Chapter 7
“Oh my God, is that a Ferris Wheel?”
Aditya chuckled at the sound of Sabrina’s shocked whisper the moment they stepped into The Marquee—Singapore’s famous nightclub.
Her mouth was parted in awe as she turned in a slow circle, taking in the soaring ceilings, the kaleidoscope of lights, and the giant indoor Ferris wheel spinning above the crowd like something out of a dream.
“This is a club?” she breathed.
Aditya grinned. “Welcome to Singapore’s nightlife. You haven’t seen anything yet.”
His eyes landed on her, and a slow smile curved his lips.
Fuck, she was so pretty. Why had he never really seen it before?
Maybe it was the lighting, or maybe it was simply her.
Her complexion, warm and glowing under the club’s shifting lights, made her features stand out even more.
Her eyes sparkled beneath her long lashes, framed by eyeliner that made them look striking.
Her high cheekbones were flushed with heat, and her full lips were painted a bold, deep red that drew all his attention.
Her short black dress hugged her chest and waist before falling loosely to her knees, and her long, shapely legs were accentuated by a pair of spiky black heels.
The only pop of color on her body was the bright green purse slung across her shoulder.
Sabrina looked… incredible. Different and alive in a way that made it almost impossible to look away.
Forcing his gaze away from her, he began to follow Akash and Shauna as they headed deeper into the club, to the table that had been reserved for them. Once there, Akash ordered a round of drinks for everyone. Again, Aditya found himself watching the changing expressions on Sabrina’s face.
Her head was tilted back, her eyes wide. The flashing LEDs painted shifting colors across her face—first blue, then gold, then a pulse of red that caught in her hair. Her mouth was slightly agape, and when the bass dropped, she grinned.
She turned to him, eyes shining.
“This is insane!” she shouted over the music.
“Yeah. It is.”
She looked too awestruck by everything around her.
“Nightclubs not your scene?” he asked, sliding closer to her. “Or all this is just too much?”
“Both.”
A server began to place their drinks in front of them. The women had ordered cocktails while Akash and he had stuck to the same malt they were having earlier.
“Why?” he asked, suddenly curious. “I mean, you must have experienced places like this. Agreed this is a bit over the top. But still.”
“Actually, all this is a first for me.”
“How? You’re related to Rithwik! And we all know how much he likes to party. I’m sure Aisha and he must have forced you out with them many times.”
She laughed. The sound warmed something inside him. He blinked that strange sensation away and took a large gulp of his whiskey.
“They’ve tried a lot over the years; I never go,” she replied.
“Why?”
“I have a child. Where is the time to party? Or to do anything actually…”
His brow creased. “Having a child shouldn’t stop you from being you. All our friends have kids, but the women make time for themselves.”
“Exactly what Aisha and Diya have been telling me…” Sabrina paused to sip her drink. “I finally took their advice, and here I am, taking a chance on myself again.”
“Well then, let’s drink to that.” He raised his glass in the air. “To you, and everything that will come next.”
She tapped her glass to his before looking into the crowd again.
Akash was leaning closer to Shauna, speaking in her ear.
A second later, Shauna tossed her hair over her shoulder and glared at him.
Aditya chuckled softly under his breath.
Sabrina’s eyes fell on him again, a half-smile curving her lips.
She shifted closer. “She wasn’t kidding when she said they didn’t get along.”
“Oh, they get along just fine,” he replied, his tone amused. “This is all foreplay.”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
“Akash claims she’s the bane of his existence, yet he can’t shut up about her. He’s into her, not that he’d ever admit it. And Shauna has made her dislike for him evident in all possible ways, but she can’t stop looking at him. In fact, I think she argues with him just to get a reaction from him.”
Sabrina turned to watch the other couple. Shauna rolled her eyes as Akash said something again. But the younger woman’s eyes stayed fixed on him.
“I think I agree…” Sabrina said finally. “I think she likes him too. You’re right; all that bickering seems like a way to hide the attraction simmering between them.”
Aditya studied Sabrina carefully while she was studying the other couple.
Even though they’d barely interacted over the years, talking to her was surprisingly easy.
Maybe it was the kind of comfort that came from years of sharing a loud, overlapping circle of friends. It was familiar, casual, effortless.
He tipped his head in the direction of Shauna and Akash. “What do you say? Shall we do something about them?”
“What do you mean?”
“Meaning, let’s leave them alone for a bit to figure out whatever it is that is between them.” He held his hand out to her. “Come, dance with me.”
She hesitated just a moment before her hand slipped into his. Something unfurled inside his chest. He masked the shock with a smile and tugged her to the dance floor, twirling her once before releasing her hand.
She threw her head back, shut her eyes, and began to sway to the music.
Her movements were fluid, instinctive, and unapologetically sensual.
And in that moment, Sabrina didn’t just look beautiful, she looked sexy as hell.
The knowledge hit him low and hard, catching him completely off guard.
It was the first time he was seeing her like this, so relaxed and carefree.
Fuck. What was wrong with him? He was ogling Sabrina Solanki, and for the life of him, he couldn’t stop looking at her. She was a friend, well, sort of, at least. Prior to tonight, he’d never really looked at her differently. But now, he couldn’t stop looking.
The last time he’d met her had been at Kanika’s engagement party. She’d been kind to him then, trying her best to make him smile and laugh. She was a good person, and he ought to stop staring at her the way he was.
Sabrina bit her lower lip, and his eyes latched onto her mouth. Something hot and heavy flared inside him. Ignoring all his strange reactions to her, he began to move to the music too. Her eyes opened and latched onto his. Smiling, she continued to dance.
“What is this music?” Sabrina asked, leaning closer.
“It’s EDM, Electronic Dance Music…” He pointed to the DJ in the booth, telling her his name. “That guy is one of the most popular DJs in the world.”
She blinked, her eyes wide with a mix of surprise and awe. “I think I’ve been living under a rock. I can’t believe I’ve missed out on an entire genre of music. This is so…”
She paused, searching for the right word, when the beat dropped and the crowd erupted around them.
“…alive,” she finished, her eyes lighting up. “It’s like the music moves through you.”
Aditya smiled. “Yeah. That’s kind of the point.”
The beats of a popular track played, and within seconds, the dance floor was packed to the brim. Bodies swayed, lights flashed, and the air buzzed with electric energy. Someone bumped into Sabrina from behind, and she stumbled forward, straight into Aditya’s chest.
His heart stuttered.
His hands instinctively found her waist, steadying her. She looked up at him, wide-eyed, her breath catching in her throat. Electricity crackled down his spine, and his body hardened, coming to life. Fuck. What was happening to him?
He stilled, watching her. Her hands had landed on his chest, but she didn’t move them. Didn’t look away either.
His grip on her waist tightened. Her scent, soft and floral, with a hint of something stronger, curled around him, igniting his body and mind.
A loose curl slipped free, falling across her cheek.
His fingers twitched with the urge to reach out, to tuck it behind her ear, to feel the softness of it between his fingertips.
He didn’t move, but the thought lingered, tempting him.
Around them, the crowd moved, the lights shifted, but he still didn’t move.
He couldn’t, even if he wanted to. Sabrina too stayed where she was.
Close. So close that her breath mingled with his.
His gaze dropped to her mouth, his body hardening further.
He looked back up, and she was still watching him.
Her teeth caught her lower lip, and the urge to taste her mouth slammed into him. Hard.
If he leaned in, just a little more…
She blinked, inhaled sharply, and then stepped back.
“Are we allowed to go on the Ferris wheel?” she asked, her voice low, breathless.
He let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding and nodded. “Yes. Come on.”
Fucking hell. He’d been a second away from kissing her, from tasting that mouth, from thrusting his hands into her hair. Bloody hell, why was he suddenly so fascinated by Sabrina’s mouth and her hair, and her body? No. It was all of her. He was fascinated by her.
Taking her elbow, he led her through the throng toward the Ferris Wheel. He spoke to the attendant in charge and waited for the current ride to finish. From beside him, Sabrina stood still, her hands knotted in front of her, looking everywhere but at him.
A slow smile tugged at his lips. Was she feeling it too?
That charge that had sparked between them had been undeniable.
Had it hit her as hard as it had hit him?
Not that it mattered. Not really. Even if she had felt it, it wasn’t like he could do anything about it.
Rithwik would lose his mind if he so much as thought about her that way. Sabrina was off-limits.
And yet… back there on the dance floor, in the heat of that moment, she hadn’t felt forbidden—she’d felt like a possibility. Like he only had to reach out, and his world would change.
His gaze flicked to her again, wondering what she was feeling. Was all this simply his imagination? Or was she just as drawn to him as he was to her?
And what if she was feeling this too? Then what?
He didn’t know the answers. But God, he wanted to find out.