𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐎𝐁𝐒𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍

Chapter 31

I took another sip of my coffee, biting my lip to stop the grin threatening to break free. Watching Professor Grumpy sulk was hands down the highlight of my day.

Rudra leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest, jaw tight—oh, he was definitely jealous. And damn, he looked so good like that.

"So," I drawled, swirling my spoon in my cup, "you really don't think Aarav Malhotra is attractive?"

His sharp gaze met mine. "No."

I let out a dramatic sigh. "That's a shame. He's got such a perfect smile. And his dimples?" I placed a hand over my heart. "Uff, they could kill me."

Rudra's grip on his coffee cup tightened. "Maybe I should enroll you in an acting class," he muttered. "Since you clearly have a flair for drama."

I giggled, resting my chin on my palm as I watched him. This was too easy.

His fingers drummed against the table before he leaned forward, voice low and dangerous. "If you keep talking about him, I might just have to remind you who you belong to."

A shiver ran down my spine, but I refused to let him win that easily. I feigned innocence. "Oh? And how would you do that, Professor?"

His smirk was slow, lazy, yet so damn smug. "Keep testing me, sweetheart."

Okay. Not fair. Why was it so attractive when he was all possessive and brooding?

I cleared my throat and picked up my phone again. "Oh, look! Aarav posted a story—"

Rudra's hand shot out, snatching my phone from me. My mouth fell open. "Hey!"

He placed it face-down on the table, his fingers resting on top of it. "Enough."

I raised an eyebrow. "Are you seriously jealous?"

His jaw clenched, but he said nothing.

Oh my god. He totally was.

I leaned closer, tilting my head. "You are jealous!"

He exhaled sharply, looking away. "I just don't see the point of discussing some guy who doesn't even know you exist."

I smirked. Oh, this was fun. "But you know I exist, don't you?"

His eyes snapped back to mine, something dark and intense swirling in them. "Maya, I don't just know you exist," he said, voice low and husky. "You consume me."

My breath hitched.

Okay. Game over.

I quickly grabbed my coffee and took a sip, hoping he wouldn't notice how my hands suddenly felt clammy.

His smirk deepened. Oh, he noticed.

Damn it.

I swear my heart did a full-on gymnastics routine inside my chest, but I wasn't about to let him see how easily he could fluster me. So, I did what I did best—pretended to be completely unaffected.

I took another slow sip of my coffee, meeting his gaze with a teasing smirk. "Consume you, huh?" I tapped my chin. "Wow, that sounds intense. Should I be worried, Professor?"

Rudra leaned forward, his forearms resting on the table, and the way his deep brown eyes locked onto mine sent another shiver down my spine. "Very," he murmured.

Okay. What the hell was I supposed to do with that?

I quickly reached for my phone, but he beat me to it, smoothly sliding it away from my grasp.

"Oh, come on! Give it back." I pouted, trying to sound annoyed, but he saw right through me.

"You're done obsessing over that actor," he stated firmly.

I gasped, placing a hand over my chest in mock offense. "Excuse you, I do not obsess. I just admire from a respectful distance."

He scoffed. "Right. That's why you almost fainted when you saw his dimples."

I rolled my eyes. "Jealousy doesn't suit you, Professor."

"Jealous?" He chuckled darkly, leaning even closer. "No, sweetheart. I'm just reminding you where your attention should be."

I was about to fire back with something witty, but then—he did something unexpected.

He reached out, fingers lightly tracing the back of my hand resting on the table.

My breath hitched.

Rudra smirked, clearly pleased with my reaction. "See? You get all worked up over some actor's dimples, but this—" his fingers ghosted over my skin, "—is real."

My brain short-circuited.

I hated how smug he looked, but I also kind of... loved it? Ugh, this was not fair.

I straightened, clearing my throat, and pulled my hand away (totally not because my heart was beating way too fast). "Fine. Maybe you have a tiny point."

His smirk widened. "I like the sound of that."

I huffed, grabbing a croissant from the plate between us. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever helps you sleep at night, Professor."

He chuckled, shaking his head as he picked up his coffee. "Oh, I sleep just fine, sweetheart." Then, he took a slow sip, his eyes never leaving mine.

And just like that, I realized—this wasn't just a date.

This was a game.

And Rudra Singhania? He played to win.

As we stepped out of the café, the warm afternoon sun bathed the streets in a golden glow. I walked beside Rudra, still giddy from our little back-and-forth inside. He had this smug little smirk, probably thinking he'd won that round. We'll see about that, Professor.

But just as I was about to tease him again, I saw him.

A tiny, fluffy golden-brown puppy sat curled up near a lamppost, looking around with big, round eyes that screamed adorable. My heart melted on the spot.

"Oh my god, Rudra, look!" I gasped, tugging at his arm.

Rudra barely glanced at the puppy before looking back at me with a raised brow. "It's a dog, Maya. What about it?"

I turned to him with a scandalized gasp. "It's a baby, Rudra! Look at his tiny paws and those big, sad eyes! He looks lost."

Rudra exhaled, already sensing where this was going. "Maya—"

Before he could say another word, I turned to him with the look. The one that had worked on my parents when I wanted an extra dessert as a kid. The one that had gotten me out of trouble more times than I could count.

The Puppy Eyes.

I clasped my hands together, widening my eyes dramatically. "Please, Rudra? He's all alone. We can't just leave him here!"

Rudra sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. "Maya, I am not—" He made the mistake of looking at me again.

And I saw it.

That tiny flicker in his eyes, the hesitation.

Oh, he was melting. He was so melting.

I took a small step closer, lowering my voice to a soft plea. "Just look at him, Rudra. He needs us. He needs you."

He closed his eyes briefly, as if trying to summon every ounce of self-control. But when he opened them, I knew I had won.

"Damn it," he muttered under his breath before shaking his head. "Fine."

I squealed, instantly bending down to scoop up the little furball. The puppy wiggled in my arms for a moment before settling against me with a tiny yawn.

Rudra looked at me like I had just convinced him to sign away his soul. "You're impossible."

I grinned up at him. "And yet, you keep giving in."

He exhaled in defeat before brushing a strand of hair from my face. "This puppy better not destroy my house."

I beamed, nuzzling the puppy. "Welcome to your new home, little one!"

And just like that, Rudra Singhania—the intimidating, brooding, no-nonsense professor—ended up with a tiny, fluffy roommate.

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