1 March 2020

Hey, lovelies! How are you all? Here's the next chapter, I updated early again for you guys! I will try to update regularly from now, every weekend! Let's see how it goes. And let me know what you think of the chapter!

"Her heart was wild, but I didn't want to catch it, I wanted to run with it, to set mine free." - Atticus

Alayna's POV

I have the best time in Rome with Zayan. Throughout the five days, we visit the Colosseum, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain, Roman Forum and several other historical sites. I do lots of shopping from several Italian designer stores, buying lots of dresses, bags and shoes especially.

Zayan, too, does some shopping of his own. He buys a few designer shirts, coats and ties.

On our last night in Rome, he comes to me as I'm removing my makeup in front of the dressing table. Our original plan was to stay in Rome for a week, but we stayed for only five days as we're planning on visiting at least two more Italian cities in our time here.

He gives me a soft smile, which of course, makes me blush. He's looking very handsome, ready for bed wearing a plain black t-shirt and pants. His hair is still slightly damp from his shower, and he looks mouth-wateringly hot. Does that make sense? It does to me.

'Alayna, I bought you something,' Zayan says softly, handing me a small blue velvet box.

I know that it's a jewellery box. I hold it and look up at him. "Zayan, you know you didn't need to buy me anything! I'm having the best time of my life here in Italy, and that's the biggest gift for me." You're the biggest gift to me, I think in my mind.

He gives me his dazzling smile, motioning to the box. 'Open it.'

I open the box and my breath catches in my throat when I see the most beautiful diamond watch that I'd been looking at the other day. When we went shopping the other day, I saw this stunning watch behind the glass, and I fell in love with it instantly. I would have bought it, if it wasn't for Hanna's call which came at that exact moment.

Zayan must have seen me looking at the watch, and he bought it for me.

And I remember exactly how much it costs, too. It costs a huge fortune. I know that I can afford to buy the watch myself, but I don't want Zayan spending such huge amounts of money on me.

'Zayan, I can't accept it. It's too expensive. I don't want you spending so much money on me,' I say to him.

His face falls, and I feel my heart ache. "I want to spend money on you, Alayna. Who else should I spend it on if not you? You're my wife. Don't you like the watch?" He asks sadly.

I glance at the watch again. 'I love it, Zayan. It's absolutely beautiful. But-' I start, but he breaks me off.

He gently grabs the box and my left wrist. He takes the watch out of its box and fastens it carefully around my wrist. I cock my head to the side, smiling at him.

"I haven't bought you anything," I say, realising.

He grins. 'I don't need anything else, Alayna.'

"I will surely buy you a gift from Milan, and you can't argue with me then," I say, standing up. I glance into the mirror, Zayan standing behind me. I take out the clip from my hair, letting it loose. It falls beautifully to my waist.

Zayan's staring shamelessly at me. I blush deeply from head to toe.

"What?" I murmur.

'You're perfect. You're going to be the death of me one day,' he replies.

I turn towards him and frown. "Never say that again."

His lips transform into a smile. 'Ready for bed?' He asks.

I nod, blushing harder. "Yes."

He holds my hand gently and leads me to our bed. Our bed for the last time here in Italy. I'm going to miss Rome and this hotel badly. I really loved it here.

I'm almost asleep when I whisper, "Zayan?"

'Hmm?' He murmurs gently. I can feel the heat radiating from his body and burning me. It's driving me crazy.

"When can we come back to Rome?" I ask.

'Are you going to miss it?' He asks me, clearing his throat slightly.

I nod. "Yes."

'We can come back whenever you want, Alayna. I promise. I'm going to miss it too,' he whispers, sighing. Then he adds, 'I promise you'll have even more fun in Milan.'

I smile. "Goodnight, Zayan."

'Goodnight, wifey.'

********

The next morning, we take a one and a half hour flight from Rome to Milan. We'll be staying here for the next three to four days. When we exit the Milan Malpensa Airport, Zayan tells me that he'll be driving us to where we'll be staying for the next three days.

I'm confused when we get into a car, Zayan in the driver's seat and me in the passenger seat. It's the newest Mercedes. He sets off on the road.

'Zayan? Who's car is this?' I ask him.

He looks towards me and grins. "Mine."

Of course it is.

'You have a car here?' I ask him.

He nods. "Yes. And a cottage too, where we'll be staying for the next three days."

Wow.

We drive in a comfortable silence, stopping for a late lunch on the way. It's now nearly 4pm.

After lunch, we set back on the road. 'When are we going to reach?' I ask him, taking off my white leather jacket. It's quite warm here.

Zayan looks towards me and rolls down the windows further. He also starts the air conditioning. It's much warmer here than it is back home. And it's also warmer here than it was in Rome.

I'm wearing a flowy, flowery light pink maxi dress which has full sleeves and a thin white belt around the waist. I paired it with some white ankle boots. Looks like I need to take out my shirts and sandals.

"We'll be reaching soon, in around ten minutes. It's quite warm here, isn't it?" He asks, shrugging off his jacket too.

I nod, taking in my surroundings. We're driving down a country lane now, which has the most beautiful scenery on both sides. There are the largest fields around us, and a soft, warm breeze. I don't see any building in sight for miles around.

'This place is so stunning, Zayan,' I say.

He nods. "It is. I love to come here when I have time off. I loved Milan so much years ago, that I decided to build my own cottage here."

I smile at him. 'I can see why you love it. I do, too.'

We reach the cottage soon after, and it's adorable. Zayan drives through the small wooden gate and parks in front of the cottage.

The cottage is made out of bricks of different shades of brown. They're different shapes, and they fit together perfectly like a jigsaw. The door is large, and is made out of a dark brown strong wood. It has a doorbell as well as a door knocker. Around the cottage is a wooden fence, and there's the most beautiful garden at the front and back of the cottage which has white and red roses growing beautifully. Various other plants also are hanging from the walls, and they look lovely. I can also see what looks like a small pond at the back of the cottage. I want to explore the outside, but I can't wait to see what the interior is like.

We get out of the car and walk to the door. I turn to Zayan to ask him a question, but he takes out a key from his pocket and unlocks the door.

When I take in the interior of the cottage, I'm in awe. It's so beautiful. The design of the cottage is traditional, and it's so lovely. It feels like home, and I haven't even stepped in yet.

I'm about to step inside, when Zayan takes me by surprise by lifting me in his strong arms. I blush furiously as I giggle, hiding my face with my hair. 'Zayan!'

"It's tradition for the groom to pick up the bride and carry her across the threshold," he murmurs as he walks into the cottage with me in his arms, closing the door behind him. I wrap my arms around his neck to steady myself and I'm looking everywhere but at him.

My cheeks are bright red as he carries me upstairs, straight to the bedroom. I get a cosy, homey feeling as he walks into the bedroom, before sitting me down onto our bed.

My cheeks burn as I look around the room, smiling softly. The bedroom has a traditional, rustic feel to it, and it's super warm and comfy. All the furniture is brown, and the flooring is made out of brown wood too. The bed is made out of a strong, dark brown wood and it's covered with the most comfortable looking duvet, bedsheets, pillows and cushions which are brown and red. The lamps on the bedside table are a matching brown, as are the leather sofas, armchairs, table and rug. The wardrobe and dressing table are also made out of a matching brown wood, very traditional.

To the left side of the room I can see a large, brown door. I'm guessing it leads to a bathroom.

"Make yourself at home while I go and grab our bags from the car," he says with a smile. He leaves the room.

I step out of bed and walk into the bathroom. I was right. The door does lead to a bathroom. The bathroom is also traditional, and I instantly fall in love with the huge, Jacuzzi style bath. I can't wait to use it. It's the only thing here which doesn't seem as traditional.

When I go back into the bedroom, Zayan's back with our bags. He places them near the wardrobe and stretches, giving me a small glimpse of his toned stomach. And also his Armani waistband. I can't stop staring.

"How do you like the cottage?" Zayan asks with a grin.

I return the grin. 'It's lovely, Zayan. Thank you for this amazing trip.'

"It's my pleasure, wifey," he says softly, staring at me.

My heart skips a beat at the endearment I love so much. 'Is there any coffee downstairs? I was thinking to make some.'

"Yes, the kitchen is fully stocked," he tells me.

I nod, walking to the door. 'Do you want some coffee?' I ask him, before my cheeks heat up remembering months ago, when we were both making coffee and it spilled on me. When he treated my burns.

"Sure. Be careful this time, okay?" He says, teasingly.

My blush intensifies. 'Of course, Dr. Zayan.'

I see his eyes darken as I throw him a grin and go to find the kitchen.

********

'Zayan, your coffee's ready!' I say, walking into our bedroom with two steaming mugs of coffee.

Just as I walk in though, I'm shocked to see Zayan, shirtless. I almost drop both mugs of coffee onto the floor, I don't know how I manage to keep holding them.

I burst into a coughing fit as he turns towards me. A lazy grin makes its way onto his face. My eyes are wide, and I can't stop staring at him.

Damn.

He's so muscular. He has a damn six pack! He has the most impressive abs and shoulders I've ever seen. His biceps are huge and bulging. I can't take my eyes off his perfect, manly body. He looks like a Greek god.

My eyes travel downwards, and stop at the v-shape peeking above his pants.

'Like what you see?' He asks, winking at me. He walks towards me, and my heart starts to thump loudly in my chest. It's threatening to escape.

I shake my head furiously, lying. "Here's your coffee."

He chuckles, taking his mug from my hand and taking a long sip. 'You make some great coffee, Alayna.'

A blush creeps onto my neck. "Thank you, Zayan. Now, go and put some clothes on."

'But I'm quite comfortable as I am, Alayna,' he says, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

I glare at him. "Then stay like that. Take some rest, we'll go out for dinner later. I'm going to get changed," I say.

I grab a fresh pair of clothes out of my suitcase and go into the bathroom. I can't be bothered to shower right now as I did this morning, so I just wash my face, brush my teeth, change my clothes and brush through my hair.

I decide to apply some makeup and make an effort for once. I want Zayan to like how I'm looking. I want to try and look good for him. I apply some light coverage Nars foundation, a bit of concealer, contour my face and decide not to put on any blush because my natural blush is more than enough. I apply some highlighter to my cheekbones, tip of my nose and Cupid's bow. Then, I apply some Maybelline mascara to my lashes, and randomly pick out a lipstick from my small cosmetics bag. It's a dark nude lipstick, so it'll go well with almost everything.

For my clothes this evening, I've picked out a pair of blue denim skinny jeans which fit me nicely and a black silk top with flared arms. The top, too, fits me nicely. It's one of my favourite tops.

I brush through my unruly hair and decide to style it in a messy braid over my right shoulder.

When I'm ready, I walk out into the bedroom. Zayan's sitting on the sofa, and thankfully, he's wearing a shirt now.

'Zayan, we're matching!' I laugh as he glances at me, blatantly checking me out. He looks at me from head to toe, definitely pleased. His grin is wide as he walks towards me.

"We are matching. You look beautiful, Alayna. I haven't seen you in jeans before, you look great," he compliments. He's also wearing a black shirt and blue jeans. And he looks damn hot.

I blush, biting my lip discreetly. 'Thank you, Zayan.'

"Are you ready to explore the beautiful city of Milan?" He asks me with a smile.

I nod excitedly. 'More than ready!'

"Let's go," he says happily. We set off on the road, enjoying each other's company and our surroundings.

********

We visit the Galleria Vittorio Emmanuelle, a luxurious shopping centre, where we both do some shopping. Zayan buys me the most stunning dress from one of the boutiques, and I'm in love with it. I'll definitely be wearing it soon, here in Italy.

It's late by the time we're done shopping. So we decide to go for dinner before we go back to the cottage.

We go to an expensive, luxury Italian rooftop hotel. The weather in Milan in the evenings is lovely. We enjoy the weather, sitting opposite each other and talking about everything and anything. We've given our orders to the young Italian waiter, and are waiting for our food.

'It was a crazy night, Zayan! Me, Hanna and Aliya. It was two years ago, I'm guessing? Or actually, a year and a half ago. We were alone at Aliya's house. Aliya and Hanna were friends back then too, but not as close as they are now. At 2pm, we decided to order takeout. But the place we wanted to order from was closed, so me and Aliya made some pasta. Hanna walked into the kitchen and she put everything she found into the pasta. Everything, you name it! Chillies, salt, sugar, black pepper, cinammon, ketchup, vinegar. It was revolting! And the crazy girl actually ate a bit. I was nearly sick just looking at it! At 4am, we watched 'The Ring' and it was 6am by the time it finished. And then we just couldn't sleep. So yes, Dr. Zayan. I've pulled an all-nighter before. You tell me,' I ramble.

He grins, shaking his head. "You girls are crazy. Especially my sister. Yes, Alayna. I've pulled several all-nighters. Back when I was in medical school."

I lean in slightly towards him, intrigued.

'I can't imagine what you must have been like in medical school. I mean, you're one of the best doctors in the country today,' I say, my cheeks heating up. And I have no idea how I'm married to him.

He shrugs. "I was the same, I guess. Now I'm a workaholic, and back then I was always studying. I was termed as a bad boy, if that makes any sense." He smirks.

I giggle. 'It definitely makes sense. Your next question. What's your favourite colour, Dr. Zayan?'

He rolls his eyes at my question. "Black. I know yours is red. Your question is.. who was your biggest crush?"

I blush deep red as I shake my head. 'Zayan, what kind of question is this?'

He smirks. "An interesting one. I want to know, come on."

I sigh, shaking my head. 'I don't know. Are you talking about celebrity crushes? Because that's Enrique Iglesias.'

"Real life crushes," he says.

'Okay, but you can't be mad,' I mumble. I know I'm going to regret this.

"I used to have a crush on my first and second year professor in medical school. It was so funny, Hanna would always tease me about it. And..." I trail off.

'And?' He asks, raising an eyebrow.

"And if I tell you, you must answer my question. Since I was a young teenager, I had a crush on Armaan," I blurt.

There's complete silence for what seems like several minutes after I speak. My heart starts to race. I knew Zayan would be mad. But it's his fault for asking and wanting to know.

'I knew that,' he says, his voice cold.

I look over at him, sighing. "You asked, Zayan. So I told you. I don't feel anything towards him now, though. After he came back, after I saw him after so long, my feelings completely changed. I don't know how or when, but I didn't feel anything at all when I saw him for the first time after a year. He's just a good friend now, that's it."

'Are you sure you don't feel anything towards him anymore?' Zayan asks. He's definitely annoyed. He's never liked Armaan, for some reason.

I nod. "I wouldn't have married you if I still felt something for him."

He nods. 'Thank you for being honest with me, Alayna.' He sounds sincere.

"Always. You don't need to worry about Armaan. He's a good guy, a friend. But you're my husband, Zayan." I say to him.

He gives me a small smile. 'Yes.'

"So, Zayan! What were your first impressions of me?" I ask him, interested to know.

He smirks. 'I knew about you from before, of course, but when I first saw you, my first impression of you was that you were beautiful. And then I found out that you were intelligent, and a good doctor. I was annoyed at you, because my marriage had been arranged with you, but I couldn't find myself to dislike you as I got to know you,' he tells me.

I blush, grinning. "Really?"

He nods. 'Really.'

Just then, the waiter arrives with our food. He places our plates on the table in front of us. 'Enjoy your meal!' He says happily, before walking away.

I'm having vegetable lasagne, while Zayan's having some tortellini. The food's delicious, and very filling. By the time I've finished eating, I'm completely full and satisfied.

'Do you want some dessert?' Zayan asks me.

I shake my head with a laugh. "I couldn't eat another bite! You can have some if you want, though."

He shakes his head. 'I'm full, too.' He pays the bill, standing up. We walk downstairs, and head to the car park.

"Zayan, my feet are aching! You go and get the car, I'll wait for you out here," I say to him, leaning against a wall.

He looks around, shaking his head. 'I'm not leaving you here alone, Alayna. It's dark, and there's no one around. Do you want me to carry you?' He teases.

I hit him lightly on the arm and shake my head, my cheeks pink. "No, thank you. I'll be absolutely fine. You'll be back in two minutes. Go!"

'Alayna-' he tries to argue.

"I'll be fine, Zayan. I'm a strong girl. Hurry up!" I say, ushering him to the car park.

'Stay here and don't move, okay? I'll be back in two minutes,' he says, before running into the car park.

As soon as I lean back against the wall and sigh, I hear some quiet laughter a few feet behind me. Goosebumps form on my arms, and I turn to look back. The laughter reminds me of that dreadful night.

I should have gone with Zayan. I'm such an idiot.

"Well, well, well! Who do we have here? Did your boyfriend leave you alone?" The man behind me whispers in a low tone, making me shiver even though it's not cold.

I ignore him, walking a few feet towards the car park.

But he grabs my arm. I start trembling, trying to break free from his strong grasp on my wrist.

"You're too lovely to be here alone this late. Do you want me to drop you off at home? Or do you want to come with me?" He trails a finger down my arm, staring at me in a dirty way.

Tears rise to my eyes, and I shake my head furiously. 'No. Let go of me.'

"I want to have some fun first, no harm! Then you can go," he whispers into my ear, his lips touching my earlobe.

I shake, trying to free myself from his strong hold. But he's too strong.

Why do these disgusting men always come after me?!

I stamp on his foot, but he just laughs, kissing my neck. I feel bile rise in my throat.

'Let go of my wife, you bastard!' Zayan roars, getting out of his car and storming towards us with a murderous expression. He looks even angrier than he did that night, if that's possible.

The man laughs, shaking his head. "Oh look, he's back. And wife, did you say?" He whispers into my ear.

Zayan storms towards him and grabs him by the throat, pushing him to the ground. He kicks him several times in his stomach, before the man somehow gets up.

The man throws a punch to Zayan's face, and I scream.

Zayan has a small cut on his cheek, but he's not fazed. He punches the man in his face, a real punch this time, and I hear a crack. That must have been painful.

"How did you have the guts to touch my wife?" Zayan roars, pushing the man against the wall and kicking him non-stop. The man's all bloody, blood is coming out of his nose and mouth, but Zayan doesn't stop.

He tries to fight back, but Zayan's much stronger.

The man tries to say something, but Zayan kicks him in the face.

I'm afraid he's going to kill him.

'Zayan, leave him! Please!' I cry, looking around for help. But there's no one else around.

Zayan looks towards me for a split second and shakes his head. "He touched you, Alayna. He touched what's mine, and he's going to pay."

'He's already paid for it, Zayan. Please stop. I want to go home,' I cry.

Finally, Zayan stops when the man is almost unconscious. He glares at him before kicking his leg and storms off, grabbing my hand and leading me to his car.

"I told you not to stay out here alone," he says, angrily.

'I'm sorry, Zayan. Please don't be angry. I'm absolutely fine, aren't I? You're not in a state to drive, I'll drive.' I rush to the driver's seat and Zayan doesn't argue. He gets into the passenger seat, breathing hard. He's furious.

"He touched you, with his dirty hands. How dare he?" He shouts.

I sigh, wiping my eyes and starting the car.

'I'm fine, Zayan. Look at me, I'm absolutely fine,' I say truthfully. I'm shaken up, for sure, but that's more because of Zayan's fight with that guy. Not because of him touching me.

I knew that Zayan would be here to save me, like always.

"Just drive, Alayna," Zayan mutters.

********

'Go to sleep, Alayna. It's late,' Zayan says as we walk into our bedroom.

I shake my head, looking at his face. He has a small cut on his cheek near his lip, and I know that his skin is going to bruise.

"Let me look at your face, then I'll sleep," I say, holding his hand gently.

I lead him to the sofas, and find a first-aid kit.

'Does it hurt?' I whisper, as I clean the cut.

He shakes his head. "I would have killed him."

'I know, shh. Don't think about that, okay? We had an amazing dinner, and now the mood is ruined,' I whisper.

He stares at me as I apply some cream to the cut and put a plaster on it. It's not deep, and it'll heal soon. I don't think there'll be much bruising to his cheek. Only a little.

'You got hurt again, because of me,' I say, feeling emotional.

Zayan shakes his head, looking into my eyes. "I'm not hurt, Alayna. I promise. And I'm always here for you. I'll always save you."

I blink back the tears, sighing quietly. 'Why would you hit him so much? You scared me,' I say.

"He touched you, I would have killed him. You're mine, Alayna," Zayan says, grabbing my shoulders gently.

I feel myself turn to jelly at his touch. 'You're mine.' I love hearing these words from Zayan. My heart soars at his words.

"He didn't hurt you, did he?" Zayan asks, standing up.

I touch his arm gently. 'He didn't hurt me. Honestly.'

He grabs my face, and my eyes widen slightly. "You're only mine, Alayna. Never forget that."

I nod, swallowing hard. I need him to calm down. He's still furious.

"Tell me you're mine," he breathes, staring into my eyes, his own almost black.

'I'm yours, Zayan,' I whisper, biting my lip to control the smile that's trying to break out.

His gaze falls to my lips, and his eyes darken further if that's even possible. When he leans in towards me, I suck in a breath. I close my eyes. His lips are centimetres away from mine, when his phone rings loudly in his pocket.

He curses under his breath, and I open my eyes, breathing hard.

Zayan stares at me, surprised. "Damn phone," he mutters, before taking it out of his jeans pocket.

I blush deep scarlet, my gaze automatically falling towards the floor. Did that seriously just happen right now? Zayan nearly kissed me.

And I was loving it. I wanted it so badly.

My breathing is uneven as he answers his phone.

'Hello, Hanna,' he says, clearing his throat.

He cringes at something Hanna says, before turning on video call.

'Why aren't you answering your phone, Alayna?' She says, pouting at me.

"Erm, I.. it's dead," I remember, giving her a sheepish smile.

Hanna rolls her eyes. 'I wasn't interrupting something, was I? Zayan Bhai, why do you have a plaster on your cheek?' Hanna asks worriedly.

I blush deeply. "No, you weren't interrupting anything," I say, taking a seat at the edge of the bed, next to Zayan. I can feel his eyes on me, but I don't dare look at him.

'I'm fine, Hanna. I had a small cut on my cheek, that's it,' he says, not wanting to explain.

"You're not telling me now, but you better tell me soon. You didn't get into a fight with someone, did you?" She asks her brother, frowning.

Zayan shakes his head. 'No, Hanna. Don't worry about it.'

Hanna rolls her eyes. "At least you're fine, whatever happened. You tell me, Alayna. Are you having fun in Milan?"

I smile softly. 'Loads of fun, Han. It's amazing here. I miss you all, though. Especially Adnan! What's he doing?'

"I just put him to sleep right now! He was awake all day long, smiling and laughing," she tells me.

'He's the cutest,' I say. I love that little boy so much.

"Any good news?!" She asks loudly.

My eyes widen, and I burst into a coughing fit. I can't believe her!

'Hanna, I'm right here,' Zayan says, clearing his throat.

"Yes, I'm asking both of you. Tell me!" She says, shamelessly.

My cheeks burn bright as I glare at my best friend. 'Hanna, you're crazy. We just got married a week and a half ago,' I mutter.

"So?" She asks, smirking.

'Zayan, talk to your sister. She's crazy. I'm going to bed,' I mumble embarrassedly, standing up.

"Bye, Alayna! I'll talk to you guys tomorrow, Zayan Bhai. Have fun, both of you!" She sings, before turning off the call before her brother can tell her off.

Zayan places his phone on the bedside table and looks at me. 'Alayna, you should get changed for bed,' he says slowly. His eyes are hooded, making me shiver.

I nod. Isn't he going to address what nearly happened a couple of minutes ago? My hormones are still going crazy.

"Yes, you too get changed Zayan," I whisper, staring into his eyes.

He nods a few seconds later.

I pick out a random nightgown from my suitcase without looking, and head to the bathroom. I'm flustered. If Hanna hadn't called, would Zayan have kissed me? He was centimetres away..

I take a quick shower, brush my teeth and change into the nightgown I randomly picked out without looking. When I take a glance into the bathroom mirror, my skin flushes bright pink. I'm so stupid. I grabbed this nightgown without looking, and it's definitely not something I'd usually wear to bed with Zayan.

The nightgown is full-length, thankfully, but it's sleeveless and the neckline is dangerously low. It shows off my figure, but it's very revealing. And it doesn't have a cover-up to go with it. I'm sure I must have a matching black lace cover-up in my suitcase, but that's outside in the bedroom. I'm gonna have to walk out like this.

My hair is still wet, because I haven't blow dried it. I just roughly dried it with a towel, brushed through it and threw it up into a messy bun at the top of my head. I decide to leave it up, although if my hair was down it would cover me up slightly.

I take a deep breath and walk to the door. Goosebumps have formed on my skin, and I'm shivering slightly. It's not because of the cold, though. It's not cold at all.

I unlock the bathroom door with trembling fingers, and turn the doorknob. As soon as I step into the bedroom, I feel Zayan's penetrative gaze on me. On every inch of me.

I shyly raise my eyes to meet his, and as I do, I'm lost. He's staring intensely and shamelessly at me, and I can't drop my gaze. I'm entranced. He's sitting in bed, holding his phone. He places it on his bedside table right away when he sees me.

I walk towards the bed, biting my lip nervously. He's still staring. Like he's never seen me before.

'Alayna,' he whispers, as I get into bed beside him.

"Yes?" I answer, my voice breathy.

'You're doing this on purpose, aren't you? You're trying to test my control by wearing clothes like these,' he says, his eyes on my body. On every inch of me.

"I don't know what you mean, Zayan," I lie, laying beside him. He's still seated next to me, his eyes now on my shoulders. On my chest. I blush furiously, dragging him down. "Eyes on my face, Dr. Zayan," I mumble shyly.

He smirks, turning to face me as he pulls the duvet over us. The duvet's only covering me up to my hips, though.

Why do I like it so much when he's checking me out, when he's staring so shamelessly? He has every right to do so. He's my husband.

I want him to stare. I want to look good for him.

'You look damn sexy, Alayna,' he whispers, now staring into my eyes.

I blush furiously, biting my lip. His gaze falls to my lips, and I'm reminded of our near kiss. It turns my entire body beet red.

I giggle softly. "Thank you, Zayan."

He swallows, not taking his eyes off me. 'You should sleep, before I lose my control,' he whispers huskily.

My eyes widen slightly at his words. "Oh."

'Oh?' He repeats, raising an eyebrow.

"Sleep, Dr. Zayan," I mumble, grinning. I, too, think it's best if we sleep right now. Otherwise, I, too, will end up losing my self-control.

'Goodnight, Alayna,' he says, giving me his handsome smile that takes my breath away.

"Goodnight, Zayan," I say, closing my eyes. I know that sleep will take a long time to come to me tonight.

********

So, guys! How was the chapter? Okay, I hope? I wasn't too happy with this chapter when I wrote it, but I think you'll all like the next chapter more! ;)

What was your favourite moment in this chapter?

Alayna and Zayan tease each other, do you like it? It's pretty sweet, right?

Thank you so much for reading and always supporting me, I love you all loads and loads! Don't forget to vote and comment if you liked the chapter! And please, point out any mistakes.

Question: What's your favourite sport and team? I'm currently watching the PSL and I love it.

Bye guys!