The Luna Queen - Chapter 16: Chapter 16

_Leah's POV_
I woke up the next morning feeling unusually warm and safe. As my mind slowly cleared from the remnants of sleep, I realized why. Tariq's arms were wrapped protectively around me. He was holding me close. My heart skipped a beat. How had we ended up like this? I barely remembered falling asleep, but somehow, during the night, we had shifted closer.
I turned my head slightly, careful not to wake him, and looked up at his face. He was still asleep. His breathing was soft and even. His usually sharp features were relaxed, and for a moment, I allowed myself to admire him. He looked so peaceful, so different from the confident man he usually was.
My cheeks heated as I realized just how intimate this moment felt. I had never been this close to anyone, let alone Tariq. The warmth of his body pressed against mine made my heart race. I didn’t want to wake him up, but the longer I stayed in his arms, the more aware I became of the tension building inside me.
Slowly, I tried to move his arm, hoping to slip out without disturbing him. But as soon as I shifted, Tariq’s hold tightened around me. He pulled me closer, his face nuzzling into my hair. My eyes widened, my heart pounding so loudly I was sure he could hear it. I froze. I didn’t know what to do.
Tariq stirred slightly and then grunted. His eyes fluttered open, and for a moment, he seemed disoriented. Then, his gaze focused on me, and a lazy smile spread across his face. "Good morning," he murmured, his voice thick with sleep.
I felt my face flush. "Good morning," I whispered.
His gaze softened, and without warning, he leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to the top of my head. My heart skipped a beat at the gentle and unexpected gesture. I blushed even more, but something about it felt...right.
"Did you sleep well?" Tariq asked, his voice low and soothing.
I nodded. "Yes, after you came and stayed with me, I felt...safe. I slept like a baby."
Tariq's expression softened even further. "I’m glad I could help. I promised I would keep you safe, didn’t I?"
My heart swelled at his words. "You did," I whispered, my gaze dropping to his lips. They were so close to mine. The warmth from his body, the way he looked at me; it all made me feel vulnerable and yet completely protected at the same time.
The air between us grew thick with unspoken tension. Tariq’s gaze flicked down to my lips, and I felt my breath catch in my throat. Was he going to kiss me? Did I want him to?
My pulse raced as Tariq slowly leaned in, his lips drawing closer to mine. My mind went blank. The world seemed to stop around me, and all I could think about was how much I wanted to close the gap between us.
Just as our lips were about to meet, a loud knock echoed through the room. I jumped, startled, my heart hammering in my chest.
"Leah, dear, have you seen Tariq?" Susan's voice called from the other side of the door. "He was supposed to help me this morning, but I haven’t seen him anywhere in the house."
I started to panic. What would Susan think if she found us in bed together? I quickly pulled away from Tariq, my face flushing with embarrassment. "Oh no," I whispered frantically, my heart racing. "What is she going to think if she sees us like this?"
Tariq, however, seemed completely unbothered. He grinned at me, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Relax, Leah. It's not a big deal," he teased, sitting up slowly. "I’ll just tell her I stayed with you because you had a nightmare. It’s the truth, after all."
I shot him a panicked look. "Are you crazy? What if she thinks...something else?" I couldn’t even finish the sentence; the thought was too mortifying.
Tariq chuckled softly. "Come on, Leah. It’s not like we were doing anything wrong." His voice was teasing, but there was a glint of playfulness in his eyes that made my heart flutter again. "Or are you worried about what people will think?"
I swatted his arm lightly, my face burning. "Stop teasing me! This is serious!" I whispered urgently, glancing at the door.
"Alright, alright," Tariq said, his grin widening. He made a show of stretching lazily before finally swinging his legs off the bed. "I’ll hide behind the curtains if it’ll make you feel better."
I let out a sigh of relief, but my embarrassment didn’t fade. I watched as Tariq sauntered over to the window, moving far too slowly for my liking. "Hurry up!" I hissed.
Tariq just smirked and shook his head, clearly enjoying the situation far too much. "You’re way too worried about this. But if it makes you feel better, I’ll play along."
I shot him one last glare before turning to face the door. I took a deep breath and opened it just a crack, trying to keep my expression calm. "Good morning, Susan," I greeted.
Susan gave me a warm smile, but there was a hint of concern in her eyes. "Good morning, Leah. Have you seen Tariq? He was supposed to help me with something this morning, but I haven’t seen him anywhere."
My heart raced, but I forced myself to shake my head. "No, I haven’t seen him," I said, trying to sound casual. "Maybe he went out for a walk or something?"
Susan frowned slightly, but she didn’t press the issue. "That’s strange. He usually tells me if he’s going out. Oh well, I’ll check around outside." She gave me one last smile before turning and walking away down the hall.
As soon as Susan was out of earshot, I closed the door and let out a long sigh of relief. "That was close," I muttered under my breath, pressing a hand to my chest.
Tariq stepped out from behind the curtains, grinning from ear to ear. "You really need to relax, Leah. You’re way too worried about what people think."
I glared at him, though there was no real anger behind it. "You’re impossible, you know that?"
Tariq just shrugged, still grinning. "Maybe. But you seem to like it."
My cheeks flushed again, and I looked away, biting my lip to keep from smiling. I hated how easily Tariq could make me feel flustered, but at the same time, I couldn’t deny the warmth that spread through me whenever he was near.
As the tension between us slowly faded, I couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if Susan hadn’t interrupted us. Would we have kissed? Did I even want that to happen?
The answer came to me in a rush, making my heart skip a beat. Yes. Yes, I did want that.
But for now, I pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the present. There would be time to think about it later. Right now, I had more important things to worry about, like figuring out how to survive another day without letting Tariq completely drive me crazy.
Still, as we walked out of the room together, I couldn’t help but smile. Maybe, just maybe, being around Tariq wasn’t so bad after all.