She made a face. “I’m going to face an inquisition when I get home, and all because I’m unable to resist you.”
He laughed. “I can come help you explain why that is.”
She shook her head, aghast. “Absolutely not.”
She started to get off his lap, but he held her to him.
“I have to go home,” she protested. “We have that dinner tonight at Suveer Malhotra’s house, then the board meeting on Monday, plus all this wedding planning. So much needs to be done.”
He flipped her onto the bed and climbed on top of her.
“Later,” he murmured.
He shifted the shirt off her shoulder and nipped at her skin. She shuddered his name, giving in to him without hesitation. The world faded into a blur as he claimed this one woman he prayed would always be his.
28
That evening, Shauna drove her car toward Suveer Malhotra’s home. A strange unease had settled in her chest, and it only seemed to increase as the distance to his house decreased. In a few minutes, she was going to come face-to-face with her. Amara Malhotra. The woman Akash had chosen… all those years ago.
Her jaw clenched. Old fury rushed through her at that thought. She breathed in and out, keeping her churning emotions at bay. Akash had offered to pick her up earlier, but she’d refused. She needed a little space from him because, since last night and then this morning, being around him felt… dangerous. Like every carefully buried emotion was clawing its way back to the surface, demanding to be seen, to be felt. She suddenly felt too much for him, and now she didn’t quite trust herself around him. Last night and this morning were further proof of how vulnerable she was to him and how much she was beginning to crave him.
This morning, she’d finally reached home sometime after ten, only to be met with a barrage of questions about him from her family. She’d managed to deflect most of them, giving herparents and brother just enough to satisfy their curiosity without revealing too much. She’d spent the day with her mom, Raashi, and Rhea, shopping for her wedding. But with each passing hour bringing her closer to this moment, her emotions had gotten all muddled up.
And that’s why she had insisted on coming here alone. Her thoughts were all over the place when it came to this dinner and Amara, and she knew that if he’d been near, she would’ve told him everything… how much it had hurt that he’d dated Amara back then, that he’d chosen another woman over her. How that had hollowed something inside her. To the world, she’d pretended it hadn’t mattered when it had mattered more than anything. And for some inexplicable reason, it still did.
She exhaled, forcing herself to stay calm as she eased her car into the sweeping driveway and cut the engine, the sudden silence pressing in around her. For a moment, she didn’t move.
Ahead of her, Suveer Malhotra’s mansion stood tall and imposing. Two storied and elegant in a way that spoke of old money and older power, the structure carried a vintage charm, from its arched windows to the wide verandah wrapped around the front. Warm lights from the house spilled out into the evening. It should have looked inviting. But it didn’t.
She stared at the façade, breathing hard. She inhaled and exhaled until her composure slid back into place like armor.This was just dinner. She reached for the door handle, paused for the briefest second, then pushed it open and stepped out.
A uniformed staff member led her through the house. She barely noticed the elegant interiors, the high ceilings, antique furnishings, and quiet luxury woven into every corner. As they reached the main living room, the sound of voices grew louder. It looked like everyone had already gathered.
She paused at the threshold, her gaze sweeping the room. Janak sat comfortably with Dheer and Suveer Malhotra, deep inconversation, looking entirely at ease. But her attention didn’t linger there. It moved, searching, until it foundhim.
Akash stood across the room with Vir and Amara. The other woman said something, and he laughed.
Something sharp twisted inside her. Irritation flared, laced with something far more possessive. The sound of his laughter, directed at someone else—at Amara—grated against her nerves. A wild, irrational urge seized her heart.
Mine.
He was hers. Her fiancé. The man she was going to marry.
And for one reckless second, she wanted nothing more than to cross the room, drag him away from Amara, and make that fact unmistakably clear.
Suddenly, Akash’s gaze lifted and landed on her. Without a word, he left Vir and Amara and walked toward her, a smile spreading across his face. Shauna let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding as he reached her. His hand came to her waist, pulling her in as he pressed a quick kiss to her cheek.
“Hey,” he said. “I’m glad you’re here.”
Something in her eased.
“Come,” he added, taking her hand, his fingers threading through hers. “Let me introduce you to my friends. Last night, you didn’t get to meet them.”
He led her first toward the seating area where Janak sat with Dheer and Suveer Malhotra. All of them stood as she neared.
“Ah, Shauna,” Janak said, a smile flickering across his face. “You’re here. Good.”
She leaned up to press a kiss to his weathered cheek.
