Chapter 15 #3
She opened her mouth, but he shook his head, stopping her words. “You and I both know that had Janak not called me that night in Maldives, you wouldn’t have stopped me. You wanted me as much as I wanted you.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I would have stopped you. It had gone too far.”
“Really?” His gaze drifted over her face, lingering on the tension she tried and failed to hide. “So if I put my hands on you, you’ll be able to stop me this time, right?”
Her eyes snapped to his. “What?”
“I’m proving to you that there’s something between us.” His voice stayed calm, measured.
“There isn’t.”
“Then you have nothing to worry about if I touch you,” he said.
She stared at him wide-eyed as he slowly stalked closer to her.
She didn’t retreat. She stayed rooted where she was until he was too close, close enough to breathe in her spicy, intoxicating scent that always made his heart lurch.
Close enough to see the faint tremor in her lips.
Close enough to feel the heat radiating from her body.
“All you need to do is ask me to stop, and I will,” he said.
Her mouth firmed into a straight line as she looked up at him, a flash of resolve hardening her gaze.
He caressed her cheek slowly. “Tell me you feel nothing when I touch you.”
“I don’t,” she said, turning her face away. But he didn’t miss the way her breath stuttered or how quickly her chest rose and fell.
His fingers slid from her cheek to her arm, tracing the bare skin there in an unhurried stroke. She stiffened, and despite herself, leaned a fraction closer. Her fingers curled at her sides, betraying the effort it took to remain still.
“Still nothing?” he murmured.
She swallowed. Stayed silent.
His hand continued its slow exploration down her arm, his thumb brushing the sensitive inside of her wrist. Her pulse fluttered wildly beneath his touch. Her lashes lowered, then lifted again.
“Tell me you feel nothing now,” he said softly.
Her lips parted, then closed. A faint tremor ran through her.
He stepped closer, close enough that her breath mingled with his.
He lifted her hand and placed it on his shoulder.
Her fingers tensed, but she didn’t pull away.
Then he slid his other hand to her waist, drawing her body flush against his.
His own pulse spiked, but he ignored it, focusing only on her. Her eyes remained glued to his, watching him carefully. She tilted her head back instinctively, her gaze snagging on his mouth and staying there.
He inhaled, and her scent hit his head. Sexy. Warm. Spicy. Just like her.
The air around him charged. His eyes bored into hers. His thumb traced the small of her back through her silky top. Her breath caught. Her dark, startled eyes flew to his, and then something else flared there, hot and unmistakable. Her fingers slid to his nape, stroking the back of his neck.
Electricity crackled across his skin. God, this one woman had the power to unravel him with a single touch. Maybe she was right. Maybe a platonic marriage was better. And yet she still hadn’t told him to stop. She’d stayed.
“God, you’re dangerous,” he whispered. “If I kiss you now, will you be able to resist me? Will you push me away?”
She gulped. “Yes.”
“Liar,” he breathed, and then he claimed her mouth.
She rose onto her toes, leaning into him, into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck as she gave in to him.
All his thoughts scattered instantly as her mouth moved against his, her urgency matching his own.
He drew her even closer, tightening his hold on her.
Her breasts crushed against his chest, and a soft gasp escaped her lips.
He took advantage of that opening to plunder her mouth, licking her tongue with his and deepening the kiss. God, she was sweet. She was always so sweet. Her tongue danced with his, sliding and stroking.
Need bubbled in his blood. Desire made his head spin.
His hands wandered around her body, searching, gliding, down her back, over her hips, and then back up again, caressing the sides of her breasts while his mouth continued to play with hers.
His body hardened to the point of pain. He pressed his growing erection into the vee between her legs, and a moan escaped her lips.
She pushed into him, igniting his desire further.
Fuck. He wanted her. Badly. He needed a surface. Any surface. A wall, a desk, anything would do. He had to claim her now.
Suddenly, alarm bells rang in his head. Sanity returned with startling clarity. He was in his office, where anyone could walk in on them. Planting one last kiss on her lips, he lifted his head. Her eyes flew open. Her chest rose and fell as she watched him.
“I guess you proved your point,” she said.
He clasped her jaw. “Shauna, this is not a game. I want you, and I have the courage to say it out loud. I know you want me too, despite everything. So let’s try and make this marriage work.”
She exhaled. “I need time. All this is too much for me.”
“Take all the time you need,” he said. “I’ll be right here waiting.”
She lowered her chin in a nod. Stepping back, she collected her purse.
When she faced him again, he said, “I’ll ask my lawyer to draw up a contract adding in everything we discussed.”
“Alright,” she said.
Turning quickly, she walked away from him. He exhaled slowly once the door closed behind her.
This was supposed to be simple. Strategic. Clean. Instead, he’d gone and complicated everything. Made it more dangerous. More risky for him.
He walked back to his desk and rested his palms against the edge, staring at nothing. He wanted a marriage not built on clauses and conditions. He wanted more. A fresh start with her. A real marriage, a chance at a real relationship.
There had been a time when he’d felt more for her. He wanted to explore that possibility again. If he was going to tie himself to her, then he might as well give it his best shot.
But that also meant opening himself up to the possibility of her rejecting him again.
And for the first time since he’d taken over Sehgal Media, he understood the real risk. It wasn’t losing control of the company, but losing control of his heart.