"Then we will."
She laughed softly.
"We both have work tomorrow. And meetings. And responsibilities."
"Let them wait."
She lifted her head to look at me, her eyes searching my face.
"You are different tonight. More relaxed. Like a weight has been lifted."
She was right. I did feel lighter. Being with her like this, no secrets between us about how we felt, no barriers or distance, it made everything else seem insignificant.
Well, not quite no secrets. The guilt about the real reason for our marriage still nagged at the back of my mind. But I pushed it away. I would deal with that soon. Just not tonight.
"Being with you makes me feel like I can breathe again," I said honestly. "This past month without you was suffocating."
Her hand moved from my heart to my face, her fingers tracing along my jaw with such gentleness it made me close my eyes.
"I am here now," she whispered. "I am not going anywhere."
"Promise me."
She looked surprised by the intensity in my voice.
"Promise you what?"
"That you will stay. That you will not leave me. That no matter what happens, you will be by my side."
Something flickered in her eyes. A question, maybe. Or uncertainty. But then it was gone, replaced by determination.
"I give you my word," she said, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. "As long as you want me by your side, that is exactly where I’ll stay."
"In that case," I whispered "you’re never leaving. I’ll want you for as long as the stars are in the sky."
The words came out before I could stop them, raw and honest and terrifying in their permanence. But I meant every syllable.
The words hung in the air between us, shimmering with the weight of a vow. Viya’s eyes widened, her breath catching, and for a second the whole world seemed to pause—the waves, the wind, the flickering candlelight—just to witness this moment.
Then she surged toward me, her lips finding mine with a desperate, grateful hunger that stole my breath. The kiss was deep, wet, messy. It was a confession and an answer all at once. Her hands clawed into my shoulders, pulling me closer, as if she could absorb me right through my skin.
The emotion was so thick, so overwhelming, it quickly burned into something else—a raw, physical need. My hands, whichhad been cupping her face with tenderness, slid down her back, pulling her body flush against mine. I could feel every curve, the heat of her through the thin fabric of her dress, the rapid beat of her heart against my chest.
I shifted, pulling her up and into my lap so she was straddling me. Her knees pressed into the soft mattress on either side of my hips. The position brought her chest right to my face. That white dress, so innocent and lovely, was now a tantalizing barrier. My fingers found the simple knot at the front of her bodice. With a deliberate tug, it came undone.
The dress loosened, falling open. I didn’t peel it off her yet. I just looked.
The fabric gaped, revealing the smooth, pale skin of her upper chest, the delicate valley between her breasts. She wasn’t wearing a bra. The knowledge sent a bolt of pure lust straight through me. Her breasts were full and heavy, their soft weight hinted at even through the dress. My eyes were glued to the shadowed cleavage, to the way the material barely clung to the curves.
I finally lifted the dress up and over her head, letting it fall discarded beside the bed. She was bare to the waist now, sitting in my lap in nothing but her panties. The candlelight played over her skin, painting her in gold and shadow. Her breasts were perfection—a generous, soft swell that begged for my touch. My eyes traced their shape, the way they rose and fell with her nervous breathing, the pale pink nipples already tightening in the cool breeze.
I didn’t touch them with my hands. First, I leaned forward and kissed the space between them, nuzzling into her warmth. She gasped, her hands coming to rest on my head, not pushing me away but holding me there. I kissed lower, my lips tracing a path to the underside of one breast, feeling the incredible softness, the heft of it against my face.
“Armaan…” she breathed.
I finally took one in my hand. The flesh was so warm, so pliant. My palm cupped its weight, feeling the full roundness. My thumb brushed over her nipple, and it hardened instantly under my touch. A soft moan escaped her lips.
“Do you like that?” I asked, looking up at her. Her eyes were closed, her head tilted back in surrender.
