Page 191 of Since You Stole My Heart

Then he accidentally caught her injured hand, and the sharp sting cut through the haze of pleasure, making her yelp.

Swayam instantly pulled away, concern flashing in his eyes. ‘Kash? Are you okay? Did I hurt you?’

She shook her head quickly, trying to ignore the ache shooting up her arm.

He turned her palm over and checked the stitches to make sure he had not done any damage. Then he pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her fingers. ‘There’s no rush, Kash. I’ve waited too long for this to rush through our first time, that too on the sofa. I plan to make it a special memory. Just wait until you heal.’

Kashvi raised a brow. ‘And then?’

His voice dropped to a low murmur. ‘Then I’ll take you to a cabin far away and make you come so hard that your moans will echo in the mountains. I swear, just a little while more.’

‘Easy for you to say,’ she scoffed.

He gave her a mischievous smile. ‘Believe me, baby, it’s a reallyhardchoice for me.’

‘That was a bad pun,’ Kashvi laughed, swatting his chest.

Swayam winced.

‘Oh my God, what did I do?’ she asked urgently, rubbing his chest gently.

‘Nothing.’

The image she had tried so hard to bury forced its way back with cruel clarity. That was where Viraj had struck him earlier.

Before she could ask about it, he pulled her back against him. ‘It takes more than a punch to hurt me, baby. Don’t worry.’

A flicker of unease moved through her. She had to know. ‘What about marrying me? Was that a hard choice?’

‘Not at all. The moment I heard that, all I wanted to know was when and where.’

She played with his scruffy beard as she smiled. ‘You always say the right thing. It’s like you walked straight out of every romance novel I’ve ever loved.’

‘Speaking of which, do you remember that one birthday gift I couldn’t get in time?’

‘Yeah?’

His grin widened. ‘It’s here.’

She laughed, shaking her head. ‘Seriously? You’re still on that?’

His coffee-brown eyes glittered with satisfaction as he nudged her nose with his.

Thank God for that.

Kashvi straightened with a fresh burst of energy. ‘Show me, show me.’

Swayam leaned sideways and stretched an arm to grab a brown package from the bottom shelf of the bookcase. He handed it to her, and she tore open the wrapping.

The hardcover gleamed faintly under the lamp. Its surface was painted with a deep midnight sky, where a cluster of stars stretched endlessly above a valley. The illustration was both serene and haunting.

At the bottom, the title,The Valley Between Usby Ira Advay, was embossed in silver.

She could not believe that the book she had been searching for all these years was finally in her hands. ‘Oh my God. How did you get this?’

Swayam flashed a satisfied grin. ‘I found it listed at a remote bookstore in Mussoorie. It took a while to get it delivered. Luckily, Luv was here to receive it.’

She carefully opened the cover and shrieked in delight when she saw the year printed inside.