Shraman SS: The Contract: Part (6/6) Updated Pg 13 - Complete - Page 3

He stepped into the empty elevator, hovering behind her, his gaze so focused on the woman before him that when they both reached to hit the button, he found he had cornered her with his tall frame.

She stared up at him with wide eyes. He was close enough to inhale her scent, but at the moment his attention was drawn to her lips, and he wondered just for a moment if they would feel as soft as they looked. She drew in a breath and they parted. It was enough to send his pulse hammering.

The doors chimed as they slid open and it seemed completely natural to offer her his hand. Something that felt like happiness squeezed his heart as she took it, her small fingers fitting just so between his.

As they came closer to their destination, conflicting notions battled for supremacy in his mind. What now? Could they, he thought. Would they? And as they turned the final corner -

They found Preeti sitting against their door, her face streaked with tears. Suman dropped his hand and rushed over.

"Preeti? Kya hua? Sab theek toh hai?"

"Are you hurt?" asked Shravan gently. Suman frowned.

"Woh...Pushkar...we had a fight," Preeti managed to blurt out in between sobs. "And now he hates me!" she wailed. "How could this happen on our honeymoon?"

Suman met Shravan's eyes as they both breathed a sigh of relief. "That's not true, Preeti," she rubbed her sister's back soothingly. "And anyway, all couples fight, look at me and Shravan - " she stopped abruptly, ignoring his raised eyebrows. "I mean, we've been friends for so long and we still fight all the time..."

"Pushkar loves you, Preeti," he assured her. "He could never hate you."

Suman took her still-sniffling sister into the room and then met him at the door. "I'm going to go find Pushkar," he said in a low voice. "I'm sure he's worried sick."

"Shravan - " she said as he turned. He looked back to find her brown eyes gazing up at him with an unreadable expression. "Hurry back."

For Preeti, or for her, he wondered, but nodded.

---

He found an equally remorseful Pushkar drowning his sorrows at the bar, and after much cajoling (these two really were made for each other), convinced him that all would be well after he apologized to his wife. It was a tedious process, escorting the lovebirds back to their room in one piece, and when Pushkar insisted on procuring a pastry for his beloved at that late hour, he felt his patience beginning to wear thin as the minutes ticked by.

Shravan sighed as he finally made it back to his suite, fatigue settling over him. He was met with quiet, though the TV still flickered in the darkness. "Sumo?" he called.

She was curled up on the sofa bed in a large t-shirt and a pair of shorts, fast asleep. He shut off the TV and pulled the sheet over her.

Of course she'd insist on taking the sofa, but what did that tell him, really? Her thoughts about him were a mystery he couldn't solve, clues pointing him in every direction - she would show that she cared and would say that she didn't. She gave him the cold shoulder that meant he was just a friend, but then her eyes would darken at his touch as if she wanted to be more...

He watched her for a moment, warmth settling in his chest. Maybe it was enough, that she was here with him now. Maybe it would have to be enough.

---

Shravan adjusted his shades as he stepped out towards the large pool in search of Suman. The breeze brushed pleasantly against his back and the sun beat down steadily though it was still morning. He found her lounging under an umbrella on the other side, large sunglasses obscuring her eyes. He wouldn't have been surprised if she was asleep.

Suddenly she shifted, brushing off her cover up to reveal a black one piece swimsuit. Conservative enough, he thought, until she turned to fold her towel and he saw the back, a gaping V that tapered off much too low for his liking.

He shook himself out of his reverie as he saw a muscled punk approach her.

"Hey sweetheart, we don't want your gorgeous back to burn...let me put some sunscreen on."

She turned in surprise.

"Actually, that's my job, sweetheart'." Shravan towered over the man, jaw clenched, his stance sending a very clear message. The man scowled but the swagger seemed to leave his body as he shuffled away.

She stood facing him with her hands on her hips, clearly annoyed. "You didn't have to do that."

He narrowed his eyes. "Oh yeah? What were you going to do, ask him to dance and then step on his foot?"

Suman huffed, no doubt rolling her eyes at him behind her sunglasses, and laid down on her stomach. "Well?" she said after a moment. "Are you going to do your job, or was that just for show?"

Shravan swallowed, the air suddenly thick. She swept her hair aside and the creamy expanse of her back beckoned to him, his fingers eager to traverse the gentle slope of her spine.

She's asking you as a friend, he repeated in his head, and was glad she couldn't see his hands tremble ever so slightly as he sat down and reached for the bottle of sunscreen.

"So," he fumbled for a topic of conversation. "Have you heard from Preeti or Pushkar today?" That's it, he thought. Focus on how you're related now. He made contact with her bare shoulders, and marveled at how they fit in the palm of his hand.

"Preeti stopped by to apologize while you were at the gym...silly girl."

His hands slid to the base of her neck, careful not to disturb the neatly tied straps that seemed to be the only thing holding her swimsuit up. "I'm glad they figured things out."

"She said it was all thanks to you." He almost didn't hear the praise, so caught up was he in tracing the curve of her spine with his slippery fingers, once, twice, a third time just to be sure he covered it...

"Hmm? I didn't do anything." He paused to reapply more sunscreen to his hands. "Maybe I gave Pushkar a well-deserved kick in the butt."

She laughed. "I could never actually figure out what they were fighting about, Preeti was so upset."

He chuckled, taking a deep breath before finally making up his mind about where to go next. "Me neither."

"But it makes me feel - " she paused suddenly as his hands gently skimmed the sides of her ribcage. " - good, I mean, um, better, to know that she has family like you to...help," she sighed.

His fingers stretched across her smooth skin. If he wanted to, he could span almost her entire waist in his hands, a sight that evoked memories of the last time he had pulled her body to his, her arms wrapped possessively around his neck. He could still see the long column of her throat as she arched against him, begging to be greeted by his lips...

"Shravan?" She craned her neck towards him.