And her jaw dropped.
Karthik always moved in such a…controlled manner. Back straight, arms at his sides, chin up. She’d imagined that his dancing would be similar. Stiff. Robotic.
She couldn’t have been more wrong.
An ease settled over his shoulders the moment he stepped on the dance floor. He extended a hand to her, and before she could even take in what was happening, he twirled her. The room spun. Then he moved in a series of twists and turns that she normally wouldn’t havebeen able to follow, but his hands on her waist guided her, expertly moving her through them.
She gaped up at him. Who was this man? His eyes shone with amusement, and he quirked a brow at her.
It was like she didn’t know him at all.
“You never told me you could dance!”
“You never asked.” He tightened the arm behind her back and dipped her. Her vision briefly turned upside down, and then she was back, safely right side up, his arms holding her firmly and securely.
“Besides,” he whispered, his breath hot on her ear, “you could have known sooner.” He slowed their movements, gradually making their steps smaller. “I asked you to dance at Ankita’s party.” He took hold of both her hands and placed them behind his neck. “You saidno.”
And boy, was she regretting that decision.
“Where did you learn all this?” she asked, wonder in her voice.
“I took classes.” A litany of questions filled her head, but his hands slid from the sides of her waist to her lower back, and she found herself unable to vocalize them. Unable to vocalize anything at all.
“Speaking of Ankita’s party,” he said, leaning his head down toward hers. “You never told me what happened after.”
“After?” she asked, looking up at him, a bit dazed.
“After they kissed.”
The word “kissed” zipped down her body like an electric shock. Her eyes involuntarily went to his lips. His full, soft, utterly kissable lips.
“Kissed?” she asked.
The hands on her lower back tightened slightly, almost bunching the silky material of her dress.
“Yes,” he said, his voice lower than it was before. “After Ankita and Samir kissed.”
“Oh.” Her brother’s name was like a splash of cool water. “Things are fine.” She smiled wanly. “They’re figuring things out.”
He nodded, watching her closely. “That’s good.” They swayed for a moment, looking at each other, not saying anything at all.
“Are you good?” he asked softly. “With Ankita and Samir, I mean.”
No.She wasn’t good. Her friendship with Ankita felt so fragile. Like the slightest blow would send the whole thing tumbling down. And Samir…She hadn’t spoken to him since he’d gone back to India.
“I think so,” she hedged.
He didn’t say anything, but one of his hands slid up her spine, rubbing her back in small circles. She relaxed, leaning farther into his body until she was so close that it just made sense to rest her head against his chest. His hand stopped for a second, then continued moving in slow, lazy patterns. She stayed there for a while, enjoying the sound of his steady heartbeat against her ear.
“Meghna.”
“Hmm.” She reluctantly lifted her face up to his.
“Are you feeling sleepy?” he asked gently.
“No,” she said stubbornly, dropping her head back onto his chest. Truthfully, she was tired, but she didn’t want to leave this moment. It was like they were inside a bubble. Inside something magical and wonderful and outside of time. Somehow, she knew it would all burst the second they left.
He let out a loud breath that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. “I think you are,” he said. He waited a moment or two, then lifted her chin. “Do you want to go back?”
