Chapter 24
Dev
I won’t lie, her filing that FIR hurt me. It wasn’t the legal mess that bothered me, but it was the fact that Meera didn’t come to me, didn’t trust me enough to hear her first. That… stung like hell.
But she undid every last knot in my chest with that half-confession of hers. Not an I love you, but enough to tell me she feels the same pull, the one that’s been driving me insane from the minute she walked into my life.
It’s been almost twenty days since things shifted between us. Of her looking at me differently, of her edges softening. Of those small moments where she reminds me just how much she’s starting to trust me.
And those soft kisses we’ve begun to share… Damn. They turn me into some lovesick teenager, waiting for the next one… replaying the last one like an idiot.
But we’ve kept it at that. Just kisses, nothing more. We don’t share a bed yet, but I am not complaining. Not when she’s actually trying to make this marriage work. She hasn’t said it out loud, but I see it in everything she does. And for now, that’s enough.
To say everything between us is perfect would be true, except for the part where that annoying jerk Samarth is still living under my roof. Still getting on my nerves with his exaggerated ‘concern’ for my wife.
Meera insisted he’s just overprotective, that he’ll leave once he finds whatever ‘peace of mind’ he’s looking for. Also, she didn’t want him pushed out before he was ready, so I let him stay. Even if every second he’s here grates on my nerves.
God, what I wouldn’t do for this woman. She has no idea how far she makes me bend.
It’s only because of her that I didn’t put my hands on the bastard who attacked her. I let the police handle it, making sure they knew he didn’t deserve to walk out of jail anytime soon.
At the sound of her clearing her throat, I look up and forget how to breathe when I see her standing in the bathroom doorway.
“You’re wearing that?” I choke out, my throat working as she walks towards me.
She’s in a black dress that’s too damn sexy.
The front of the dress hooks around her neck, a choker-style strap made of gold, the fabric falling from there and skimming over her breasts like it was designed to test my self-control.
A matching belt cinches her waist, drawing every bit of attention to curves that are already driving me insane.
Her sides are completely bare, smooth skin on full display, and the dress ends just above her knee.
She looks like temptation wrapped in silk.
“You don’t like it,” she says, looking down at her dress.
God, I fucking love it. That’s the problem. It’s our first date, and I want it to be perfect for her. Not ruined because I end up punching the first idiot who checks her out, which is definitely going to happen. Every damn man is going to have his eyes glued to her.
“You look perfect.” I step closer and let my finger trail slowly down her cheek.
“I have no idea how I am supposed to get through dinner without breaking the jaw of every man who even thinks about checking you out.” Damn, even I am having a tough time taking my eyes off her.
Her hair falls loosely around her shoulders, her makeup soft enough to make her look effortlessly stunning.
“Every man will envy me the moment they see you by my side.”
She bites her lip, her cheeks flushing. “You really know how to make me dizzy with your words.”
I brush a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “They’re not just words meant to flatter you. You’re gorgeous, and for the rest of our lives, I’ll make damn sure every word I say… reminds you of exactly that.”
She swallows, “Th-thank you. Now let’s go before you make my legs wobble, and I don’t even make it out of the room.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll carry you, sweetheart, if I have to.”
She laughs softly and loops her arm through mine. “Let’s go. I don’t want to be late for our first date.”
I drop a kiss on her forehead as we step out of the room. Reaching my car, I open the passenger door for her, and she slides in. Jogging around, I settle behind the steering wheel, start the engine, and drive down to the rooftop five-star restaurant I’d booked.
Her voice keeps me grinning as I steer through the traffic.
She talks animatedly about all the dishes she’s dying to try tonight.
With her, even the smallest things feel like they’re everything.
And every laugh, every little detail she shares, reminds me exactly why I’d do anything to see her this happy.
Forty minutes later, I pull up outside the hotel. A guard opens my door while another does the same for her. I step out, walk to her, and offer her my hand. She slips hers into mine as I lead her towards the entrance.
“Dev.”
I hear my name from behind just as we step through the entrance.
I turn to see my college friend Rahul a few feet away. And next to him stands Rashmi, a well-known model, and someone I’d hooked up with a couple of times in the past.
My hand instinctively tightens around Meera’s as they start walking towards us.
A part of me wants to turn around and get the hell out of here, to keep every piece of my past far away from my wife.
But the other part, the part that belongs entirely to her, stays rooted, wanting to make it damn clear that she’s it for me.
No one from my past affects me anymore. No one has any claim on me now.
“Rahul.” I extend my hand towards him.
His family owns the country’s second-largest hotel chain, and he’s been running it for years now. And of course, he has a reputation. Thirty-five, rich, handsome, and one of the city’s most notorious playboys, with women lining up for a shot at his attention.
“Nice to see you, Dev.” He shakes my hand, but his gaze drifts past me to Meera, and heat shoots through my veins.
“Dev, no greeting for me?” Rashmi asks, that coy smile playing on her lips, the one that makes my jaw tighten.
“Hi, Rashmi,” I say flatly, giving her a bored look, not even bothering to offer a handshake. But the woman never did understand boundaries, because the next second, she steps in and hugs me.
Meera stiffens beside me just as Rashmi whispers in my ear, “Now this is how you greet old friends.”
I am a breath away from pushing her off and warning her to stay the hell away from me when Rahul clears his throat.
“Dev, won’t you introduce me to the beautiful woman with you?”
Meera’s fingers tighten around my hand, digging slightly into my skin. That tiny gesture is all it takes for possessiveness to flare hot in my chest.
I grit my teeth. “She is my wife.”
The colour drains from both their faces.
“Mrs. Meera Rathore,” Meera adds smoothly.
I glance down at her. Her eyes are locked on Rashmi, her stunning face marked with jealousy… a look I’ve never seen on her before. And damn if it doesn’t thrill me to my core.
“Nice to meet you, Meera,” Rahul says, taking her hand and leaning in as if to kiss it. Lucky for him, she jerks her hand back just in time, saving his life and keeping me from losing mine.
“Nice to meet you, too,” she smiles, then looks at me. “I think we’d better go get our table. I am starving.”
“Sure, sweetheart.” I press a quick kiss to her forehead, and she narrows her eyes at me, clearly hating every second of this encounter.
My gaze shifts back to Rahul. “We’ll talk soon,” I say, before leading Meera towards the restaurant.
“Who is that woman?” Meera asks the moment we settle into our chairs.
The waiter sets down the water and menus, and I tell him not to disturb us until I call for him.
“An old friend,” I say, flipping through the menu, hoping she won’t press for more. My eyes skim the pages, but I can feel her watching me.
“An old friend?” she repeats, and even from the corner of my eye, I catch the subtle roll of her eyes.
I set the menu down and finally meet her gaze. “Where’s all this jealousy coming from?”
“Maybe I just don’t like other women checking out my husband,” she says, opening her menu and pointedly avoiding my eyes.
“Is that so?” I smirk, sliding my hands over the menu she’s holding and tugging it out of her grip.
I set it aside and wrap my hands around hers, pulling her attention back to me, exactly where I want it.
Her eyes lift to mine, and I continue. “Well, you don’t need to worry about anyone else,” I murmur, my thumbs brushing slow circles over her fingers.
“No one else gets a look… or even a second thought when you’re with me.
” I lean in a little, and my voice drops to a whisper, “I am forever yours… only yours, Mrs. Rathore.” I lift her hand to my mouth and kiss her fingers, her eyes fluttering as she trembles at the touch.
“I know,” she murmurs, her voice softer than before. “I trust you. I am just—” She swallows, her gaze dipping for a moment. “I am sorry for letting my jealousy speak. I was just… being a possessive, jealous wife.”
“Don’t be sorry,” I say, my thumb brushing over her knuckles. “Especially not for showing me how you feel. And,” My lips tilt into a smirk, “that jealousy looked damn sexy on you.”
She snatches a napkin and flicks it at my chest. “You are so full of yourself.”
I chuckle, setting the napkin back on the table. “You wanted honesty. That was honesty. And I am not the least bit ashamed to admit I was two seconds away from burying Rahul six feet under for the way he looked at you.”
Her eyes widen, her lips parting as she tries hard to look annoyed, to hold on to that glare. But the warm flush creeping up her cheeks betrays her completely.