by MV Kasi
The rude looks at her stomach only made Nina devastated. She badly wished Gaurav hadn’t been so careful with her all the times. She wished she had fallen pregnant from at least one of the times they had made love. Then she would have had a part of him inside her to cherish forever.
Nina knew she wasn’t thinking straight. Before she slipped into another bout of self-pity and depression, she excused herself, and went towards the powder room to pull herself together.
As she passed the well-lit hallway, she stared blindly at the expensive paintings hanging on the wall.
Suddenly, she felt an arm grab her and a hand closing on her mouth. Before she could react or do anything, she was pulled into a bedroom.
Nina froze.
She couldn’t see much due to the darkness. The hand on her mouth was removed slowly, and she felt the person stepping away from her.
Her heart pounded wildly in her chest as she stood waiting.
“Why aren’t you screaming?” a deep familiar voice asked.
The sound of the voice, the one that haunted her dreams for the past month almost brought her to her knees.
A choked sob escaped her. Slowly her eyes began to adjust to the darkness, and she could see the outline of a tall, broad shape.
“Gaurav,” she whispered.
She felt the tension radiating off of him.
Fumbling for the light switch around the door, Nina turned on the lights.
Her heart contracted as her gaze swept over him. She drank in the sight of his familiar features, feeling like it had been forever since she had seen his rugged, handsome face.
“Gaurav,” she repeated his name again before closing the distance between them.
She reached a hand upward to brush a wayward lock that fell on his forehead.
His short lock felt soft and lush on her fingers. He looked different. Very different. Two months ago, he had been in a buzz-cut. And now, with slightly longer hair, he looked even more handsome and also less dangerous.
“It’s really you…” she whispered once again, running her fingers over his face, tracing each and every dear feature of his.
The PI’s following Vikram since the past couple of weeks, did not yield any results. Despite that, Nina still held hope that she would somehow find Gaurav. And that she would not spend the rest of her life without seeing or touching him.
Gaurav was standing still and watching her with a closed-off look. But when she ran the pads of her fingers on his stubble, he closed his eyes. And as though he lost an internal battle, he opened them again and grabbed her close before covering her lips with his, in a deep, heart-wrenching kiss.
The warmth, the taste, and the feel of his kiss felt entirely familiar.
A tear rolled down her cheek at the overwhelming happiness that took over her.
They kissed each other deeply and longingly, until they had to pull back to breathe.
“I thought I’d never see you again.” Even though her tone was breathless, the accusation and devastation was evident in it.
“I thought so, too,” he confessed, gently rubbing his thumb on her lips. “And I also thought you would have led the police to me by now.”
“Never,” she vowed.
He kissed her once again until they both became breathless.
This time when they pulled back, his eyes ran over her body. “You look more like Nina Bhupati than my Nina,” he said softly.
Nina’s hair was longer, and she wore one of her older creations. She knew it was far from how she looked while she was in the forest cabin.
“I will always be your Nina, no matter what.”
His eyes flared. Something ugly and painful passed through his face. “I hated these last two months, Nina. One part of me was worried sick, wondering whether you recovered completely from the bullet wounds. And the other part of me was going insane that you recovered enough, and the bastard was touching you.”
“Gaurav…” She touched his cheek, offering him comfort.
He placed his hand on top of hers. “I can’t bear it, Nina. I know I have no right. But I can’t bear the thought of him touching and kissing and making love to the woman I love.”
Her face fell, unable to offer him words he wanted to hear. Suraj’s secret was not hers to tell. Even if withholding the information hurt the man she loved.
Although Nina trusted Gaurav with her life, she did not trust him with information that Gaurav could possibly use to destroy Suraj.
“I love you, too. I’ll follow behind you to the ends of the earth at any point in time. I’ll even come with you right now. But I can’t do that if Suraj’s life is at risk because of you. If you promise me—”
“How can you say that!” he spat.
A choked sob escaped her.
“Even though you claim to love me, and are telling me you’ll come away with me, why are you bargaining for that bastard’s life!”
“Because Suraj told me he is innocent,” she said. “Please, believe me. Suraj is willing to cooperate fully if he knows what he’s being accused of. And once his innocence is proven and his life is no longer in danger, I will free myself from my marriage and be with you.”
That didn’t seem to comfort Gaurav. “And if I refuse to believe in his innocence? What will you do?”
“Gaurav, please. All I’m saying is not to do anything rash. Just give him a chance first to—”
“Nina?” A voice called from the outside of the room. It was Harika.
Nina froze, unable to think of anything or react in any way.
“Nina? Are you in there?” Harika asked once again.
Gaurav was watching Nina quietly as though he didn’t know whether or not she would alert Harika and others of his presence. It broke Nina’s heart that he didn’t trust her.
“Yes. I’m in here. I… uh had a headache and was taking a short nap,” Nina answered.
There was a pause. “Oh, okay. Sorry about that. Would you like medicine sent up to you?” Harika asked.
“No. I’m fine. Just give me a few minutes, and I’ll join the party.”
“Okay. I’ll let Suraj know as well. He was looking for you.”
“Thanks. Tell him I’m okay.”
Nina could hear the footsteps as Harika walked away from the room.
Gaurav continued to watch Nina with another of his closed-off looks.
“Please, tell me what you were investigating,” she requested softly. “We’ll find out the truth together. And if… if… Suraj is guilty, then we’ll let the law take its course.”
“If he’s guilty?” he asked bitterly.
“Please. We need to get to the truth of what happened first—” she broke off in a gasp when he pulled her close and kissed her.
It was a quick, hard kiss, intended solely to rob her breath, killing her words and her thoughts at the same time.
“I had the truth even before I kidnapped you, Nina,” he said in a hypnotic voice. She felt his fingers brushing the peaks of her breasts through her dress in a slow back and forth motion. Each time the pads of his thumbs made contact with the hardened peaks, it was as though a bolt of electricity passed through them.
With great difficulty, Nina dragged her heavy eyelids open and tried to shake away the sexual haze he was drawing her into to avoid an argument between them.
Even though it was a circular argument between them—with her saying Suraj was innocent and him saying Suraj wasn’t—she was still determined to put her argument across. Suraj’s and Gaurav’s fate lay in making him listen.
“Gaurav please—” she froze when she heard footsteps walking outside in the corridor.
She looked at Gaurav in panic. “It’s dangerous for you to be here. There is always a lot of security here. Please, leave quickly before you are discovered. I’ll come to you, and we can talk then.”
He hesitated.
“Please. Promise me you won’t do anything rash in the meantime. I’ll meet you soon.”
He didn’t sa
y anything. Pulling her close, he kissed her softly on her lips before letting her go. Watching his face and capturing it inside her heart once again, Nina slipped out of the room.
She didn’t get back to the party. She walked outside the house and sent a message to Suraj to let him know she would be leaving because of a headache.
LATER THAT NIGHT, Nina told Suraj and Radha about Gaurav’s visit that night.
“Nina… sweetheart. I feel he might be dangerous. He might hurt you if you meet him again by your self—”
“No, Suraj. I know he won’t hurt me.”
“How do you know he won’t hurt you?” Radha softly asked. “If he’s not willing to trust you enough to tell what investigation got his family killed, then why would he not hesitate to hurt you, if he thinks you will be in the way of his personal retribution?”
Because he loves me, Nina wanted to say. But she didn’t.
“I just know,” she said, instead.
Radha and Suraj looked at her with pity before leaving her alone in the master bedroom suite.
Nina lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling as though it had answers to her questions.
Radha’s words pierced Nina’s heart.
Why didn’t Gaurav want to trust her? How can love sustain without trust?
She knew what Gaurav perceived as her blind support towards Suraj was stopping Gaurav from revealing anything to her.
Now that he was back, she just hoped, she could convince him to trust her.
GAURAV DIDN’T KNOW why he took the risk to meet with Nina that night. But he had given up trying to analyze his obsession. He had tried to stay away and remain focused on the next and final part of the mission.
But even as he put together the evidence, he kept thinking of Nina.
She was the wife of the man he was about to destroy within a few weeks. Once he succeeded in that, there would be no turning back.
CHAPTER 55
“You can come pick me up tomorrow when I call you,” Nina told her chauffeur. She stepped out of the car in front of a Trinity Hotel, which was a part of the high-end chain of luxury hotels that offered several spa packages that required the guests to stay overnight or longer.
Nina waited in the lobby until her car drove out of the gates. And then she walked out of the lobby.
She began to head out.
She nodded at the security personnel at the gates who gave her curious stares.
Nina hated sneaking around. But she knew Radha was having her watched closely. And Nina didn’t blame Radha for that because she knew that unlike Suraj, Radha’s patience was wearing thin.
Radha was worried about Gaurav hurting Suraj for a yet-to-be known reason.
And at the same time, Nina was worried that Radha would somehow find Gaurav and have him arrested before he could hurt Suraj.
It was an epic, tragic mess.
A mess that Nina intended to resolve as quickly as possible.
She continued walking away from the hotel, until the sounds of honks from the busy street and the rush of the pedestrians slowly tapered away. Soon, she reached a corner on the street which was almost empty.
Ten minutes later, her heartbeat sped up when she heard the throttle of a motorcycle in a now empty street. A shiny black bike sped through the turn with reckless speed and headed towards her, only to come to a screeching stop right in front of her.
The driver was watching her.
Nina felt the biker’s eyes sweeping the length of her. She was dressed for a high-end spa visit. Her calf-length, floral sleeveless dress looked completely out of place next to the bike.
The biker flexed his fingers, increasing the throttle of the engine.
Nina’s heart thudded loudly as her eyes swept through the man riding the bike. A leather jacket covered broad and muscular shoulders, and a dark helmet completely concealed the biker’s face.
Slowly, she went closer to the bike. Her eyes fell on the spare helmet strapped to the handle. She picked it up and put it on her head before climbing onto the bike. And then, she wrapped her arms around the biker’s hard stomach.
The biker didn’t say anything. Neither did she.
The biker increased the throttle of the bike once again before it sped through the streets.
Nina tightened her hold on the biker’s waist until her soft breasts and stomach were crushed against a hard back. The wind whipped through her neck, hands, and legs, and the vibration of the engine under her added to the adrenaline rushing through her.
The powerful bike zig-zagged through the busy streets for almost an hour, until it stopped in an underground parking garage of a large apartment building complex.
Nina got off the bike and waited until it was parked. The biker held her arm and pulled her towards the elevators.
She followed him blindly. Both of them kept their helmets on.
After several tense seconds, the elevator stopped, and the biker pulled her once again across a long corridor to stop in front of a non-descript door.
The biker punched in a code on the keypad, unlocking the door before pulling her inside the apartment.
The biker turned on the lights inside while Nina swept her gaze around the inside of the apartment.
Once the lights were turned on, they stared at each other.
They moved towards each other at the same time. Nina tugged at the biker’s helmet while hers was pulled away.
Soon, they were zig-zagging through the room with their lips locked.
Nina unzipped the man’s leather jacket and pushed it away. Meantime, he pushed her against a wall, deepening their kiss. Then keeping their lips locked together, he swung her into his arms before carrying her.
She gasped when her back hit a mattress. Then she felt his hands on her as he ran them frantically over her. He began kissing her throat where her pulse was beating rapidly.
Blinding pleasure took over her body. She frantically pulled up his t-shirt and ran her hands on his heated skin.
Her dress was tight and didn’t allow him to touch her bare skin below her cleavage. So, he pulled her dress up and ripped off her panties. Then he moved away from her briefly, and keeping his gaze locked on hers, he unbuckled the belt on his jeans and lowered the zip.
Her heart thudding loudly in her ears, she widened her knees, preparing for his incoming onslaught. She greedily took in his familiar, powerful body. But before she could have her fill, he moved on top of her.
She thought he would join them together instantly, but he slid down.
He kissed her, loved her with his mouth, and then began taking her soul with his tongue.
She moaned, she thrashed, and she begged. But keeping her locked in place as he continued his onslaught.
When she was about to shatter, she dug her nails into his shoulders. “With me,” she gasped.
He moved on top of her and then entered her in one swift move.
She clutched him close while he groaned into her neck. “Nina,” he whispered as though it was a prayer.
“Tell me your real name,” she insisted.
He paused for a second, and then raising his head, he watched her face. “Gaurav,” he said.
And then, he kissed her before beginning to thrust. She gasped and clutched him as his movements turned hard and desperate and full of need. Animal-like voices tore through both their throats as he tried to bind her to him in every possible way.
She tried to control her release, prolong it for longer, but it was like trying to stop a hurricane. It ripped through her body, shattering her soul.
“Gaurav,” she cried, wanting to feel his name on her tongue. He didn’t let her say anything more. His mouth covered hers, kissing her over and over.
Over the next few hours, he unleashed his relentless, masterful onslaught that carried her through heights of passion. And she stayed with him every step of the way, matching him bite for bite, kiss for kiss and groan for groan.
With each joining, their need only grew further. She le
t him fill her and complete her the way only he could ever do.
And even though his body was demanding and fierce with barely any softness, he kept his eyes locked on hers, conveying his feelings. The contrast between the ferocity of his body and the gentleness in his eyes kept her at the edge.
“Nina,” he called out each time as his body shuddered in her arms.
Sometime much later in the night, her body became exhausted. But still, not wanting to lose his touch, she wrapped her arms around him, locking him close to her heart along with her body.
He tried to move away and ease his weight from her, but she tightened her hold.
“Don’t leave me,” she whispered.
“Never,” he replied softly into her ear. “No matter what happens, remember that my heart belongs to you. Always.”
He kissed her forehead, and flipped them until she was lying on top of him.
His fingers moved up and down her back in smooth, languid strokes, making her slowly slip into a deep, content sleep.
SOMETIME LATER IN the early hours of the morning, she woke up to hands stroking her bare body. Nina smiled as she stretched her body even while her sore muscles protested.
Then moving over him, she kissed the warm skin underneath her.
She kissed the scars left by bullet wounds, and then ran her tongue on the flat male nipples, and then the washboard stomach before sliding even lower.
Deep masculine groans filled the otherwise quiet room.
But before she could experience the thrill of making him lose control completely and shatter inside her mouth, she was pulled on top of him.
It was her turn to fill the room with the sounds of her pleasured gasps. He held her hips and then her breasts, controlling her rhythm as she moved on top of him.
The hooded look in his eyes as he watched her face, and then watched the undulation of her body while she took him deep inside her, pushed her over to the edge.