She had woken up draped over him in the wee hours of the morning, horny and grinding against his thigh. When she’d fallen asleep with him on the couch, she didn’t know. But it was clear that the two of them had spent the night with their limbs tangled and their bodies pressed against the other. In her sleep-induced haze, she’d arched and rubbed against him, gasping awake when the pressure between her legs had built up too much to allow her to remain in that liminal space between sleep and wakefulness. Her shocked sound had woken him up as well. Under the dull pre-dawn light, his eyes had locked with hers, widening at the realisation that his hands were caressing her naked back and his arousal was stiff against her stomach.
His head had lowered just an inch, until the sound of Nanamma cluttering about had broken the moment. Fearing discovery, they’d rushed to their respective rooms and Aditi had been left with a lingering fear that despite her denial, Rian had gotten too close for comfort.
Aditi had always been fiercely protective of the people she was close to, and overnight, she found that she felt that way about him as well. But that was all it could be, she told herself. Lust was okay. Friendship was fine. Protective instincts were natural, especially when she remembered that he was a young child when he’d suffered abuse at the hands of someone who should have protected him.
Beyond that, she needed to remember her goals.
The medical camp she had proposed leading looked like it would come to fruition in the near future. Her supervisor and mentor had made enough indications to that effect, asking if she would consider shifting base to Mumbai if required.
Working with her mentor long term would mean that Aditi could assist on the toughest and most rare gynaecological cases in Asia while learning from the best. She would be given a team to command, and enough budget to make multiple medical camps available for pregnant women in remote villages across India. She’d meticulously planned for this. She simply had to find the right person to fit into said plans– someone to marry so she could stay in India, progress in her chosen career, have a family, and keep her parents happy at the same time.
At the end of the day, Rian did not want to be that person and she wouldn’t force him to be.
So, despite Nina’s disapproval, she’d given Tarun another chance.
Their conversation had been easy, both making the other laugh and showing an interest in taking it further. He’d been jovial and chivalrous, and while Aditi had had to work hard to keep thoughts of stormy grey eyes from hogging her attention, she’d been mostly enjoying herself.
Until Rian had unceremoniously interrupted them.
“So? Are you done?”
Aditi was sure her confusion wasn’t hidden anymore.
“What? I don’t think—”
“I can escort her,” Tarun offered, staking his claim. “Hold on, let me finish paying for the meal.”
“That’s not needed. It’s on the house,” Rian said smoothly, his tone not the least bit friendly.
“It is?” Aditi asked, her voice sharper than Tarun’s.
To her horror and surprise, Rian loomed over her, gracing her with a look that was borderline intimate. He lifted a hand to herface, drawing a finger down from her temple to her cheek, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
She couldn’t move, goosebumps erupting everywhere at his touch. What the hell was he doing?
“I’ve told you before,” he murmured, his eyes boring into her. “When you’re with me, I pay for your food. No arguments.”
Her mouth dropped open.
“What’s going on?” Tarun demanded, clearly irritated.
She would have answered, but that would mean having to look away from Rian, something she seemed incapable of doing.
“You ready to leave, Doc?”
“But I can drop her off.” Tarun’s continued protest seemed to annoy Rian.
“That’d be out of the way for you,” he informed her date, his smile looking like a snarl.
Either Tarun was clueless or he really liked Aditi because he dared to question Rian anyway.
“Wouldn’t it be out of the way for you?”
“Of course not,” Rian replied, a supercilious glint in his eyes. “We live together.”
Aditi gasped, knowing that this truth sounded worse out of context. “Wait, I can explain,” she said, hoping to salvage the train wreck that Rian was causing.
“Later. Remember Nanamma’s waiting?” Before she could clarify Tarun’s doubts, Rian took her hand and led her out.