Chapter 14

Neil didn't know what to make of the girl who sat in the hot tub when it was snowing with an entire bottle of champagne and a flute glass in her hand. Top to it she was wearing a nightshirt. Who wore a nightshirt and sat in a hot tub? People usually wore swimsuits. She was in a different mood since the second she had opened the door of her room and walked out. She had been wearing the same nightshirt, a pale pink cotton half sleeves shirt that fell all the way to her knees. He hadn't even gotten a chance to say 'hi'. She had walked out with the bottle and the flute glass. Then walked all the way to the well-stocked bar, eyed the wine bottle he had opened but instead of picking it up she had picked up the bottle of vodka and then walked past him to the balcony. Switched on the jets and downed a glass of champagne in one clean sweep before going ahead and sitting in the tub. Her hair piled in a high bun at the top of her head. She looked angry. Grim. Even upset. And Neil couldn't come up with one reason why that was. He hadn't said anything. So what was wrong? Should he ask? He wasn't sure. It wouldn't be right. If she wanted to tell him she would. But they were friends. Sort of. After what they had shared so far, friendship was the safest term he could give their association. The way she was going with the liquors he was sure she was going to get drunk. One never mixed their drinks. And drinking when upset wasn't the right way to overcome the upset anyway.

He just stood in a lounging position by the door and watched her. He had refilled his glass of wine. What was he looking at? Except for watching her get drunk. Well, the fool could very well drown in that inebriated state. He was curious. He had deduced she was a really nice person, despite her often unconfident and nervous self, she was pretty smart. The speed at which she had picked up the art of skiing said a lot about her. And she had the spirit too. He had seen it. Admired it. But he had never thought of her in a state like this. The problem was he didn't like it. Women and drinks were strictly their business and he had never based an opinion over it. For the simple reason that each had a brain to think about the pros and cons and the fact about free choice. But for some weird reason he didn't like Simi going overboard with it. Why? He didn't know and it was irritating him.

She was a simple person. Her thoughts, her clothes, her manner of speaking everything highlighted that about her so why would a girl like her want to get drunk. There was no kick in getting high and then bearing a hangover the next day. Somehow he felt she wasn't this sort of person. Something was driving her to behave like this and she would be bloody ashamed of herself come morning. Damn. What could he do? He had told her he would keep to himself. And he held no right to interfere. But he couldn't...no, make that wouldn't, suffer a drunk girl on his hands. Friend or stranger. Period. He straightened and went to the washroom to get a robe for her. Hell, she had downed at least three shots of vodka already. He walked out on the balcony. It was freezing. She must not be feeling it. One because of the hot tub and two because of the liquor coursing through her blood.

"Okay, I guess that's enough already," he said a bit tightly, "get out of there," he ordered.

Neil narrowed his gaze when she just stared at him refusing to comply. He saw defiance. The emotion made her eyes glitter. That was a first. It hadn't occurred to him that a girl with her temperament could have a trait such as that in her DNA. Apparently she did. Or was it the alcohol. It didn't matter despite it being fascinating.

"Come on Simi," he said again.

"You are not my keeper," she said cheekily as she finished the contents of her glass. And Neil almost took the bottle away from her.

"I know, now come on, get out of there," he told her tersely.

"Aren't you taking the fake husband thing a bit seriously," Simi said as she looked at him, squinting her eyes as if trying to place him, "I am not done yet and I am not coming out either," she told him categorically.

"Simi," Neil said strictly, "fake or not I am your supposed husband till the time we are here," he reminded her and at the grin she gave him he almost lost it on her, "I don't want any casualties here, so please, come out and get into this robe...or else," he said and would have gone on when she interrupted him.

"Or else?" she said and tilted her chin at a stubborn angle.

For a second Neil forgot what he was going to say. She wasn't sassy by nature, he hadn't seen any glimpse of it before. But it sure as hell suited her. Sitting in that tub with bubbles covering her from shoulders to the tips of her toes and a few tendrils framing her face she looked adorable. Beautiful even. And the angle at which she had turned her chin defined her petite bone structure more prominently. At any other time and any other place he would have enjoyed this banter but that place or time wasn't now.

"Don't push it Miss Sardana," he said sternly then gave her a half smile, "I will come and get you if I have to," he told her in no nonsense tone.

As he watched her look at him suspiciously he realized she was already halfway past the benchmark for being sotted. Her brain was muddled as she tried to understand the meaning of his threat. He could see the frown lines as her brain struggled. The slow reaction proved it.

"You won't," she said and shook her head and Neil looked at the sky and took a deep breath trying to pick on the threads of patience, "you had promised to keep out of my way," she said and Neil could hear her words come out more slowly, "and you are a good man...so you have to keep your promise...but...but," she said and fumbled concentrating harder on what she had to say further, "you just said you would come and get me, so you will....because you are a good man and you have to keep your promise," she said.

Neil was having a hard time trying to make sense of what she was saying. That did it. He walked up to the power switch of the jets in the tub and turned it off. The bubbles immediately vanished. And so did Simi's slowness. She quickly scrambled to her feet and stood up straight on the step she was sitting on.

"Are you coming out or not," Neil said trying to ignore how clingy her nightshirt was after being soaked to its last thread making it almost transparent. Damn the girl. It was hard to concentrate on her face and get her to act. He was a mere man after all.

"You can't make me," she said defying his order.

"Alright, then let's do it your way," he said concentrating harder than he ever had before, "let me take off my clothes and I will join you," he said and placed the robe on the side and started to pull his sweater off his head.

"You won't do that," Simi said skeptically. She wasn't thinking straight. How could she? First her mother over the phone and now him trying to take off his clothes. In front of her. She was a mere girl. How much was she supposed to handle?

"Try me," he said as he took off his sweater and started to unbutton his shirt.

"Coming...coming," she said quickly as she saw him open the first button of his shirt. Jeez. The man was stubborn just like a mule.

She slowly walked towards the edge to climb out and almost slipped. She shrieked and Neil called out a warning to be careful. He offered her his hand when she finally was within grasping distance. She held onto it and climbed out and slipped on the snow below her feet. It was cold. It was freezing. And almost immediately her teeth started chattering. Her feet started hurting. Strange, she could feel all of that despite the fact that she was seeing two of Neil. He had grabbed her around the waist and pulled her firmly to him when she couldn't stand still and helped her in the big fluffy robe. Then he took her inside and ordered her to change out of her wet clothes and not try and take a shower. He wasn't sure if she would survive or pass out.

He heard her mutter as she changed. And Neil rubbed the area between his brows. Tiredly. If she continued this way, it was going to be some night. He heard something about 'bossy fathers' and then 'mule headed men'. Then she went on to call Neil a dictator. And Neil shook his head. Next came 'Hitler'. Really? She would liken him to the Nazis now.

He heard a thud and then a loud groan. He had to resist the urge to go and find out what happened. He wasn't sure what state he would find her in. Because when he had grabbed her around the waist and held her up against him firmly he had felt her wet soft curves fit perfectly to his hard ones. She had been so close that he had seen her pupils dilate, her lips part slightly. And he had wanted to taste those lips and see if they were actually as soft as they looked. Her fragrance had immediately wrapped itself around him weaving a strong spell. Despite his clinical approach when he had helped her into the robe he had felt the pull towards her. Nope it was a very good idea that he let her figure things out inside that room.

He looked at his wrist watch. It was almost eight twenty. It was timethey ordered dinner. They weren't going to eat in a restaurant today either.Guess it will just have to wait. Eating a little would help her brain workbetter. It would definitely reduce her drunken state. And maybe get her to tellhim the reason of her bizarre behavior. With that decided he went to the phoneand taking the menu placed the order.

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