make me understand he doesn't want any of that. "Now move." I say. I still have to go to hopefully get my job back.

He gets off of me and kisses me one more time before going back to change into a shirt that isn't as crumpled while I step out of our room to leave. I shut the door behind me and turn, only to almost bump into Cassandra who is holding a tray with a cup of English tea and some papers.

She protects the cup with her hand so it doesn't fall and then looks up at me. I didn't exactly see her when I came back yesterday and I didn't mind that either. She was not on my mind at all.

"You're back." She makes her observation. As dull and dry as it could be. "I am." I meet her gaze with mine. She is hostile towards me, and I don't really care about what she thinks of me.

Her love for Harry is forbidden. Not because he is a duke while she is house help. But because he is married. To me. "You're not scared of touch anymore?" I don't know. I didn't touch anyone else, I don't really care to.

"I touch Harry just fine." I meant for it to sound improper. So she gets the idea that we are fine now, and she isn't needed. She nods, picks up an envelope from the tray she was holding and gives it to me.

"This came for you and Harry." She walks past me to give the tea to whoever asked for it while I carefully open the envelope. It is an invitation to the fundraiser for young children with cancer. This charity usually invites the Crawfords. I remember Harry and mum going to it in the first year of our marriage.

I didn't go because I had been married ten days and I was still scared and skeptical of everything. "What is that?" Harry asks as he steps out of our room, now in a suit.

I forward the invitation. He looks through it before looking back up at me. "Do you want to go?" I smile. "Yeah."

"Okay then. It's next week, so we can go shop for something for you to wear."

"I have something to wear." I tell him. "Something for a party, darling." I nod. "I have something for a party." He probably doesn't find interest in arguing with me about my wardrobe so he simply nods. "Okay then."

~~~~~~

I walk down the staircase to meet my husband who has been waiting for me like a patient man. I might've taken half an hour instead of the fifteen minutes I told him I needed.

He looks away from the phone he was furiously typing on. I'm sure he was having a verbal breakdown with Faisal. I didn't realise how lonely Harry must've felt until I saw him with his best friend from college.

"Ready to go?" I ask. He looks up from his phone and blinks at me a couple times. "Sorry I kept you waiting." I add when he stays quiet. He shakes his head a little, seemingly stepping out of his thoughts to stare at me.

"If you look like that, you can make me wait an eternity, darling." I scrunch my nose. "Cheesy." He smiles, letting his fingers pass through my hair. "You coloured it." He says.

I did. I always wanted brown hair, so I dyed mine to a medium shade of brown instead of the black that's my own. I love my original hair colour but change is always welcome, especially now when I'm not scared of change. Instead I welcome it with open arms.

"Do you like it?" He smiles, "I love it darling. You should wear sarees more." The back of his fingers trace my bare waist as he steps closer. "They really suit you." He says, hooking a finger into the waist chain I'm wearing.

My eyes fall shut when he kisses my jaw.

A throat clears in the distance. Harry looks at Cassandra with a bored face, before taking my hand and leading me out. "Let go baby, we don't want to be late."

The drive is quiet but the ballroom is anything but. Alcohol flows around, people talk while being dressed to the stars. I never understood the concept of balls and galas but if rich people dressing up and drinking champagne brings millions for people in need then so be it.

A lot of people greet Harry. He is the duke and so he is important. He also owns the most prominent hospital chain in all of England and from what I've heard they are building more hospitals in Scotland and Wales.

"What you're doing is amazing." A man shakes my husband's hand while mentioning the five million pounds Harry just donated. "Thank you." Harry says. "I don't believe you've met my wife. Darling, he is the owner of another prominent hospital chain.

And this is my wife, Inayat." I give the man a nod of acknowledgment, hoping I don't have to shake hands with him. Luckily he nods back. "I remember seeing your wedding in the papers. My daughter absolutely loved your red wedding gown." He says.

His daughter stands beside him, she looks to around fifteen or so and smiles big at me. "You are really pretty." She says. I smile. "So are you."

The man is almost the age of our parents and he seems extremely fond of his daughter but he seems extremely kind towards Harry too. "I'm sorry to ask because I'm not sure but shouldn't you two be rivals?" I ask curiously. The man chuckles.

"Well I was no friend of theirs until the previous duke and Harry's father were in charge. I had beef with the old duke since I knew him way before I was rich and that man had some issues with the poor. And well, his son in law is an arse."

Yes, everyone knows that. The man pats Harry's shoulder. "But this man here is much better.” He says tenderly. “He told me that saving lives shouldn't be a business but just a cause. We've been on great terms since." He smiles at Harry affectionately before holding his daughter's hand and excusing himself.

"Give your mother my greetings." He says last before leaving. I frown a little before looking at Harry. "He knows mum?" My husband nods. "I've seen them interact with each other at every gala. I believe they've known each other a while."

"Do you think they could be more than friends?" I don't know why I ask. I've seen mum be extremely lonely a lot of times and I wonder if this is something that's her little secret. Harry shakes his head.

"Mum is not a cheater." He says. "If she liked someone else she could've left dad, she definitely had the reason to."

That’s true. From what I see, those two can't stand each other but they are still married. "Oh shit." I look at Harry who is looking at a distance. I follow his gaze and frown. "Isn't that your aunt?" I ask.

"Hide." He says. Huh? Before I know it, I'm dragged across the hall and locked in a small closet. "What are you doing?" I smack his chest in the dark.

"I don't want to see her. She acts like a pompous arse and keeps talking highly about her twenty Pomeranians before asking when are we going to have kids like it's her right." I sigh.

"Why do you hate her Pomeranians so much?"

"All they do is bark. At least get a dog that does something other than acting like a dick to everyone." He is pretty serious in his hate about dogs huh. "I've never seen you this passionate about anything else before." I joke.

Somehow in the dark, he manages to find my waist and gives it a squeeze. "I am extremely passionate about you." He enunciates, even pulls me flush against him. I press my palms to his chest, humouring him in the closet while every important person in this city is right outside.

"Are you?" I ask? His warm hands trace my bare waist and back while he leans closer to press his mouth to the side of my neck.

I wrap my arms around his neck, playing with his hair while he nips at my skin. We've done nothing but kiss since I've started touching him and while I love how patient he is, I believe it is time for us to move forward.

I can't let the past dictate my future. I don't want to be scared anymore, all I want is a life with Harry.

Someone tries to push the door open but Harry presses a hand to it and shuts it back. I yelp. "No one is coming in." Harry says before kissing me. It's urgent, it's all teeth and tongue but it is very definitely sensual.

I moan into his mouth, pulling away just enough to mumble, "can we go home?"

He hums, kissing me again. "You don't like the party?" He asks against my mouth before kissing me again.

I take a split second decision, it is now or never. I'm not bold by any chance but if there was one thing that I learned in therapy is that if I try hard enough, my actions would be the only thing to dictate my life. And so I do it.

"The party is fine." I say. Kissing him back and letting go of his hair to press my hand against his crotch. He hisses in my mouth, more shocked than anything else I'm sure. I rub my hand over his trouser, feeling his erection grow against my palm. "But I like something else more."

He pulls his mouth away. It's still dark but my eyes have adjusted to it. I see his mouth open and close a couple times while he stares at me. He looks conflicted but whatever he sees on my face makes him decide quickly.

He steps away from me, fixes his clothes before taking my hand and pulling me out of the closet and straight towards the exit. His aunt sees us on our way out, even calls out for him. "Oh, Harold-"

"Not now, aunt Gertrude." He grits, still pulling me behind him. I give her an apologetic smile but she doesn't seem like she likes me so fuck her.

"Harry-" I try to say when we get in the car.

"Not a word, Aayat. I don't want to hear your voice until we are both alone, possibly naked and doing a lot of things that'll make us both very fucking happy."

~~~~~~