Chapter 11
The apartment was quiet, save for the low hum of the oven. Sabrina stood in the kitchen, staring at the cake baking in the oven. She inhaled, and the scent of rich dark chocolate mixed with caramel and vanilla hit her nose—warm, indulgent, sinful.
Much like last night.
God.
She’d slept with Aditya Wahi. Her heart raced. Bloody fucking hell, she’d slept with Aditya Wahi. And now, she couldn’t get him out of her mind. Her eyes closed and her fingers tightened on the countertop.
She’d tried so hard not to think about last night and him.
She’d tried to distract herself with music, cleaning, and baking.
But her body still hummed with the memories.
The weight of him above her. His hands caressing her.
His husky voice. And his words, dark, dominating…
confident. Her skin tingled at the memory of his dominance—of how he’d held her wrists above her head, how he’d commanded her.
Eyes on me. I want you to watch everything I do to you.
God. She’d never had anyone take control of her like that. Never trusted someone enough to surrender. Until him. And what scared her more was how much she’d wanted it. How much she’d liked being in his control.
Your hands stay right here.
If you touch me, I will stop. If you close your eyes, I will stop.
Good girl.
She leaned against the counter, her heart thudding, her mind conjuring up images from last night.
The way Aditya had touched her… His mouth on that part of her where no man had been before.
Her pulse quickened. Even her late husband had never pleasured her like that.
He’d been too reserved, too proper… to much of a prude to even try.
But Aditya hadn’t just touched her; he’d worshipped her.
He’d made her feel wanted. And every nerve in her body remembered.
And then, he’d moved inside her like he knew exactly what she needed even before she did.
She’d never known pleasure the way she had last night.
Ajay had been her only lover, and even with her limited experience, she’d always known he wasn’t exactly generous in bed.
He’d chased his own release first, rarely caring if she found hers.
In fact, she could barely remember the few orgasms he’d given her—if they’d even happened at all.
But Aditya… Now, even hours later, she still remembered all that he’d made her feel. Her body still hummed with sensation.
Fuck. Last night had been reckless. Insane. Irresistible. There’d been something both terrifying and thrilling about surrendering to him, of letting him make her feel everything she’d always craved for.
She’d felt desired, devoured, and had come utterly undone in his arms. And then later, when the city outside had gone quiet, he’d reached for her again.
And she’d let him in. Again. More memories washed over her in vivid detail.
His mouth on her skin, his hands searching, learning everything about her.
She hadn’t just had sex with him. She’d submitted to a desire so raw, so intense, it had knocked the breath from her lungs. Sabrina exhaled shakily, her fingers curling tightly over the edge of the counter.
She was still reeling. Still aching. She should regret it.
She ought to stop thinking of him. But the truth was, she couldn’t get him out of her head.
Aditya had looked at her like she was a beautiful woman who drove him insane.
In his arms, all her responsibilities had disappeared.
She’d felt young, desired, and cherished.
Damn him. Why did he have to make her feel so alive when she’d spent years learning to stay numb?
A knock on the door broke through her thoughts. She looked to the left. Had Shauna gone out and left her key behind?
Shauna had vanished into her room earlier that morning, and Sabrina hadn’t seen her since.
She couldn’t blame her, though. They’d both woken up in unfamiliar emotional territory—worn out, exposed, and maybe a little bit wrecked by what the night had done to them.
A second knock on the door jolted her out of her thoughts.
When she opened the door, she almost lost her breath.
Aditya.
Leaning against the frame, casual as ever in a navy denim shirt, its sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and dark jeans, he looked too maddeningly composed, too devastatingly handsome.
He looked like he hadn’t just spent the night turning her inside out.
A slow, naughty smile tugged at his lips.
His warm brown eyes—dark, unreadable, and far too knowing—locked with hers.
“Hello, beautiful,” he said, his voice low, thick. “You ran away without saying goodbye.”
Her mouth parted, but nothing came out at first. Her pulse thundered in her ears.
“I… I didn’t think…” She paused, collecting herself. “How did you find me?”
A small shrug was his only response as he walked further inside the living room. “We’ve got enough friends in common. Didn’t take me too long to find you.”
She straightened, lifting her chin, finally gathering herself. “Why are you here?”
“To talk. About last night.”
She flinched slightly. “There’s nothing to talk about. It was… it was a mistake.”
His brow arched slowly. “Mistake?”
“I’d had… too much to drink,” she continued, the words escaping in a rush.
He studied her for a long beat. “Sure, let’s blame it on the alcohol.”
Heat bloomed on her cheeks, and her stomach twisted into a knot.
“You didn’t look drunk last night,” he said, stepping closer to her. “You looked very, very aware of what you wanted.”
Her lips parted. No denial came. No clever retort.
Only the sound of her own thundering pulse hammering in her ears.
She inhaled. His scent—strong, sharp, undeniably him—hit her nose, making her insides quiver.
He stepped closer to her. Her body began to tilt toward his.
Holding herself, she backed a step. He continued moving closer, eyes on her, and she kept backing until the edge of the dining table halted her escape.
Aditya braced a hand near her waist, not touching her, but it was enough to steal the air from her lungs.
The heat from his body surrounded her, flooding her senses, blanketing her in something primal and electric.
“I haven’t stopped thinking about you,” he rasped. “Tell me you’ve been thinking about me too.”
She shook her head, whispering, “No.”
He chuckled, darkly. The sound curled around her spine and settled low in her body.
The timbre of it was rough, decadent, like velvet dragged over bare skin.
His other hand moved with purpose, bracing on the table beside her.
And just like that, she was completely caged in, his arms forming a prison around her.
Her heart rumbled; her body ached. It wanted to be close to him and touch him.
Fuck. She had to force herself to stay still.
He moved in just enough to let his lips brush the shell of her ear. “Liar.”
She gasped.
“I think you’ve been thinking about me too. About how I touched you. How I moved inside you. How you enjoyed letting me take control. And how you gave in to me so perfectly.”
Her knees nearly buckled. She let out a shaky exhale, her entire body thrumming with the echo of those memories. Because, damn him, he was right. That’s exactly what she’d been thinking about right before he knocked.
She shook her head, clearing her mind from the spell he was weaving around her. “Last night was a...”
He slammed a hand on her mouth. “If you say mistake again, I will pin you to this table and remind you of how you felt when you were writhing beneath me.”
Molten heat flushed to her core. Her heart galloped in her chest.
She shoved his hand away, breathless. “Then what should I call it? You and I… Last night shouldn’t have happened. And I blame myself for not stopping it.”
A corner of his lips tipped. “You couldn’t have stopped it even if you wanted to, beautiful. You and I were meant to happen.”
She stared at him, her pulse a riot. “Okay, fine. It happened.” Her voice was low, almost a whisper. “Now what, Aditya?”
“Call me Adi… like you did last night.”
More images from last night flooded her mind. She pushed them all away.
“No…” Sabrina gulped. “You and I can only ever be friends, Aditya.”
“Friends?” His grin widened. “That’s adorable. Considering we already crossed that line last night, and trust me, sweetheart, we will cross it again.”
Panic gripped her chest. “No.”
“Yes.”
“Why are you here?” She licked her dry lips. “What do you want from me?”
His gaze darkened. “More. I want more.”
She blinked.
“Last night… it wrecked something inside me, and I know it shook something inside you too.” His hand moved now, resting lightly on her hip, his thumb drawing a small circle there.
“Last night wasn’t just sex, Sabrina. It was…
the most touching, and overwhelming experience of my life.
” His thumb pressed into her waist. “I had to come and see you…”
Taking her hand, he pressed it on his chest. His heartbeat thundered under her palm—loud, wild, erratic. Just like hers.
“I want to see where this goes,” he said. “Come with me on a date.”
She hesitated. Her heart was racing. Her body was aching for him. But—
“No,” she said, voice low. God. Why did that hurt? But she had to protect herself first. She had too many responsibilities to simply jump into an affair with him.
“Don’t say no so quickly. Let’s go on a date and talk things out first. Then you can decide.”
She quickly shook her head. “I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Have you forgotten that I have a child and that I’m a widow?”
“So?”
She gaped at him. “What do you mean so?”
He pulled back just enough to look into her eyes. “So what if you have a child? That doesn’t make you any less desirable. And you being a widow only means you’re free to date whoever the hell you want to.”
God, this man. How did he know exactly what to say to cut through her doubts and fears, and make her feel seen?
However, she couldn’t just go on a date with him.
“You and I have known each other for too long,” she finally began. “We have too many friends in common, people who will be affected if they find out that you and I slept together. So, for everyone’s sake, let’s just forget last night happened.”
He frowned. “I don’t care if anyone finds out. Akash has already figured it out. And as for the others—”
“Oh my God, Akash knows? Have you told anyone else? Will he tell anyone else?” Dread pooled inside her. She clutched his arm. “Did you tell Rithwik?”
“Come with me on a date, and I’ll answer that question,” he said softly.
Then, before she could stop him, he leaned in and brushed his lips against hers.
Her whole body shuddered at the contact, and every cell came to life, welcoming him.
Her lips clung to his as his arms wrapped around her.
Her heart told her that this felt right.
Perfect. Like she was exactly where she belonged.
Aditya stepped back, leaving her swaying where she stood. “Eight o’clock. I’ll pick you up.”
The oven dinged behind her. She spun toward the sound, her heart thundering, her senses rattled. By the time she turned back to argue with him and tell him no, he was already gone.
Sabrina stood still, her heart still pounding in her chest, her lips tingling from his kiss.
“Oh. My. God.” Shauna’s loud voice from the hallway broke the quiet Aditya had left behind. “That was so hot. I saw the whole thing. He’s totally into you.”
Sabrina whirled. “How long have you been standing there?”
“Long enough to need a glass of cold water and a fan,” Shauna teased, walking toward her. Dressed in tiny shorts and a silk camisole, her hair piled into a messy bun, Shauna looked like she hadn’t gotten out of bed the whole day.
The younger girl grinned. “You should’ve seen your face. And his. Whew. That man looked like he wanted to devour you. And you looked like you wouldn’t have minded it one bit.”
Sabrina raked a hand through her hair. “Oh God. We barely knew each other, and now…”
“And now you know him intimately, and he definitely doesn’t mind getting more intimate with you,” Shauna said with a wink.
Sabrina groaned. “What have I done?!”
“Look,” Shauna began, “that man showed up in the middle of the day, looking like a walking billboard for sin and practically begged you for a date. That doesn’t happen every day.”
Sabrina leaned back against the table, hugging herself. “I don’t know, Shauna. It’s complicated. There’s Rithwik and Aisha, and the rest of our friends, and—”
Shauna held up a hand. “Pause. Just go on the date. Hear what he has to say. That’s all.
You’re not committing to a second round of the best sex of your life—though, from the way you’re glowing, I’m guessing it was the best sex of your life.
You’re just going out for one evening. After that, you can say no. And rest assured, I won’t tell anyone.”
Sabrina bit her lip.
“Come on, live a little!” Shauna said. “Be brave. No harm will come from one date.”
Her heart wanted to give in, to go on one date. To hear him out. But her head reminded her that it could be a mistake.
Shauna looked at her with a wicked grin. “Show me what you’re going to wear.”
“I haven’t agreed…” Sabrina said feebly.
“I know you’re tempted to. So, come on. Let’s go raid your wardrobe.”
“Why?”
“Whether you say yes or no later, you need to look hot tonight. As in jaw-dropping, regret-inducing, eat-your-heart-out hot. So that if you say no, he knows exactly what he’ll miss out on.”
Sabrina burst into laughter despite herself and her dilemma. “You’re evil.”
“Correct. Now come on, open that wardrobe. Let’s turn up the heat.”
Taking her hand, Shauna led her inside to the room. Her heart hammered as she watched Shauna reject outfit after outfit on the hangers with ruthless efficiency. Oh God, was she really doing this?
Finally, Shauna pulled out a sexy royal blue dress. “You’re going to look like the fantasy he never knew he needed.”
Sabrina’s pulse skittered. Shauna was right. What harm could one date really do? She’d go on the date and say no to him after. But what terrified her—what made her heart race—was the possibility that when the time came, she might not be able to say no.
Fuck, she was screwed.