CHAPTER 29 #2
Once again, it wasn’t a gentle kiss, but hungry, claiming and desperate. Like two souls trying to erase every second they had lost. She melted into him, her arms tugging him closer. His hands dropped to her waist, then her back, pulling her into his chest, crushing every inch of space between them.
“I missed you,” he breathed against her skin, his voice trembling with need. “Every second. Every breath. You’re in my blood, Aanya.”
She whimpered as his lips trailed from her lips to her jaw, then down the column of her throat, searing heat with every breath he took. Her fingers tangled in his hair, anchoring herself to him as he pressed her harder into the wall, his body fitting into hers like they were meant to be one.
His hand gripped her thigh, lifting it gently, securing her leg around his waist to close the last gap between them.
“Rey—” she gasped. Every nerve, every inch of her skin reacted to his touch, his mouth, the solid press of him against her. It was new. It was overwhelming.
His kisses swallowed every moan that slipped from her lips. Heat surged through her core as their bodies moved in sync, friction igniting sensations she had never known. It was a craving she hadn’t realized lived inside her.
Reyansh was the first to break away again.
“This kiss is better than Cape Town,” he whispered.
Aanya’s eyes fluttered open, her cheeks flushed, lips tingling with aftershock. She was still catching her breath.
“What is it with long-distance relationships that makes the heart and the kiss so damn intense?” he teased, taking a small step back to give her space.
She let out a soft, breathless laugh.
“I’ll see you in the morning,” he said, wiping the wetness of their kiss from the corner of her lips. “We’ll visit Di together.”
“You’re leaving now?” Aanya asked, failing to hide her disappointment.
He caught it immediately and smirked. “You didn’t exactly ask me to stay,” he replied, almost mockingly.
“Which hotel are you staying at?”
“The Goldman.”
“That’s too far. By the time you reach, it’ll be morning. You’ll just have to come back again. Maybe…” she hesitated, then met his eyes, “you should stay .”
He closed the distance between them again and pressed another slow and lingering kiss to her lips.
“If I stay, Aanya, I might not stop,” he murmured against her skin.
Aanya felt her knees go weak. He was right, but that didn’t mean she was ready to watch him walk out.
He smiled, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Besides, you need to sleep tonight. Because tomorrow…you are spending the entire day with me,” he added.
Her heart tripped over itself at that promise. She didn’t respond. She couldn’t. The blush on her face said everything.
“I’m glad you came,” she whispered.
He kissed her forehead one last time. “So, am I. Good night, wife. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She nodded, watching him walk to the door, unlock it, and step out. He didn’t look back.
Because if he turned around and saw her standing there…barefoot, flushed, radiant, and waiting…he wouldn’t have the strength to leave at all.
Next Morning
Aanya woke earlier than usual. Truth be told, she’d barely slept after Reyansh left.
But she hadn’t minded. She’d been counting down the hours until morning anyway.
It was the weekend, and this time, she had an entire day to spend with him.
She also needed to have a long-overdue conversation with her father.
After stepping out of the shower, she towel-dried and moved to stand before the mirror. Her reflection met her with a quiet glow she hadn’t noticed before. Her lips were still tender for being kissed senseless by the man who had shown up the night before and tilted her world off balance.
The memory of last night clung to her skin like a secret. It was hers to keep now. Forever.
A knock at the bedroom door broke her reverie.
“Aanya… look who’s here,” Shikha called from outside. “It’s your husband.”
Aanya bit her lip. On time, just like he promised.
“I’m coming. Please ask him to sit,” she called back, quickly pulling herself together.
Ten minutes later, she emerged dressed in a red pantsuit, showing off an inch of her midriff.
She purposely chose to wear red today, his favourite .
Reyansh and Shikha were already talking in the living room.
Shikha stood respectfully at a distance while Reyansh asked about how they were managing work here.
It didn’t escape Aanya how effortlessly her husband commanded attention, especially from women. The way Shikha looked at him, it was clear. Reyansh was every girl’s idea of a dream.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” she said, stepping into the room.
Reyansh turned to her, his gaze sweeping over her figure before settling on her face. The red crop top hadn’t gone unnoticed.
“It’s alright, wife. Did you sleep well?” he asked deliberately, the corner of his mouth twitching.
Aanya glanced at Shikha, whose brows rose slightly, clearly sensing something between them.
“Did you ?” she teased back, turning her gaze again to him.
Reyansh raised a brow. That was bold of her to ask him that. He’d spent the entire night tossing and turning, haunted by the taste of her mouth on his, the heat of her body under his hands. But with Shikha there, he kept his answer at bay.
“Coffee?” Aanya offered quickly, breaking the moment. Her own cheeks flushed. Feeling shy and blushing like that wasn’t something she was used to, but around Reyansh, now anything was possible.
“Sure,” he said with a nod.
She rushed to the kitchen, with Shikha right behind her.
“Let me guess. He came here to see you last night?” Shikha asked, eyes gleaming with curiosity.
Aanya sighed and pouted. “Yeah. He did.”
“Oh my God,” Shikha squealed. “And you didn’t tell me? I thought I heard some interesting sounds last night…”
Aanya playfully nudged her. “We didn’t do anything to make those sounds. He left within half an hour.”
Shikha gawked. “Thirty minutes alone with your husband after six months, and nothing happened? That’s hard to believe.”
Aanya turned scarlet. “Shikha, stop.”
“Alright, alright,” she chuckled. “Go serve your husband. I’m off shopping with Sandy today.”
“I have to meet my father later,” Aanya said, grabbing the mugs.
“Oh? He’s here too?”
“Yep.” She poured the coffee.
“Spend your day wisely,” Shikha said, leaning in with a wicked grin. “And don’t let that darling husband leave without his return gift .”
Then she darted out.
Return gift?
The thought lingered as she carried Reyansh’s coffee to the living room.
“Where’s yours?” he asked as she handed him the mug.
“I forgot,” she admitted, turning to go. “I’ll make one for me.”
But he caught her wrist and gently pulled her down beside him.
“We’ll share.”
That one line was enough to send her pulse into chaos. Sharing coffee with him, again, felt too intimate, too romantic. He took the first sip, then passed the mug to her. She sipped next. Their eyes lingered on each other in silence.
“When will I see Dad?” she asked softly.
“He’s meeting Di and Jeeju this afternoon. I told him I’d bring you there directly.”
“Perfect.”
She passed him the mug again, their fingers brushing briefly as he took it.
They talked in low voices, sipping from the same cup, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Romantic. When the last drop was gone, Aanya leaned forward to set the mug on the table.
As she pulled back, Reyansh’s gaze dropped to her lips, where a small dot of coffee clung at the corner.
He didn’t speak. Instead, he reached out with quiet tenderness and wiped the drop away with his thumb.
The pad of his finger brushed softly against her mouth, lingering, stroking the curve of her lower lip in a way that sent a slow, powerful ripple in her stomach.
Her eyes flicked up to meet his. And just like that, the memory of last night was back—his mouth on hers, their bodies pressed together, the ache in her chest that still hadn’t left.
Aanya didn’t realize when it happened, but suddenly, they were kissing her again.
Deep. Slow. Hungry. Aanya gasped softly against his lips, and he took it as invitation.
His tongue grazed hers. He devoured her, and she let him, giving as much as she took, her fingers tugging slightly at his hair, needing him closer.
They could have kept kissing like that, if not for the sudden thud of something falling in Shikha’s room.
They broke apart, both breathless.
“Shikha can be really messy with her stuff,” Aanya muttered, meeting Reyansh’s eyes, which still burned with longing.
“We’re getting late. Let’s go,” he said, then slipped his arm around her waist, and guided her toward the door.