Chapter 6 #3
Shruti stood on the private glass balcony of her second-floor suite, leaning her arms against the cool railing, looking out at the dark, roaring Arabian Sea. The cool night breeze blew her dark wavy hair across her face, cooling her flushed skin.
She felt utterly foolish.
"Why did you say that to Sonia?" Shruti scolded herself softly, burying her face in her hands. "You made a complete fool of yourself! Now Akhil knows you were jealous!"
"Does he?" a deep, smooth voice echoed behind her.
Shruti gasped, spinning around on her heels.
Standing near the open balcony doors, framed by the warm yellow light of her bedroom, was Akhil.
He had removed his tuxedo jacket and silk tie. The top two buttons of his crisp white shirt were unbuttoned, exposing his bronze throat, and his sleeves were rolled up to his forearms. He was holding a fresh glass of scotch, stepping out onto the dark balcony with slow, deliberate grace.
Shruti’s breath caught in her throat. "Akhil... what are you doing here?"
"Checking on my guest," Akhil murmured, stepping closer until he was standing just a few feet away from her near the balcony railing. The rich scent of his sandalwood cologne and expensive scotch wrapped around her instantly. "You walked away from the terrace very quickly after Sonia left."
Shruti quickly looked back out towards the dark ocean, trying her best to sound indifferent and calm. "I was tired. It was a long evening."
"Was it?" Akhil asked teasingly, taking a slow sip of his drink. "I thought you were quite active during dinner. Especially during the third course."
Shruti felt a hot flush rush up her neck. She folded her arms tightly over her wine-red silk dress. "I was just making conversation."
"Conversation?" Akhil chuckled softly, a rich, velvety sound that sent a shiver down her spine.
He took a step closer, closing the distance between them until he was leaning against the railing right beside her, his broad shoulder almost touching hers.
"You practically tore Sonia Kapoor to pieces with three sentences, Shruti. "
"She was annoying!" Shruti defended herself, turning her head to shoot him a sharp look. "She was acting like she owned the place! And she was practically hanging off your suit jacket all night!"
"And why did that bother you so much?" Akhil asked softly.
The question hung in the cool night air like a heavy spell.
Shruti froze. Her mouth opened, but no words came out.
Akhil set his scotch glass down on the balcony ledge. He turned his tall body to face her fully, stepping into her personal space. The moonlight illuminated the sharp, handsome angles of his face, his dark eyes burning with an intense, unreadable power.
"Tell me, Shruti," Akhil whispered, his deep voice dropping to a low, seductive gravel that vibrated straight through her body. "Why were you so angry every time Sonia touched my arm tonight?"
"I... I wasn't angry," Shruti lied, her voice small and breathy as her heart slammed wildly against her ribs.
"Your jaw was clenched all evening," Akhil countered smoothly, taking another half-step closer until her chest was almost touching his. "You drank three glasses of water in two minutes. And you stared at my hand like you wanted to cut hers off."
"She was being inappropriate!" Shruti stammered, backing up until her spine bumped against the cool glass balcony railing. She was trapped between the cold glass behind her and the broad, warm frame of Akhil Raheja in front of her. "She was using your business project to flirt with you!"
"Sonia has been flirting with me for two years," Akhil said softly, leaning his hand against the railing right beside her waist, trapping her in his magnetic orbit. "It never bothered you before."
"Because I wasn't forced to sit across from her at a dinner table!" Shruti declared, her stubborn fire flaring up as she looked directly into his dark eyes. "I don't like fake, arrogant socialites who look down on other people!"
"Is that the only reason?" Akhil asked quietly.
Shruti swallowed hard. Up close, she could see every tiny detail of his handsome face, the slight dark shadow along his jaw, the faint crease between his dark eyebrows, and the intense, raw hunger hidden deep within his dark irises.
The air between them turned suffocatingly thick. Shruti felt as if her secret, the eight years of hidden love, the teenage crush, the aching desire, was laid completely bare before him.
"Why do you care what I think, Akhil?" Shruti whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "You're Mumbai's most eligible bachelor. You can have any woman you want. Sonia, or a hundred other glamorous socialites. Why do you care if I get annoyed?"
Akhil stared down at her soft, rosy lips, his dark eyes darkening further. His broad chest rose and fell with a heavy, steady breath.
For a breathless, terrifying second, Akhil almost said it.
He almost told her that he didn't give a damn about Sonia Kapoor or a hundred other women.
He almost told her that he had spent eight long years rejecting every single woman who came into his life because none of them were her.
He almost told her that she was the only woman who had ever owned his reckless, guarded heart.
But as he looked into her wide, vulnerable dark eyes, the protective wall inside his mind slammed back up.
He remembered Raghav’s face. He remembered his solemn promise to his best friend to protect Shruti, not to take advantage of her while she was staying under his roof for protection.
Akhil took a slow, deep breath, mastering his intense emotions with terrifying self-control.
He reached out his hand, his long, warm fingers gently tucking a loose strand of dark wavy hair behind her shell-like ear. His thumb brushed over her soft cheekbone for a slow, lingering second, sending a violent shiver straight down Shruti’s spine.
"I care," Akhil murmured softly, his voice thick and velvety, "because you are under my protection, Shorty. And I don't like seeing you upset."
Shruti felt a sharp, bitter pang of disappointment strike her heart. 'Under his protection. Little sister.'
She pulled her face back slightly from his touch, putting a small distance between them, though her heart was still aching with a deep, silent love.
"I'm not upset," Shruti said quietly, forcing her tone to sound steady. "I'm just tired. Goodnight, Akhil."
Akhil looked at her pulled-back frame, a subtle shadow of regret flickering across his dark eyes. He picked up his scotch glass from the railing and took a step back.
"Goodnight, Shruti," Akhil replied softly. "Sleep well."
He turned and walked out of her suite, closing the balcony doors softly behind him.
Shruti stood alone on the dark balcony, the cool ocean breeze blowing her dark hair. She placed her hand over her hammering heart.
She had tried so hard to bury her feelings for eight long years. But tonight, as she looked out at the vast, roaring ocean, she knew the truth. Her teenage crush had evolved into something far more dangerous, far more powerful, and far more terrifying.
She was completely in love with Akhil Raheja, and being under his roof was going to break her heart.