Page 103 of One Hellish Desire

She pulls the white sheet off our bed and wraps it around herself, covering every inch of her skin, then strides to the phone. Her hair is still damp, her neck and upper chest flushed from the shower. I’m glad the phone screen shows only my upper body because I don’t want her to know how aroused I’m at the moment. For her.

“Don’t hang up,” I command as she fumbles with the keypad.

Frowning, she meets my gaze. “I’m getting dressed, Vikram.”

“Who’s stopping you? Go ahead.” I lean back, enjoying the show she might put on for me. I know she won’t, but I like to tease her. Maahi pulls the sheet higher, her fingers trembling. So, I divert the subject.

“Did you get my bouquet?” I ask.

“Yes. Thank you. That was very considerate of you to send me despite…”

“Despite you never sharing your success with me.” I complete that sentence. Embarrassment colors her face. “I know our motives behind this marriage were clear. You wanted Devki Estate, and I wanted you. You’re not obliged to share your success, but I have every right to be proud of you, Cub.”

“Don’t say like that,” she urges.

“You mean I shouldn’t speak the truth?” I mock. She opens her mouth to argue but then shuts it quickly.

“Anyway, now that you know what’s happening at Devki Estate, if you’re interested, you can oversee the construction of the old age home there, if you have the time…”

“That’s fine by me,” she says, looking excited again. “I can definitely make time for this project.”

Something pricks me again. She’s willing to try everything for that land, not for the man offering her this liberty?

“But this has to wait until Daadi and I return from the trip,” Maahi adds. “Did she tell you?”

“She told me,” I emphasize. “Sometimes I think I’ve married Daadi, not you.”

Maahi rolls her eyes. “You have a lot many complaints about me. Hope you’re not changing your mind about working on this marriage, Prince Pompous.”

“I won’t. Are you?”

She bites her lip, nervous. Droplets of water from her hair roll down her neck. My fingers touch the screen, trying to wipe them off. As if feeling me doing that to her and not the phone screen, she shuts her eyes with a gasp.

“Wipe yourself dry and get dressed. I don’t want you falling sick during your vacation.”

She’s surprised by my concern.

“Send me your location details once you reach. Look after yourself and Daadi. Enjoy your break, Cub.”

I’m about to hang up when she stops me. “Vikram, wait.”

“Wait?” I smirk. “You want me to wait while you dress up?” Her cheeks flush red again as she grips the sheet tighter.

“Thank you,” she murmurs. “Thank you for fulfilling Daadi’s dreams.”

“And yours,” I add, watching her absorb the fact that I did this for both of them. Without Maahi’s input, I’d never know what Daadi desired from Devki Estate. Maahi’s been integral to this project, which is why I’m letting her lead it. The old age home was her dream too, and I want her to be part of this establishment.

Daadi enters the room, seeing us talking. She blushes at Maahi’s improper dressing, but doesn’t tease us. Maahi quickly picks up her dress from the bed and strides back to the bathroom. I talk to Daadi a bit more, then disconnect the call. I can’t handle this more! I so wish I could hijack their trip and be part of it.

CHAPTER 28

MAAHI

Ever since I spoke to Vikram yesterday, my heart has been playing peek-a-boo with me. I know he was hurt that I didn’t share my success with him, but it wasn’t on purpose. It just slipped my mind. Yes, it slipped my damn mind to tell him I won a client deal. All these years, I’ve been sharing my ups and downs only with Daadi and did the same this time, totally ignorant of the fact that now I have one more person closely knit to me—my husband, Vikram Singh Grover. Regardless of our reasons for marrying, I need to keep him in the loop from now on. It was so embarrassing that he had to remind me of that.

Surprisingly, he is being more responsible in this marriage than I ever expected. I thought that after reaching New York, Vikram would be busy in his own world and back to his original life, but I was wrong. He hasn’t forgotten or ignored what he left behind in Ratna Mahal— Me and Daadi.

When I realized he was on the phone, watching me in my half-nude state, I couldn’t help but cover myself from his hungry eyes, but that didn’t change anything. During our entire conversation last night, I knew he was having trouble calming down his raging hormones.

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