“I need you,” she whispered, bringing his mouth to hers.
“I need you too,” he said, his voice strained and raw. He moved, brushing against the most sensitive part of her, and every nerve in her body turned to fire.
“Now,” she said, arching against him. “I need you now.” She grabbed a foil packet from her nightstand, then reached down, wrapping her hand around him. She brought him right where she wanted and stroked him once, willing him to press forward. Willing him tomove.
“Wait,” he said, his voice harsh, his breathing loud and uneven. “Wait.”
Meghna immediately removed her hand.
“What’s the matter? Were we…were we moving too fast? We can slow down. We can—”
“No,” he said, even as she felt his weight lift off her body. She mourned the loss of it, then blinked as the room suddenly filled with light. Her eyes adjusted to the brightness. And Karthik came back to bed, his eyes ablaze.
“I just wanted to see you.” He settled back over her and placed his hand on her cheek, moving it up to brush her hair behind her ear. “There. That’s better.” He stroked his thumb along her bottom lip and smiled.
Her heart squeezed.
And then he was exactly where she wanted, and finally…he moved. Wonder and awe played across his face, and then she wasn’t able to pay attention any longer. Her brain shut off and her eyes slid shut. He felt so good. So right. She matched his movements, returning them in full, their bodies playing the same song in perfect harmony.
“I love you,” he said. And then his mouth was on hers, his tongue entering and retreating in time with him. Meghna moaned, the sound getting lost in their kiss. He pulled her closer against him. Meghna wouldn’t have thought it possible, but here they were. Skin to skin. Somehow even closer than before.
“I love you,” he said again. Softly, then loudly, as they both came apart.
Meghna let the waves of pleasure wash over her, holding on to them for as long as she could, only opening her eyes when the intensity faded. Karthik’s body was slack, his face cradled in the curve of her neck, his breaths harsh and uneven against her skin.
He placed a kiss at the spot where her neck met her shoulder, then rolled away, turning so they both lay on their sides, face-to-face. Meghna smiled drowsily. She felt comfortable. Safe. Elated. But she already missed his touch. She inched closer, pushing slightly so Karthik rolled onto his back, allowing her to put her head on his chest.
Karthik’s arm immediately came around her, his hand sliding into her hair. She closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation of his fingers running against her scalp, sifting and playing with her curls.
“I knew I’d enjoy messing up your hair,” he said, his voice deep and rough, with a note of humor.
Meghna laughed. “You can mess it up likethatanytime you want.”
She snuggled closer until she was half-sprawled on top of his body. The steady sound of his heartbeat was like a lullaby. She was almost asleep when she froze, hearing an odd noise. It was…it was coming from Karthik.
She lifted her head off his chest and frowned, watching him carefully.
“Are you humming?” she asked, a note of surprise in her voice.
“What?” Karthik shook his head, but he wore a slightly sheepish expression. “No. I’m not.”
“Yes. Yes, you are,” Meghna said with a laugh. “It was really soft, but I could feel your chest vibrating. What were you humming?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, do it again.”
Karthik sighed, but hummed the same tune as before.
Meghna listened intently, then realization dawned. “I didn’t realize you liked that song that much.”
Karthik huffed out a sound of frustration. “I don’t even know what song it is. But it’s been stuck in my head ever since we came back to your place. It happened the first time I came here too.”
“The first time you came to my house?”
“Yeah.”
A small smile played on Meghna’s lips as she reached across his body for her phone. “It’s a good song. Here, I’ll play it for you.” She scrolled through her music app, then pressed play. “It’s called ‘On the Street Where You Live.’ It’s fromMy Fair Lady.”
