Page 97 of One Hellish Passion

“Not like that. You both should feed each other,” he insisted with a playful grin.

Maya shifted uncomfortably, but Ranveer showed no hesitation. His intense gaze locked onto Maya's uneasy face as he gently fed her a spoonful. Maya swallowed nervously before repeating the intimate gesture.

Across the room, Kunal and Dev Malik watched the interaction closely, their eyes burning with undisguised curiosity. Oblivious, Dhruv snatched back the bowl of prasad.

“The rest is mine,” he declared, scampering away.

Maya started to turn away, but Ranveer's strong hand grasped her elbow, rooting her in place. She met his smoldering gaze.

“We're being watched,” he murmured, his warm breath teasing her ear. “I see no reason why you can't smile.”

Maya suppressed a frustrated sigh, remembering their deal. She forced her lips into a rigid smile.

“Wish you had hired a better actress for your deal,” she muttered bitterly, trying unsuccessfully to pull away. But Ranveer held her fast.

“I wouldn't invite another woman into my home if she wasn't you,” he replied, his husky voice dripping with meaning.

Her stomach flipped at his intensity. Maya shivered, heat pooling in her core. But their charged moment was interrupted by Garima's distant call.

“Lunch is ready.”

Ranveer released Maya's wrist. She inhaled shakily and walked away on unsteady legs, his words echoing in her mind.

*********************

Around the dining table, Garima, Dev Malik and Dhruv kept the lunchtime conversation flowing. Maya sat silent and withdrawn, while Ranveer's intense gaze remained fixed on her. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, wondering how she was supposed to stay in this house with him always watching her so closely.

Having quickly finished eating, Kunal slipped outside to the pool area to make some calls.

“Maya, you never speak of your father,” Dev Malik remarked.

Maya forced a polite smile. “I don't really consider myself to have one,” she replied bluntly, much to Garima's dismay.

“Maya's father was never around,” Garima explained, smoothing over the awkward moment. “That's why she feels that way about him.”

“I see,” Dev muttered.

After finishing her meal, Maya escaped to her bedroom under the pretense of needing to send an email. As she typed, a knock at the door made her jump.

“May I come in?” It was Kunal.

Maya stiffened. She had no desire to speak with him privately. “I was just on my way out,” she responded, standing quickly.

But Kunal stepped inside anyway, glancing around. “I thought you and Ranveer shared his room,” he remarked.

Maya swallowed nervously. She had to keep up the act that she was only with Ranveer for money. “My mother is here. I can't behave improperly in front of her,” she lied.

Kunal chuckled. “I wonder how Ranveer allows you to stay away? I hope he is not suspecting you're working with us.”

“No. If he did, I wouldn't be here,” Maya insisted. “He wouldn't have hosted this puja either. He is clueless of our truce.”

“Good,” Kunal murmured, moving closer. Maya shrank back, wishing for an interruption desperately.

“Seeing you with my him stirs something in me, Maya,” Kunal confessed in a low voice.

Maya stiffened in surprise. Kunal had shown interest before, but she had rejected him for deceiving her.

“Kunal, I-” she began, but he cut her off.

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