“I trust you,” she said again, using his surprise at her unexpected answer to bend forward and kiss him, drawing his lower lip between hers and suckling it so sweetly, he shuddered.
He groaned into her mouth when her hips moved invitingly against him. Without waiting, he lined himself with her entrance pulsed up, claiming her in a single thrust just as he tightened the reins. The pleasure of it caused her to tear up.
“Mine,” she heard him growl; his teeth marking her chest, his tongue soothing the bite. “All of you is mine. This body, your moans, your jokes, your laughter, your mind. It’s mine.”
My heart too, Aditi thought, her insides clenching harder when his wet mouth found her nipple, suckling her, causing her to cry softly.
He groaned into her skin, his hands helping her slide back and forth in tiny nudges that only stoked the flames of their mutual need.
“You have me addicted to the way you fit around me,” he confessed, his gaze trapping hers. “This feeling, when I’m buried so far in you that I think I can touch your soul—thisis my heaven.”
“Stay with me, then,” she said, her eyes fluttering shut as he pulsed upwards into her, seating himself as deeply within her as his words. “And don’t let go.”
He didn’t. Not when she fell apart on his lap, a choked scream erupting from her at the height of glory. Not when he untied her wrists and lay her down beneath him, kissing every precious part of her body until she was trembling with need once more, coming apart on his tongue with a tortured cry.
When he finally slid into her again, truly making love, their worlds collided, splintering with the heat of their combined passion. And as they slept that night, arms wrapped around the other, they both knew that without a doubt, they were forever changed.
34
Envy
Aditi
Wearing all the facetsof one’s nature with confidence was like having the perfect bra. It was not always a comfortable process to get there, and the damn sizes kept changing as you grew. But with enough effort, one could understand what suited them and find that they were uplifted in the best ways.
Aditi had believed she’d undergone this transformation already and had become self-aware. She thought she’d learnt to find a balance between the good and bad. She always tried to be kind, she tried not to covet that which wasn’t hers. She tried to let go of bad experiences, forgive and move on.
Today however, she was neck deep in a feeling she had thought she wouldn’t have cause to experience.
Envy.
Even with Harish, she’d only felt sad or disappointed when his behaviour had worsened. With Rian, she wanted to growl at any woman looking at him and hide him away.
She had to bite back a frown when the lady Rian was speaking to wouldn’t quit staring at him. It was natural. Not only was he easy on the eyes, he was also an attentive listener, a polite companion, and a perfect gentleman.
She just wished he was being that way with her instead of someone else.
Not that this distance was his fault, her conscience chided her. He’d been more than ready to announce their engagement to their friends. It was Aditi who had stopped him.
It was neither the time nor the place for it, she had explained to a disappointed Rian. She wanted to tell her parents first, before everyone else found out. And she would get that chance later tonight, she thought, checking her phone for her flight details.
“All okay?”
Aditi glanced up to see Kaya returning to their little hideaway at the edge of the ballroom. She handed her a glass of some sparkling pink drink.
“Just checked in to make sure the flight is on time.”
Kaya nodded, coming to stand right beside her. “Thank you, Aditi,” she said after a moment, looking almost shy.
“What for?”
“For attending this party despite having to travel tonight. Being around so many people gets overwhelming for me,” Kaya admitted sheepishly, gesturing to the crowded ballroom around them. “I don’t make friends too easily either so events like this tend to be a lonely and trying affair. Having you here means I have one more person I’m not awkward with.”
Aditi placed a gentle hand on Kaya’s arm, squeezing it in support. “I wouldn’t have missed your success party! Besides, I get to flex knowing a real-life author now. Do you know how jealous my sister is going to be when I tell her?”
“Tell her what?” a deep voice interrupted them. Immediately, Kaya’s face cleared. Her entire body relaxed and a blinding smile lit up her features as her husband joined their conversation.
Aditi took a sip of her drink, watching Kaya’s confidence grow under Arjun’s undivided attention as he showered her with genuine praise regarding her work. Her face softened at the couple she was observing. They truly seemed to need no one else when they were together. Their affection for each other was obvious and their love—palpable.