Obsession Or Love ?? A Virika FF - Page 29

Okiee dear!! We'll wait for the update

Write when you have time..

It's like age's you haven't updated...

Update...😭😕

Where is the update??

Update na..😕

Jeevika opened her eyes slowly, blinking several times to clear her blurred vision, and feeling like her head was in a vise. Temporarily disoriented, she lifted her hand to her head, poking at it experimentally only to feel her forehead wrapped with gauze. What the hell?

Her memory returned slowly, trickling back in bits and pieces. Virat and his apology. The attack. Virat and two other unknown men saving her life.

She remembered waking briefly several times in the Emergency Room, Viren right next to her holding her hand, murmuring encouraging words while she...oh God...had she really thrown up all over him?

Right after the attack, everything had been so intense: the dizziness, the nausea, the blurred vision, the desire to escape back into the darkness and blissful relief of sleep.

Her surroundings were dim, the only light illuminating what appeared to be a hospital room a small square and narrow overhead light near the door.

Her eyes scanned the room. It was set up for double occupancy, but the bed beside her was empty and completely undisturbed.

Compared to the way she had felt in the Emergency Room, the headache she was experiencing seemed like a major improvement. Her stomach was slightly queasy and she obviously had suffered an open wound to her forehead, but she was still alive. She sucked in a deep, tremulous breath, releasing it slowly as a wave of adrenaline washed over her body, experiencing some delayed anxiety from the experience that had happened...uh...when?

Crap...I really need to get my head together!

Squinting at the clock, she could see that it was four a.m. Nine hours had passed since the terrifying experience that had left her alone in a hospital room, thanking the Almighty that she was still among the living.

She flinched as she moved her left arm, stretching the tubing of the I.V. that was inserted in the back of her hand, causing stress at the insertion site. Damn, that hurt. Replacing the limb to its former position, she attempted to cautiously stretch her other arm, finding it trapped, encapsulated inside of a large, strong, warm prison.

"Viren," she whispered softly, suddenly realizing that she wasn't alone, her eyes landing on the place where their skin touched, finding his fingers entwined with hers, his head resting next to their joined hands, his eyes closed.

Her heart contracted as her gaze swept over him, taking in every feature of his beloved, handsome face. She drank in the sight of him, feeling as if it had been forever since she had seen that handsome face. Even in sleep, he looked tense and fierce, the lock of wayward hair that slithered over his forehead the only thing that softened his appearance in slumber.

Slowly disentangling their entwined fingers, she stroked his hair back, enjoying the texture of the thick, disheveled strands between her fingers.

Had he been here all night? Had he ever left the hospital?

He was dressed in a pair of light blue hospital scrubs, a sure sign that her memory of tossing her cookies down the front of what was probably a very expensive sweater, was probably accurate.

I love you.

The recollection that she had spoken those words between retching violently and feeling like she was about to die made her hand stop pawing his hair and her body tense with trepidation.

Oh God, did I really say those words to him?

Yeah, she had said them - the memory flashed vividly in her mind. Knowing that she had babbled that particular phrase to him, she pulled her hand completely away, wondering how he had taken those words, or if he had even really heard them. At the time, she had been desperate to say them, to let him know how she felt in case she didn't make it through the night. With no idea what her injuries actually were, she hadn't hesitated to say them, didn't want something to happen without him knowing how much she cared.

Now that she knew that she was obviously going to live, she wasn't so sure that she should have confessed, bared her soul.

"Jeevika!" Viren shot up into a sitting position, his hand reaching reflexively for hers, twining their fingers back together. He was instantly awake, his eyes jerking to her face, scanning it with obvious uneasiness. "You're awake."

Her throat was dry, her tongue felt like it was swollen enough to take up the entire space of her oral cavity. She reached for a cup of water from the bedside table. Viren sprang from his chair, reaching it first, unwrapping a straw and placing it into the plastic cup, before directing it to her mouth. She took slow sips, her hand covering his as she let the moisture slide over her tongue. "Where am I?" she asked quietly, licking the moisture from her lips.

He told her what hospital was she in and explained that her CT scan was normal, but they were keeping her overnight for observation. "You have several stitches from a cut on your forehead. From what Virat told me, you're damn lucky they didn't crack your skull." Viren's was voice was rough and slightly irritated.

"I have a hard head." She answered lightly, remembering the force of the blows, amazed that she had suffered nothing more than a few stitches and a hammering headache.

He shot her an aggravated look. "Like I haven't noticed?" Setting the glass down on the bedside table, his eyes locked with hers, staring intently, his gaze like liquid fire. "You're never leaving me again. Ever."

Her breath hitched as she looked at him, fascinated, unable to break the compelling, silent communication. "Forever is long time." she answered, unable to come up with a more intelligent response while his eyes were shooting volatile sparks, a clear warning he was about to get stubborn.

" You're going back home with me, and I'm not leaving your safety in the hands of a few green security agents. If Virat hadn't been there..."

"He saved my life, Viren. Your brother risked his life for me," she murmured, silently Virat for being there, for getting to her before those men had gotten her into the car.

I'd be dead if he hadn't.

Running a frustrated hand through his already-tortured hair, he growled, "He damn well should have seen you home. And the security guys were inexperienced. They should have been tailing you so close that they could hear you breathe. Their reaction time was unacceptable."

"I left. I didn't give Virat a chance to offer to take me home. He was asking questions about Manvi and I wanted to leave. And the agents got there fast. These guys were quick. It all happened in seconds." Even though it seemed like hours.

"Virat shouldn't have been there at all. You would have been home and safe," he rumbled, his chest vibrating with emotion.

She squeezed his hand. "You don't know that. They might have gotten to me anyway. It could have been worse if Virat hadn't been there. Please don't blame Virat or the agents. I'm grateful to all of them."

"Doesn't matter. You're coming home with me tomorrow. And you'll have better security than the President Of The United States. Even Manvi agrees that you're safer at the condo. Although I'm not sure she's thrilled about you being in such close proximity to any Vadhera." He sat back down in the chair without releasing his powerful grip on her hand or his intense, relentless stare.

"Manvi was here?" she asked curiously, wondering how her friend even knew that she had been injured.

"She just left an hour or two ago. I called her. She was here all evening. You don't remember?"

She shook her head. "Everything that happened after the actual attack is just snippets of memory. Did I really vomit on you?"

"You remember that?" He searched her face, looking for something, as though he were trying to figure out what she did and didn't remember. "Manvi found me a pair of scrubs and a shower after you got settled in a room.

"Oh God. I'm sorry." Was there anything more mortifying than puking all over a man like Viren Vadhera?

"Why? You didn't do it on purpose. And I was actually relieved that you were awake."

Jeevika found it pretty damn amazing that a man had actually stood beside her, holding an emesis basin while she heaved, without being completely grossed out. "Is Virat all right?"

"Fine." He barked a short, humorless laugh. "Except for the fact that he had to be in the same room with Manvi. Virat looked uncomfortable as hell and Manvi looked like she wanted to kill Virat, slowly and painfully."

"I wish I knew what happened between them," she breathed wistfully, wincing as the squeezing sensation in her head increased in intensity, beginning to feel as if she had a huge boa constrictor wrapped around her head.

Viren frowned. "You want some pain medication? I can call the nurse." He reached for the call button.

"No. Wait." She took a deep breath, knowing she had to set Viren straight. Going back to the condo with him wasn't an option. "I can't go home with you, Viren. I'll go back to Manvi's. I'll be fine. They caught one guy and the other one is probably running scared. I doubt his main concern is to come after me."

His body tensed, the pressure on her hand increasing as his fingers clenched and released, shooting her a dangerous glance. "The matter isn't up for debate. You. Are. Coming. With. Me." he answered with a growl.

She released a frustrated breath. "You aren't my keeper. I don't need one. I've been alone for a long time." And lonely, missing Viren, although she hadn't known who she was missing at the time.

The pain was horrific when I was away from him. I can't go through another goodbye later. Spending any more time with him is dangerous. It will just hurt twice as much to part from him after spending more time with him, making more memories to torture myself with when I'm alone again.

"Yeah...well...get used to having company, sweetheart," he snorted, his eyes gleaming with possession, his expression raw and feral. "As long as you're in danger, I won't be very far away. And you won't be without protection."

She shuddered, trying to pull her hand from his fierce grip. He wasn't hurting her and his grasp wasn't tight enough to make her uncomfortable. It was actually just the opposite. Viren made her feel safe, and that terrified her. There was no possible way she could let herself get used to being treated like she was actually a woman he cherished. "You can't tell me what to do. We've only known each other for a handful of weeks. Why are you concerning yourself about my safety?" Her voice was rough, emotional and probably slightly panicky. She needed to distance herself, but it was difficult. Needy and raw after her experience the night before, she wanted nothing more than to throw herself into Viren's arms and let him hold her there, safe in his warm masculine embrace until she recovered her equilibrium.

"Your safety has been my concern for over a year!" he blasted back at her, his voice low and husky. "And there hasn't been a day that has passed in all that time when I haven't been completely obsessed with whether or not you were safe."

"But we just met a few weeks ago..." Her voice was barely audible, confused.

He blew out an uneven breath, his face ravaged with uncertainty as he looked away, staring blankly at the sterile, white wall in front of him. "Mom talked about you all the time. She pointed you out to me over a year ago while you were serving in the restaurant." He sighed, as though resigned to completing his explanation. "I can't really explain it because I don't understand it myself, but from that moment on, I felt compelled to look out for you. I even followed you home every night just to make sure you got to your apartment safely."

Stunned, she asked in a hesitant voice, "Like I was your friend because I was a friend of your mother's?"

He turned his head and gave her heated, masculine look. "No. Like a goddamn obsession that I couldn't control. Like you're mine to protect." He hit her with his stare, the heat rolling from him in waves.

Should it bother her that Viren had been watching her, following her like a pseudo stalker? Maybe it should, but it didn't. Instead, she felt eerily calm, her heart melting inside her chest as she watched his tortured expression. He had stayed in the background, silently watching over her like a dark guardian angel, never expecting anything in return. Thinking back on her conversation with Vansikha at the restaurant, she was relieved to see that Viren's protective, rescuer instincts were still intact. "Why me? There must be tons of women who could use your protection."

Viren shrugged, but the intense look on his face was far from nonchalant. "I have no idea. You're the only woman who's ever made me feel this way." He choked out the last few words, obliviously damn unhappy about his lack of control, his inability to control his actions.

She shook her head gently, still trying to come to terms with the fact that Viren had been trying to protect her for the last year. Really, what sort of guy did something like that? What gorgeous billionaire took the time to check on the safety of a nobody, a woman who kept a low profile, a woman who should have been far beneath his notice. She didn't think herself beneath anyone simply because she was poor...but reality was reality. Men of Viren's status simply didn't notice women like her. They were too busy building more wealth, being king of their empires. "Looking out for me because I was your mother's friend was very kind of you. But you can't protect me forever."

He got up from his chair slowly and seated himself gently on the bed, facing her. "You don't get it, do you? I'm not the least bit kind." His words belied his actions as he carefully tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, his index finger trailing lightly over her temple and stroking over her cheek, as light as a feather. "My behavior wasn't magnanimous or unselfish. I wanted you. I think that's a pretty damn self-serving motivation." His tone was dry, self-mocking.

She bit back a smile, wondering why he always had such an aversion to someone calling him kind. "If that was your motive, then why didn't you? You could have made your presence known, asked your mom to introduce us. I think it's pretty obvious that I'm attracted to you." More than attracted.

He jerked his hand away from her face, averting his eyes. "I forgot about your pain medication. I'm sure you're hurting." He slapped the call button for the nurse.

A response came immediately from the small speaker attached to the call button. "Can I help you?" The voice sounded young and female.

"Ms. Chaudhary needs some pain medication." Viren's answer was abrupt: he came to his feet as he spat out the order.

"Someone will be right there." The faceless voice answered as the call light went from red to black.

Jeevika's head was still spinning from his brusque dismissal...or was it avoidance?...of her question. She tipped her head back to look at his face. He was scowling down at her, his face implacable.

Crossing her arms in front of her, she met his ferocious look with a small smile. "That tactic won't work on me anymore," she told him quietly.

"What tactic?" he rumbled, his arms crossing just like hers, challenging her, his expression unreadable.

"The one where I'm supposed to feel like I'm Little Red Riding Hood and you're the big, bad wolf." She lifted an eyebrow, refusing to look away from his disgruntled face. Viren Vadhera could scowl, growl and snarl all he wanted to, but she had his number. Somewhere beneath his gruff, bossy exterior, there was a layer of compassion and benevolence that he would probably never show to the world. But she saw it, she recognized it. If he had really just wanted to screw her, he could have come forward, met her in person. It would have saved him valuable time.

He leaned down slowly, so slowly that her breath seized, as those molten dark eyes glinted with tiny flames and focused intently on her, making her want to squirm. Her body quivered, the waves of intense masculinity that were pulsating around her making her body react. His mouth lowered to her ear, the heat of his breath heavy against her neck and the side of her face. "Don't be so sure that I'm not the big, bad wolf, little girl. I'd gobble you up in a heartbeat." His low, menacing voice sent a shiver down her spine, but not from fear. Longing slammed into her body with hurricane force.

Her pent-up breath escaped in a tremulous sigh as the nurse entered the room, forcing Viren to straighten up and move away from the bed. The efficient, middle-aged woman gave Jeevika her medication and took her vital signs. After doing a quick assessment, the woman left, only after asking if there was anything else Jeevika needed and getting a negative reply.

"I'm surprised that I don't have a roommate," she muttered quietly after her nurse had departed. "This hospital is usually pretty busy." She had done clinicals at the facility and at this time of year, the rooms were generally filled as soon as they vacated.

Viren flipped his chair around and sat in it backwards, his forearms resting casually along the wooden back. For the first time since she'd opened her eyes, he grinned.

"There are some benefits of being a billionaire who just happens to be a generous donor to medical charities." The chair was close to the bed, his teasing eyes close enough to be visible in the muted light.

"So you asked for a private room because you donate?" Her lips twitched, but she tried to make her voice admonishing.

He shrugged. "Not me. Virat took care of it while I was taking a shower. And I doubt he asked."

She rolled her eyes, positive that Virat Vadhera rarely asked for anything. He demanded, expecting people to do as he commanded. However, just like Viren, Virat hid a tender heart under layers of ice.

Her eyes grew heavy as the powerful medication started to kick in. Yawning, she felt Viren's hand clasp hers, his thumb running loosely up and down her palm. "Pain medication. I'm not used to it," she murmured, suddenly feeling exhausted.

"Sleep. I'll be here," he replied in a husky, concerned voice.

"You should go home and sleep. You've been here all night. I'm fine."

"I'm not leaving until you can come home with me," he answered, his tone adamant and inflexible.

"Not coming home with you," she grumbled as her eyelids fluttered.

"We'll see. Just sleep." His tone was soothing, pacifying.

And she wasn't fooled for one single second. He'd try to bulldoze over her later.

Not having the strength or the desire to fight with him at that moment, she slept.

------------

Later that morning, Viren tapped every resource he had to convince her that going home with him was the best option.

She received visits from Manvi, Vanshika, Virat, her attending physician and Detective Harris, each person stressing the importance of her being in a safe environment and naming Viren's condo as the most secure place for her to stay. Manvi gave her the advice grudgingly, obviously not very keen on the idea, but trying to consider the best option for Jeevika's safety.

Wonder how much he had to bully Detective Harris and her attending physician to get them to agree that his home was the safest?!

Privately, Viren told her if she didn't intend to go with him, he'd throw her over his shoulder and drag her back to his condo, kicking and screaming if necessary.

It wasn't his threat or the fact that she really had nowhere else to go that convinced her to get into the Mercedes and let James drive them home to the condo. In the end...it was the exhausted, wild, frantic look in his eyes while he made the demand that swayed her.

Honestly, he looked like he hadn't slept in days, his five o'clock shadow dark, his handsome face marked heavily with stress and weariness.

He's scared. Worried about me.

Her chest aching with tenderness, unable to let him go on freaking out about her, she caved in and let him take her home.

She'd worry about her additional pain later, when it came time to leave again. For now, she wanted Viren to relax, sleep and eat.

Screw her fears of hurting later. The look of despair on Viren's face hurt more than any pain she would suffer in the future.

I'll just have to suck it up!

Really, what other option did she have? She could watch Viren suffer, or she could worry about the pain later.

She chose the second option, the relieved look on his face worth every bit of hurt she would suffer in the future.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Scroll Down For Next Chapter

A few nights later found Viren tossing and turning in his massive bed, unable to sleep. Rolling onto his back, frustrated and pissed-off, he stared up at the ceiling, his eyes wide open when they should be closed, catching up on lost sleep. Shit! He hadn't slept more than a few hours every night since the evening that Jeevika had left him. Now that she was back, he was still restless.

I love you.

Her whispered confession in the Emergency Room haunted him every minute of every day. Had she meant it? Had she even been talking to him? She had been confused, disoriented, barely aware of her surroundings. There was no evidence that she even remembered speaking those words, so how did he know who she meant them for? Maybe it was just mindless babble, brought on by her injuries. He didn't even know if he wanted those words to be intended for him.

Oh, hell yeah, I do.

His lips turned up in a small smile as he remembered her outrage over the fact that he had contacted the college, explaining the situation and getting her absence for the rest of the week approved. He had thought he was being helpful, smoothing things over so she had time to recover. His crazy woman had actually thought she was going to return to classes the day after she was discharged from the hospital, and she had raked him over the coals for interfering in her life.Jeevika had no problem challenging him, and her intelligent mind was provocative. Maybe...just maybe...part of him enjoyed it. Had a woman ever opposed him, questioned him, called him out for a behavior she didn't like? The women in his life used him, let him use their bodies. None of them had ever cared enough to get in his face about anything.

She's getting to me. Bad.

He could feel his internal walls beginning to crumble and it wasn't a comfortable sensation.

Pay and Move !

It was the way he had interacted with women his entire adult life, but Jeevika was changing all that, tempting him to trust her. And he was tempted. It might be excruciatingly painful when her eyes bored into him as though she were peering into his soul, but knowing that she cared enough to do it? That was intoxicating, bewitching.

She didn't care about his scars, his money or elevated social status.

And she thinks I'm hot enough to melt glaciers in Antarctica.

Virat had told him about his conversation with Jeevika, how she had declared Viren the hottest Vadhera. He and his brother had never been competitive. They had always been too busy working together to survive and then to thrive. Although they liked to verbally spar, Viren loved his brother. Fiercely. Yeah, Virat was crazy when it came to women, but he could hardly chastise his brother for that when he was just as bad. Probably worse. However, he had gotten perverse satisfaction from knowing that Jeevika had verbally slapped Virat down during her conversation with him at the fast food place before the attack.

I love you.

Gritting his teeth, he rolled to his side, punching his pillow and trying to get comfortable. He had to forget, get a grip on his emotions, stop wishing for more than her presence. He had the comfort of knowing she was safe. Wasn't that enough? At least he wasn't going insane from not knowing where she was, if she was okay.

A piercing, terrified female howl made Viren shoot straight up in bed, his muscles clenched, his heart racing.

Jeevika!

Panic held him in its grip for a few seconds as the screams grew louder, more intense.

His feet hit the floor, protective instinct making adrenaline pump through his body as he raced down the dark hallway to her room. Flipping on the light without even breaking his stride, he halted abruptly at the side of her bed.

Her arms were wrapped protectively around herself, tears flowing like a river down her sweet face. Hair tangled, head down, she was whimpering and gasping for breath.

"Sweetheart, what happened?" He sat next to her on the bed. Her sheets were snarled and twisted, as though she had been fighting World War III on her mattress.

"Dream," she whispered, as though still trying to convince herself. "Just a dream."

She was shivering violently. He scooped her up and placed her in his lap, pulling her unresisting body into his, trying to warm her in his embrace. Heart racing, he enfolded her, pulling her head into his neck.

"What were you dreaming about?" He stroked her silky hair, letting it slide over his fingertips, as he took a deep breath, trying to calm his hammering heart.

"The attack. It was so real," she murmured, shuddering against him.

"It's over. You're safe. You'll always be safe." Right here. With me.

Sliding her off his lap, he went to stand, only to have her arms tighten around his neck, holding on for dear life.

"No! Please! Don't go yet." Her vulnerable cry stabbed him straight in the gut.

She needs me.

And he was going to be there for her, insecurities be damned. "It's okay. I'm not leaving you alone." I'm never leaving you alone.

He didn't bother trying to pry her fingers apart. Shifting his body, he lifted her into his arms and came to his feet.He suppressed a groan as he adjusted her weight against him; the lace abrading his chest as the silk caressed his skin. He strode out of the room, making his way down the hallway and into his bedroom, with the most precious thing in the world to him held safely in his arms.

----------------

Viren lowered her into his massive bed, coming down with her because she still hadn't loosened her death grip around his neck. Her panic abated slowly and Jeevika relaxed her arms, allowing him to pull the covers and a quilt on top them before he slid in behind her, spooning her body against his, and wrapping his warm, muscular arms around her body protectively. Jeevika sighed, sinking into his warmth, as she relaxed her head back to rest against his shoulder, relishing the security of his huge, masculine body.

"Okay?" he questioned softly, his breath ruffling her hair.

"Yeah. I'm sorry I woke you. I'll go back to my own bed in a minute." She didn't want to go back. She wanted to stay right where she was, warm and safe in his arms. But she respected the fact that he liked his space when he slept.

"You're not going anywhere," he rumbled against hair.

"But you won't sleep," she protested, feeling suddenly selfish for wishing she could stay.

"I won't get a minute of sleep unless you're here. I haven't slept for two weeks." His arms tightened around her waist.

"You want to tell me about the nightmare?"

Actually, what she wanted was to forget. But she turned around in the circle of his arms, needing desperately to wrap herself around his warm masculine body. She wasn't a tiny, delicate female, but as she buried her face against his bulky, solid chest, she felt like one. "It was just a dream about what happened. Only in the dream, they got me into the car. They were going to rape me before they shot me in the head. I fought, but they were ripping at my clothes. They were so much stronger. All I could think about was that I wanted to die before they could violate me, but the one that got away was on top me, the other holding the gun to my head." She was shaking her head, trying not to get emotional. It was only a dream. It hadn't really happened. "But it was so real. I could smell their body odor, see those evil eyes. I woke up just as they..." her voice trailed off in a shaken whisper.

Viren rocked her, running a hand over her back as though he were comforting a small child. "Shhh...it's okay, sweetheart. You're safe. They can't get to you anymore."

Her body quaking from the nightmare, all she wanted was to wipe away the bad memories, to bury herself in sensation, to indulge herself in the incredible body of the man who was comforting her. The one man who could make her forget the last few days, wipe it away with his sensual touch. "Make love to me. Make me forget," she whispered, her voice seductive and tremulous.

She felt his body tense as she pushed him gently, rolling him on his back. Her hands roamed over his chest, savoring the hard, sinewy muscles and taut, hot skin. Unhurried, she traced each muscle from his shoulders to his abdomen.

"Shit! We can't do this!" Viren groaned, catching her wandering hands in his strong grip. "There's no better feeling than having your hands all over me, but you just got out of the hospital."

"Several days ago. And I'm not hurt. I feel fine. I have a little cut on my forehead. There's only one place where I really ache, saying so she kissed him.

One minute she was on top of him, her lips covering his, ready to lose herself in the power of his touch, and the next moment...she was flat on her back. He had flipped her, tearing his mouth from hers.

"No. I can't. His voice was tortured, his torso imprisoning her, his hands gripping each one of her wrists at the side of her head.

His breathing was labored, ragged. She could hear harsh sounds coming from his throat as he attempted to get air in and out of his lungs.

Shaking her head, starting to emerge from her erotic fog, she looked up at the massive figure looming over, a man in obvious torment.

Shit. What did I do? Did I push too hard?

The moon provided some muted light in room, but it still wasn't enough illumination to see his eyes...but then, she didn't have to. The sound of his voice, his breathing, his trembling body, his tight hold on her wrists told her that she had sent him plummeting into his own personal nightmare.

"Viren. It's me. Jeevika." She pulled on her wrists, but she couldn't free them. "Talk to me."

"I know who you are. I just can't do it." Chest heaving, he stayed locked in place.

"Kiss me."

Trapped under his body, under his dominance, she still wasn't sure that she could assuage his fear. He wasn't hurting her, but she wanted to bring him back to the here and now. Somehow, she had inadvertently hurt him, sent him into a panic.

Her heart was racing and it seemed like forever until he finally lowered his head slowly, fitting his mouth over hers. He kissed her like a man who had come unglued. His tongue speared into her mouth, conquering, lashing, over and over.

His wild, dominant embrace released a primal instinct inside of her, as if her body was automatically responding to her mate. She moved her tongue against his, surrendering herself to him, letting him be her master.

"Jeevika." He breathed her name as he released her mouth, burying his head in the side of her neck.

"Yes. Just you and me, Viren. Just us."

"Need you." The statement was muffled, his rumbling voice vibrating against her neck.

"Do it. Just like this." Something about her being on top, being in control had flipped his detonation switch. But his lust was still there. She could feel it.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. It felt so good, but I just couldn't --"

"No. Don't. It doesn't matter. I just want you."

Her heart stuttered as she pulled her wrists out of his now only slightly resisting hands and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "I just want to hold you. You have control."

"Around you, I doubt I'll ever really have any control," he muttered quietly, his voice filled with reluctant resignation.

"Make love to me, Viren." Her voice was pleading, but she didn't care. His momentary fear and vulnerability had crushed any self-preservation instincts left in her body. She needed to help set him free, to obliterate whatever was in his past that held him prisoner. He was too good a man, too kind a person to remain trapped, unable to move forward.

Not to mention the fact that I love him and want him so desperately that it's painful.

It was past time to stop being in denial, thinking that she could keep Viren at an emotional distance. She'd been a coward, so afraid of destroying herself that she had selfishly tried to deny the totally amazing connection that she had with him. And it was a two-way connection. She wasn't the only one struggling with it, uncertain how to deal with it. For Christ's sake...he had followed her around, protected her, for over a year. He had literally plucked her off the streets, giving her everything a woman could ever dream about, and not just materially. He comforted her, stayed by her side when she was sick. He listened to her as though her concerns, her thoughts, her dreams, were important to him. Obviously, he felt something! The question was, could it be the same fascinating, beguiling, impossible-to-resist coupling that she felt for him? In her case, that incredibly mystical chemistry had turned into a gut-wrenching love, evolving so fast that it had had taken her breath away...along with her common sense.

"Mine. You're mine. Say it." The demand exploded from him as though he couldn't help himself.

Dominant Viren had returned with a vengeance, and Jeevika shuddered. He did love control, and that had nothing to do with his past. That was simply, utterly, completely...Viren.

"Say it." His tone grew more demanding, more possessive.

Oh God, how she relished his dominance, his strength. "I'm yours. I need you."

I love you.

Her eyes moist, she tightened her arms around him, never wanting to let go. Emotion welled up inside her, ruthlessly fighting to be freed. She choked it back with an audible gasp, grappling with the overwhelming need to say those words aloud.

"You okay?" he questioned breathlessly and with gruff concern.

He rolled to one side and she mourned the loss as she loosened her hold on him, reluctantly allowing him to rest beside her. "I'm fine." He had obviously thought he was crushing her. Like she was a delicate flower? She was taller than some men in her bare feet. Viren was the only one who could make her actually feel petite.

She sighed as he hoisted her easily into his arms, pulling her against his side as he tucked the covers over their entangled bodies. She burrowed into him, her head on his shoulder and one arm flung over his mammoth chest. His muscular arm pulled her closer with a firm grasp around her waist.

"We made love," he grumbled, his voice weary.

Smiling slightly at his disgruntled announcement, she simply answered, "Yes."

Making love wasn't about the mechanics, it was all about emotion, although she had to admit that he was pretty damn incredible with the mechanical portion of the act. It didn't matter how they touched; it was the emotion and the intensity of the experience that got her. The truth was, that tonight had been no different than anything that had happened between them before. It had been just as explosive, just as emotional, and just as earth-shattering. The man rocked her entire world every single time. And it was never indifferent or detached. It had been wild, passionate, intense love-making every single time. At least, for her it had been.

I wish he could trust me.

The deep, steady cadence of his breathing told her that he slept.

Small steps.

Viren didn't sleep with anyone, didn't allow himself to be in the same bed with another person when he was vulnerable. The fact that he was sleeping with her plastered against him was bigger than a step; it was more like a huge stride.

Moving a little to get comfortable, her heart flipped over when he grumbled an incoherent protest and yanked her back against him.

Yep. They would need to have a talk about his trust issues tomorrow. She needed to know something about what happened to him, why he had reacted the way he had earlier. It wasn't possible to combat a ghost she couldn't see, couldn't understand.

Never again did she want to see Viren in the grip of panic, lost in an unknown fear. His vulnerability had nearly ripped her heart out.

A fierce protective instinct flowed over her as her eyes fluttered closed, completely spent and exhausted.

He'll dodge and be evasive. He won't want to talk about it.

If he wasn't ready...well...she'd wait until he trusted her enough to discuss it.

Satisfied that things would work out fine, she yawned against Viren's shoulder until her breathing matched his, deep and even, and fell into a dreamless, contented sleep.

!! FEEDBACK WELCOME !!

unresss ❤️

wowww!!

two fab back to back updates... and you have left me shabd-less 🤣

okay so first with chapter 15!!!

seeing Viren and Jeevika in the hospital together made my feel goosebumps!

Like the way he cares for her, loves her, and wants to protect her... its just something so special.

Though this Viren is much different than the Viren from the show... that quality of a protector sustains 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏

The way he convinces her to come back to his place to the way he just waits and cares for her by her side... its just so romantic and always leaves us readers wanting to read more romantic things like that!

I definitely can't stop reading chapter 15... just filled with sooo much love!!

and now chapter 16!!! the more steamy update 😆

it was hot, and well super surprising seeing how Jeevika wants him as bad if not more than Viren...

and the fact that he heard her say those three magical words annnddd that he allows her to sleep with him because of how much pain she is in after her nightmare... it was simply remarkable!

I'm honestly at a loss of words for how beautiful you portrayed the last two chapter!

you're amazing twine ❤️