Chapter 34
Thirty-Four
RAASHI
She sighed as his lips touched hers. Her eyes fluttered shut at the first hint of contact. It felt like eons since he’d last kissed her. Eons since she’d tasted the addictive pleasure that was his skin against hers. Eons since she’d felt the seductive drug that was his touch against her body.
His hand fisted in her hair tugging her head back, exposing her neck. He traced the side of her neck till her collarbone with gentle kisses interspersed with tiny nips, little bites of pain that had her shuddering with need.
She’d never felt like this, not even when…her mind shied away from the long-buried memory. Desperate to chase it away completely, she tugged at Harsh’s suit jacket. She needed to touch him, to feel him against her in a way that took every last memory from her. He helped her get the jacket off and then unbuttoned his shirt, his hooded eyes on her the entire time.
“Where are those self-shredding shirts when you need them?” she asked, her voice hoarse with a yearning she didn’t dare voice. Somehow, it felt dangerous to say the words.
Anant had broken her, but she had a gut feeling that, if she let him in, Harsh could destroy her.
Harsh laughed, a bark of sound that had her slowly grinning too, the dark thoughts sliding away in the face of the sunshine beaming out of him. “Maybe that’s what you should use your fancy ass degree for,” he said, stepping between her legs and nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck. “Invent a self-shredding shirt and I’ll test all prototypes for you.”
Raashi moaned as his teeth gently closed on her ear lobe, her hands going to his chest, roving restlessly. Need swam through her, a desperate tinge to it.
“Harsh, I need,” she whispered, writhing in her arms.
“I know, I know.” Harsh said the words like a benediction against her skin. He raised her dress to her waist, the cool air of the air conditioner on her heated skin making her whimper. He stroked her to distraction as she struggled to unbuckle his belt. The clink of the buckle sounded unnaturally loud in the quiet of the dark room.
Her hand slipped into his loosened pants, cupping him through his underwear. Harsh’s breath hissed out from between his teeth, his head falling back with his eyes closed, pained lines painting his face.
“I believe I owed you something,” she said, huskily, pulling out of his arms and dropping to her knees.
“No.” Harsh caught her arms and tried to pull her up but Raashi wouldn’t be deterred this time.
She leaned forward, planting an open mouth kiss against the throbbing length of him. Harsh groaned, bracing himself against the wall with one hand, the other buried in her hair. She yanked on his briefs and wrapped her hand around the hot, silken member that suddenly was the object of her most desperate craving. Unsure of her technique but willing to make up for it with enthusiasm, Raashi wrapped her hand around the base and took the tip into her mouth.
“Raashi.” Her name was a practically soundless prayer, the frantic need in it filling her with a sense of power over this incredible man.
She’d barely gotten to it, when he hauled her up, kissing her fiercely, his tongue tangling with hers and making her forget whatever thoughts she’d had about power.
“Enough,” he ground out. “Or I won’t last.”
“Don’t last,” she rasped, wrapping one leg around his hip and pulling him closer, grinding herself against him.
“Raashi,” he laughed, a desperate sound, his forehead falling to rest on her shoulder. “I don’t have a condom with me.”
That gave her pause. “Oh.” She nuzzled her cheek to his hair. “How is that even possible? I thought you’d always have stashes of them handy.”
He stiffened in her arms, steel seeming to infuse his body as he straightened and looked down at her, eyes hooded, an unfathomable look in them.
“No,” he said quietly after a fraught moment. “I don’t have stashes handy.” He went to pull his pants up, but she stopped him with a hand on his arm. “I’m on the pill for hormonal reasons. And I’m clean. I got tested regularly while in the US and I haven’t been active in years now.”
Harsh froze, his face in profile. And then he shook her hand off and finished setting his clothes to rights. Only once he’d fixed himself did he turn to where she stood, disheveled and flushed, her dress still pulled up to her waist.
Gently, he pulled her dress down and brushed her tousled hair back. Leaning in close, his breath feathering over her ear, he murmured, “We can’t say the same for an alley cat like me, can we? Manwhore that I am…going bare with me would be a big mistake, Viper.”
It was like someone had dumped a bucket of ice-cold water on her head. Shaken, Raashi pulled back from him, struggling to still the tremors racing through her body.
“You’re right,” she replied shakily, struggling to sound casual and blasé about the whole situation. Trying not to sound like the inexperienced idiot she truly was. Trying to sound like she did this all the time, she thought hysterically.
“We need to talk,” Harsh said from behind her, sounding perfectly in control, the absolute asshole. But then he did do this all the time, didn’t he?
“Maybe another time,” she muttered. “I should get back to the party. My family will be waiting for me.”
“They can wait a little longer,” Harsh replied inflexibly. “This is important.”
“If it’s about a prenup, I already told you I’d sign whatever you want.” There was too much noise in her head. Raashi needed to get away, to process what had happened, what she was feeling, and everything in between.
“It’s about Anant Madhavan.”
The noise in her head and around her quietened, stilled, until there was nothing left but vacuum.
“What about him?” she asked, her voice calm and collected, years of practice kicking in.
“What’s your history with him?” Harsh walked over to stop in front of her, forcing her to meet his eyes. She did so, unblinking.
“He’s my father’s ex-business partner.” Raashi had played this particular game for years. Harsh Kodela would not win this round.
“And?”
“And?” she queried coolly, feigning bored confusion.
“That’s not all he is,” Harsh watched her carefully, his perceptive gaze seeing far more than she wanted him to. “Talk to me, Raashi.”
For a split second she thought of telling him. But fear slammed through her at the fleeting thought, years of conditioning kicking in.
“About what?” she asked. “I don’t have a clue what you’re getting at.”
“I’m not a fool,” he said softly. “And I won’t let you play me for one. I’m a Kodela, Raashi. If you’re hiding something that could hurt my family, I need to know.”
She laughed, forcing herself to sound light and carefree. “God, you take yourself too seriously. What the hell could I be hiding?”
“Your family deals in secrets, in information,” he snapped. “Don’t act like you’re a fucking innocent.”
“My family deals in the news,” she replied, her voice tight. “I, on the other hand, deal in nothing. I am nobody. I am nothing.”
They stared at each other in the darkened room, shadows cloaking them. Neither was willing to give in, neither willing to break first.
Finally, Raashi said, “I need to go. They’ll be looking for me.”
She made it till the door, her hand on the doorknob when he spoke.
“You are many things, Raashi Gadde. But you never were and never will be nothing.”