Every Move You Make (Sehgal Family & Friends #9)

Prologue

Marquis Nightclub

Singapore

The bass pulsed through the floor, a hypnotic rhythm that seemed to echo the chaos in her chest. The Marquis nightclub in Singapore was truly one of a kind, thanks to the massive Ferris wheel built into its structure, a landmark that made the club as unforgettable as the nights it hosted.

Yet despite its drama and glittering appeal, none of it managed to capture her attention tonight.

Tonight, her attention was solely fixed on the man beside her.

Shauna Sehgal surreptitiously glanced at him—the reason her heart was rebelling against her.

Akash Karia.

Her nemesis.

The one man she disliked more than anyone else.

Yet her gaze kept straying toward him. She forced herself to look ahead instead, fixing her eyes on the people in front of her.

Anywhere but him. Because if she looked back, she’d see that infuriating smirk, the one that said he knew she’d been staring.

And worse, he was watching her too. She could feel his eyes on her.

That’s why her pulse was thundering, and her chest was a riot of panic and heat.

Dammit. They weren’t even alone. They were surrounded by people.

Their friends, Aditya and Sabrina, were here too, although those two were lost in their own world, talking like the old friends they were.

She ought to ignore Akash, like she always did.

But tonight, she was finding it impossible to do so.

She exhaled, steadying herself. She’d spent years avoiding him, years hating him.

Her heart tripped, as if reminding her that there had been a time when she hadn’t disliked him, a time when he’d made her feel seen in a way no one else had.

A time when she’d let herself believe something good could grow between them.

But those hopes had shattered quietly, leaving behind pieces she’d learned to hide well.

Since then, every exchange between them had come wrapped in sarcasm and sharp edges.

Every glance seemed to challenge, every word daring the other to flinch first.

And yet… despite the bitterness and the constant clash between them, something in her still reacted to him. A pull she couldn’t understand. A fire she’d never been able to smother. And tonight, that flame seemed to burn brighter than ever.

Losing the battle with herself, her eyes drifted back to him. Oh God, why was this happening tonight? Why was she finding it impossible to tear her eyes away from that annoyingly handsome face of his?

His eyes found hers through the haze and the noise, and something inside her went still. The look he gave her was deliberate, confident, and way too sharp. Her heart pounded.

Giving up all pretense, she let herself look at him—really look.

Dressed like sin in all black, his collar open and his sleeves rolled up, he looked like trouble.

And the way her heart was hammering away, she definitely was in a lot of trouble.

Her eyes drifted over him, fixating on the open edge of his collar, where she caught a glimpse of black ink curling along the side of his neck before disappearing beneath the fabric of his shirt, as though the tattoo continued down his shoulder.

She couldn’t make out what it was, but damn it, it aroused her curiosity.

After knowing him for years, she was certain the ink was new, and like a fool, she wanted to know what it was and how far it went. Bloody hell. She was acting insane.

Usually, she was able to hide everything she felt for him behind a cool facade of dislike and aversion, but tonight, nothing seemed to work.

Her heart wouldn’t stay still, and every time she caught him watching her, heat rushed beneath her skin.

She exhaled a shaky breath. What in the name of God was happening to her? And why tonight?

“It’s obvious, isn’t it?” Akash’s low, velvety voice whispered in her ear, as if answering her unspoken question. “This kind of chemistry… you can’t fake it.”

She blinked, startled. Was he also feeling everything that she was feeling?

Fuck. How bold of him to bring it up with her like this.

Despite being her cousin Kabier’s brother-in-law, Akash and she had been at war for years, and yet there was this cursed attraction that refused to let her be.

She didn’t know what to do about it or him.

He shifted slightly closer. His shoulder brushed against hers, and a shiver ran down her spine.

He was standing far too close for comfort, yet she couldn’t bring herself to move away.

She inhaled, and his scent washed over her.

It was heady, a mix of oud and wood, so delicious.

She fought to keep her expression neutral, but her eyes, along with the rest of her, seemed to have a mind of their own tonight.

She stared at him. No, she was staring at his mouth, the curve of it edged with amusement.

God, stop staring at his lips.

What was wrong with her? The heat from his shoulder seeped into her, burning straight into her skin and spread like wildfire.

She shifted slightly, hoping to break the contact, but he moved with her, as if unable to keep away either.

Her mouth opened and then closed. Why was she suddenly so aware of him?

His gaze lingered on her, deliberate and lazy, making the air between them thicken. “Something like this is hard to deny.”

Shauna glanced at him, her pulse tripping at the confidence in his tone. “Is it?”

“Yes,” he said easily, flashing that infuriating grin. “I can always tell when sparks are about to fly. And trust me, they will tonight.”

The image of her and him tangled on a bed flashed through her mind. Her chest lurched. What in the absolute fuck was wrong with her?

She snapped out of whatever spell she’d been caught in and narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re so full of yourself. Why would I ever be attracted to you?”

His brows rose, the grin deepening. “Who said anything about you?”

Her stomach dipped. “Wait… what?”

Akash tilted his head toward Aditya and Sabrina, standing ahead of them. “I was talking about them. But it’s interesting that your mind went there.”

Heat climbed up her neck before she could stop it. “I… oh, just shut up.”

He chuckled, and the rich sound slid over her skin like a caress. God, she hated that it did.

Tossing her hair to the side, she looked away from him, feeling like an absolute idiot.

Akash wasn’t supposed to be here tonight.

She wasn’t supposed to run into him. Hell, she hadn’t even known that he was in Singapore.

She’d been having a pleasant evening with Sabrina at Long Bar when they had bumped into Akash and Aditya.

Sabrina was pursuing a culinary course in Singapore and was staying with Shauna while Shauna completed her internship at a media company.

Shauna had known Aditya and Sabrina for years. They were part of her brother’s circle. In fact, Aditya was a close friend of her sister-in-law, Raashi.

She studied the two of them. Up until now, she’d never suspected that Aditya and Sabrina were attracted to one another, but Akash was right.

Tonight, there seemed to be a pull humming between them.

It was evident in the quiet tension between them, the charged looks they shared, and the unconscious way their bodies kept leaning toward each other.

She inhaled, and once again his scent hit her—spicy, heady, sharp, unmistakably him. Her gaze drifted back to him before she could stop it.

He was already watching her. His dark, steady gaze slowly swept over her, as if he had all the time in the world to take her in.

His eyes finally paused on her mouth and stayed there.

Her pulse stuttered. Another shiver raced through her.

Heat curled low in her belly. The silver dress that had felt perfect an hour ago suddenly clung too tightly, every inch of her skin acutely aware of his scrutiny.

She tore her gaze away and reached for her glass, taking a quick sip.

The burn of alcohol did nothing to steady her.

Akash leaned in, his hand lifting before she could move.

His thumb brushed lightly against the corner of her lip, wiping away a stray drop.

A spark shot through her. She jerked back instinctively, her breath catching.

His eyes darkened. Was he feeling this too? This strange, magnetic pull that had been humming between them all evening, growing stronger with every glance. Fuck. This was crazy.

The music shifted, the slow thrum giving way to a pounding EDM beat that pulsed through the club like a heartbeat. Shauna’s head snapped toward the DJ booth as the familiar track dropped, lights flaring in sync with the rhythm.

When she turned back, Akash extended his hand toward her. “Let’s dance.”

Her brows rose. Akash was asking her to dance?

Why? He’d made it clear often enough that he didn’t like her and took an almost sadistic pleasure in getting under her skin.

Then why this? Her gaze flickered from his outstretched hand to his face, and the look she found there made her breath catch.

There was no mockery this time, no teasing smirk, only heat.

And the more she stared at him, the hotter the fire crackled between them.

Deliberately ignoring that, she shot him a haughty look. “Are you asking or ordering?”

He grinned, his eyes sparkling. “Requesting.”

She hesitated, her pulse still unsteady.

The idea of being that close to him, his hands on her, his body moving against hers, felt reckless.

Dangerous. Dancing with him now, when her thoughts were already tangled and her heartbeat uneven, was asking for trouble.

Her gaze flicked toward the exit. Leaving seemed like the better option. Less risky.

Akash smiled. “Shauna, are you going to dance with me? Or are you so afraid you’re thinking about running away?”