Obsession Or Love ?? A Virika FF - Page 9

The ice around Viren's heart cracked just a little as he watched thetotally despondent, forlorn woman in front of him break down in tears, her hopeless sobs twisting in his gut.

If he could locate her worthless roommate, he'd make her pay for every bit of pain Jeevika was suffering right now. Unable to stop himself, Viren went to her and gathered her body against his own, lifting her into his arms with careful tugs until she came to her feet and put her arms around his neck, turning her face against his chest. He could feel her body quivering, her smaller form plastered against his own, keening her misery against his shoulder.

"Shhh...Jeevika. It will all be okay. I'll take care of you." Viren ran a hand down her silky black hair, knowing that he meant every word. It wasn't just something he was saying to quiet her, take away her pain. He wanted to take care of this woman who had seen more than her share of bad luck and hardship, bearing it with admirable strength. She was special, and her tears nearly undid him.

He took a deep breath and tightened his arms around her waist, splaying one hand along her slender back, moving the hand in soothing circles to calm her. She felt so good, so right in his arms.

Viren wanted to make all of her problems go away, banish them like they had never existed. "We'll deal with it, Jeevika. I'll help you." She pulled away from him, swiping tears away with the fingers of both hands. "I got you all wet." She hiccupped as she brushed at the front of his damp shirt.

Viren wanted to whine as she pulled herself completely from his arms.

"It doesn't matter."

"I can't bawl like a baby all day. I have to see if I can find a shelter. This has put me over the financial edge." Her face was composed now, her expression lifeless.

"No shelter. You can stay here. I have plenty of space." He tried to keep his voice calm, but he was ready to wrestle her to the ground if needed. She wasn't going to a shelter. She might be broken at the moment, but she would recover. "Think reasonably, Jeevika. You need help. I'm willing to help you.You can finish your last semester and live here."

"Why? Why would you want me here? I'm a complete stranger to you."

He wanted to tell her that she had never been a stranger, not since the first moment he saw her. Something had clicked inside him, something raw, and something elemental. "You need help. Everybody needs help sometimes. I had my brother. I was lucky."

"Viren, I can't just take advantage of you."

Oh yeah, you can. Anytime you want to. Viren plopped back into his chair . Thankfully, she sat and pulled her coffee cup toward her. "You aren't taking advantage. You're just accepting a little assistance."

She snorted before taking a sip of her lukewarm beverage. "It's more than a little. I still have more than four months of school left. No money. No clothing. Nothing."

He answered, "Nina is getting you some clothes. No worries." He took a deep breath before continuing, "I only have one condition. Otherwise, my assistance is unconditional."

"What is it?" She looked at him cautiously over her mug.

"I want you to stop working while you're in school." He had to bite back a smile as her face turned up in a stubborn, implacable expression. This was going to be a sore subject, but he wasn't going to lose.

"I can't stop working. I need to live. I have nothing," she told him adamantly.

"No work. I'll help you financially. You already do forty hours a week at school and that doesn't include study time. My offer, take it or leave it." He wasn't about to watch her continue to fade away. After just one night of decent sleep, the dark circles under her eyes had decreased. It would be nice to see them gone altogether and watch her eat decent meals. She might have an inner core made of steel, but damn it, her body was fragile.

"But, I-"

"That's the deal. Take it or leave it?"

He watched her face turn red and her eyes clashed with his in a disgusted stare. Viren's breath caught silently, and his heart began to race. It was a risky move, but where else could she go? What could she do? But for a moment, for an instant that felt like an eternity, he watched her face, certain that she was going to tell him to go screw himself.

"What about my insurance, my benefits? What about the restaurant?"

"Mom's place will be fine. She has waitresses who want to be full-time."

Jeevika flinched as he made the statement, knowing it was true. There were other employees who would be only too happy to step into her full-time position.

"And I'll make sure that you stay on COBRA. You won't lose your insurance."

She searched his eyes, trying to read him, but Viren was a mystery to her. Why was he doing this? Did she trust him? She hardly knew him. She trusted Vanshika, and Vanshika adored her sons. "Okay. I'll do it. But you need to keep track of the funds and I'll pay you back."

"No deal."

"You said you only had that one condition." She drained her coffee, trying to keep her hands steady by grasping both sides of the mug.

He shrugged. "It's an add-on since you tried to change the original terms."

"What are you getting out of all of this? I'm going to disrupt your privacy, take your money, and you get nothing?" She gaped at him, baffled by the whole arrangement.

"I don't want your money. Can't you just take the help without questioning my motives? I want to help," he balked in an uneasy voice,finishing the last of his coffee, slamming the cup back to the table with an impatient whack.

"I want to do something, give you something for your trouble. I've always paid my own way." Agitated, she stood and collected the cups. She took them to the sink and rinsed them before putting them in the dishwasher. Honestly, she should be kissing his feet in gratitude, but being in his debt somehow bothered her. She wasn't used to taking. From anyone! She was a survivor, doing what she needed to do just to stay one step ahead of poverty. This was so foreign, so freaking confusing.

Jeevika turned around and slammed into Viren's powerful body, a force that easily kept her body from advancing. The man was like concrete, fixed and immobile. She put her hands on his solid, muscular biceps to steady herself. "Sorry," she mumbled, but he didn't move away.

"There's only one thing I want from you, Jeevika." His voice was low and husky and he bent down and inhaled, as though he were breathing in her scent. He slapped a hand on each side of the counter, pinning her. He surrounded her, holding her body in thrall, making her want to surrender to his dominance. Something inside her melted, wanting to sway into his powerful arms. "W-What?" What could he possibly want from her? She shivered as he crowded her, feeling the heat radiating from his body. Jeevika was five foot eight barefoot, but Viren towered over her in height, strength, and power. He leaned his head down, his lips nuzzling her ear.

"You. With Me. One night. Anything I want, anything I need." His sultry, low whisper sent fire careening through her entire body. "Me?" She squeaked as his hungry lips trailed down the side of her neck, making her core clench tightly with need."You. One night," he repeated as his hands moved to her body and stroked against the silk robe, exploring her body greedily.Her head dropped to one side, giving him free access to let him explore the sensitive skin at the side of her neck. Oh Lord, he felt good, smelled good. She couldn't think as his mouth descended on hers.

Viren didn't ask; he demanded. His tongue pushed against the seam of her lips insistently and she gave way, letting him take her, his tongue owning her mouth with demanding strokes. She released an involuntary moan into his kiss, feeling ravished and overwhelmed, her response automatic and wanting. Pushing back, she entwined his tongue with hers, exploring him, tasting him.

Without releasing her from his impassioned embrace, his hands came up to her robe. Her hands plowed into his coarse dark hair, fisting. He pulled his mouth from hers, panting as though he had run a marathon.

"God, you are so hot, Jeevika. So responsive." Her body was pulsating as his hand moved over her stomach. "I want one night."

"Oh, God. Please." Jeevika was caught up in sensation, heat sizzling over every nerve ending in her body. Her hands went to his shoulders, needing the support to keep standing.

"So sweet," he murmured in her ear before his tongue trailed over the side of her neck, flicking in a rhythm that mimicked what he wanted to do, overwhelming her with white-hot desire to feel it. Her body flexed, needing more contact, more of those talented, teasing fingers. "Viren, I need-"

"I know what you need. The same thing that I need!"

His mouth swallowed her moan, as She responded, nipping at his lip, opening for his possession, surrendering completely.

"I'd like one night, Jeevika. Not because you have to, but because you want it, too. I'll help you regardless. It's your choice whether or not to give me what I want. But be warned...I like control."

Still shattered, her mind in chaos, she asked haltingly, "What does that mean exactly?"

"Total surrender," he answered in a low, hoarse voice that vibrated with barely-controlled passion. "Think about it. Say the word"

"I just want you," he replied abruptly as he moved back, giving her space. Jeevika noticed the tense look on his face. He leaned forward and gently kissed her forehead. "Decide later. You've been through a lot today and you need to get over your illness. Rest. Eat.

Relax. I'll be in my Office upstairs if you need anything. Nina will be here soon with your clothes. Feel free to keep the robe. It looks good on you.."Jeevika grasped the counter behind her, back as he casually left the kitchen.

"Did that really just happen?" she whispered in an astounded voice, hoping that this whole day was just a bad dream and she would wake up in her own bed, in her own tiny apartment.

Viren Vadhera was a danger to her sanity, and she needed to stay as far away from him as possible.

Four months. Could she do it? She straightened her spine and wrapped the robe tighter around her body. She was a survivor; she would survive. Viren had mentioned that sleeping with him wasn't a requirement. It didn't have to happen.

Jeevika took a deep breath, trying to relax her body. She'd do whatever she could to help Viren except sleep with him. She could cook, clean, help him out with whatever he needed to have done. Not having a job was going to leave her restless. There had to be other things she could do to repay him.

You want to. You know you want him.

She shook her head, trying to silence her wayward thoughts. Getting involved with Viren Vadhera was not a good idea. The billionaire genius was the type who would leave her devastated .

But now you know it would be a one incredible night that you'd never forget.

Shaking her head, she suddenly remembered the clinic. She should have been there this morning.

Oh, shit. I have to call Manvi. How could I have forgotten?

Jeevika spent every Saturday morning volunteering at the free children's clinic with Dr.Manvi . It was something Jeevika had been doing every Saturday morning for the last year and although she wasn't yet licensed as a Doctor, she helped out by taking on every task she was capable of so that Manvi could see as many children as possible on clinic day.

Jeevika snatched up a cordless phone from the kitchen counter and hastily dialed the clinic number, explaining to Manvi what had happened and that she was sorry she didn't make it.

"It's not like you're a paid employee, Jeevika, even though I appreciate the fact that you keep showing up to help. I'm fine for today. Are you okay? Do you need a place to stay?" Manvi's voice was concerned and Jeevika's heart lifted. Manvi was so generous, so caring...but she couldn't impose on her friend. Jeevika knew that Manvi put every extra penny she had into the free clinic and she was fairly fresh out of medical school. Jeevika had heard Manvi say jokingly, more than once, that she would still be paying back student loans when she retired.

"Nope. I'm good. I have a...friend helping me out," she replied, hoping her voice sounded normal.

There was a pause before Manvi told her sternly, "You call me if you need help, Jeevika. You will, won't you?"

"I will. I promise. I'll see you next Saturday."

"Stay safe. If you ever find that ex-roommate, feel free to call me. I'll beat the shit out of her," Manvi said, her voice indignant.

Jeevika laughed. "You'll have to get in line. I'm pissed enough to do it myself."

With a few more assurances to Manvi that she would be fine, Jeevika hung up with a sigh and headed through the condo, wanting to see what was left of her belongings.

You'll make it. You've made it this far. Four months will be easy. Someday, you can replace whatever was taken.

A tingle went down her spine as she searched for the guest room that housed her meager belongings, sensing that the next four months would be more challenging than anything she'd ever faced before.

Poverty!

Loneliness!

Rejection!

Insecurity!

Fear!

They all looked like a piece of cake compared to several months with Viren Vadhera.

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