Chapter 23 #2
Her tongue met his, searching, demanding, and he answered without hesitation.
His hand slid to the nape of her neck, holding her there, tilting her head back to give himself better access as he kissed her deeper, slower, more deliberately.
He finally lifted his head, wiping her lipstick from her mouth.
“Hello, Shauna,” he murmured.
She gave him a soft smile. “Hello.”
“Told you I’d catch you.”
“You caught me because I wanted you to catch me,” she replied. “Why do you think I came here to your floor?”
Something unfurled in his chest at that. He studied the truth in her gaze and realized that she was just as involved in this… whatever this was now blossoming between them.
“Are you going to finish your sentence?” he asked. “What would you have done had you found me naked in bed waiting for you?”
She turned, pushing him against the wall.
“Like I said, I’d start slow. Take my time…
” She kissed his cheek, opening the top two buttons of his shirt and pressing her lips to the bare skin she found there.
“Then I’d kiss my way across every inch of you…
” She opened another button and lowered her lips down his body.
His head fell back against the wall as his heart rate jacked up.
“And then I’d get down on my knees and…” She lowered her hand to his erection, which was already hard for her. She cupped his hardness, squeezing him.
“Shauna,” he groaned.
Buttoning himself up, he took her hand and rushed her inside his office. She was laughing when they entered, while he was thoroughly flustered.
“Great, laugh at my expense,” he grumbled. “I’ll pay you back for that.”
“I can’t wait.” She tugged on the lapel of his jacket, pulling him closer. “You promised to do bad things to me, or was that all just talk?”
His heart stumbled. “Fuck, you’re dangerous.”
She gave him a naughty grin and hopped onto his desk, settling there.
This laughter, this chemistry, this spark—once upon a time, long ago—it had been exactly like this between them. And to be honest he was delighted they were finding their way back to it again. He stepped closer, bracing his hands on either side of her, caging her in.
“Why do you keep saying I’m dangerous?” she asked, her head tipping to the side.
“Because you’re the only woman who makes me crave her.” He traced his nose down the side of her throat, breathing her in. “You’re the only woman who drives me insane with desire. You’re the only woman I can’t seem to get enough of.”
He suckled the side of her neck, and she shuddered.
“Come home again tonight,” he said. “I want to take my time with you.”
She laughed. “Again? What will my family think?”
“That you’re spending time with your fiancé,” he said, scraping his teeth lightly along the side of her neck, and she gasped. “Let them think you find me irresistible.”
She pulled his face back to look into his eyes. “On a serious note, I can’t. Rhea is spending the night at home with us. I want to be with her and Vaayu.”
“What can I do to bribe you away from them and be with me?”
“Let’s plan something for tomorrow.”
“Sounds good. So, you’ll stay the night?”
She shook her head. “I had to rush home at six this morning before anyone in my family woke up.” Her thumb brushed his cheek. “All they’ve ever seen is us fighting. If they found out I was sleeping with you…” She shook her head. “They wouldn’t know what to think. ”
He pushed a strand of hair away from her face. “Honestly? I don’t know what to think either. I just know I feel way too much for you. More than I expected to.”
She lowered her lashes. “I feel the same.”
He tipped her chin up. “I’m happy, you know. Happier than I’ve ever been.”
“Me too,” she whispered, her hand finding his. “And that scares me. You and I… it feels too good, too soon. Like everything is just… falling into place.”
“Maybe it was always meant to.” He leaned in, closing the distance between them. Just as his lips met hers, there was a knock on the door.
The door opened, and Janak stepped in.
Shauna slid off the desk, moving a few steps away from him. He dragged a hand through his hair as though nothing had happened, greeting Janak with a smile.
Janak paused just inside the room, his eyes moving from him to Shauna. The corner of his lips tugged upward.
“Oh, good,” Janak said, “you’re both here.”
He moved farther into the room to stand in front of them. “Suveer has invited all three of us to his house for dinner on Saturday.”
Akash blinked. “What? Why? Vir hasn’t told me anything.”
He pulled out his phone, and sure enough there was a message from Vir.
Vir: Heard you’re invited with the bride-to-be for dinner at ours on Sat. I’m looking forward to seeing you and her together. This shall be fun.
“Fuck,” Akash cursed. “Vir messaged me.”
“Wait,” Shauna said. “Why does Suveer Malhotra want to meet us for dinner?”
“Because I told him about your engagement, and he wants to see for himself whether the two of you are truly suited to each other.”
She frowned. “Is that what he said?”
Janak sighed. “Suveer is difficult on most days, and it’s obvious he’s invited you both to see if the two of you can make this work.
Everyone at Sehgal Media knows that you both have a history of being at odds with each other.
I suppose he wants to see if that’s changed…
and if this marriage can truly work for you and for the company. ”
“I don’t like this,” Akash said. “We were going to announce our engagement to the board on Monday anyway. Why did you accept his invite? Why do we have to go through this… test?”
“The only reason I accepted his invite is because it’s what’s best for the two of you,” Janak said.
“If Suveer is convinced, the rest of the board will fall in line.” His gaze flicked between them.
“All you need to do is behave like a normal, happily engaged couple for a few hours. No sparring, no snapping at each other.” His lips curved.
“And from what I almost walked in on… I’d say that shouldn’t be too difficult, right? ”
Shauna’s cheeks reddened, and Akash chuckled.
“Alright, Janak,” Akash finally said. “If you think this is the right way forward.”
“It is.” Janak studied him carefully. “How are you doing after last night?”
“I’m fine.”
Akash sighed.
Fuck. For a few fleeting moments he’d forgotten that his father’s shadow still loomed over them all.
“Do you have any news from VJ?” Shauna asked, a look of concern on her face.
“Not yet,” Akash replied. “It’s too soon.”
Janak clasped his shoulder. “We will find out. Don’t worry about him.”
Akash nodded.
“Well, I’ll see you on Saturday at eight at Suveer’s. Don’t be late. You know what a cantankerous fellow he is.”
With a quick wave, Janak left, pulling the door shut behind him.
Shauna made a face. “I don’t like this dinner plan.”
“It’s just dinner, Shauna,” Akash said.
“With your ex-girlfriend,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Excuse me for not jumping with joy at that idea.”
The corner of his mouth pulled upward. “Jealous?”
“Don’t flatter yourself.” She crossed her arms.
He reached for her, his hands settling on her waist as he pulled her in. “Just say it. You’re jealous.”
“Fine.” Her eyes met his. “I am.”
He kissed her forehead. “You don’t need to be.”
Shauna shut her eyes. Her throat worked as she swallowed. She opened her eyes and looked him straight in the eye. “All those years ago, Rhea told me that you started dating someone… her… and I… I’d felt…”
Her phone rang, cutting off whatever she was about to say.
Shauna stepped away from him to answer her call. A minute later, she returned to him.
“Sorry, I need to go,” she said. “They need me in the newsroom.”
“Shauna, wait. Meet me later, okay?”
She nodded, and then she was gone, leaving him standing there wondering what exactly she had been about to say about the past. And for some reason, he knew without a doubt that it was something important. Something he needed to address soon.