“Really? And did you let any of them touch you? Did any of them make you feel the wayImake you feel?”
She looked away. “Why are we talking about this? It’s none of your concern.”
“You’re going to be marrying me soon. Of course it’s my concern.”
She clucked her tongue. “This is going nowhere.”
“On the contrary, we are finally getting somewhere,” he said, moving closer to her. “Do you know I haven’t been able to look at another woman since Singapore?”
She shook her head, her eyes darkening.
He continued, “Do you know that I haven’t been able to bed another woman since you? I tried. God, I tried. But I couldn’t, because none of them were you. You ruined me for everyone else.”
“Even Amara?”
She sounded jealous, and he liked that… very much.
“I already told you Amara is just a friend,” he said. “She’s not the one I want.Youare.”
Her eyes darkened.
“Singapore was a mistake,” she whispered.
He chuckled. “And what about Maldives?”
She opened her mouth, but he shook his head, stopping her words. “You and I both know that had Janak not called me that night in Maldives, you wouldn’t have stopped me. You wanted me as much as I wanted you.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I would have stopped you. It had gone too far.”
“Really?” His gaze drifted over her face, lingering on the tension she tried and failed to hide. “So if I put my hands on you, you’ll be able to stop me this time, right?”
Her eyes snapped to his. “What?”
“I’m proving to you that there’s something between us.” His voice stayed calm, measured.
“There isn’t.”
“Then you have nothing to worry about if I touch you,” he said.
She stared at him wide-eyed as he slowly stalked closer to her. She didn’t retreat. She stayed rooted where she was until hewas too close, close enough to breathe in her spicy, intoxicating scent that always made his heart lurch. Close enough to see the faint tremor in her lips. Close enough to feel the heat radiating from her body.
“All you need to do is ask me to stop, and I will,” he said.
Her mouth firmed into a straight line as she looked up at him, a flash of resolve hardening her gaze.
He caressed her cheek slowly. “Tell me you feel nothing when I touch you.”
“I don’t,” she said, turning her face away. But he didn’t miss the way her breath stuttered or how quickly her chest rose and fell.
His fingers slid from her cheek to her arm, tracing the bare skin there in an unhurried stroke. She stiffened, and despite herself, leaned a fraction closer. Her fingers curled at her sides, betraying the effort it took to remain still.
“Still nothing?” he murmured.
She swallowed. Stayed silent.
His hand continued its slow exploration down her arm, his thumb brushing the sensitive inside of her wrist. Her pulse fluttered wildly beneath his touch. Her lashes lowered, then lifted again.
“Tell me you feel nothing now,” he said softly.
