Page 90 of One Hellish Desire

VIKRAM

I have promised to keep Maahi safe, and I will, even if it means fighting the world or my own parents. Dad is consumed by his business expansion plans using Devki Estate. His hunger for power and money is growing with each passing year. But I'll convince him someday that he must protect our family while chasing his ambitions. Mom has high expectations for me, as I’m her only son. She loves me fiercely, but she needs to understand that Maahi is not a toy to be discarded. I might not have taken relationships seriously before, but that doesn’t mean I don’t value them. Marrying Maahi was a decision from my heart, but keeping her happy will require the coordination of both my mind and heart. I'll do whatever it takes to make her feel valued in our family.

Back inside the party, the energy is electric. Everyone wants to meet my wife, and I’m proud to show her off. I imagine how it will be when Maahi visits my home in the USA. My social circle there is already shocked by my marriage news. I had my assistant, Ajay, share the news with everyone, sending flowers, sweets, and cards. Calls and messages have been pouring in, and everyone expects me to bring Maahi there along with me. I wonder how I'll handle her absence.

The manager of Leela Mahal approaches with a small box. I know what’s inside. I turn Maahi around, who looks overwhelmed right now. I can tell she’s tired and wants to go home, cuddle, and sleep. I feel the same. Taking out the platinum band from the box, with ‘VIP’ embossed in real diamonds, I pull her arm and hook it on her wrist.

“What... what is this?” she gasps as the cool band touches her skin.

“That’s your access band to Leela Mahal. You don’t need anyone’s permission to enter this place anymore.”

She stares at her wrist, awestruck.

“Do you give this to all VIP members of this club?”

The manager answers for me. “No, Ma’am. The rest of the VIP members have a gold band. It has different access levels. The platinum band is the highest, with all levels of access. You can visit any floor, order drinks, and even make commanding decisions in Vikram’s absence.”

I nod, smirking at my wife, who looks stunned by this information.

“And now,” the manager continues with a smile, “can I request a couple's dance? We’ve all been waiting for this moment.”

I’ve been waiting too. I can’t wait to take Maahi in my arms and dance with her, though I know kissing her will require her special permission. She doesn’t like surprise intense kisses, but someday she will. And I will shower her with infinite ones. Maahi takes my hand, and I lead her to the dance floor. As we begin to dance, the other couples follow. The music is romantic, and the semi-darkness of the room makes me want to kiss her senselessly. But I hold back. My hands curl around her waist, the red shimmering dress creating enough friction between us as we dance closer.

“Commanding decisions?” Maahi asks. “Can I just sell this place in your absence?”

I laugh, surprised she’d ask that.

“I’m serious.”

I stifle my laughter and nod. “Yes, you can sell this place in my absence, and I wouldn’t mind.”

“You wouldn’t mind?” She’s surprised again. “You love this place, don’t you?”

“I love you more.”

I don’t know where those words came from, but they shock both of us. Love. I don’t think I’m capable of loving someone like they do in the movies, sacrificing everything for love. Maahi looks mesmerized by my words, as I bring her close.

“You can sell me off too, but I will still keep coming back to you. Mrs. Grover. Again and again. You can never be free of me or my desires.”

My words make her lips quiver.

“I know,” she mumbles.

“And right now, I desire to kiss my bride with her permission,” I whisper, close to her ear. “May I?”

Her body stiffens at my request, and as if I’ve cast a spell, she closes her eyes, parting her glossy lips, inviting me to fulfill my desire. I don’t pounce on her; I need to be sure she’s into the moment. When she fists my shirt over my chest, keeping her eyes shut, urging me to kiss her, I smile wickedly and place my lips on hers.

MAAHI

Love is a scary subject for me now, though it once was my favorite. Ever since I married Vikram, I've known he is the only man I will have to love someday, and that feels costly—not in terms of money, but in feelings. I have no clue what he truly feels for me, except that he desires me with all his heart, mind, and body. Someday, I will decipher him and all the baggage he carries, and only then will I let him have me his way, however bad, worse, or pleasurable he wants. Until then, I plan not to let him weaken me. But tonight is an exception.

No man has ever told me that he loves me more than anything else in his life. Hearing Vikram say it means the world to me, and my heart and mind begin to argue. When he asked for permission to kiss me, I couldn’t say no. I am sometimes vulnerable to his touch, to his words, and to the way his fingers make my body feel. I just lose it all—all my senses to think right and do right. I might never have said this to him, but his kisses drug me for hours. If there were a device to measure the intensity, the meter would break in two. He is everything a woman desires her man to be, at least physically. Mentally, he is as hard as a coconut shell—breakable, but only with great effort.

When his lips graze mine, I grab his shirt for support, as if he is my only lifeline. A part of me still thinks he won't use Devki Estate for selfish motives. He’s just trying to show me who has the upper hand here after I refused to travel with him to the USA. I hook an arm around his nape, letting him kiss me as if he owns me. The possessiveness of his lips on mine is exactly what I need to forget the rest of the world, at least for now. People might think I am selfish, using him to secure Devki Estate and fulfill Daadi’s dreams. Despite this, I have forbidden him any rights over me. This might be true in some aspects, but not all. I value marriage and the rights that come with it, but fully giving them to this man scares me.

My knees weaken, inhaling the rising lust between us. His provocative scent alone is intoxicating. Devouring my lips, he kisses my neckline and exposed shoulder blade as if I am the most delicious thing he has ever tasted and is helplessly addicted. The feeling is mutual. But this has to stop. Now. As if reading my thudding heartbeats, he pulls away and cups my face again.

“Come with me to US, Maahi.”

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