by P. G. Van
He chuckled, and she heard a few suppressed gasps behind her when he took a step close to her. “They are looking at you.”
“Don’t be so humble. The girls are all drooling over you and into the pool.” She laughed.
His eyes darkened as he stepped into her space. “Does that include you, too.” She placed her hands on his chest on impulse, and he smiled, looking down at her hands. “Keep pushing me away like that, and they will know I’m your fake boyfriend.”
As soon as his words rolled off his lips, her fingers fisted, gently pulling on his t-shirt which made him smile. “That’s good.”
“Are they all still looking at us?” she whispered.
He didn’t even bother looking up. “Yes.”
Tara felt the rush of blood through her body making her heart thud. She went up on her toes, one hand sliding up his chest to wrap her fingers around his neck like it was a natural thing to do. “Why am I feeling so good doing this?”
He smiled slowly. “They are all still looking. They want to know if you are going to go all the way.”
“Should I go all the way?” she asked, her breaths coming fast.
He nodded so subtly. “Why not? I am your boyfriend.”
She took in a slow, hissy breath as she closed the gap between their lips only to stop short. “I have a better idea.”
“What?” He was still in the haze of the moment when she pulled back, a sexy, wicked smile on her face.
“I am going to leave a lot of it for their imagination.” She linked her fingers through his and flashed a smile at him as she swayed her hair to one side and led him away from the pool area to the main farmhouse.
He walked with her, still unable to believe how turned on he was when she came so close to him. It was a kind of excitement he had never felt before. He saw the way her lips parted with longing, the way they quivered in anticipation, but just like him, she left the crowd sitting by the pool, longing for more.
“Tara, stop.” He came to an abrupt stop, pulling on her wrist.
She stopped and looked around before pulling him out to one of the patios. “That was so awesome.”
He was slightly annoyed with the undying need to finish what she started by the pool, but the way her eyes sparkled at him, it only made him smile.
“You have such beautiful eyes,” he said, his eyes boring into hers.
She looked at him for a moment. “That’s a good line. Use it later tonight after I change.” She winked, ignoring the tingling his warmth caused as he stood inches from her.
“Anything else I should be rehearsing?” His eyes moved lazily over her face, down from her eyes to stop briefly on her lips before looking back up into her eyes.
The way he looked at her made her feel hot, and she stopped from fanning herself with her hand. “You… are doing really well.”
“Yeah?” He stepped closer to her, and when she stepped back to keep their eyes locked, her back was pressed against the wall.
Her heart was banging against her ribcage, her breathing was heavy, and her chest heaved. “I don’t think we need to…”
Her voice was lost when he reached up with his hand to push away a loose strand of hair from her face, and the gentle graze of his fingertips sent a pang of desire cascading through her.
Chapter 6
Nitesh was hands down the hottest guy she had ever met, even hotter than all of the male protagonists she had written about over the years. The male leads in her books had screaming fans, and Nitesh only made them look washed out in comparison.
It was not just his looks—everything about him was sexy—and he knew it. He was teasing her with the way he stood, his face inches from her, his eyes begging her to do what she wanted.
“Practice will help,” he whispered, and as if it were her calling, she went up on her toes, crashing her lips to his, and she felt his arms tighten around her, his fingertips digging into her back sending cascading thrills she could not contain. A shiver triggered at the nape of her neck reaching down to her toes, making them curl.
Tara’s back was pressed onto a rough surface, his tough body plastered to her as he sucked on her lips, his tongue exploring her mouth as his fingers gripped her hair causing sweet pain. Her lips widened in a smile when she heard him groan in response to her nipping on his lower lip. She kissed him back with no thoughts of what would happen next and was brought back from her state of bliss when she heard someone say her name loudly in frustration.
Nitesh looked at her in surprise when she pulled away but stood close to her. Tara heard her name being called again, and that’s when she recognized the voice—the voice of the man she had fallen for at the age of seventeen. She was reminded of the crazy dreams she had as a teenager about Chetan and her being a couple, the ones she was attached to as a girl, the romance, the sweetness even though she had gotten over the man.
Every time she saw the guy who instigated all those feelings back then, it reminded her that she still did not have anything she had wished for in her life. It made her sad, nervous, and angry at the same time.
“Chetan?” She kept her fingers fisted on Nitesh’s t-shirt and clung to him for support.
Tara smiled at Chetan who looked at her as if he saw a ghost. Her smile widened as she saw Chetan look at Nitesh who held her to him, wiping his lower lip. She saw the crash of his male ego in Chetan’s eyes, and the condescending look he had given her every time they had met was gone.
“Chetan, good to see you,” she chirped enjoying the uncomfortable looks Chetan and his friends exchanged and added, “This is Nitesh, my boyfriend.”
Tara felt thrills of excitement sizzle through her as Nitesh shook hands with the guys who had made fun of her for the past ten years, claiming she was hung up on Chetan, the heart-throb of high school and then at college.
“Oh my God. Thank you.” Tara threw her arms around Nitesh’s neck, laughing. “That was amazing. No better way to be seen by the guy who thinks I’m hung up on him.”
Nitesh was looking at her intently. “Why is it so important to you that…”
“That idiot thinks I’m still madly in love with him, but that’s not true.” She laughed.
“What made him think that for so long?” Nitesh followed her as she led him down the hallway, up the flight of stairs to one of the rooms.
“I would get nervous around him. And he just assumed…”
“Nervous? Why?” He shut the door behind him as he stepped into the room, looking around the ancestral home that was remodeled for use as a weekend party resort. “Nice place.”
“I don’t know if it was nervousness, but I would get a flash of all those feelings, not what I had for him now but what I had felt back then.”
“Wasn’t that a long time back?” He sat on the chair that was to one side looking at her, rather curiously.
“Yes, but… I use those memories even today when I write.”
“Memories of that guy?”
“No. Not him… just how a young girl felt when she thought she was in love, the dreams, the longings…” her voice trailed off when she saw something flicker in his eyes. “What?”
He smiled, shaking his head. “Go on, I’m listening.”
She placed her hand on her forehead. “Okay, when I told you I write romance, I may have skewed the details of the genre I write.”
“Why?”
“Because I write romance.” She felt an uneasy twist forming. “Hot romances, to be more specific.”
He shrugged. “So? What’s the connection?”
She watched his expression as it didn’t falter when she told him about what she did for a living when, in fact, she had not told anyone about what she really wrote. “So, I have been using those memories to express my protagonists’ feelings because I think as a naïve teenager, what I felt is what excites people… my readers.”
“Still not getting the connection.” He shook his head.
Tara looked at him for a long moment, the man who was se
xy and hot was turning out to be more than what he appeared outwardly. He was not like any other guy she had met. He was different, and she could not wait to spend the rest of the evening with him.
“I will explain later. We should change and go back before the party starts.” She smiled, and he nodded.
Chapter 7
“Last game for the night,” the party coordinator slurred.
“Was this guy supposed to be drinking tonight?” Nitesh asked, settling in next to her in the small outdoor sofa by the pool.
“It’s a party. Everyone is going to be drunk.”
“Sure. I need to take off soon.” His words were a whisper, but they made a jolt of reality pass through her.
“Please, don’t go.” She had forgotten he was her fake boyfriend.
He looked into her eyes and smiled. “I will leave after this game.”
“Okay.” She didn’t want him to leave after the wonderful time they were having together. She had never felt so liberated. She danced and laughed without worrying about what new rumors might start.
“I had fun tonight.” He brushed his lips over her ear, ever so gently.
Her words were lost when there was a loud noise from the microphone. “I need everyone’s attention, please.”
“Here we go again, what is this guy going to make us do this time?” Tara said, thinking of all the crazy games the event coordinator made them play. Crazy but fun games, and she was thrilled when she and Nitesh won the couples’ game.
“The name of the game is Kiss OR Tell. You heard me, not Kiss AND Tell but OR. The rules are simple. Couples play together, and we will ask each couple a question. They can either tell us the answer or kiss their partner in front of everyone. I am not talking pecking on the cheek or a brush over the lips but the French style.”
The prudes booed while the others cheered for the game, but she relished the fact that Chetan and his friends were sour about her no longer being their source of entertainment. During every round, there was at least one couple who ended up almost making out on the small couches while other couples who refused to kiss or tell were eliminated. Tara was thankful the questions were steamy yet lighthearted, and she and Nitesh were able to answer based on what they had agreed.
In the fifth or sixth round, which Tara had lost count just like the number of drinks she had that night, the question for them was how long she and Nitesh knew each other. He was going to tell the group what they had discussed but, at that moment, she remembered what she had told Madhu—the time when she made an excuse not to go shopping, claiming to be meeting someone, was over a month ago—and they had agreed to say they had met two weeks ago.
She saw Nitesh turn to look at her smiling before responding, and next thing she knew, her lips had crashed over his. She felt the shudder pass through him before she felt his stiff lips, and she pulled back on instinct and whispered, “You were going to give the wrong answer.”
The crowd cheered, and the event organizer added, “That doesn’t count, and you know it.”
Her breath was coming fast as their eyes locked. His eyes deepened, and his voice wobbled. “Do you want to make the kiss count for the game?”
“Yes,” she breathed out before placing her arms around his neck, their lips melding together in a soft, sensual kiss. Her heart beat so rapidly that it silenced the cheering, booing, and all other voices. All she heard was what he whispered, “I was waiting for this to happen since the time …”
Her belly fluttered at those words, and the air between them crackled with the electricity that sparked between them as he held her against his warm, strong chest. She smiled against his lips as he deepened the kiss, pulling her close to him, and she tuned out everyone and everything else.
Chapter 8
“Nitesh, I’m falling,” Tara laughed as he carried her to her room in the farmhouse later that night. It was past two in the morning by the time they called it a wrap, and the engaged couple insisted everyone stay for the night and leave in the morning after breakfast.
“I won’t let you fall, Tara.”
She threw her arm around his neck and asked, “How much did you drink?”
“Not as much as you did. It’s safe for me to drive.” He placed her on the single bed in her assigned room.
“No. Don’t leave. You need to eat breakfast and then go.” It was a plea, and he felt something twist in his chest.
Nitesh smiled, gently pushing her back on the bed before taking off the sandals she had on, one after another. “Good night, Tara.”
“Will you kiss me again? I liked it when you kissed me,” she confessed, making him smile.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. I have to go now.”
“Please, Nitesh. I don’t want you to go. Sleep here.” She patted over the small space next to her on the bed.
The truth was he didn’t want to go either. He wanted to spend more time with her, know more about her. Something about her intrigued him. She was bold and yet held up a façade even with her good friends. She was beautiful, smart from the way she spoke about current affairs and business issues but was always guarded, and he could not figure out why.
“I’m not sleepy. You can go to sleep. I know you are tired.” He sat on the chair looking at her.
“Wait, I have something for you to read.” She scrambled out of bed, ignoring his objections and pulled out a stack of papers clipped together and handed them to him. “This is my first ever script. You can read this, and I won’t feel guilty about sleeping when you are still up.”
He placed the stack of papers on the side table, helped her back into bed, and held her down to the bed until her breathing was steady. He straightened his back but stood to look at her, her face covered partially by her hair and smiled when he heard her mumble his name in her sleep.
“You guys are so cute together,” Madhu’s voice interrupted him staring at Tara.
“Oh, wonderful party, Madhu.”
“Thank you. Here you go. I got some extra blankets for you. I know this bed is too small, but you guys will have to adjust.” Madhu giggled making Nitesh smile, running his fingers through his hair.
“I’ll be okay.”
After Madhu left, Nitesh was about to leave when he saw the stack of papers Tara had given him. He sat on the small chair and reached for the papers and flipped to the first page.
Roses & Chilies Entertainment
The name sounded familiar, but he could not place it. He flipped another page and saw the author name was Sita Devi.
“Sitara Devaraj is Sita Devi?” He looked at the sleeping woman who was now snoring adorably.
He flipped through the pages that had handwritten notes as if someone had reviewed it. He went back to the beginning and started reading, and soon he was lost in the story, the plot, and the emotions and desires that were articulated. From time to time, he looked up to see the woman sleeping in front of him. He could not believe what she had written. Those innocent eyes were hiding a lot of spark behind them.
When she had told him she wrote hot romances, never in a million years would he have guessed she would write such a desire-driven script. He shut his eyes fighting the hardness that was building up just from reading the script and looked at the innocent, sleeping woman in awe.
She was turning out to be more interesting by the minute.
Chapter 9
Tara knew she had way too much to drink even before she opened her eyes. The light was making the banging inside her head even more painful. She stretched, squeezing her eyes shut and turned away from the window.
She blinked a couple of times and remembered she was at the farmhouse. She sat up in bed and said, “Nitesh?”
There was no response, but a moment later, she heard the steady breathing behind her. She looked in his direction, smiling, and her smile died in its tracks when she saw what was on the side table next to him.
She swore under her breath, remembering how she had given him the script so she could slee
p guilt-free, and at that moment, she only hoped he had not read the script. Ignoring the ticking in her head, she slowly reached for the script and put it back in her bag.
“Good morning,” he said as she zipped up her backpack, and her back stiffened.
“Good morning. Did you sleep well?” She turned to face him and tried to gauge his expression. To her relief, he seemed to be casual.
She let out a sigh of relief and was glad he had not read the script. “Do you want to go get some coffee?”
“Sure, but I think you will need something else to counter the alcohol that is roaming your body.” He smirked.
“Okay, let’s go.” She looked away when she realized he was looking right at her, a smile on his face.
“Tara… wait.”
She stopped with her back to him but did not respond.
“I read your script.” His voice was casual, but she started to panic.
“What script? Oh… that’s not mine.” She had no idea why she blurted a lie.
She stood frozen in her spot when she felt him move toward her and kept her eyes downcast when he stood in front of her. “I liked it. I think it will make a good web series.”
She looked up in shock expecting to see the typical look of judgment, but she was surprised to see a genuine smile play in his eyes. “Thank you… I need to go.”
“Stop.” He reached out to wrap his fingers around her wrist. “Why did you say the script wasn’t yours.”
“No reason.” She tried to wiggle her wrist from his hold, but he only tightened his hold on her.
“What are you worried about?” He smiled, his eyes sparkling at her.
She pulled her wrist away from his hand and looked at him. “Just because I write romance… erotic romance, it doesn’t mean I’m easy.”
“What? Where is that coming from?” He stepped closer to her.
“You can judge me all you want, and I don’t care.”