‘You’re still the only person who could destroy me by doing nothing at all.’
Her lips parted in a harsh exhale at his confession. Suddenly, Abhay reached out, and before she could react, he had her against the wall. Her heart hammered against her chest as he leaned closer and said, ‘I see it in your eyes. You can lie with your words all you want, but your eyes still look at me with love.’
She fisted his shirt in her palm with the intention of pushing him away, but hated that she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
Abhay held her gaze as he murmured, ‘I still think about that night.’
‘Stop,’ she whispered breathlessly.
‘I think about what I should’ve said, things I should’ve done differently, and about what would’ve happened if you’d stayed.’ The burning intensity in his eyes made her breaths shallow, and her traitorous gaze flicked down to his lips.
Her pulse thundered in her ears. The pull between them felt so magnetic and agonising that she closed her eyes. He rested his forehead against hers as he pleaded, ‘Say something, Siya.’
‘What do you want me to say?’ she asked as his lips hovered over hers, and all she could think about was pulling him closer and ending the agony she’s felt for years.
‘Something, anything, please,’ he said and tangled his hand through her hair as if he couldn’t bear the distance anymore.
He was close, so close, and so tempting that Siya thought to hell with everything. But just then, a loud ding echoed through the elevator, shattering the spell.
She jolted back like she’d been burned, and as the doors slid open, she pushed him away. Abhay held on for a moment, but then stepped back. He knew he’d lost her again when her eyes sparkled with fiery ice.
‘I can’t believe your audacity to stand here and ask for a chance to explain when you knew exactly what you were doing. You want me to say something? Fine. Leave me alone!’
Siya turned on her heels and walked out of the elevator without a look back, but she knew that she had left a part of herself in his arms, once again.
The plush carpet of the hallway muted the sound of her heels, but her pulse was still roaring in her ears. Siya rubbed her neck and took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves as she walked up to the concierge desk. The scent of expensive perfume hung in the night air, and the room was aglow in a muted warm golden light.
On any other night, Siya would have loved the serene atmosphere, but her heart hadn’t yet recovered from the elevator. The echo of that near-kiss still clung to her lips with a ferocity that made her feel feverish.
The woman at the concierge desk smiled politely at her and asked, ‘Good evening, Ms Kashyap. How may I help you?’
‘I’m here to meet Mr Kartik Kashyap. Private Dining,’ Siya replied and with a nod, the concierge began perusing through the reservations on the system.
Siya let out a breath slowly and tried to slip back into business mode. She ran her hand down the front of her sleek black dress, shedding the version of herself who had almost leaned into a kiss with the man she swore she’d never trust again.
But her entire body tensed when she felt his unmistakable presence. She could feel the shift in the air and turned to see Abhay standing beside her, hands in his pockets, looking at her with the same infuriating, calm expression that made her want to kiss him and kill him in the same moment.
‘I didn’t expect you to follow me,’ Siya stated indifferently, unwilling to show him how much he affected her.
‘You say that like it ever stopped me before.’ The passion in his eyes had cooled down, but the embers were still burning in their depths.
She couldn’t maintain eye contact with him after their heated moment, so she looked away, but her body betrayed her. A rush of heat rose up her neck, flushing just beneath the collar of her tight dress.
The concierge looked up at Abhay, and immediately her expression became dreamy as she asked him, ‘Hello, Mr Agrawal. How are you doing this fine evening?’
Abhay acknowledged her question with a brief nod but didn’t answer her question. He simply said, ‘I have a dinner reservation with Mihit Agrawal.’
The woman responded with a flirty smile, ‘Of course. One moment, sir.’
Siya knew it was a childish impulse, but she wanted to warn the woman to back off.
She tapped on the screen, then looked back up with a bright smile and announced, ‘Ms Kashyap and Mr Agrawal, you’re both expected in Room 03.’
Siya blinked, her brows pulling together. ‘Excuse me? Did you say both of us?’
‘Yes, ma’am, in Room 03, just down the hallway. Mr Agrawal and Mr Kashyap are already inside.’
Abhay stiffened and said, ‘That can’t be right.’
