New SS: The Proposal note 148 (7/5) - Page 51

Originally posted by: honeygrape

updating this????😲

why the RR??

Originally posted by: aashluvsmaan

why the RR??

u need to update anywhere!

PART 4

5. The Negotiations

"So why do you need to get into this marriage so urgently?" Maan asked taking a sip of his drink and watching the way Geet's eyes flittered to his food enviously while playing with the salad on her own plate.

"I would like to keep the reason to myself for now if you don't mind." She stabbed a piece of cucumber with her fork, "but don't worry it is nothing sinister." Her eyes went to his plate again.

Sighing Maan scooped up fried rice from the bowl and deposited it in her plate in spite of her protest. "Now eat, what is the benefit of gaining a reservation in your favourite restaurant unless you can enjoy the food? If you are feeling so guilty walk another mile tomorrow."

"If you insist..." she looked at him for assurance. He served curry into her plate

"I do." He hid a smile seeing the relish with which she savoured a spoonful of rice.

"Tell me Geet have you thought about the impact your announcement of marriage is going to have on your uncle? How the associates will look at your attempt to gain control of the business?"

Geet gasped, he was too intuitive.

He continued before she could protest, "Assuming that it could be the reason I suggest that we should lighten the blow. We Khuranas value loyalty in relations and respect to elders. I am sure you wouldn't have taken the decision of a contract marriage unless you thought it was absolutely necessary, still we need not publish it to the world."

"You mean we should pretend that this is a real marriage? And the time period? 3 months?"

"Too short to present the impression of reality and I do believe bad to business too. People won't accept a leader who cannot give them constancy." He considered. "May be we should decide that later, after seeing how it pans out... but a year in minimum if you take my opinion."

"A year? What if we fall in love with someone during that time?"

"You said you are not ready to settle down for some time yet. If you can't even spare one year for stabilizing your business once you take charge, I advise you forget the whole business" he looked at her sternly.

"I was not just saying for myself.." she pushed her glasses back and looked at him.

"I don't have any wish to involve myself in any romantic entanglement for a long long time."

"That is okay with me too then. I expect we will be staying in your home then?"

"Yes, I don't wish to disclose the truth of our relation to my grandmother. That brings in another fact, we need to create a smoke screen."

"Smokescreen?" Geet looked at him puzzled.

"My Dadi is awfully romantic." He smiled indulgently. "I would like to give her the impression that this is a love match. A whirlwind romance... let people assume that we are so much in love that we can't wait to get married."

"As long as it is just pretence." Geet asserted.

"Of course. What else?" Maan countered. "So it is settled?"

"I would like to add my own condition," Geet said adjusting her glasses and bringing in her most suited tough look. "I want it clearly understood that whatever happens during the time we are together will be according to my will. You won't take decisions without my knowledge and acceptance. In short I want to be in control of our marriage. I take charge of what we do and when we do!"

"Oh! What will be my role then?" a stillness came about him.

"You get to follow my decisions." She smiled sweetly.

The twinkle in his eyes deepened with his smile, "That is an interesting role you have assigned for me, sweetheart."

"Do you agree?" she insisted, not to be side tracked by his charm.

"Are you sure this is the condition you want to put forth? Or do you need to add anything more?" he asked in an indulgent voice.

What more was needed, she wondered . Hadn't she taken the control of their contract with her single condition?

"No, I don't have anything more I need."

"All right then you get to decide what we do in our marriage. I will see to it personally!" Why did his acquiescence feel like his victory?

He waved a waiter near and ordered for dessert, double scoop of ice cream. Geet resisted the temptation and declined. But she ended up sharing his.

After the lunch they were on their way back, when the giggling teenagers entered the elevator. Geet saw them whispering together and then glancing sideways to where Maan was standing nonchalantly, waiting for the elevator to reach the ground floor. She didn't care for the flutter of excitement amongst them while they cast flirting glances at him and the way their chatter became louder as if to gain her brand new fianc's attention. She moved closer to him, no not to stake her claim she denied vehemently, but just so that the girls understood he was not alone. If the girls mistook her glancing at them as a glare, it was not her fault now, was it?

Maan looked at her when he felt the gentle brushing of her arm on his sleeve and found her attention on the teenagers who shared the elevator with them. He saw the agitation of the girls on finding Geet's eyes on them and gave closer attention to Geet. 'If looks could kill' the phrase flashed on his mind. But enjoying her possessiveness he decided to act on it...time for Act 1 Scene 1... he thought amused.

Geet's softest smile of satisfaction on seeing that she was able to get the message to the girls was interrupted by the hand that curved her closer to his warmth, turning her in the process to face him slightly. His free hand lifted to tuck back her errand hair and tracing the shape of her ear sending delicious tingle thru' her. Holding her surprised eyes captive with his mesmerising depths, his fingers skimmed along her jaw to tilt her face further. His thumb brushed across her lips. Her eyes widened with the awareness he brought forth with his caress. The sensuous concentration of his eyes spun their own magic. Her lips parted without conscious will. She drew in a deep breath resisting the impulse to flick her tongue across his thumb. He repeated the caress igniting her temptation further. So involved was she in the sensuous haze that she was oblivious to the snickering or the elevator stopping to let out their interested audience. Then they had the lift to themselves.

He leaned down to replace his thumb with his lips, brushing them across her lips with the softest of caress. She sighed. He lifted his head as if to check her reaction and found her eyes closed, face lifted towards him in invitation. His hand at her back propelled her closer moulding her to him. He closed the distance between their mouths. His mouth was gentle, as it moved on her, searching caressing the soft trembling counters with slow enticing patience. He could not help the thudding, pounding heady desire that flooded him when he heard her moan and open her mouth for his invasion. The taste of vanilla mingled with her unique sweetness intoxicated him. Her own hands clutched on his shirt as if trying to hold on to him, to ensure that would not leave her. His hands cupped her face, angling he head for better, slicker fit. He tasted her over and over as if he could sate himself on this alone. She kissed him back with curiosity and a delicate urgency that was creating havoc on his restraint.

He shifted, sliding one hand down her back to press her closer still making her aware of the desire that pulsed thru him. She gasped and pulled back, bracing her delicate hands against his shoulders. For a long intense moment he looked at her taking in the blush of desire that heightened the color of her cheeks, the parted lips that were swollen and slick from his. Her eyes dazed, her breathing was fast and locks of hair escaped from the clip that held the heavy mass. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen vibrant with the passion and hunger he invoked in her.

His hand cupped her cheek with tenderness. "You are mine, now," he said fiercely.

"And you mine, " she answered back, not willing to let him have the last word.

Walking back towards his car after seeing Geet off, he was puzzled by the angry glare he received from an elderly lady. She pulled her daughter along quickly with her muttering something about the fashion of today's men leaving themselves bare to the waist even wearing suits. It was only when he saw his reflection in the car's window that he understood what the lady had been muttering about. His enthusiastic fianc had opened his shirt to his waist. Chuckling he did up his shirt buttons.

A slow smile stretched across lips on seeing the name of the person who was calling him. As it had become a habit with him he had just been thinking about her, wondering if she had got his gift and trying to guess how her reaction would be to it.

"Hello Mishty,"his voice took a husky timbre.

"How could you Maan? What were you thinking sending me that gift to the office?" she accused without pleasantries.

"You didn't like it?" he leaned back in his chair and looked out to the window of Geet's office. He wondered if she too was looking towards his window, he could almost feel her doing just that. "We did agree to give the impression of a whirlwind romance and sending gift to your fianc is a part of it."

"Gift?" her voice rose in agitation. "This was your idea of romantic gift? I thought lovers gifted flowers and chocolates to their fianc. Or took them out for special dinners..." she drew in a deep breath, "it is nothing like what you have sent me. I've never been so embarrassed in my life!"

"Oh! Were you not alone when you opened my gift?" he chuckled .

"There were just a couple of business heads from different companies in my office and we were having serious discussions about the new venture Handa Communications was going to enter into. One of the business heads was an MCP with roving eyes and I just had this urge to rub in the benefits of being a woman in love when your gift arrived. I assumed from the shape and size of the parcel that it would be a box of chocolates and thought it would present a perfect opportunity to announce to the business world that we are involved."

"Couldn't you deduce the parcel was too light to be chocolate?"

"No, I didn't give it that much thought and I wonder if I would have realized that too."

He walked towards the window with a frown, "Why so, baby? Haven't you been gifted boxes of chocolates before?"

There was a pause before she continued, "Don't stray from the topic. This is not about me not getting chocolates..." there was a strain of consciousness in her voice. He could imagine her adjusting her glasses as was a habit he noticed about her.

When they had first met, her no nonsense, serene attitude had impressed upon him. But no longer. Under that cool efficient business woman's image she was so successful in projecting, lay a sensitive woman, an unexplored femininity that captivated him. A deliciously sensual woman who tempted him beyond endurance, who called on his male instincts to protect, cherish and pamper. So much so that it often slipped his mind that this was all pretence.

"I haven't called you to talk about chocolates," her voice brought him back. "Do you have any inkling about the reaction of my esteemed associates when I took out your gift?"

"I know what I would have done...imagined you wearing it and be envious of the person who actually had the chance for a live display." His voice turned husky with his remembered imagination he had while he chose her gift.

He heard her indrawn breath, probably being reminded of the note that had accompanied the gift with the message, 'counting the days when I can see you modelling this for me'. "Never mind about your imagination." She chastised, "I am sure your gift left no doubt in their mind that we are passionately involved and they would not be surprised if we married without delay."

"Perfect!"

"No it is not." She contradicted. "Do you remember my only condition for this marriage?"

"Of course and I am not breaking it. We agreed that you would be in charge of our marriage. But baby, we are not yet married."

He smiled hearing her angry sigh. "Maan?"

"Yes, mishty?"

"Are you in your office?"

"Standing by the window, looking out, imagining..."

"Looking out at my window?"

"Actually I am...I seem to be doing that often these days. Why do you ask? Do you do the same?"

"I will answer that in person. Stay put and don't move a muscle. Is that clear?" She cut the call.

Maan grinned as he sat back in his chair eagerly expecting to see a ruffled Geet.

PART 6