Page 190 of Since You Stole My Heart

She sighed in relief as she took in the few books that had survived Viraj’s destruction.

‘How… how did you even do all of this? Are you secretly a magician?’

He laughed softly and guided her to the sofa with a gentle hand at her waist. When she moved to sit beside him, he tugged her down into his lap.

His arms came around her waist, his hand moving in slow circles over her back. ‘No,youare. I just followed your idea and told your assistant to send the boys over from the foundation. Since it was a rush job, I paid them triple.’

‘But we weren’t here.’

‘Vihaan and Luv stayed back to help. Don’t worry, all of them had a pizza party.’

Kashvi let out a small laugh, her fingers absently toying with the buttons on his shirt. ‘I can’t believe you did all this.’

His gaze stayed on her face. ‘I know you must be upset about the books, but I’ll make it right. Whatever we lost, I’ll replace it.’

‘Oh God, you’ve already done so much.’ Her voice caught as she went on, ‘I didn’t even have the energy to process any of it, and you just… I don’t even know how to thank you for everything.’

Swayam shook his head, dismissing the notion at once. ‘You don’t have to.’ He pulled her close, resting his forehead against hers. ‘I’ll fix anything that worries you. I’ll get rid of everything that hurts you. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure you never feel afraid again in your own home.’

His muscles tensed beneath her hands, and she gripped his collar tighter. ‘Our home.’

A soft sigh slipped past her lips as he tugged at her hair and drew her closer. He nuzzled her neck, pressing soft kisses alongthe curve. ‘You’re my home. Everything I need to be happy, to feel alive, comes from you.’

‘Then come back home to me,’ Kashvi whispered.

Something shifted in his eyes, and Swayam closed the distance between them in a single breath. His lips crashed onto hers, sending fire through her veins and jolting her back to life.

He gripped the nape of her neck, holding her there as he kissed her with slow, maddening fervour.

Kashvi melted into him, her fingers fisting in his shirt, feeling the steady thrum of his heartbeat beneath her palm. The faint scrape of his stubble and the warmth of his breath mingling with hers made her head spin.

When they broke apart, Kashvi whispered, ‘Don’t ever let me go.’

Swayam pulled her flush against him, making her breath hitch. ‘I meant it when I said I’m selfish. You’re only mine, and I’m never letting you go.’

When his fingers brushed her bruised cheek, pain shot through her, but she did not pull away. Restless with need, she moved against him until she could feel the solid line of him hardening beneath her.

He hissed sharply, grinding against her, making her lose her mind. ‘Baby, you’re making it very difficult to stop.’

‘Then don’t stop,’ she moaned, heat pooling low in her belly, aching for more.

‘It’s killing me to do that, but I don’t want to hurt you,’ Swayam admitted through clenched teeth.

The need to kiss him, to touch him, to lose herself in him burned brighter than the dull pain in her body. ‘Don’t think about that. Tell me what you want.’

‘What I want is to take my time with you.’

His words alone sent her pulse racing. And when his mouth found the curve of her jaw, her breath hitched. ‘I want to show you just how crazy you make me. I want to figure out what makes you moan and beg for more. I want to learn everything about you.’

His lips grazed her ear, licking the sensitive spot just beneath it. ‘And I want to hear you scream my name when you come, right here on my tongue.’

‘Swayam, do you really expect me to wait when you say things like that?’ she asked, breathless.

‘Do you really expect me to think when I have you on my lap like this?’ he shot back.

‘Then stop touching me,’ Kashvi challenged softly.

He caught her earlobe between his teeth, biting lightly before sucking it between his lips. ‘You look far too tempting for that.’