Page 33 of Since You Stole My Heart

‘Shut up.’

Water dripped from her hair, soaking into her clothes. She leaned back against the seat, swiping at her face as she tried to shake off the chill.

A few droplets flicked off her hair and landed on Swayam’s cheek, drawing his gaze.

Kashvi pushed her damp hair back, catching her breath. ‘I swear, next time…’

She trailed off as the look in his eyes stole the rest of her breath away. His gaze dipped to her lips, and her pulse spiked.

His hair, darkened by the rain, fell messily across his forehead. His shirt was slightly open at the collar, revealing the faint outline of his collarbone and the heavy rise and fall of his breathing. A sliver of heat prickled deep in her belly.

Swayam looked at her as though she was the most fascinating thing he had ever seen. It made her nervous.

‘Why does it feel like you’re about to do something very, very stupid?’ she asked, her voice edged with a tremor.

‘I am,’ Swayam admitted, a faint hint of a smile playing on his lips. ‘And I think you like that idea.’

‘I don’t know what you mean,’ she breathed.

His eyes never left hers as he brushed his thumb lightly along her cheekbone. ‘You do.’

‘And if I don’t?’ she challenged, trying to hide the echo of her hammering pulse.

‘Then it would break my heart, because it would mean you truly have no idea how hard you make it for me to behave like a gentleman around you.’

He was close enough for her to catch the flecks of brown in his eyes, and she let out a shaky breath.

‘You know, I used to tell myself that if I waited long enough, you’d look at me like this.’ The vulnerability in his voice made her chest ache. His fingers slipped into her damp hair, cupping the nape of her neck.

‘Like what?’

Swayam leaned forward until his forehead rested against hers. His breath fanned her cheek, carrying the faint scent of rain and coffee. ‘Like all you want is for me to break every rule you’ve set for us. It’s driving me insane.’

He tucked a damp strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers grazing her temple. A shiver ran through her, and her heart stuttered painfully.

When his knuckles drifted down to the corner of her mouth, Kashvi forgot how to breathe. She whispered his name, though she didn’t know what she was trying to say.

Swayam cupped her jaw and traced the curve of her lower lip, slow and deliberate. Heat rushed up her neck in a dizzying wave.

‘Do you have any idea how hard this has been for me? Living with you, waking up to your smile and pretending it doesn’t ruin me for the rest of the day. I’ve wanted you for longer than I’ll ever admit… and every time you doubt it, I have to stop myself from proving it.’

Her heart pounded wildly against her ribs. Even after all these years, one look at him was enough to remind her that her crush on him had never really faded.

When he brushed his thumb over her trembling lower lip, Kashvi curled her hand around his wrist, unsure whether she meant to push him away or pull him closer.

‘Just kiss me, baby, and put me out of my misery,’ Swayam whispered so softly she almost thought she had imagined it.

She gasped as his lips grazed her ear, and her fraying restraint finally snapped. Years of distance, rules, and careful control vanished into thin air. The hunger she felt was reflected back in his eyes.

Kashvi gripped the collar of his shirt with a need so sudden and fierce that it shattered the last of her hesitation.

When their lips met, the world fell away.

It was soft at first, tentative and gentle in a way that told her he was still holding back, still giving her a chance to pull away. But she was already too far gone for that.

A moan slipped free as she parted her lips, and the first taste of her finally shattered the last thread of his control. Swayam slid his other hand into her damp hair, holding her there as the kiss became urgent and consuming.

He poured years of longing into that kiss as he pulled her flush against his chest, and despite every rule she had ever made for herself, she kissed him back with the same reckless abandon, until every nerve beneath her skin felt like it was on fire.