ArShi:Destiny With TRAILER Thread I - Page 81

Chapter 18

Escape me? Never - Beloved! While I am I, and you are you, So long as the world contains us both, Me the loving and you the loth, While the one eludes, must the other pursue. - Robert Browning

The rain descended in a snail-like manner or at least that is how Khushi felt as she stood gazing at her midnight kisser. Their foreheads joined together, their breaths coming out in puffs facing each other, their bodies almost touching each other, their fingers intertwined in each other. Passion opened up its pit and swallowed them whole. Khushi could feel heat emanating off Arnav's frame as he slowly traced her face with his long, firm fingers. Arnav didn't know why he had done that but he knew that Khushi held some sort of a power over him. He just couldn't get her out of his mind and right now, clad in a trench coat and heels, she made an alluring image. His chest swelled with more heat and inadvertently, he released a pent up growl surprising Khushi.

It was enough to break the silence however they both stayed still as if not knowing what to say. A few seconds later, Arnav felt Khushi shiver in the bone seeping cold rain. The wind had also picked up causing Khushi to clatter her teeth as well. She shifted her weight uncomfortably although most of it was on Arnav's chest.

"You are soaked." Arnav worriedly looked into Khushi's eyes and neared his mouth against hers, moving his lips firmly upon hers in one chaste kiss. He then picked up Khushi's clutch off the ground and embraced her easily into his own frame. In a sideways manner, he sheltered Khushi from the whiplashing rain and quickly walked together towards the building's opening.

After opening the door, they both walked into the building. The fire that had started wasn't doused. They both could feel the sexual tension as they walked up towards her apartment. The unsaid invite to her apartment was spoken through Khushi's eyes as she laced their fingers together in a hesitant clasp.

Khushi opened her apartment door, slipped her shoes off, and illuminated the living space. She entered the kitchen and turned on her coffee machine. Meanwhile, Arnav had rid himself off his dripping trench as Khushi approached him.

"I don't really have anything that will fit you but let me look," spoke Khushi quietly.

However, Arnav surprised her by holding onto her wrists and bringing her closer. He then carefully opened the buttons of her coat, and ever so slowly slid it off her arms. After divesting her coat on the nearby couch, he trailed his fingers over her soft, delicate arms leaving a trail of goose bumps on her skin. He traced a lone finger over the thin brown line that was wedged into her skin on her left arm. But this time, Khushi felt no repulse, but rather she could feel desire pooling in the pit of her stomach. "You should change, I'll go grab my bag from my car downstairs," Arnav said in a whisper grazing his lips near her ear. Without saying anything further, Khushi mutely nodded her head, and ran towards her room.

After watching Khushi's back retreat towards the room, Arnav also exited her apartment and ran towards his car downstairs.

In a matter of ten minutes, Khushi had changed into a white soft linen pants with a mint knit sweater. She walked towards the kitchen after guiding Arnav towards the spare washroom.

Arnav stood in front the large mirror in the washroom and stripped himself bare. He then collected his spare black cotton lounge pants and a black V-neck fitted t-shirt. He gazed into the mirror as he dried his hair. What had possessed him to kiss Khushi? He couldn't answer that. Only that he wanted her. He needed her badly. It was as if his body instantly caught on fire at the thought of Khushi wrapped up in his arms, a sated glow on her face because of him, coiled against his own frame, in his own bed. His thoughts were heading into a dangerous direction.

He knew that recently his body had started to react a lot more. Ever since Khushi and him reached some sort of an agreement. She was much more relaxed with him and much more friendly. He had always longed for her to be okay with his presence. Tonight, when she had responded back to his kiss, it was as if he was introduced to pleasure all over again. It felt powerful, electrifying, almost like an impalpable sexual power. He licked his lips and headed out of the washroom.

The living room was empty so he strutted towards the kitchen that was on the right of the living room. Khushi was standing quietly facing the coffee machine in her thoughts. Arnav so desperately wished to touch her. Looking from the back, Arnav could see her pants fitting her snuggly around her hips and rear. With as much energy as he could muster Arnav ignored his thoughts and cleared his throat to get her attention. He could practically see her stiffen and he groaned inwardly. She was regretting it. He could read her body language.

Okay, so he had to make his as pain-less as possible. He had to leave before he cornered her and did unspeakable things to her right on her kitchen floor. "I am going to leave… thanks for letting me use your washroom."

Khushi spun around on her heels and looked at him with a widened eye look. She looked confused and hurt.

I can't do this right now, thought Arnav. He couldn't stand the aloof and betrayed look on her face. What was she expecting from him?

Maybe she did want him. But the aloofness in her gaze washed over him like a cold nipping wind and he realized the consequences of their act. Things would become so darn complicated. She was Khushi, she was his sister's best friend and he wasn't looking for a relationship. He didn't want any strings attached. None.

Khushi stood rooted to her spot as she saw Arnav making ministrations in his mind. She could feel her heated body turning cold as she realized that he must have realized the dire consequences of their kiss. The kiss was by far the most earth shattering experience Khushi had ever experienced.

Before he could further stand there, mutely making his own assumptions, Khushi spoke.

"I know what you are thinking, it was… you should… this… it would be too complicated."

She heard Arnav sigh, and saw him run his hand through his thick hair. This lone movement made Khushi's belly clench in a sweet twist. She knew she was in trouble. Arnav saw her bite her lip in hesitation and he knew he couldn't depart without properly explaining this entire situation. He moved towards her, and stood facing her squarely. Slowly, he leaned over her and Khushi's body tensed but leaned towards him. Her body was betraying her in the battle. Arnav turned off the coffee machine and placed his hands on top of her shoulders. He traced her arms all the way to her hands, and then clutched her hands while motioning her to move.

Her brought her in the living room and motioned her to sit and disappeared into the kitchen. Khushi sat on the couch and watched as Arnav brought two steaming mugs of coffee. He handed her a mug and placed his own on the table. Khushi's stomach growled as the smell of the coffee wafted towards her nose. She quietly took a sip. The coffee was made just how she liked it. The fact that he knew how to make her coffee just added to the pile of things that she was beginning to like about him. "Khushi," Arnav spoke.

"I cannot tell you how much I …"

"You are sorry, aren't you?" asked Khushi in a hushed tone. She heard Arnav hitch his breath and she thought that she had home. She was however surprised when she saw Arnav move and kneel in front of her. She held Khushi's hand and placed her mug safely on the table. "Do you have any idea what it is like for me to not be able to touch you?" he asked in a desperate voice.

"I just cannot get you out of my mind," he spoke in his soft British accent. Khushi clutched onto his hands and looked directly into his eyes. "But you are Khushi… my sister's best friend… my cousin's adore you… my aunt still talks about you… I have demons in my own closet… you are a sweet disaster that I want to get lost into… but I don't do relationships. Now more than ever I am worried that I might unleash a typhoon and you might get lost into it. You are unattainable." He clenched his teeth.

The twist of fate, or the irony of gods… whatever it was, Khushi couldn't help but reflect upon it. Many moons ago, this man kneeling in front of her, was that to her. Her was her unattainable thing.

He looked on the floor in a shamed stance. Abruptly, he stood up and continued breaking Khushi's thoughts, "Khushi, this thing… I know it will catapult into something… I cannot do that to you."

Khushi sat mutely, processing his words. This man wanted her but he didn't do relationships. She knew that she would be in it too deep if she said yes. She could clearly see him laced with issues. Could she be with someone who would appear like a fickle? Never knowing when he would put out. She pushed her hair out of the way and said, "Go, Arnav. The rain has stopped."

Arnav spun around and looked at the woman in front of him. When she spoke those words, it stung but he was expecting it. He dejectedly picked up his overnight bag, slipped his jacket on, and slung his bag over his shoulder. Khushi watched him silently as he walked towards the door. As he stood outside her door, he turned towards Khushi who had followed him. He gave her a yearned expression, lifted his hand and traced her soft face. She leaned into his touch but the touch lasted only for a few seconds. She opened her eyes that were laced with tears and heard footsteps fading away into the night.

~~oOo~~

3.35 AM Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Presidential Suite, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, New York City

Arnav knew that refusing Khushi was a hard thing but he couldn't just let it get out of hand. He needed a grip on himself. But only he couldn't. He was already cursing that he left her apartment. All he wanted right now was to turn back and wrap his arms around her and get lost.

When he had realized that he needed to head back to New York, he couldn't wait. He was filled with anticipation and that is exactly why he decided to come 2 days earlier than he was required. That is also why he had ended up outside Khushi's apartment in midst of a rainy night.

After taking a long cold shower, Arnav settled into his bed. His head was swarmed with all kinds of thoughts but he decided to sleep but the images of Khushi kept on washing up on the mental projector.

When morning arrived, Arnav stepped off the bed and walked barefoot towards the window. It had started to rain again… the continuous ominous downpour faltered his resolve slightly. He longed for Khushi and since last night it was as if the scent of perfume was still wafting off his frame. He pressed his forehead against the clear windowpane and took a few calming breaths. His mind was fogged. He was on edge. He was craving it again.

How good it would be just to drown himself in that lethal liquid again! The thought made him shudder, slightly in repulse, slightly in anticipation. He opened his eyes in a swift motion and decided to clean up and head outside. Anywhere.

The doorman opened the main lobby door that lead to the outside street. It was still raining heavily but Arnav didn't care. He was baffled, jaded and forlorn. "Good day, sir," the doorman saluted Arnav to which he smiled stiffly.

After stepping out of the lobby he waved for a taxi, slipped in and muttered an address off the top of his head.

The entire day Arnav spent roaming around the still like a nomad. Anything and everything that could help to just keep his thoughts at bay. His body still tensed at the thought of Khushi not being with him. In inner caveman came out every time he thought of her with anyone else. As the sunset, Arnav folded his newspaper in half and finished his coffee. He sat quietly in the hotel restaurant and decided to pre pone the meeting in order to survive New York and head back. He needed to stay away from Khushi… for her own good.

Arnav stepped into the elevator and pressed the phone against his ear. "Yeah, Aman… yes, tell them to reschedule… I want to get out of here as soon as possible so request them to meet with me tomorrow. No, I cannot possibly wait and idle here for another day… just do it!"

The elevator dinged at his suite and he stepped out and jumped straight in the shower.

He had to leave her. He had to do this no matter how much he wanted her… he had to leave. Otherwise Khushi was his escape and he wouldn't be able to extract her.

~~oOo~~

4.30 PM, Thursday, January 3^, 2013

Nobu Fifty Seven, New York

"This is your idea of feeling better?" yelled Khushi in an angry tone while clutching her phone closer to her ear lobe. "This is bloody ridiculous… you are not my dating guru... but… I… just.." Khushi wasn't able to finish her sentence because the other end of the line had been disconnected. She released a pent up frustrated growl as she inspected the place in front of her. The address seemed right and so did the place.

"Damn you NK!" she gritted her teeth and stomped her foot in a child like manner. Actually, it served her right to share her woes with NK last night. After the encounter with Arnav, she had phoned NK to relay the events of their midnight rendezvous. He had immediately flagged off his date, run to her apartment, and consoled her. But, she wasn't expecting this from him.

"Sweetheart, in order to get over someone like Arnav, you need a good lay… or else he will be messing with your head the entire time," he had said.

"But, I don't even know if I want to say no to him… I want to… it would be…" she had clutched her hair in an exasperated tone while trying to convince herself that she didn't want him. But she knew she wanted him. She was just refusing to acknowledge that. Her body wanted him… the simmering heat that pooled in the midst of her belly and travelled south of nether regions was enough of evidence. The man's mere smell made her huffing and wet. She wasn't a child when it came to having sex but she knew that Arnav in bed was something beyond amazing.

"Oh god, I am an adult and I am going to make a sane decision," she muttered. After sending a quick prayer to the heavens, she made a quick walk towards the opening of the restaurant. As expected the restaurant was crowded and buzzing with people. When she entered, a hostess immediately greeted her. "Hi, I am meeting a friend here, his name is…" she raked her mental memory to remember the name NK had said.

"Great, I don't even remember his name… much less anything else," she muttered again.

"Sorry?" the hostess looked at Khushi in a confused manner, perhaps thinking that Khushi had kick started evening by getting buzzed beforehand. "Uh I believe his name is… John Walters… yes," she forced a smile at now suspicious hostess. Nevertheless she was lead into the dinning space. It was an intricate combination between traditional restaurant and modern. The black steel and mesh wires gave it an industrial feel yet the lights and the soothing flowers balanced out the roughness of the restaurant. She halted her steps to admire the ambiance as the hostess continued towards the bar, ushering a cordial greeting to man dressed in impeccable suit.

~~oOo~~

The waiter poured the gentlemen more water as they discussed more pointers regarding their meeting. It had been going on for quite some time now. "This seems like an exceptional idea to engage ourselves into the energy business, Mr. Raizada. It is truly a remarkable industry and now that everyone is not turning a blind eye towards conserving energy, we can invest in this."

"Yes, that is correct, Mr. Raziada… we have an exceptional amount of scientist willing to participate and turn this into something our future generations will thank us for," said Mr. Norman. He was Arnav's father's most trusted individual and Arnav always listened to him when he offered advice.

"Alright thank you gentlemen, my advisors and I will reach a decision soon and let you know… meanwhile thank you for coming to this meeting on such a short notice," Arnav stood up as other rose and shook hands with the men. They all wished him a farewell and left the table.

Norman Mundy stayed behind to catch with Arnav as the rest of the advisors filtered out. He gestured waiter to bring him a whiskey on the rocks while Arnav stuck to his virgin drinks.

"So, what is going on with you lad?"

Arnav looked up from his lap and smiled at him. "Nothing, Normi… how are you doing? How is the family?"

"Ah, classic twist of words… they are all doing fine… Jimmy is now finally settled in his own life… and Sarah complains that I don't give her enough time."

Arnav genuine laughed at his comment. Norman finished his drink, rose from his seat and spoke, "Get some sleep, you look like hell."

Arnav took his drink and raised a toast to his words while the old man patted his back and slipped towards the exit. Arnav settled cosily into his seat and gestured the waiter to bring him the menu. He was starving by now. He had skipped his lunch so when the waiter brought out his Hunter Chicken he dug into it. After finishing his meal, he relaxed back into his seat. Going back into his suite seemed like such a lonely idea… he thought about calling Aman and taking a flight out. What was the point of owning your own jet when you couldn't access it whenever you needed?

But he thought against it, he was sure that Aman was fast asleep in his London apartment. He wiped his mouth with his lap napkin. As he gestured his hand for the cheque, his gaze fell on a familiar figure siting at the bar. It was quite far from his table but he couldn't mistake the petite frame. Khushi?

What was she doing here??

He sat a little more rigidly as he saw her twist her body towards the individual sitting beside her. He could guess that it was her date because he was slightly grazing her back with the back of his hand. Arnav's jaw locked in a tight lock. His inner caveman came out and he growled.

"Yeah, that was fun," said Khushi's date for the evening. Truthfully she wasn't even paying any attention to him at all. Khushi wasn't the type of individual to judge people based on their experience but tonight she was hyper sensitive to everything around her. The guy was the most boring individual she had ever encountered. Okay, that was a bit harsh, she just wasn't into him. She turned her towards at the bar and looked at the display of alcohol in front of her. She wasn't even talking much because the only person that was residing in her mind was Arnav.

She compared the talking buffoon to Arnav. From his clothing, to his hair, to his cologne, to his accent, to his stance… everything reminded her of the fact that Arnav was a better at everything. He was just too perfect.

He thoughts were broken when her date tried to get her attention. She shifted her body to face him squarely, and stiffened when he touched her back. She was wearing an embroidered wool sweater dress in black with bright pink Christian DIOR pumps. Her dress' back dipped slightly lower than normal so when she felt his hand on her back, she coiled away in hesitation. This caused her spill her drink on her dress and the liquid pooled in her lap.

"Oh dear, I am so sorry… I didn't mean to…" he said in an apologetic tone however Khushi snapped at him. "That's alright… I need to use the restroom."

She slipped off the stool and walked towards the sign marked washrooms. She had to walk a dimly lit hallway that happened to be quite long until she neared the end and saw a maroon door with a women's sign on top. She opened the women's restroom door and walked straight towards

"This is a complete disaster," she muttered as she tried to salvage her dress from the red wine. "Jesus C, Khushi go home before either of you end up in the hospital," she talked to herself and ignored the woman beside her give a curious look. She left the washroom and Khushi alone. Khushi let the cold water run against her wrists in order to calm herself down. After taking a few calming breaths Khushi opened the washroom door and merged into the dimly lit hallway. The restaurant chatter was still a faraway noise so when she sensed a heavy breath on the back of her neck, she instantly spun around to scream however a hand covered her mouth.

She adjusted her eyes to see a familiar pair of eyes staring at her, and the familiar scent hit her nostrils. Her eyes widened out of her sockets but she managed to lift her limp hands and pried his fingers. "Arnav," she said in a breathless whisper. The lone thought of Arnav made her hot and heavy with desire.

Arnav cornered her into the wall and placed his palms on the sides of her head. "Khushi," he said in a fierce voice.

Khushi stood limp in his hold and placed her head firmly against the wall. The sexual tension was back in between them and Arnav couldn't help but kiss her forehead. He then neared his lips to her ear and spoke in a fierce tone, "Khushi."

"Tell me you feel this too." He asked in a yearned tone that was laced with desire. "Tell me you feel this 'cuz I sure hell cannot stay away from you. You are breaking my resolve by the second. I cannot stay away from you."

"Please tell me you feel this too, baby," and Khushi nearly expired at the endearment. Her legs were giving up on her and Arnav hadn't even touched her yet. It was as if he was asking her permission.

She moved her arms and encircled them around his neck. She neared her lips and grazed his lips with hers. "I feel this too." She then lowered her lips onto his and the familiar fireworks were back. Arnav took this as his cue and encircled his arms around her back to bring her closer. Their innocent kiss turned into a fierce one as Arnav slipped his warm, soft tongue into Khushi's mouth. She welcomed the sensation that came with Arnav exploring every corner of her mouth and she released a moan that died in Arnav's mouth. He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his torso while continuing to kiss every inch of each other. Arnav broke the kiss as he sensed Khushi panting for the much needed air. He then placed feather kisses on both sides of her mouth.

"You are mine, I want this mouth to kiss me and only me," he said in a sexy and alluring tone that made Khushi's knees buckle. "Tell that lousy date of yours to go home… you are coming with me," he announced as he placed her back down on her feet. Khushi gripped his collar to steady herself while Arnav fixed his own appearance. He then fixed Khushi's dress and gave her a soft peck on her now swollen lips.

"There is no point in fixing your hair, baby… you look like a woman who has been ravished, and rightfully so," he spoke as Khushi tried to fix her hair. Her breath clogged in her throat as she mutely nodded and paced towards the bar. "I'll wait for you outside or else I'll rip his hand off," he whispered and kissed her earlobe, as they were steps away from the dining room. She saw Arnav walk towards the exit as she approached her date.

"Sorry, I have to take a rain check… work call." And sped out with her trench in tow.

~~oOo~~

Arnav sat in the back of a cab; his hand was buried in Khushi's. She sat gazing the outside world through the window while he continued to run his thumb over her soft skin. He knew she needed a breather so he let her collect her thought while they continued towards his hotel room. After the much-heated encounter, Arnav couldn't help but want more of her. It was as if she was intoxicating his senses and he needed to get lost in her. "Is my hotel okay?" he asked her softly.

She turned her head to face him and smiled at him. "Yes, it is prefect… I don't want NK to unnecessarily snoop around. This horrible date was her idea because I had spilled out everything to him after you had left and…" she stopped her sentence mid-way as she felt Arnav tighten his hold on her hand.

"Right… we still need to talk about this before any of this gets of hand." She spoke in an understanding. Arnav nodded his head and Khushi moved closer towards him, snuggling into his frame and closed her eyes.

She sensed Arnav taking her seat belt off as she realized that they must have reached their destination. "Hey," she spoke when she peered into Arnav's eyes. Those molten rocks of chocolate laced with specks of green still did it for her. Everytime.

"We are here," he said as he clutched his hand and helped her out of the cab. They both walked hand in hand towards the elevators. As they stood in the elevator, the air around them was charged with unsaid things and sexual tension. It was again impalpable. The elevator dinged and landed them on their floor. There were only five penthouse suites located on this floor and Arnav took hold of Khushi's elbow lightly as he guided her towards his room.

After stepping inside, Khushi felt the floor beneath her shake. The view that welcomed her was breath taking and she looked like a lost puppy as she stood still taking in her surroundings. "Come on," he whispered against her back making her spine shiver in delight. She wanted him.

"Would like something to drink?" he asked as he went towards the kitchen. "Some water."

He handed her the water as they sat down in the living space. A few moments of awkwardness charged the air between them but Arnav cleared his throat. "I want you to know that I when I said I want you… I don't mean just for a night. I want to be with you. But I don't do relationships."

"But, I will be faithful to you… and only you. You will part of my life. But I cannot say that I am doing this for a future. I just cannot forget you." His admission was shocking, yet so truthful. He was bare and naked in front of her.

Khushi knew that he was doing everything he can to elude looking at her. She rose from her seat, slipped off her heels and lowered herself onto his lap. She placed her legs on either side of him and caught his face with both hands. She knew that this was his way of saying that he wanted her but he didn't want to label their relationship. Surprisingly, Khushi thought it was the most sincere thing anyone had ever admitted to her. Her heart soared but she ignored that thought and kissed his full lips.

"I wouldn't have come here if I didn't feel something for you. I want you too. Maybe we both need to get each other out of our systems. We don't think of the future, we don't think of others… we only think of us and the moment."

She continued, "I am willing to do this… only with you and…" but she wasn't able to complete her sentence as Arnav surprised her by kissing her sweetly. She marvelled in the thought that she was finally kissing him. Her body was lit on fire, and every nerve begged for him to touch her more.

He broke the kiss and smiled. "Khushi Kumari Gupta, you beguile me… and I just love it!"

Khushi smiled as well and lowered her lips onto his. They continued to revel in each other's presence as Khushi slowly undid his tie. After taking off the neckpiece, she trailed kisses along his unshaven jaw. "I think I like you with a five o'clock shadow," she whispered against the column of his throat.

"Do you now?" he asked her in an amused tone. She nodded shyly and Arnav took this opportunity to pick her up. He walked with Khushi's legs wrapped around his torso and ended up in his room. He softly lowered Khushi on the plush bed while he took his shoes off. "I don't know if I anything that will fit you but let me look," he said.

Khushi broke into a grin as soon as the words tumbled out of his mouth. She watched him disappear into the walk in closet as she took in his room. She could the Manhattan lights lighting up the entire evening. She turned around as Arnav appeared back into the room. He handed her a T-shirt and pyjama pants. She took hold of his shirt and said, "This is long enough."

After changing into his gray Bob Marley T-shirt, she slipped back into the room. True to her words, the shirt hit her just above her knees, dwarfing her body. She saw Arnav already in bed, waiting for her. Attentively, she walked towards the bed and held onto Arnav's extended hand. "God, babe do you have any idea how hot you look?"

At her innocent expression he laughed and then kissed her nose. "Don't look so innocent, it seems like I am taking an advantage of you." Khushi smiled and kissed his cheek. Arnav flipped her underneath him and kissed her forehead, her eyes, her nose, her cheeks and finally coming to kiss her lips. He couldn't get enough of her lips… they tasted so sweet and tender. "I could kiss you all day, my unattainable thing," he said in between his kisses.

Khushi's body was already on fire and his words were acting like kerosene. "I could kiss you all day too," she said in a heated voice. Soon, their kiss turned into a more heated kiss that led Khushi to slip her hands underneath Arnav's shirt. He felt hard and good.

Arnav broke the kiss, "Khushi, don't do that… I am trying to practice some self control here."

At her confused expression, he sighed and lay back on the bed. "Khushi you are not a shag for me… I want to wine and dine you properly before I bed you," he spoke to her in finality. Disappointed yet slightly pleased, Khushi huffed in response.

"Arnav, I have had enough wining and dining for the night… and mind you it wasn't a very good one."

"Well that is exactly why I need to properly treat you as a lady," he said as he snugged closer to Khushi. "Which reminds me, what were you doing with that buffoon?" He wasn't ready to admit but she could tell that Arnav was jealous of her former date.

"Like I was saying, after you left, I called NK and the next day at the office… he just told me that he had a date set up for me. Apparently in order to rid you out of my system, I needed to get laid." Arnav growled in anger in response and muttered, "NK… that stupid manwh**e!"

"Hey, that is my friend… granted he makes stupid decisions at times… but had we not been in the same restaurant, I wouldn't have ended up here." After her reminder, Arnav reconsidered his thoughts; maybe he owed NK a thank-you.

"Well, whatever, you are mine." He said in finality that caused Khushi to unleash more kisses. "That sounds like a wonderful idea… we are throwing caution to the wind and going with it," she whispered against his throat.

"Yes, we are… we are not going to think about anyone else… and no one needs to find out anything," Khushi spoke with an ultimate tone. "Are you sure about this, Khushi?" Arnav pulled her in closer to him. "Yes, I am."

Khushi kissed his jaw while hugging him closer. "It is just me and you… the world doesn't exist." Arnav took the remote siting on his bedside table and drew the curtains shut. The darkness engulfed them completely but they could sense each other's breathing. "Are you sure we have to wait to sleep together?" Khushi asked.

Arnav chuckled in a pleased manner and kissed her fully on the lips. Khushi took this as her opportunity to slip her tongue in his mouth. He moaned in pleasure as Khushi took charge this time and continued to rake her fingers through his hair. She trapped his torso with her left leg while continuing with the kiss. Her body was lit on fire and Arnav wasn't helping to douse it. But she could sense a response from his nether regions and it excited her extremely. To be able to elicit such response from Arnav only meant that she wasn't the only one who felt this sexual tension between them.

Arnav broke the kiss gently and spoke in a strained voice; "You are making it too hard for me to behave like a gentleman, baby."

"Well, maybe I don't want you to behave like one." Khushi mustered the courage to speak her mind. Arnav groaned in delight and his voice was heavily laced strain, "You are insatiable!"

"Why did you leave the apartment that day?" Khushi asked him and heard him sigh.

"I thought you regretted, when you were standing in your kitchen, I could see regret rolling off your body. I knew that I should stay away from you but I couldn't stop thinking about you even when I was back in London and celebrating New Year's with my family… I couldn't get the thought of kissing you at midnight. This past month I have wanted nothing more than to get lost in you," he said.

The silence in the dark stretched and Khushi spoke, "I have no idea how long I have wanted you for… that night when you kissed me, I thought that you were regretting it but when you told me that you weren't ready for a relationship… I thought… that maybe you didn't want me… and I wouldn't be able to bear the heartache… it would have been…" she swallowed hard.

"I am sorry… I guess we both were just thinking what would happen and how other's connected to us would be impacted by this."

"Yeah, so what changed?"

Khushi waited for a few moments for Arnav to continue, "I happened to see you at the same restaurant and I knew that no one is allowed to touch you like that… not now… not ever!" He brought his face closer to hair and buried himself in it. "God you smell the same as before… lilies and rose."

"Yeah, the same as two days ago…" she said in an amused tone.

"No, I mean same as the night I had cornered you… at the wedding." At this revelation Khushi's belly clenched in the most sweetest twist. This was the first time either of them had acknowledged their past. "You smell even better… if that is even possible," she uttered.

"I should probably let NK know that I won't be coming in tomorrow… and email my boss."

"Baby, you are seriously trouble!" Arnav laughed clearly okay with Khushi not going anywhere for a while. The mean working machine was seriously considering letting her skip her work. "I intend on blowing your mind," she smiled in the dark and hugged him tighter. "Besides, I have had sleepless nights after that night… which might I add didn't even start off to a good start. Were you with a date on new years?"

She heard Arnav curse slightly and she stiffened against his frame. "No, nothing like that… just I was being set up on a date but I ditched her before the night concluded. I was thinking about jumping on the plane and seeing you." Khushi stifled a yawn but it happened to escape her lips. But, she wasn't in the mood to sleep. She wanted to continue talking and kissing Arnav.

After a few more heated snogging sessions that almost made Arnav go back on his resolve, Khushi again yawned tiresomely.

"Go to sleep sweetheart, the past nights have been hell and this is too blissful," Arnav kissed her forehead, covered her with his duvet, and snuggled closer to her.