With a loud, desperate groan, he crashed his lips onto hers with a ravenous hunger. She fisted his t-shirt and pulled him impossibly closer. His fingers slid across her lower back, and her breath hitched.
Siya wasn’t sure how she was still upright. She could smell the faint trace of salt clinging to his shirt from the beach air earlier, mixed with something darker and woodsy.
Her back felt cool against the glass behind her, but her body felt feverish under his possessive touch. A moan escaped her lips when he tugged at her earlobe gently with his teeth.
The elevator opened with a soft chime, and he reluctantly pulled away. He stepped back just enough to adjust his grip on her hand before tugging her gently into the hallway. The corridor was dimly lit and lined with a dark, lush carpet that absorbed the sound of their footsteps.
She watched his profile as they walked. There was a quiet power in the way he moved that mesmerised her. For a moment, she wondered what it would feel like to see him completely undone, and that thought sent a shiver through her.
Something about him felt familiar to her, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. It was driving her crazy.
They reached her suite, and she swiped the keycard. He pushed the door open and guided her inside. The door clicked shut behind them, and suddenly, her back hit the wood with a gentle thud. He was standing in front of her, his palms braced on either side of her head. Her clutch and his hoodie clattered onto the floor.
‘The minute I saw you standing on the balcony, I knew I was in trouble,’ he said, leaning closer. ‘I want to kiss you again, to know the sounds you make when I touch you in all the ways thatwill drive you crazy, and how you scream my name when you come apart on my fingers.’
The heat and hardness of his body against hers made it hard for her to think straight. ‘Is that so?’
‘Uh-huh, I’m going to spend all night memorising every damn inch of you,’ he said, tracing her burning cheek with his nose.
Siya knew she’d never seen eyes that were so mesmerising before, and never would again. His rich, honey-brown eyes could compel most people into divulging their deepest secrets, but it was the admiration and desire simmering in them that stole her breath.
She traced the stubble along his jaw with the back of her fingers. ‘That sounds like a great idea, but for that I need to know your name.’
His grip flexed slightly where he held her waist, and the light in his eyes dimmed. He pulled back an inch, and his expression flickered with hesitation before he said, ‘Abhinav.’
‘You don’t have to look so heartbroken about it. I like the name,’ she teased him, trying to soften the sudden tension. ‘And I’m Siya.’
His lips curved into a reluctant smile. Before she could ask him what that look meant, his phone rang. He stepped back to answer it, and she couldn’t explain the small sting of disappointment curling through her at his absence.
With a mumbled apology, he walked up to the balcony, and after a hushed exchange, he disconnected. ‘I need to meet my friend downstairs. He managed to get into more trouble. It’ll only take a few minutes.’
Siya nodded, trying not to let her face fall too visibly, and sank onto the edge of the bed. ‘Okay, I’ll be here.’
He lingered around her like he wanted to say more, but then shook his head, caressed her cheek once, and left.
Her heart was still beating too fast, and she wondered what had happened to her. She’d never done this before. She’d never kissed someone with that much heat, that much urgency, that much need. Yet with Abhinav, it felt… right. That terrified her more than anything else.
She rolled her eyes at herself and let out a soft, mocking huff. ‘Get a grip. He’s just a guy.’
The silence of the room shattered when her phone rang with an incoming call.
Dhruv.
Of course, he somehow knew she was feeling at peace and had to find a way to ruin it. She debated not picking up, but avoiding him only ever gave him more material to work with, and she wasn’t in the mood for the smug texts he would surely send later. She swiped to answer it.
‘Happy New Year, darling sister. I hope you’re not celebrating it doing something wildly inappropriate,’ he drawled lazily.
‘I’m not doing this with you tonight, Dhruv,’ she said, rubbing the sore space between her eyebrows.
‘It’s just that I couldn’t help but notice you left the party with quite the mysterious date.’
A pulse of irritation flared through her. ‘What exactly will it take for you to mind your own business?’
‘I just thought you might want to know that if Dad had seen who you left with, he wouldn’t have called it a great start to the year.’
She sat up straighter, frowning. ‘Why would Dad care who I—’
‘Of course, he would care. It would probably give him a stroke if he saw how much fun you were having hanging out with the son of our family’s beloved enemy?’
