Page 26 of Temptation
He stilled and stepped back from her. She remained where she was against the door, her breathing choppy as she stared at him. He ran a hand down his hair, exhaling a harsh breath.
“Fuck!” He shrugged out of the curtain, pulling it apart. “They’ve gone.”
Shit. She hadn’t even been thinking of those two women. Her entire grip on reality had vanished the minute her lips had touched his. She was lucky the women had left before they heard the sounds of her losing control. Her heart still beating hard, she stepped back into his study. He was standing against his desk, watching her.
“We need to return outside.” He sounded terse. His words came out clipped and completely at odds with the heat still swirling in his eyes.
“Are we not going to talk about what happened?” she asked.
“Only if you’re willing to tell me why those two women were bitching you out,” he retorted.
She couldn’t believe his callousness. “One has nothing to do with the other.”
“Doesn’t it?” he asked, his tone cold. “I doubt that kiss would have taken place had you not been overwhelmed with emotion. Which was, in the first place, because of what those women said.”
Her eyes flared as the sting in his words intensified. “So, what was that? A pity kiss?”
“Like I said, we’re not talking about that kiss until you’re ready to discuss your secrets with me, Princess.”
She stared at him for a whole minute, unable to believe he was capable of being so, so…ruthless. He tipped his head at her heels that were still on his desk.
She glared at him before grabbing them and dragging her feet into them. How…how even for a few seconds, had she allowed herself to get so lost in him? And that kiss… God. She’d never felt this out of control, ever. She’d never wanted anyone as much as she’d wanted him, and he thought…it was a pity kiss.
Ugh! She hated him. She so did. She’d never felt more mortified in her life. Her traitorous heart rate still hadn’t steadied, and her treacherous body was still mourning his absence while he looked cold and unaffected.
Enough. She shut the door on her rioting thoughts. Lesson learned. Rajiv Mehra was a jerk of the first order, and she’d do well to remember that in the future.
Her head held high, she stepped out of the study and headed toward the party. She had to find her mother and leave before she got embroiled in any more embarrassing incidents. Especially with him.
8
He was an idiot, and she was right to be mad at him. He should never have touched her. What was it about Sheena Sehgal that was making him behave so out of character? Why was she the only one who managed to break through his iron-clad control? He had responsibilities galore. Promises he was honor-bound to keep. However, none of that seemed to matter when she came in front of him. He ought to take note of all that he’d overheard when they’d been hiding. However, his mom was friends with Sheena’s mom, and his mother had never once spoken about a past scandal concerning Sheena, which meant there either wasn’t one, or she didn’t believe in it. Thus, it was quite a possibility that none of what those women had said had been Sheena’s fault.
Nonetheless, it was clear that she was in the center of some gossip storm. That fact alone ought to make him stay the fuck away from her. He didn’t need any unnecessary attention in his life—at least attention that wasn’t planned in advance by him. Yet, for some Goddamn reason, he couldn’t seem to resist the temptation Sheena Sehgal presented to him.
He watched as she walked ahead of him, hips swaying, her head held high, pretending to be unaffected by him when he knew exactly how she’d trembled in his arms. He remembered those needy moans that escaped her mouth when she was in the throes of desire. Fuck. He ran a hand down his face. He had to stop thinking of her like that. Better she hate him, than anything else. It was better he appeared callous and indifferent to her rather than accept what he’d been trying his hardest to deny—that he wanted her. He wanted Sheena Sehgal. But he couldn’t have her. Already, after one taste of her, he was itching for more. But he’d made that mistake once, and he’d be a fool to do it again, no matter how tempting she was to him.
They rounded a corner, and the noises from the party reached his ears. Within seconds, they were back among the crowd.
He followed Sheena at a distance, keeping a watch on her as she looked this way and that. He studied her discreetly. Stunning was a mild word when it came to her. Dressed tonight in that gorgeous nude-colored ankle-length gown that curved sexily across her body and left her shoulders and arms bare, her hair flying loose in beautiful waves, her makeup light and lips painted a bold red, she was glorious and he couldn’t stop staring at her.
She tilted her head when she saw her mother and began to walk in her direction. No sooner had she taken a step, and a couple approached her. Seeing her engrossed with them, he moved ahead and was immediately caught in conversation by a group of men.
This was the first time tonight he was making an appearance at the party, and like always, there was a group of men waiting in the wings to talk business with him, hoping he’d invest in their projects or do them a favor. He did neither, ever. These people here only sought him out to better their own interests. There was not one among them he could let into his life and into his inner circle.
However, he had no choice but to make small talk with his parents’ guests tonight. He smiled as the first group of men went their way, extracting promises from him that he’d attend their next poker night. He wouldn’t. Or that he’d attend their next business meeting. He wouldn’t do that either. This very same routine continued year on year, making it tedious, not to mention boring.
His parents approached him. His dad gave him a welcoming smile, and his mother kissed his cheek.
“I’m glad you’re here,” she told him.
He nodded. That was the only conversation he managed with them before more guests surrounded them. His mother chaired the Nova Charity for Women Empowerment, and their annual gala was held every year at his home in Dubai. Every year, he marked his attendance by being at the event for an hour, after which he promptly left. This year would be no different. But the time in between, God… Making all this small talk with people, faking smiles while trying to fend off their questions and curiosity about him, was…exhausting.
Because he was always in the public eye, he was a mystery to many. Several wanted to decipher who he was behind all the attention he got. Especially the women. Many of them indicated, subtly and not so subtly, that they’d be interested in a tryst with him. No, thank you. Their fake smiles, deep cleavages, and zero intelligence were a complete put-off. He didn’t want any of them.
He shifted away slightly from yet another woman who had tried to clasp his arm. He exhaled. This was becoming tiresome. None of these women made his blood run hot. None of them made his heart race. Lately, there was only one woman responsible for accomplishing all that. His eyes lifted, and he found Sheena still where she was, talking to another couple this time.
His eyes crossed from her to the trio of women standing in a little group exactly opposite him. His sisters, Ananya, Navya, and Reina, all stood together smirking at him; rather, enjoying his discomfort. They knew how much he abhorred such events. He threw them a dark look, which, as usual, bounced off them, and they continued to throw cheeky grins his way. Ananya even had the audacity to wink and blow a kiss at him. He looked heavenward. Those three were the bane of his existence.
