Chapter Thirty Six
Thirty-Six
Ethan traced a featherlight path along Priya’s neck, his fingers warm against her skin. “Time to wake up, sleepyhead.”
Priya stretched with a contented sigh before rolling over, a grin spreading across her face.
This wasn’t a dream. Last night had really happened.
The red carpet, the kiss, the chaos. The hours they’d spent tangled up in each other afterward.
And now, Ethan was sitting beside her, fresh from the shower, a towel wrapped low around his waist, his hair damp and tousled.
“What time is it?” she murmured.
“Three.” His lips grazed hers in a light, teasing kiss. “P.M.”
Priya’s eyes flew open. “Oh shit!”
“I know, I know. I really wore you out.”
Priya let out a strangled chuckle. “I forgot to feed Sir Puffington.”
“Already handled. Brooke picked him up hours ago.” He lounged back against the headboard. “For the record, she’s revoked our godparent privileges. Something about us being a little too preoccupied with each other last night to be responsible pet guardians.”
“Well…she’s not wrong.” Priya grinned and flopped back onto the pillows. But then everything from last night came rushing back, and she slapped a hand over her face.
“How bad is it?” She peeked out from between her fingers. “Am I getting roasted? Are you getting hated on for skipping the after-party?”
“See for yourself.” Ethan handed her his phone.
Priya took a deep breath and scrolled through the posts. She paused, glanced at him, then continued in disbelief.
“Movie debut turns into a kitten rescue! Ethan Knight proves he’s a hero on- and off-screen. #RealLifeHero”
“Move over, action heroes. Priya Solanki just took on security for a cat. Absolute legend.”
In the post was a cinematic slow-motion clip of Priya resisting the guards as they tried to contain her. Right before they hauled her away, she turned and delivered a perfectly executed battle cry over her shoulder: “Sir Puffington!”
“The moment Ethan glared at security and they backed off?”
“Sienna missed the memo last night. Ignoring a kitten? I mean, who doesn’t melt at the sight of a fluff ball?”
“Forget the movie. The real action was on the red carpet.”
“Ethan Knight really out there living the dream—first a surprise TV kiss from Sienna, and now a red carpet rendezvous with a kitten crusader.”
“Watching Ethan and Priya kiss, suddenly Sienna doesn’t seem like the one.”
“Ethan Knight: ‘We’re just friends.’ Also Ethan Knight: ‘Screw the biggest night of my career. I’m outta here!’ when she kisses him. #FriendzoneToFairyTale”
A rough, uneven laugh slipped from Priya. “Wait…they’re actually rooting for us? I thought I’d face a huge backlash for stealing you away last night.”
“That’s social media for you,” Ethan replied. “You never know which way the tide will turn.”
As Priya continued to scroll, she stumbled upon a completely unexpected trend.
“This Halloween, I’m going as Priya Solanki at TIFF. Why?
Comfy as hell
Instantly iconic
Comes with a fake kitten and a security escort.”
Her eyes widened when she saw the photo. Someone was wearing the exact same outfit, recreated down to the last detail. The replies were rolling in fast.
“Where do I buy the ‘I Accidentally Stole the Spotlight’ Pajamas??”
“Only doing this if my man abandons an A-list party for me too.”
“Does it come with the celebrity boyfriend?”
“Can we talk about the fact that she REALLY OWNED IT?”
“ better have this in stock. I need it pronto.”
Priya buried her face in her hands. “Oh my god.”
“What?” Ethan leaned over to look at the screen. He let out a deep chuckle as he scrolled through the posts. “Priya Solanki, you’re a cultural phenomenon. People are dressing up as you for Halloween.”
“I looked like a total disaster,” she muttered, shaking her head. “But you know what’s crazy? My biggest regret from last night isn’t the outfit. Or the press. Or any of this.”
Ethan gave her a curious look. “Tell me.”
She swallowed, feeling a little ridiculous for admitting it out loud.
“I regret not sitting beside you last night. Not being at the screening, the way we planned. I was right here on this bed, pretending I didn’t care that other people were watching your new movie.
It was like desperately wanting to go to the ball but having no way of making it happen. ”
“Until Sir Puffington turned into your fairy godmother,” Ethan said with a grin, his voice dipping as he leaned in and kissed her.
Priya had exactly half a second to enjoy it before her phone rang.
“Oh no, my parents!” She bolted upright.
“Are they going to be a problem?” Ethan’s tone shifted.
“I don’t know,” Priya admitted. “I think they must have already seen the news.” She groaned, pressing her palms to her face. “And if the press is lurking outside Moksha again, then they definitely know you’re here. Worse, they know exactly what we’ve been up to all night.”
“Well then, you better pick up and reassure them there’s absolutely nothing scandalous happening here.” Lifting the covers, he began to wiggle his way between her legs.
“Ethan!” Priya smacked his arm, trying to hold back a laugh.
He popped his head back up, his grin downright sinful. “Pick up, Pri. Before your mother bursts in here with a rolling pin.”
Priya shot him a warning look, pressing a finger to her lips as she swiped to accept the call. “It’s my sisters,” she said, feeling only slightly relieved. “A coordinated ambush.”
Tucking her hair behind her ear, she tried to sound casual as Deepa and Meghna popped up on-screen. “Hey, guys.”
From beneath the covers, Ethan’s tongue skimmed her stomach. Before she could stop him, he crawled up beside her, shirtless and disheveled.
“Hello.” He grinned into the camera, pulling Priya closer so they were both in the frame.
Deepa made a strangled sound as if she’d just swallowed her gum, while Meghna leaned so far back in her chair she nearly disappeared from frame.
Priya should have been embarrassed that her sisters were getting an unfiltered peek into her personal life, but she wasn’t. Not after kissing him in front of the whole world. So what if Deepa and Meghna saw them tangled up in bed now?
“Hi, Ethan,” Deepa choked out.
“Hey. Hi there.” Meghna cleared her throat. “Uh. Hey, Pri. Sorry for interrupting. We’ll catch up another time, yeah?”
“Leaving so soon?” Priya asked, fighting a grin.
Priya’s sisters nodded in perfect synchronization. Whatever grilling her sisters had prepared vanished the moment Ethan appeared on-screen. They hurried their goodbyes, but not before shooting Priya a look that promised this wasn’t over.
“Well, that was fun,” Ethan said with a smirk, setting her phone aside.
Before she could respond, he ducked under the covers, his lips ghosting over her skin. As Ethan ventured lower, a shiver ran through Priya. Her fingers curled into the fabric beneath her, tension coiling tight and electric beneath her skin.