Meghna barely heard the question. His face was hovering right over hers, his lips so close to her own. If she stood on her tiptoes, she’d be able to kiss him.
“No.” The drowsiness from earlier disappeared. “I want to stay.” She bit her bottom lip, running her teeth over it before releasing it.
His eyes blazed with something bright and intense, traveling quickly over her face before stopping at her mouth. He stared for a moment and swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down in the most bewitching way.
And then, to Meghna’s extreme disappointment, he looked away, his gaze flickering around until it fixed on a spot above her shoulder. The brightness in his eyes dimmed, and she was tempted to wrap her hands around his jaw. To physically turn him back to her. To force that focused, intense, intoxicating expression back onto his face.
But before she could act on the impulse, his hand curled against the small of her back, drawing her in until her chest was flush against his. His eyes shot toward her lips, then back up. Determination was written across his face. Her heart pounded. He moved a millimeter closer.
“Is this okay?” he asked, so close that their breath intermingled.
“Yes,” she said, lifting slightly onto her toes.
Their lips met. But it wasn’t the passionate kiss that had been haunting Meghna’s thoughts for the last few days. Karthik merely brushed his lips against hers, held for a second, then pulled back. It was over before she could even register that it had begun.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “Seth was looking over.”
His words were like a punch to the stomach. It wasn’t real. Of course it wasn’t real.
“Right,” she said. “That’s what I assumed.” She flashed him a perfunctory smile. “Quick thinking.”
He watched her, but didn’t say anything. His eyes darted to her lips again.
She licked them nervously. “Guess we didn’t need to practice after all,” she said, trying to lighten the mood. And hide the fact that she had thought, just for a moment, that he had actually wanted to kiss her.
But he didn’t laugh at her joke. Instead, he lifted his hand and placed it on the curve of her cheek. Meghna froze.
“I don’t know,” he said. “Maybe we should rehearse it a few more times.” He tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear.
She swallowed. “I guess practice makes perfect.”
He leaned his face back down, erasing the little distance between them. “Exactly.” He cradled her jaw with his hand and tilted her head. And then he kissed her. Actually kissed her.
Meghna parted her lips, instinctively tightening her arms around his neck and dragging him closer. He let out a sound of approval, and his lips moved against hers with new intensity. This was more than she had imagined it would be. All-consuming in a way she hadn’t expected. There was nothing beyond the feel of his stubble, rough and coarse against her skin. His lips, somehow both firm and soft, pressing against her temple, her cheek, her jaw. The hard plane of his chest crushing against hers. His harsh breaths as they broke for a second, then came back for more. She loved it. She never wanted it to stop.
But it did. It had to. Karthik brushed his lips once, twice, and a third time against hers, then pulled back slowly. Her mind spun and she took a moment to catch her breath. Once she was slightly in control of herself, she glanced at Karthik, trying to gauge what he was thinking, but she couldn’t read him. His face was shuttered. It was the way he usually looked, but now it was jarring. So cold. And hard. And distant. She removed her arms from his neck and took a step back.
Whatever fluidity Karthik’s body had contained during their dancing had disappeared. His usual posture had returned: his shoulders tight, arms at his sides, chin up. The bubble had popped and there was no getting it back. She felt a sudden sense of loss.
“I’m sorry,” Karthik said.
“For what?”
He shook his head. “We shouldn’t have done that.”
He regretted it? Regretted kissing her? Meghna’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment, but she was determined not to let it show.
“Why? It was all just practice, right? It didn’t mean anything.” She patted his arm. “There’s nothing to feel sorry about.”
He looked away, not meeting her eyes. “No, I took it too far.”
“You didn’t,” she said firmly.
“We shouldn’t do it again.”
“Fine.” She was exasperated at the turn the conversation had taken. “We won’t. Now, are you ready to go back?”
He nodded, and they headed for the door, stopping to say goodbye to Seth and Eric on their way out. The rest of the group had left a while ago, but Seth and Eric had plans to stay out the rest of the night.
