Chapter 6 #3
It was soft at first, tentative and gentle in a way that told her he was still holding back, still giving her a chance to pull away. But she was already too far gone for that.
A moan slipped free as she parted her lips, and the first taste of her finally shattered the last thread of his control. Swayam slid his other hand into her damp hair, holding her there as the kiss became urgent and consuming.
He poured years of longing into that kiss as he pulled her flush against his chest, and despite every rule she had ever made for herself, she kissed him back with the same reckless abandon, until every nerve beneath her skin felt like it was on fire.
The warmth of him seeped through her soaked kurti, sending sparks of delicious heat rushing through her veins. He bit her lower lip gently between his teeth, drawing a gasp out of her.
The scrape of his stubble against her cheek made her shiver. She could feel the steady thud of his heartbeat beneath her palm, feeding the frenzy building inside her. Only the soft hiss of rain against the roof and their ragged breaths filled the enclosed space between them.
Her breath slipped out in a whimper when he finally broke the kiss.
‘Oh God,’ he whispered. ‘I’ve wanted to do that for so long.’
A faint click at the back of her neck made her frown. Kashvi blinked, pulling back slightly. ‘Wait. Did you just—’
Swayam looked at her with far too much innocence.
Her fingers flew to her throat, only to find it empty. The chain was gone.
‘You thief!’
Swayam held up the ruby pendant with a triumphant grin. ‘Told you I’d win.’
She opened her mouth to argue, but he kissed her again, stealing the protest right off her lips. Kashvi melted against him, lost in his arms.
A loud horn shattered the moment, and bright headlights flashed across the windshield as a car sped past, making them jerk apart.
For a second, she couldn’t process what had happened. Her breaths came in ragged waves, and her lips still tingled with the memory of his mark, making it impossible to think clearly.
Nothing could have prepared her for how fierce, hungry, and overwhelming their first kiss would be.
The heat in his gaze had softened into a tender affection. ‘You’re so beautiful, Kash. I love making you blush.’
The intimacy in his voice scared her, and her instincts snapped back into place. She quickly pulled away, forcing a chasm between them.
Kashvi cleared her throat, glancing at the rain streaking down the window. ‘Well, that definitely woke me up.’
She could feel his gaze on her, but when she didn’t look at him, Swayam merely nodded. ‘Are you okay?’
‘Yeah. So… maybe just take me home. I have a lot of work to do.’
After a brief pause, he mumbled, ‘Alright.’
The drive back passed in heavy silence, but her heartbeat refused to settle. She stubbornly kept her eyes fixed on the blurred glow of lights sliding across the fogged glass.
By the time they reached the building, it felt like she had been holding her breath the entire way. They walked upstairs without a word.
Once inside the apartment, Kashvi slipped off her heels and turned towards her room, desperate for some quiet solitude that might allow her to untangle the knot of emotions within her.
She had barely taken two steps when fingers closed firmly around her wrist, stopping her in her tracks.
Turning halfway, she found Swayam standing close behind her, his expression solemn. ‘Don’t do that, Kash. Don’t walk away from me like nothing happened.’
Kashvi swallowed back a protest. ‘That’s not what I’m doing.’
Swayam shook his head once. ‘I’ve known you for a long time. Anyone other than Siya or Mihu shows you even a little affection, and you shut them out. You run the second someone gets too close to you.’
She looked away, uncomfortable with his accurate observation. Kashvi insisted, ‘I’m just tired, that’s all.’
Swayam laced his fingers with hers, holding on when she tried to pull away. ‘If you don’t want to talk now, I’ll wait. But get it through your stubborn head that you’re not pushing me away this time. I’ll be right here until you admit there’s something real between us.’
A small, traitorous part of her wanted to believe him desperately. She lowered her gaze. ‘You should get some sleep.’
‘Kash—’
She pulled her hand free before he could continue and hurried into her room. The door shut behind her with a loud click.
Her knees gave way as she slid down to the floor, pulling them tightly against her chest. Even now, she could still feel the echo of his lips on hers, the firm grip of his hand at the back of her neck, and the way her pulse had spiralled wildly out of control in his arms.
Kashvi pressed her forehead to her knees, squeezing her eyes shut. She could not allow herself to want this, to want him more.
Friendship was safer than risking losing him entirely to a momentary weakness. At least that was something she could survive.
She vowed to bury the memory and lock it so deep within herself that it would never rise to the surface again.
But this time, what frightened her most was the thought that Swayam might not let her hide at all.