& Then They Loved (Ampersand Love #3)

9. Fireworks

9

Fireworks

Vihaan

T he golden rays of an impending sunset flooded his office with warmth. Vihaan’s gaze swivelled from the orange-pink sky to the foggy glass wall he shared with his employees, the otherwise glossy panes having taken on a honeyed hue from the light filtering through the window. He’d increased the frosted effect to make it completely opaque somewhere around late afternoon as a way to force himself to focus on work.

Despite having sent Vera away on an errand, Vihaan had kept checking through the glass every so often to see if she’d returned. At one point, he’d caught himself staring at her empty chair, imagining her sitting there with her perfect posture, twirling that single lock of hair like she always did out of habit.

Certain things about her hadn’t changed since their fall out, and this was one of them. This, and the way she glared daggers at him when she was pissed .

Oh, he’d known he was being a dick. But he needed to create some space between them, if only for a little bit. It drove him crazy seeing her everyday, being this close to her and being reminded of how naive and stupid he’d been while she walked around, completely unbothered by his presence. He may as well have not existed as far as she was concerned. But him? His mind was stuck on her, his ears attuned to her voice trickling down the office hall, his eyes peeled on her face through the glass walls of his cabin as she typed away at her desk or chewed her coffee stirrer while thinking.

He couldn’t stand it, and he blamed her for his predicament. He wished he could let it go. He truly did. Every morning before coming into Ethos, he told himself that he’d be a professional and that he would treat Vera just like any other employee. But the second his gaze fell on her, all he wanted to do was haul her out the door so she would be nowhere near enough to hurt him again.

So yes, he was going to be difficult and make sure that Vera understood that working for him would not be easy. If she thought she could charm him as she’d once done, she was mistaken.

He’d been impressed by her presentation and swayed into voting for her project. But in the weeks since, he’d uncovered mistake after mistake, chunks of missing information, gaps in projected schedules, script errors that should have never made it to his desk.

And he was livid.

Sure, the young Vera had been smart and driven—frighteningly so. But greed and age had a way of making intelligence take a back seat.

The reference material he’d asked for was comprehensive. He wanted to see what she brought to the table in raw form because it would indicate if she’d worked on this as she’d insinuated. The alternative was far less flattering.

Had Vera used her charm and alluring looks to buy her way into her position or was there something he was missing? He wished he could accept his worst assumptions about her as reality. No matter how much he tried however, his conscience troubled him, and his instinct told him something was awry. He just didn’t know what it was. If only his IT guys would give him an answer soon. He’d been waiting days already.

Which led to his insistence that Vera perform each task he assigned her alone. It would confirm if she truly had the skills to lead such an important project. If so, then why had her recent work not reflected her brilliance?

His stomach churned at the recollection of hurt and embarrassment that had flickered across her face when he’d let his mouth run without a filter.

He picked up the innocuous looking remote on his desk and punched the button with the minus sign, slowly increasing the transparency around his office. He stretched his neck side to side to release the stress that had built through the day, his thumb still tapping on the little button like an addict itching for his next fix.

“Casual, cool. I’m not doing anything wrong. I can open my blinds if I want to. It’s my bloody office,” he muttered to himself, trying to not dwell on the fact that if anyone found him talking to himself, that’d be another piece of gossip to contend with.

The Oberoi heir is certifiable! Read all about it! He could almost imagine the headlines and his father’s disappointed look that said, My son is a fuck-up.

His sideways spiral ended when he saw that most of the office was empty, as was Vera’s desk.

Irritated with himself for having let her presence, or lack thereof, affect him, he shrugged his jacket on and exited the office he’d sequestered himself within all day long. One would think Vera was his boss and he was trying to avoid her . It was utterly ridiculous. He felt far too affected, and he was determined to find a way to get over this feeling .

He’d do it, or die trying, he decided dramatically. His strides slowed when an insistent buzzing cut through his thoughts. The few remaining employees were packing up for the day.

Buzz.

Vihaan followed the noise, stepping back a couple feet and halting in front of Vera’s workstation.

His brows clashed, the crease on his forehead deepening when he saw a phone vibrate atop her desk and fall silent. A notification popped up, and that’s when he glanced at the background picture of a familiar-looking man within. “Nanaji,” Vihaan softly mumbled. He swung a searching gaze about him.

If Vera was here, why the hell had she not brought him the reference material he’d asked for?

His frustration with his own behaviour suddenly had a better outlet. He’d much rather channel it into anger towards a disobedient employee.

He hailed the group that was leaving. “Have you seen Ms. Talwar around?”

“No, sir.”

“She’s been away for a while already,” a young man pointed out. “She missed our 2:00 p.m. meeting.”

Vihaan nodded in acknowledgment as they wished him a good evening, obviously relieved that he didn’t need them to stay and work. He waited for Vera to return from whatever the fuck she was doing. Oh, he’d rip into her now that no one else was around. He planned exactly what he’d say, rubbing his chin. Did she think she could take his orders lightly? He’d show her who was in control, he told himself, tapping his foot impatiently as the minutes ticked by.

The longer he waited, the more his irritation gave way to a growing sense of uneasiness.

Her phone rang again, and this time the caller ID flashed. Shaanti Senior Care Center .

Vihaan straightened, temptation rising. He had an inkling who it would be on the other side. But he shouldn’t. He had no right.

“Hello?” He winced, knowing he’d get into shit if Vera returned now to see him talking on her phone. It was as if the part of his mind that was controlling his body had detached itself from his consciousness.

“Hi, can I speak with Vera?”

“She is not around.”

“Oh, and you are?”

“I’m her. . .” He paused. What were they? Just boss and employee? That didn’t seem right.

They sure as hell weren’t lovers anymore.

What was left?

The word ‘friend’ lingered at the tip of his tongue, at once tasting bitter because it had been true a long time ago. He’d lost his friend and the woman he loved, both.

His mood worsened. “I can pass on a message for her,” he said instead.

“Please do. I’m the head matron from Shaanti Care. Mr. Talwar has been asking for her quite often. Is she still visiting him today?”

“I’m not sure,” he answered honestly; the confirmation that Nanaji was at a care home unsettled him. Had Vera changed so drastically that she’d distanced herself from her grandfather as well?

“She is never late on her visiting days and Mr. Talwar was getting worried. Could you have her call him on video at least? He is always a little better after he sees her.”

“Sure, I’ll let her know.”

Vihaan ended the call, no less confused than before. It was clear that Nanaji was no longer living with Vera, but it also sounded like she visited him diligently? Maybe she hadn’t abandoned Nanaji after all ?

But the Vera he knew in his childhood was so attached to her grandfather, she would never have condoned placing him in a care home.

Unless circumstances made it necessary. Unless she was in trouble. Unless. . .

He ran an irritated hand through his hair, messing with it out of habit. I don’t care about her. I don’t care to know why she is the way she is or what she’s been doing for the last decade and half. I don’t care!

He tossed her phone back onto the table, frustrated with his errant mind for its curiosity.

Where the fuck are you?!

Maybe she’d gone home and left her phone behind. Maybe he was just waiting here, like a fool, for nothing. He almost smacked a hand against the side of the desk when a horrible thought crept up.

She missed our 2:00 p.m. meeting.

She is never late on her visiting days.

His hands went cold. Without stopping to think, he rushed towards the elevator bank, pressing the button a dozen times. He glanced at the numbers above the elevator door, body buzzing. The pounding in his chest made it impossible for him to wait. He ran around the corner and wrenched open the door to the stairwell, leaping down a half-dozen stairs at a time as he headed multiple floors below, straight to the archives room.

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuuuuck.” The steady stream of curses couldn’t hide a failing hope that his fear was unfounded.

He skidded to a halt outside the closed door, the taped sign doing nothing to assuage his rising concern. He twisted the knob, finding it stuck partway. Agitated, he wrestled with it, fully prepared to break the damn door down when it gave way.

The hinges rattled loudly as the door shook upon impact with the wall, something Vihaan ignored in his hurry to get inside. He jogged in, stumbling when he saw the bent form of a woman in a familiar blouse and skirt crouched on the ground .

Vera. Fuck.

The surprise on her face faded as she stood up, her movements slow, as though her limbs had forgotten how to move with their usual fluidity.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his breathing loud in the otherwise quiet room.

The silence between them made his skin crawl, worry and panic bathing him in a mist of sweat.

“Am I okay?” she repeated incredulously, her voice hoarse. Like she’d been yelling. “Do I look okay?”

That’s when he saw it. The puffiness around her eyes, the hint of redness around her nose and the glimmer at the edge of her lash line. Over four hours since she’d been in his office. Four fucking hours she’d been trapped here. Alone. And he’d assumed she was shirking her responsibilities. Guilt sliced through him, fast and absolute. He stepped a little closer to her. “Listen, I didn’t know—”

He stumbled back in shock when Vera slammed her palms against him, shoving him away. The look on her face told him that if she had a gun, he’d be sporting a gaping wound on his forehead for his attempt to console her.

“You lock me in, then have the gall to ask me if I’m okay ?” she rasped.

Appalled that she’d drawn such a terrible conclusion, he immediately defended himself.

“I didn’t lock you in!”

“The hell you didn’t! You sent me here. You did this! But guess what? I’m not giving in. You don’t get to win today.”

“Vera, wait a second—”

“I wouldn’t quit when you piled work on me, so this is how you’ve decided to harass me?!”

Caught off guard by her anger, he gaped at her. “You’re misunderstanding me. ”

“No, I misunderstood you just once a long fucking time ago and I paid the price. I know exactly what you are, Vihaan Oberoi!” she exclaimed, slapping his body once more. He took a few steps back as she stalked him between two rows of shelves filled with musty files and books. Poking a finger in his chest, she angrily rebuked him, “You’re still an insufferable little shithead.”

Another shove.

“A bully through and through.”

A slap against his chest.

“But I am not afraid of you!”

She raised her hands to push him yet again, except this time, he was prepared. His fingers gripped her wrists like manacles, holding tight when she tried to jerk back.

She raised her knee, intending to stomp on his foot when he pulled her into him, twisting both her arms behind her back. She squirmed and writhed, trying to free herself unsuccessfully.

“Will you just fucking listen, for once?!” he growled, trying to explain himself again. However, Vera was far too agitated to listen to reason. The fact that she was being detained against her will had her fighting his hold like a wild cat, her hair slipping open from its precarious knot.

“Vera, stop!” he ordered, grabbing her jaw to bring her face towards his.

“Let me go!” she snarled. The locks of hair whipping across her face did not hide her baleful gaze, leaving no doubts about her feelings for him. “I hate you!”

Multiple weeks worth of frustrations crashed upon him, the ignominy of being treated like he was a villain when he’d been trying to help finally eroding his control. His hold grew tighter as he drew her closer, her breasts crushed against his solid chest.

“Fuck you,” he hissed. “I hate you, too!”

The air thrummed with palpable tension between them as they glared at each other, their faces mere inches apart. The smell of dust now mingled with the mild scent of her soap, the pleasant musk of sandalwood making his body recall memories of a shared past. Her chest heaved, her mouth parting to take a breath, drawing his attention to them. Before either knew it, their lips crashed against each other, locked in a fight for dominance. Vera bit down on his mouth, her fear and fury channelled into their rough kiss. The pain seemed to spur Vihaan into action. Her back hit metal and wood with a thump, his arms encircling her waist like a vise. Files and paper flew off the shelves beside them, clattering to the ground near their feet. Neither paid any heed to the mess they were creating, both far too engrossed in their private battle.

His hand slid into her hair, tightening around the roots of her scalp, making her gasp at the sting. Sensing the opportunity, Vihaan slid his tongue into her mouth, swiping into her warmth with an aggression that was meant to show he was in control, groaning when instead of giving him submission, she suckled him. His body pushed against hers, trapping her against cold steel, his erection pressing into her lower belly. One large palm curved under her knee, hooking her leg over his hip. Her skirt rode up to expose the tops of her thighs, the air doing nothing to cool the skin that heated under his touch. He rocked into her, right against her throbbing core, drinking in her moans, relishing the desperate clawing of her fingers as they dug into his back.

Vera was no less in the grips of passion than him, because she arched and rubbed against him, her siren song deafening him to the rest of the world. Craving the sensation of her skin, his fingers glided towards the juncture between her legs, searching for her heat. His thumb pressed up and down into the slit of her damp panties, sliding under the edge without delay. He slipped a thick finger into her core, greedily using her slickness to push farther into her. She let out an involuntary moan against his lips and the deep, lusty rumble drowned out the clicking of his belt being unbuckled and the urgent unzipping of his pants .

She tilted her hips, seeking friction, undulating against him when he responded by pressing down in a place that made her whimper in need. His lips burned a path down her chin, skirting upwards along the delicate line of her jaw, till he reached the soft hollow behind her ear. He drew the sensitive skin into his mouth, just as he slid the wide head of his cock along her wet lips, settling right against her opening. Without hesitation, he thrust up, claiming her in one go. Vera cried out, writhing as her body stretched around him, slowly succumbing to the intensity of being filled to the hilt. Before her body could fully accommodate him, he pulled out, pulsing back in immediately, deeper and harder than before.

Again and again, Vihaan plunged himself into her tight body, channeling his anger into deriving pleasure from her instead. Unable to help himself, his large hands found their way under her skirt to paw at her pert ass, kneading her cheeks, grabbing them hard enough that there would be finger marks on them later. He lifted her onto him, forcing her to wrap both her legs around his hips, causing one heel to slip off her foot and clatter onto the tiled floor. The shaking of the bookcase behind her didn’t make him pause or reconsider the aggression with which he was fucking her. The likelihood that the edges of the shelves were cutting into her back through the thin blouse she wore was high, but Vera hadn’t bothered to complain and Vihaan had no intentions to stop and ask. He wanted to banish every other feeling except the sensation of his cock filling her, forming a connection that she couldn’t deny.

Vera didn’t oppose, holding onto the shelf above her with one hand, and his shoulder with the other. She threw her head back into the hard pillow of folders behind her, unable to stop the lustful sounds he loved from climbing up her throat and escaping. Every hard thrust had her scrunching her eyes shut, the head of his cock repeatedly tapping against that spot within her that he knew would have her curling her toes. Hernails dug into his firm muscle when his movements turned more erratic, her inner walls clenching harder, trying to hold him in. Her whimpers turned louder, melding with his groans, both far too swept away in the moment to utter sensible words anymore. Kisses turned into bites, tongues swiping against the other, the wet sounds of flesh meeting flesh filling the dull room around them until Vera went taut, crying out as she finally hit her peak.

Vihaan couldn’t help but groan Vera’s name as pleasure rushed up his spine, right to the base of his skull, numbing him to everything except the feel of her pussy spasming and pulsing around his cock. Her lithe body trembled against him in the aftermath of a searing climax, her release slicking over him. He pumped into her in a frenzy a few more times, sharing her orgasm before emptying himself within her.

Their chests heaved against each other, both trying to recover from their explosive interlude. As their blood cooled and realisation set in, Vihaan felt Vera’s grip on his bicep loosen. Her shoe-less foot slid down the back of his pant-clad leg in a bid for stability. Slowly, he raised his head from the crook of her neck, staring at her like she’d enticed him into opening Pandora’s box. Now that he was coming down from the high of an orgasm, he had no idea how to explain what had led to. . . well. . . this. For fuck’s sake, his cock was still inside her. He could still feel the ebbing flutters in her pussy. The scent of their combined release permeated the space between them, sharp and unique despite the smell of dust and old pages around them.

He slipped out of her slowly, stepping back, his words dying on his lips when he saw the glistening trail of cum sliding down the inside of her thigh before her skirt fell into place, blocking his view. He could do nothing but watch as Vera silently adjusted her dishevelled appearance, her face wiped clean of any expression that would indicate her thoughts. She shot him a sideways glance, instantly turning away as if scalded. Nose scrunched, he looked down, only then realising that his semi-hard dick was still hanging out of his pants. He’d fucked the living daylight out of her while fully clothed. The idea alone made his cock twitch again. He gritted his teeth as he tucked himself in, zipping up carefully. He spotted a tissue box near an old computer that Vera could use to clean up. At least that would buy him some time to figure out what to say. Before he’d even finished the thought, he heard the click of her heel as she walked away from him.

“Vera, wait.”

She stilled, her shoulders stiffening visibly. He stared at the back of her head, torn between letting her go and saying something to make sense of what had occurred. Didn’t she want to talk about it? When she remained silent, facing away from him, he cleared his throat.

“That was—”

“Nothing,” she whispered.

He stopped breathing.

“It was nothing I haven’t done before.” Vera strode out the door, leaving him with words that had him wondering for the first time if he wasn’t the only one who remembered their past with a clarity that was excruciating.

And if perhaps, he wasn’t the only one tormented by it.