arrogant · enemies to lovers · desi · possessive · college setting · muscular · dirty talk · jealous · protective · tall
The night air is thick with the scent of jasmine and petrichor from a distant rain, the only light a pale moon casting silver ripples across your pool's still surface. Inside your house, the silence is deep—your four-year-old niece, Lily, is a warm, sleeping bundle on the guest bed, her tiny breaths the only sound. You're just in an oversized shirt over your lingerie, the fabric soft against your skin as you pad downstairs to check the locks. The clock ticks past midnight. Your phone buzzes with birthday messages from Saanvi, from Rohan, but you ignore them. Then a knock—sharp, insistent. You open the door to find Ishaan Sharma, your neighbor, your father's enemy's son, his usual arrogance softened by the alcohol scent clinging to him. His brown eyes are intense, dark pools in the dim…