Her lips parted, then closed. A faint tremor ran through her. He stepped closer, close enough that her breath mingled with his. He lifted her hand and placed it on his shoulder. Her fingers tensed, but she didn’t pull away. Then he slid his other hand to her waist, drawing her body flush against his.
His own pulse spiked, but he ignored it, focusing only on her. Her eyes remained glued to his, watching him carefully. She tilted her head back instinctively, her gaze snagging on his mouth and staying there.
He inhaled, and her scent hit his head. Sexy. Warm. Spicy. Just like her.
The air around him charged. His eyes bored into hers. His thumb traced the small of her back through her silky top. Her breath caught. Her dark, startled eyes flew to his, and then something else flared there, hot and unmistakable. Her fingers slid to his nape, stroking the back of his neck.
Electricity crackled across his skin. God, this one woman had the power to unravel him with a single touch. Maybe she was right. Maybe a platonic marriage was better. And yet she still hadn’t told him to stop. She’d stayed.
“God, you’re dangerous,” he whispered. “If I kiss you now, will you be able to resist me? Will you push me away?”
She gulped. “Yes.”
“Liar,” he breathed, and then he claimed her mouth.
She rose onto her toes, leaning into him, into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck as she gave in to him. All his thoughts scattered instantly as her mouth moved against his, her urgency matching his own. He drew her even closer, tightening his hold on her. Her breasts crushed against his chest, and a soft gasp escaped her lips.
He took advantage of that opening to plunder her mouth, licking her tongue with his and deepening the kiss. God, she was sweet. She was always so sweet. Her tongue danced with his, sliding and stroking.
Need bubbled in his blood. Desire made his head spin. His hands wandered around her body, searching, gliding, down her back, over her hips, and then back up again, caressing the sides of her breasts while his mouth continued to play with hers. His body hardened to the point of pain. He pressed his growing erection into the vee between her legs, and a moan escaped her lips. She pushed into him, igniting his desire further.
Fuck. He wanted her. Badly. He needed a surface. Any surface. A wall, a desk, anything would do. He had to claim her now.
Suddenly, alarm bells rang in his head. Sanity returned with startling clarity. He was in his office, where anyone could walk in on them. Planting one last kiss on her lips, he lifted his head. Her eyes flew open. Her chest rose and fell as she watched him.
“I guess you proved your point,” she said.
He clasped her jaw. “Shauna, this is not a game. I want you, and I have the courage to say it out loud. I know you want me too, despite everything. So let’s try and make this marriage work.”
She exhaled. “I need time. All this is too much for me.”
“Take all the time you need,” he said. “I’ll be right here waiting.”
She lowered her chin in a nod. Stepping back, she collected her purse.
When she faced him again, he said, “I’ll ask my lawyer to draw up a contract adding in everything we discussed.”
“Alright,” she said.
Turning quickly, she walked away from him. He exhaled slowly once the door closed behind her.
This was supposed to be simple. Strategic. Clean. Instead, he’d gone and complicated everything. Made it more dangerous. More risky for him.
He walked back to his desk and rested his palms against the edge, staring at nothing. He wanted a marriage not built on clauses and conditions. He wanted more. A fresh start with her. A real marriage, a chance at a real relationship.
There had been a time when he’d felt more for her. He wanted to explore that possibility again. If he was going to tie himself to her, then he might as well give it his best shot.
But that also meant opening himself up to the possibility of her rejecting him again.
And for the first time since he’d taken over Sehgal Media, he understood the real risk. It wasn’t losing control of the company, but losing control of his heart.
16
The bar was dim, all low lighting and polished wood, the kind of place where conversations blurred into a comfortable hum. Akash sat with a drink in his hand, nodding at something his friend Vir was saying. But he wasn’t really listening. His mind kept straying back toher.
Shauna. And how her mouth had undone him.
That kiss had detonated something inside him. It had been no slow burn. Just raw, savage want. Even now, hours later, if he inhaled deeply, he could almost swear he could still catch her scent clinging to his skin. Even now, he ached to have her back in his arms. His hands on her skin…
