Chapter 13
RUHI POV
When Lorenzo said he prepared a surprise for me, I already knew it would be something memorable.
That man never did anything halfway every gesture, every word, every glance from him always carried a weight that made my heart trip over itself.
Still, nothing could have prepared me for what he did next.
He made me close my eyes as he guided me through the living room, his palm warm against mine, his touch firm yet careful as though he was leading me toward something fragile.
I could feel his breath near my ear, the faint huskiness in his voice as he murmured, “No peeking, Ruhi. Or I’ll blindfold you instead. ”
I laughed softly, shaking my head, my cheeks already flushed. “You’re impossible.”
“And you love it,” he whispered, smug but tender.
When he finally stopped walking, he stood behind me, his chest pressed against my back, his hands resting lightly on my shoulders. “Okay,” his voice dipped lower, the kind of tone that sent shivers through me. “Open them.”
I blinked my eyes open and froze.
Right in front of me, on the floor, was the tiniest ball of fur I had ever seen. A little golden retriever puppy sat wagging its tail, ears flopping as it let out a playful bark before clumsily padding toward me. My hands flew to my mouth as I let out a sharp gasp.
“Lorenzo…” I whispered, stunned.
The puppy stumbled right onto my feet, looking up at me with wide, innocent eyes, before letting out another yip as if to say, pick me up already.
My heart melted instantly. I crouched down, scooping the little creature into my arms, its soft warmth pressing against my chest. The puppy licked my chin, and an unexpected laugh escaped my lips.
“You… got me a dog?” I asked, though my voice cracked because the emotions were already rushing in too fast, too deep.
Lorenzo crouched beside me, his arm sliding around my waist as he gazed at me, not the puppy.
“Not just a dog,” he said quietly. “I got you someone who’ll keep you company when I’m not here.
Someone who’ll love you almost as much as I do.
Almost.” His lips curved in that dangerous, heart-melting smirk of his. “He’s yours, Ruhi. Just like I am.”
My throat tightened. I looked down at the puppy again, the tears blurring my vision. This wasn’t just a gift it was a promise. A piece of him he had chosen to give me, something pure in the midst of all the chaos that was his world.
I buried my face against the puppy’s fur to hide the way my lips trembled, but Lorenzo tilted my chin up with his fingers, forcing me to meet his gaze. His eyes were softer than I’d ever seen them, a storm quieted by something fierce yet fragile love.
“You like him?” he asked, almost boyishly, as though my answer mattered more than anything else.
“I love him,” I whispered. Then, my gaze softened as I added, “But I love you more.” I said without even realising, my cheeks heating up.
His smile faltered for a second, replaced by something raw, something unguarded. He kissed me hard then possessive, desperate, sealing every word between us. The puppy barked in protest, squirming between us, but even that made me laugh against Lorenzo’s lips.
“Looks like he’s jealous already,” I teased, breathless.
“Good,” Lorenzo murmured against my skin, his voice dark and amused. “He should know from the beginning you’re mine first, and always.”
I held the puppy close, my heart too full, my chest aching with a kind of happiness I had never thought I deserved. Yet here I was in his arms, with our new little companion, in a home that smelled of spices and warmth, in a life that felt like a fragile miracle.
And for the first time, I let myself believe it was real.
I sat on the carpet with the puppy nestled in my lap, its little head resting against my arm as if it already belonged there.
Lorenzo leaned back against the couch, one arm stretched casually across it, watching me with that unreadable expression he always wore when he was trying to hide just how much he adored me.
His gaze didn’t waver from my face even as the puppy pawed at my dupatta, trying to chew on the edge.
“He needs a name,” I whispered, stroking the pup’s soft golden fur.
Lorenzo tilted his head, his lips curling into a faint smirk. “Hmm, something strong. Something that suits him. Just like his owner.” His dark eyes gleamed with mischief as they flickered toward me. “How about Leo?”
I paused, my fingers stilling for a moment as I looked down at the little ball of fur. “Leo,” I repeated softly, testing the sound of it. The puppy perked up at the sudden change in my tone, as though he already approved. A smile tugged at my lips. “It’s perfect.”
Lorenzo leaned forward, his hand brushing against mine as he scratched behind the puppy’s ears. “Leo ” he said with a certain pride, as though he had just announced a new family member. Then his gaze softened, his voice dropping lower. “Our Leo.”
The word our made my heart skip. I looked at Lorenzo, my chest tightening with emotions too big to name. He wasn’t just talking about a puppy. He was talking about us, about building something together something that lasted.
“Leo,” I whispered again, kissing the puppy’s tiny head before glancing at Lorenzo. “He already feels like a part of us.”
“Good,” he murmured, his hand sliding over mine, his thumb tracing slow circles against my skin. “Because this—” he nodded toward the little puppy curled in my lap “—is just the beginning, Ruhi. I’ll give you everything. A family. A future. You’ll never have to want for anything again.”
My eyes stung with tears, but I blinked them away, not wanting to cry in front of him yet again. Instead, I leaned toward him and pressed a soft kiss against his jaw. “You already gave me more than I ever dreamed of, Lorenzo.”
The puppy yawned loudly, stretching out before curling into a tiny ball again, clearly ready for a nap. I laughed softly, cradling him closer. “Looks like Leo’s officially at home.”
Lorenzo watched me, his gaze burning yet tender, and for once, he didn’t hide behind his arrogance. “So are you,” he whispered.
And in that quiet moment with Leo in my arms and Lorenzo beside me I realized he was right. For the first time in my life, I was exactly where I belonged.
For the first time I pray something in my mind that says please Krishna let us live like this forever, with this Man beside me. Because now I can't imagine myself without him.
I Love him
I love him
I love him.
I Love Lorenzo, the unknown Man I saved that day.