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“And what are we doing?” Siya immediately turned towards Raghav.
He was already looking at her.
“We are resting, Princess,” he replied, a slow grin appearing on his face.
Siya’s eyes narrowed slightly. She knew exactly what he meant by resting.
“We can rest later.” She gave him a pointed look. “Tomorrow afternoon, we’re going for a couples’ spa. After that, we can spend some time by the private pool, have lunch and maybe watch the sunset from the deck.”
The corner of Raghav’s mouth lifted.
“And after that?”
Siya leaned a little closer, lowering her voice just enough to make his eyes darken. “Then we rest.”
Raghav’s smile widened. “I’m in.”
The others immediately exchanged knowing looks.
“There it is,” Ayaan said, shaking his head with a laugh. “The only woman in the world who can make Raghav abandon his own plans and happily follow hers.”
Raghav raised an eyebrow. “I’m not following anyone.”
“Of course not,” Vishnu said with a completely straight face. “You just happened to agree to every single thing Siya suggested within thirty seconds.”
“That’s because her plans are better,” Raghav replied without the slightest hesitation.
Simran laughed. “See? We don’t even have to tease him. He does it himself.”
Meher leaned towards Ayaan and whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear, “Maybe we should take some lessons from Siya.”
Ayaan immediately looked suspicious. “Absolutely not.”
“Too late,” Meher replied with a grin.
The table erupted into laughter once again.
A few minutes later, while the others were still caught up in their conversation, Raghav’s hand quietly slipped beneath the edge of the table and came to rest on Siya’s leg, his fingers slowly tracing along the smooth skin of her thigh. The gesture was subtle enough that nobody else noticed.
Siya glanced at him. He was already watching her with that expression she knew far too well. She tried to make him stop but Raghav tightened his fingers around hers instead.
His eyes held hers for another moment before drifting briefly over her face and then lower to her neck where he knew the faint mark from his last night’s ministrations was still there. Exactly why Siya chose to wear a halter neck top today. To hide it. The memory of the previous night flashed between them without either of them needing to say a word.
Siya’s cheeks warmed instantly. She gave his hand a small squeeze, partly to warn him and partly to remind him that they were sitting at a table surrounded by everyone they knew. Reluctantly, Raghav finally behaved and returned his attention back to the table.
The conversation eventually drifted away from jealous wives, suspicious husbands and the unfortunate beach beauties who had unknowingly become part of their morning entertainment.
They turned their attention back to breakfast, reaching for fresh tropical fruits, pastries, eggs, pancakes and an assortment of Maldivian and continental dishes spread across the table. The easy chatter continued between mouthfuls, occasionally interrupted by another joke or a playful argument over what they should do later in the day.
By the time they finished breakfast, the mood around the table was lighter than ever. They had come to the Maldives for an escape, and with the ocean stretching endlessly beyond them, their spouses beside them and an entire day waiting to be enjoyed, none of them wanted to waste a single moment of it.
4. A Little Piece of Home
Next Day
The reception lounge of the resort was unusually quiet that morning. Most of the guests had already left for the beach or the restaurants or one of the many excursions arranged by the resort. The open-sided lobby overlooked the turquoise water, and the gentle sound of the waves mingled with the soft hum of the ceiling fans above.
Krish and Trisha were seated on one of the large couches near the reception desk, waiting for their transfer boat to arrive. They had decided to spend the day exploring the island before returning to the resort later in the evening.
