Laws of Attraction

The last of the evening's sun was streaming in through the glass window panes. She had never entered his study. Ambrosia stood admiring the enviable collection of books propped up on the vast shelves that snaked their way around the entire room. Unconsciously, she ran her fingers over the meticulously arranged books. Her eyes skimmed the titles one by one as she did so. An unabridged version of 'The Age of Innocence' caught her attention. She carefully removed the Edith Wharton classic from the space where it was perfectly wedged. Looking at the seemingly aged hard bound cover and the many years that it hid behind its yellowed pages, she couldn't resist. Closing her eyes, she pressed the open book to her nose and took a whiff. The smell of old books was something she cherished a lot. Oblivious to her surroundings, she was unaware of Tarquinius who stood a few feet behind her, his eyes sweeping down her delicate form.

"Ahem," he cleared his throat loudly. She whirled around in surprise and dropped the book from her hands. She froze momentarily. She wondered for how long had he been standing there and whether he had just witnessed her silly book-sniffing episode. 

He had.

She stood there looking like a frightened little kitten. He found her adorable. He saw the book she had dropped lying on the floor. Fighting back a smile, he marched forward. Breaking out of her reverie, she remembered about the book still lying a few inches away from her feet. Before she could do something about it, Tarquinius had retrieved it. He now held it in his hand and looked at her. Sensing her hesitation, he covered the distance between them in two languid movements. He now held the book in front of her. 

"It's one of my favorites too," he revealed. 

She looked up at him for a moment before averting her gaze. Staring into his eyes always made her nervous. She gingerly took it from his hands and as she did do, she accidentally brushed her fingers along his. Startled, she looked up again into his eyes but this time she couldn't look away. A strange yet familiar sensation passed through them. That electricity that she had always shied away from and that he could resist no more. He took a step towards her backing her up against the shelf, all the while never taking his eyes off her. He placed his arms on either side of her waist trapping her effectively. There was nowhere else to go. His eyes held her captive. There was something in them she couldn't ignore. Her scent clouded his head as he leaned in. They were attracted to each other like a moth to the fly. Like the lion to the lamb. Like iron and magnets. Reason and logic melted away. A soft, faint thud resounded as the book hit the floor again... 

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.