“Liar. I’m precious and fun. I make you smile all prettily. Like that.” He pointed in the general direction of her face.
To her utter surprise, Vera found that she had indeed been smiling at him. She slapped a hand to her mouth, her fingers trembling when she realised how easily he’d managed to charm her.
“Stop flirting,” she ordered again, needing to gain control over herself.
“I need to get the energy out somehow.”
“Not with me.”
“Only with you.”
“Oi, Charming! Stop it right now. Study!”
“Why?”
Vera stomped her foot under the table. The scraping of her chair legs had him shifting to give her room to stand.
“Because it frustrates me that you’re so smart and you don’t use your mind!” she snapped, glowering down at him, hands on her hips.
The smile that bloomed on his face mesmerised her.
“You think I’m smart?”
Caught, she went still, blinking rapidly to try to hold on to her usual confidence. She waved one hand in the air while she searched for the right words.
“I mean. . . occasionally, you exhibit some intelligence that makes me feel surprised.”
“Is that all I make you feel?”
Vera’s breath caught in her throat at his question. For the first time, she glimpsed a vulnerability in him she’d never expected to see.
Unable to hold his gaze, she tried to turn away, squeaking when a firm tug on her arm had her toppling into his lap. She flailed, trying to get up, but he kept tugging her back before she could gain any leverage.
Her gaze swung towards the entrance of the study room, worried that Mr. or Mrs. Oberoi would walk in and misunderstand what was happening. The Oberoi mansion was massive with multiple staff members who could pass by anytime and see Vera on Vihaan’s lap. A warm palm cupped her cheek, turning her face towards the boy who seemed to have no concern about the scandal that would ensue if they were discovered like this.
“I’m here, not outside the door,” Vihaan complained.
“Are you crazy? Let me go,” she hissed, her hands on his shoulders stilling when his fingers slipped around her nape. His eyes bored into her with an intensity that felt out of place for a person as easy-going as him.
“I know you think I’m just a flirt, but you’ve always seen through my bullshit. I like you, Princess. I think you like me, too.”
“Huh?”
“Haan? I didn’t think you’d agree so quickly.”
“I didn’t! It was an exclamation. Don’t confuse it with an acceptance.” She tried to sound sharp, failing when his large hand pressed into her back, drawing her closer.
“Then accept me. Tell me how you feel.”
The thumb rubbing back and forth softly at the corner of her jaw had her feeling dizzy. A sudden thought settled into her.
“If you score over eighty-percent on the exams, I’ll tell you how I feel.”
“And if I score over ninety?”
She stilled.
“Why do you look so shocked?” he asked, his keen eyesight picking up on her momentary reaction.