She placed her hand over his and smiled. “You didn’t.”
Armaan had simply pulled her closer and kissed her lightly on her lips. “You know, you can always touch me.”
She blushed with a nod. “I’d keep that in mind.” He’d flown to Singapore for business the very next day, leaving her to miss his presence every single day.
The ping of her phone brought her back to the present. Her lips curved into a full-fledged smile when she saw the message from him.Arriving this evening to India. I will meet you for dinner.
Okay! You’re in for some treats,she immediately typed back.
Dinner can’t get here fast enough. Wait for me, Sugar.He typed back, wanting to get back to her as soon as possible. The whole month had been a revelation about Mia one way or the other. He understood and experienced how far she’d come and how much her life experiences had changed her. Earlier, he’d found a naivety in her, a trusting belief, that had sadly been shattered. He put away his phone with a sigh and lay back with his eyes closed.
She smiled at Armaan’s reply and quickly got down to business.
Chapter 10
When her doorbell rang that evening, she almost skipped to the door. She’d come home from her restaurant an hour earlier than usual to cook dinner. After cooking and a hot shower, she pulled out her favorite teal dress. Irritated with her curls, she let them free after washing her hair. After setting the table, she looked at the clock. On cue, the doorbell rang.
“Hi, welcome back.” She launched herself into his arms, much to the surprise of Armaan.
“Whoa! If this is the kind of welcome I’m gonna get, I better get going for my next trip soon.” He laughed.
“Get in.” She rolled her eyes although she was grinning. After closing the door behind her, she turned around and directly walked into his chest. With their height difference, her face directly hit the middle of his chest. “Urghhh wha...” Her words were muffled by his kiss. He tried to quickly step back, but she caught the lapels of his shirt and went on her tiptoes.
“Wait...wait!” He peeled himself off her with some difficulty. “Are you sure about this?” Armaan’s concern did not escape her notice.
Mia felt her face warm with embarrassment. She'd practically attacked the man as soon as he got in. “Sorry, I…”
“Hey, I’m not complaining.” He smirked. “I only wanted to be sure you’re okay.”
“Yes.” She nodded and gave a small smile in return.
“Yeah? Where were we then?” He drew her to his body gently, kissing her lightly on her lips, taking care not to overwhelm her.
“Armaan! Are you going to make me beg?” She whined.
“What? No! I’m going slow for your sake.” Suddenly, he sobered. “I’m sorry! The other day...I didn’t mean to behave like an animal that...that last time.” Twin color hit his cheekbones.
“Oh, no! It was all my fault.” Mia’s distress poured through her words.
“Okay! Okay, let’s stop blaming ourselves.” He bent down to kiss her, this time gently biting her lower lip. Hearing a shaky sigh escape her lips, he slowly drew her into the kiss, little by little, until she was blindly mimicking his actions.
Mia didn’t know how or when they reached her room. Her head was spinning from his touches and kisses. He placed her gently on the bed and switched on the soft light. He got on to the bed, taking care to maintain some distance. “You okay? Remember, you want to stop, you only have to say so.”
Her eyes shone with unshed tears, resembling two emerald stones.
“What is it? Honey, want me to step on the brake?”
“No!” A lone tear dropped down to her cheek before she grabbed him for a hug. “Thank you! Thank you for not making me feel like…” she hiccupped.
“Shhh...it’s okay.” He gently kissed her, while his clever hands undid her dress slowly. His lips travelled to her neck, sucking her soft, pale skin. When he tried to peel her dress away, she caught the fabric, hesitation, and a slight panic entering her eyes.
Armaan was experienced enough with women and with Mia to know when to withdraw, allowing her to take the lead. Leaving her side for a moment, he started unbuttoning his pale blue shirt slowly, letting her see his lean, chiselled body. By the time he dropped his shirt, her eyes were clouded again with desire. She seemed mesmerized by the small, dragon tattoo on his chest. Perfect! “Now it’s your turn.” He murmured, kissing her shoulder. “Do you want to take it off?” He nibbled her ear, simultaneously indicating her chiffon dress.
Mia nodded slowly, her heart thudding. Was this when he saw her plus-sized body and expressed disgust? She knew he’d been with a lot of beautiful, perfect women. How could she even compete with their ghosts?
“Do you want me to take off my pants too? Will that do the trick?” He gave her a lopsided grin, accurately guessing the reason for her hesitation and shyness. This time, he was prepared. Over the past month, he’d slowly understood the extent of damage that her perverted bastard of a husband had inflicted on this beautiful, kindhearted girl. He’d also learned about her anxiety, her subsequent road to therapy, and her slow and steady fight to normalcy. If he’d been turned on by her before, he was completely blown away by her inner strength and her spirit.
“Oh, no! You don’t.” She replied in a rush, her face solemn.
