MEERA - 20

*KNOCK KNOCK* The knock sounded on the door again just minutes after Stella left. "Come in." I said without turning and the door opened swiftly. The view from the window was so magnificent that I refused to even blink my eyes. It had started pouring down, the city lights became a blur under the heavy pouring water and the hypnotising smell and sound of rain. To be honest it's an unusual time for rain but do I mind? Absolutely not. If there is something I love more than chai in this world, it's rain.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath but suddenly opened them as I realised that whoever entered the room hadn't said a word since they came in. I turned around and my eyes met the pair of sterling keen grey eyes. Apollo was leaning on the door frame with both his arms crossed on his chest. This position only made his shirt stretch along the biceps and his muscles bulge. God he doesn't even know how powerful he looks just standing there... powerful and completely in control.

"You have no idea how breathtaking you look just standing there under the moonlight." He said and my breath got stuck in my throat. How in the world can our thoughts match so much?

"Can't sleep?" I asked him, turning back towards the falling rain as he came and stood by me in the open balcony door. Suddenly the wind direction changed and the rain started coming in from the balcony, straight on both of us. Apollo flinched and backed inside the room but my heart leaped as soon as the rain drops touched me. I extended my chin forward, feeling the cold rain drops on my face. This is ultimate healing I swear to god.

"You love rain, don't you?" Apollo said and I turned around to look at him, he had a small smile on his face as he watched me.

"How did you know?"

"Your face is saying it all Meera." He approached me laughing. "Here let me help you." He took out his handkerchief from his pocket and folded it in three folds. By that time I had no idea what he meant by helping me. Apollo lifted his hand, his eyes never leaving mine and gently dabbed the cloth on my cheeks, drying the rain water.

He placed a finger under my chin and tipped my head up to dry the other side of my cheeks and my jawline. I liked the rain drops on my face but I like this more.

His scent invaded my senses and I suddenly wanted to decrease the respectful distance that he kept between us. I know this was wrong but it just felt so right at that moment that I didn't hesitate and took a step towards him, invading his very personal space. Apollo's grip became noticeably tight around the hanckey but he didn't say anything. I took this moment to appreciate his fine features, his sharp eyes, long nose, thin lips and the sharp jawline that could cut anything and that small scar on his neck which was only barely visible under his T-shirt.

I wanted to appreciate each and everything about him but all I could manage to say was- "You're so beautiful." I breathed out and suddenly his eyes turned darker, those sea blue irises suddenly became midnight blue and I can't explain how fucking hot that looked. My face had already dried long ago and was now getting red and hot by the amount of closeness between us, but he refused to let me go. We were so fucking close that I can even smell the mint in his breath. I wanted to touch his face, I wanted to feel him against me.

Normally I'm not this.. hungry for attention or love but, I think this my weak moment. I guess he is the only one who can make me weak like this.

"If you keep on staring at me like this with those gorgeous doe eyes, then I hold no responsibility for what I might end up doing." He groaned. My eyes widened at what he just said. Is he... interested in me..? I must be hallucinating. I took a step back, away from him and the warmth of his hand left my cheeks. His hand dropped at his side and he stared down at me. Oh god the situation is getting a bit awkward.

"Ahhh.. Would you like some cupcakes?" I suddenly changed the topic.

"Cupcakes? I thought they got wasted... " He asked with a confused glance.

"Well some of them got saved I guess." I walked up to the table where Stella left the plate of cupcakes and brought it to him. We sat by the balcony munching on the cupcakes and he spent the first couple of minutes telling me how much he loved them. Apparently blueberry cupcakes are his favourite... I guess I figured as much. But still, having someone appreciate you who is a great cook himself and owns a chain of hotels across the world is an achievement on its own. But of course I'm no expert in cooking and no matter how much you try there is always something that could have been improved when it comes to confectionery and baking, but he's holding it back, and this is... actually cute.

"So how come you're here at this hour? I mean don't get me wrong I know this is your room but..."

"Well today I realised how less time we've spent together, even though we are literally under the same roof." He said sipping on his coffee.

"True that." I agree, for all the time I've been here, the last time we talked properly was at the beach. It hasn't been that long since that day, yet here I am sitting in his house, in his room talking with him like this. Now that I think about it everything happened so suddenly that I couldn't even comprehend the situation.

"And how less I know about you." He said in a low voice.

"Likewise." I whispered and looked back at him. Maintaining eye contact with someone while it's raining outside is really hard for me. I won't even talk about my heartbeat anymore cause it's been running with the speed of 150 beat per minute ever since the moment of our close proximity. Apollo was still sitting so close to me that our knees were almost touching and that warmth from his body was not helping my blushing face at all.

"Let's do this, I'll answer one question of yours and you answer one of mine. How about that?" He said and the excitement behind his words made me smile.

"You're a true businessman aren't you.. it's always give and take for you." This is exactly what he did at the beach on our first day here too.

"You bet."

"Then why am I here? Why did you pay for my hospital bills? And why did you let me stay at the house? What are you getting from me? This is my first question to you." I asked what has been bothering me since a while now.