Part 26
(Well...this is the part you've all been waiting for! š A few words of advice...keep those oxygen masks handy and the hospital beds booked! š Hope you enjoy! š³
Without further ado...here it is: )
He breathed in the sweet smell of Nikki's shampoo. A lazy smile crossed his face, and he snuggled even more into her hair, not wanting to open his eyes lest he wake up from the best dream yet. He could feel her soft skin against his cheek, feel her pressed against him andā¦feel her?
His eyes flew open and all he could see was Nikki's dark hair all over his face in the dim light that penetrated through the dark curtains of his drawing room.
He slowly raised his face a little, taking care not to wake her up. He could see her beautiful face, looking so peaceful in her sleeping state. She was wearing his white shirt, her hair strewn over the cushions of the sofa on which her head lay, a few strands still played on his face, tickling him.
It was hard to believe that she had actually stayed. She was here, with him. There she lay, sleeping calmly, unaware of his soft, caressing gaze on her. He drank in every detail of her appearance, how the smallest of smiles was gracing her face, her soft breathing, the way his shirt loosely fitted her, how he could see her ivory skin through the topmost button that she had left undoneā¦
It was sweet torture. He had never realized when they had shifted in their sleep, so that now she was half lying beneath him, her one hand tucked cutely under her head, the small fingers curled up and cushioning her face.
He lightly ran a finger on her cheek, wanting to feel her. She leant into his touch with a soft sigh, still asleep. Unable to resist, he leant in to place a soft kiss on the exposed part of her neck.
She could feel Abhi near her, closer than she had ever felt him before in a dream. She could breathe in his musky scent, feel him caress her face.
A light gasp escaped her when she felt his lips on the vein throbbing in her neck, and as her heartbeat raced at an abnormal speed, she woke up and realised it wasn't a dream.
Her eyes snapped open and she felt the heat rising up her face when she realised what was happening.
He looked up and she could feel his eyes burning into hers. The desire was etched clearly in them, and she shivered. They gazed at each other for what seemed like eons, but only moments in reality.
"Sorry...I thought you were sleeping", he whispered, his morning voice huskier than ever. It sent current coursing though her whole body and she could feel herself shivering ever so slightly, trapped under his body, his bare skin touching hers where it was exposed.
"I was, until I felt you lick-" she closed her mouth immediately, gulping nervously and looking elsewhere. But her treacherous eyes swept back to scan his beautiful face and she felt the urge to touch it.
Her hand rose of its own accord, and she ran her palm softly over his face, feeling him. He closed his eyes and leant in to her touch.
She knew what she was doing to him when she traced her finger over his lips, deliberately, feeling the softness as he opened his eyes and looked into hers. He kissed the tip of her fingers as they moved over his lips.
"Abhi..." her soft utterance of his name broke the spell, and he captured her lips in a sensuous kiss.
She knew she was treading dangerous grounds, but she just couldn't help herself from responding hungrily to him.
She could feel the heat of his bare skin through the fabric of his shirt and it was doing things to her. She bunched his soft hair in her fingers and pulled him closer, opening her mouth further and giving him more access.
He delighted at the heights he could make her reach, and when they broke apart for want of oxygen, the mere look in her eyes was enough to make him kiss her swollen lips again with bruising intensity.
He broke the kiss and started raining hot little kisses on her face, and her hands roamed his bare back exploring, as the places she touched broke out in gooseflesh.
A soft moan escaped her lips when he kissed her earlobe, and her nails dug into the skin of his back. His touch sent her entire body into delightful raptures.
He placed his lips on the vein in her throat, and lingered there for a long while, tantalising her with the intensity. She could feel his teeth on her skin and she pulled him closer, but he moved away ever so softly, taking her hand and kissing the tip of her fingers.
Then he traced a blazing trail on her skin, slowly moving lower till he kissed the length of her collarbone and moving back up to capture her lips.
He lowered the shoulder of the shirt to expose her shoulder, and placed a kiss there too.
She didn't know why she couldn't control herself, but she just couldn't. Her mind wasn't working anymore, and he drove her crazy.
She could feel his fingers playing with the buttons of her shirt, and he slowly undid them in a teasing manner, as she tugged impatiently at his jeans.
Once the shirt was undone, his hands roamed on her bare skin, exploring. His touch burned her but she loved the feel of it.
He lazily traced a path with his lips along her neck and delved deeper, placing a soft kiss right at the top of her cleavage, and lingering teasingly for a while. As his lips set that spot in flames, she softly moaned his name and suddenly he froze, the spell broken.
Her heart was still beating so fast and loud that she felt it would jump out of her chest. She lay there, watching the top of his head where he had stilled like a statue. His head rose slightly and she could see his ears turning beetroot red.
A curse softly escaped his lips as he moved, and propped himself up on one elbow since he was on the backrest side of the sofa.
"Sorry", he muttered embarrassedly, and she saw how red his face was, she could feel her own face colouring.
The blush deepened when he somehow sat up, untangling his legs from hers, and reached out to redo the buttons of her shirt he had undone a few minutes ago.
Her eyes followed his hands as they did the buttons, electricity coursing through her whenever his fingers touched her skin.
Done buttoning her up, he gestured at her to move so he could get off the sofa. Looking positively flustered, he walked away somewhere as she bit her lip, turning redder by the second as the previous moments replayed in her mind.
He came back soon, freshened up and with a new toothbrush in his hand. He held it out to her. "It's new", he informed her.
In a different situation she would have commented wryly that she could see how new the toothbrush was since it was still in its plastic case, but right then she was far too embarrassed to do anything more than take the brush and walk off towards the washroom.
*****
She splashed cold water on her face vigorously, and had the strange feeling that all the water would evaporate due to the heat of her face. She needed a few deep breaths to calm herself down, and after quite a while she was out of the bathroom.
A small smile curved on her lips when she saw her clothes from yesterday neatly ironed and folded on the sofa for her to wear. She giggled at the thought of Abhi ironing her clothes for her.
Picking up the clothes and darting a quick glance at the kitchen door before she went to change, she could see him taking something out of the refrigerator, half concealed by the wall.
*****
Changed back into her clothes, Nikki slowly walked into the kitchen and stood behind Abhi, where his back was turned towards her. A blush crept up her cheek. Why is he still without a shirt?
He suddenly turned around and she stumbled back, almost falling over but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back up. She put her hand on his chest to straighten up, but immediately withdrew it when she felt his heartbeat underneath her palm.
Retreating back instantly, she gulped and nervously straightened her already straight her, and threw it behind her shoulders.
She stiffened when he closed in on her till her back was pressed against a cupboard and she couldn't move further. The intensity she saw in his eyes made her avert them.
He reached out his hand and softly touched her neck, tracing a pattern along where he had kissed her earlier. Keeping herself steady was a herculean task under his burning touch as her heartbeat soared once more.
Gathering all the strength she possessed, she made herself look at him. His eyes were narrowed; observing something on her neck as he lazily traced it with the tip of his finger.
Her inner confusion was fighting for priority with the feelings he was arousing in her, but she fought to keep her senses.
Slowly, he took the dupatta which was draped over her one shoulder, and put it on her other shoulder, adjusting it so that her neck was covered.
She looked at him in bewilderment, and he softly replied, "Its better you cover that up." The colour on his cheeks was a giveaway that it was something to do with what had happened earlier, and she flushed profusely in response.
Guessing what it was, she crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to block out the heat of his body that was making her head fuzzy. He had showered and she loved his manly scent...and his aftershave always did something to her.
Abhi suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled it close to his eyes, observing some light bruise marks on them. They were bluish on her ivory skin, and his eyes narrowed instantly as he looked back at her, questioning.
"Ummm..." she fumbled, not knowing what to say. Armaan had had such a strong hold on her arm that it had left bruise marks, but how to explain that to Abhi, especially after he so sweetly agreed to talk to him about them?
"It's...it's nothing. I...I fell, and..." her feeble attempt at explaining went in vain when his piercing gaze turned angry.
"You think I'm an idiot? These marks are never caused by falling", he told her, his voice in careful control.
"Abhi it's nothing, I'm telling you na, its fine..."
"No it isn't", he closed in on her once more. "Who did this?" he asked her in one word.
"Abhi..."
"Nikki", growled in a warning tone, and she gulped.
"A...Armaan", she squeaked, the furious look in his eyes scaring her.
He released her arm and took a step back, brows furrowed. Something told her he wasn't expecting to hear that particular name of all the things in the world.
"Abhi...he didn't mean to hurt me, it just...it just happened, and-" she tried to explain, lightly touching his arm but he remained stiff.
"I thought he cared for you", he spoke through gritted teeth. It still hadn't sunk in.
"He does" she emphasised. "He was asking about us, and when I told him not to interfere so much, he just held me too tightly and...that's it, Abhi, he didn't mean to..."
"You sure?" he looked at her warily and she nodded her head vigorously in response.
"You can trust him that much, Abhi...please", she placed her hand on his cheek.
"I do. That's why I was so shocked", he explained in a neutral tone. But she knew he wasn't fully convinced.
"Promise me you'll not confront him about this", she grabbed his arm and turned him around when he made to go somewhere.
"Nikki..."
"Promise me Abhi."
"Okay...I promise", he sighed.
"Good", she smiled at him.
"Now can we have breakfast please? Am hungry."
"It's cold by now", she scrunched up her nose.
"I'll heat it...its toast anyway", he shrugged and tweaked her nose before heading towards the microwave.
*****
She checked herself in the mirror immediately when she reached home. Removing her dupatta, she coloured bright red when she saw the mark on her neck which Abhi had covered in the kitchen. It reminded her once more of the happenings of the morning, and she blushed deeper.
***
Abhimanyu ran his hand through his hair in frustration, glaring at himself in the mirror. This blush seemed to have settled permanently on his cheeks.
The kiss he had lovingly planted on Nikki's lips as she left this morning flashed once more in his mind. He had meant for it to be just a peck on the lips...but when it came to Nikki, he just lost control.
He remembered how swollen her rosebud lips were when they broke apart for air...the way she had been observing him from under her eyelashes...she had looked so irresistible he couldn't resist himself from backing her into the wall, lowering his head and...
He took a deep breath. This wasn't the time, Abhimanyu. Concentrate on work. Yes, work. He would see Nikki there... Ah! No, work. Just work. Yes.
Edited by Khushboo_AN - 14 years ago
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