Meghna raised a hand over her mouth, but she couldn’t quite cover her wide smile. “No, no, I’m not. It’s just…” She laughed again. “The job sounds incredible. And I’m so happy for you. But…you’re really going to be working on a robot?”
“Yes,” he said, slightly confused. “I mean, I’d phrase it more like I’ll be working on robotic technology. Only in the medical context, though with some modifications, I’m sure it would have applications for…”
Another laugh flew out of her mouth. “I’m sorry, it’s just, when I first met you, I used to think you were a bit…well, robotic. And now you’re actually going to be working on robots and it’s all so…surreal. But it’s wonderful. I’m so happy for you.”
Karthik laughed. “You thought I was a robot?”
“Only because I didn’t know you! But now I do, and…you have to stay in New York. Look at you! You’re actually glowing talking about work. I’ve never seen you this way.”
Karthik smiled. “There are jobs like this in Dallas too. I’m sure I could find one. I actually started looking for jobs closer to you a while ago. Before Seth’s wedding. Because somehow, even then, I knew that I wanted to be wherever you are. Maybe that’s Dallas. Maybe that’s someplace else. But wherever you go, I want to go too. So, what do you want to do? I know your job is here. And your parents and Ankita and—”
Meghna shook her head, watching him with a look that made his heart thud a little faster. “I’m applying to programs in New York. I’m applying other places too, but I searched for options in New York first.” She smiled tentatively. “I think I knew then too. Somehow. Before I even knew I knew.” She laughed, loud and warm and utterly beautiful. “Does that even make sense?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said, moving toward her, almost without meaning to.He was drawn in. Her presence was magnetic. “I think I fell for you at the beginning. When I first proposed the entire…Well, when I firstproposed. There were other ways to get out of that promise to my mother, but I didn’t even try to think about any of them. I just wanted to see you again. I just wanted an excuse to be around you. I didn’t really know that was what I was doing then, but—”
Meghna inched closer, rising on her knees so that they were face-to-face.
“I didn’t know for sure until the wedding,” she said. “But I think it started for me that night in the parking lot. When you surprised me. Standing there with flowers—”
Karthik let out a self-deprecating laugh, thinking about what a mess he’d been that night. “I’m glad I at least brought some flowers,” he said, half-jokingly.
But Meghna didn’t laugh. She looked as serious as he’d ever seen her.
“I don’t care about the flowers. That’s not what I…That night. It meant everything to me. For the first time, you let me see you. Really see you. I couldn’t make sense of you before that. I didn’t understand…but then you invited me in. And what I saw, what I learned about you…” Meghna lifted her hands, reaching out to hold his face. “I don’t know exactly when or how it happened, but I started falling for you, Karthik. And I never stopped.”
Karthik felt weightless. Like he might float away if it weren’t for Meghna’s hands on his face. Holding him steady. Anchoring him to the earth.
He placed his hands on top of hers, holding them in place for a moment. Then he lifted one of her hands off his cheek and turned it over, kissing the center of her palm.
Meghna inhaled sharply. Karthik smiled, holding Meghna’s gaze as he pressed a kiss to the inside of her wrist.
Something bright and hot flashed in her eyes, and then she moved. He went tumbling, her momentum knocking him flat on his back. Hebarely had time to recover before her mouth came to his, and then he was lost. In the feel of her body pressed against his. In the softness of her skin. He wanted to feel it everywhere. Needed to feel it everywhere. Needed to—
Meghna rocked against him, and all rational thought left his mind.
“Bedroom. Now.” It wasn’t the most eloquent seduction, but he wasn’t able to manage much more at the moment. All he knew was that he wanted her. More than he’d ever wanted anything.
Meghna pressed her lips to his, hard and fast, but somehow still sweet. And then she climbed off of him. He followed her toward the bedroom, stopping at various times on the short journey there to kiss her, to slide his hands up and down her curves, to push her up against a wall and sweep his tongue against hers.
Meghna lifted her dress over her head, and for a moment Karthik was only able to stare. His mind went blank as he took her in.
“You’re beautiful,” he said hoarsely.
“So are you,” she said, her hand tracing his jaw carefully, as if she held something precious. Something treasured and fragile. Then her hand trailed down his neck, his chest, his stomach, stopping every now and then to undo the buttons of his shirt.
He swallowed as he let his shirt fall to the floor. Then Meghna’s fingers curled around one of the loops of his jeans, and she tugged him gently, leading him the last few steps to the bed.
—
The rest of their clothes came off, fluttering to the floor like pieces of confetti. Meghna’s lips curved at the thought. This was a celebration, after all.
And then Karthik’s lips were on hers and they were on the bed, and any trace of humor left her mind. Karthik kissed his way down her body almost reverently. Worshipfully. And she had never felt more cherished.
He lingered between her legs, then kissed the very center of her. Meghna gasped. She couldn’t see a thing in the darkness of her bedroom, but that only heightened the sensation. Every stroke. Every sweeping movement of his tongue. Again and again and again. She could barely stand it. Could barely think straight. She was falling off the edge and she didn’t want to fall like this.
She wanted to fall with him.
She reached down, pulling at him, and he finally got the message. He crawled back up her body, settling on top of her. She almost came apart just from the feel of him.
