Page 123 of One Hellish Desire

“How dare you?” Meera aunty snaps.

“Hold your dares,” I retort. “I haven’t finished yet.” She is tongue-tied, and I relish her reaction. “Vikram and I believed in emotional understanding first, though our physical compatibility is off the charts. Now I realize how much I mean to him, and we’ve sorted out our differences. You won’t be able to give Sabrina any juicy updates anymore.”

I turn to Sabrina next. “And you, stop dreaming about my husband before he decides to sever ties with you for good.”

“Maahi?” Vikram's stern voice cuts through, but I'm not afraid to face him. I do feel a bit dizzy, though, and my vision blurs.

“What is happening here?” He grabs my elbow, turning me around.

“Nothing important,” I smile. “I just wanted to say hello to your mom and your best friend.”

He glances at them and understands it's more than a simple hello.

“Take me home, sweetheart,” I say, wrapping my arms around his and leaning on him. Something is definitely wrong with that mocktail.

“What did you drink?” He asks, worried.

“Kiss me,” I blurt out.

Oh, God! What am I saying? I want to shut my mouth, but I can’t.

“Okay, that's it. Let's get you home,” he says, holding me securely and leading me to the exit. I feel weightless and numb. When Vikram realizes this, he bends down and carries me in his arms, making me giggle.

“You love carrying me in your arms, don’t you?” I nuzzle my nose against the crook of his neck.

“Stop doing that, Cub,” Vikram groans, clearly restless, and I enjoy knowing I have this effect on him—on my Prince Pompous.

VIKRAM

Maahi is singing. Yes, she's been singing Bollywood songs ever since we left the venue. She definitely drank something she shouldn’t have, but what prompted it? When Maahi went to the washroom, I was waiting and got engrossed in a business call. It was only after a few minutes that I noticed she was already out and talking to Sabrina and Mom. I couldn’t hear their conversation, but from their faces, I could tell Maahi had given them a tough verbal fight. I don’t know what spurred Maahi to take this step, but I’ll talk to her when she’s sober tomorrow.

“Teri meri... meri teri... prem kahani hai mushkil...” Maahi continues singing the famous song of the movie – Bodyguard.

We're still in the private elevator of my penthouse, Maahi in my arms, swaying her legs as if she’s dancing. She’s also kissing my neck and ear, teasing me to the brink of needing a cold shower tonight. “Doh labzon mein yeh... bayaan na ho paaye,” she finishes the lyrics.

As the elevator stops, I stride to our bedroom and place her on the bed. She giggles when I stumble, balancing me by gripping my shirt. Maahi goes silent.

“You should sleep,” I say, pushing away her hair strands. She palms my cheeks, her fingers stroking my lips so vigorously that it’s clear she wants to explore further. As much as I’m desperate too, I can’t take advantage of her when she’s drunk. It takes all my self-control to resist.

I bend down to unstrap her red sandals, but since she’s watching me intently, I quickly tickle her feet, making her giggle and fall back on the bed, laughing. It’s good to see her enjoying my company. I take off her shoes and carefully remove her earrings. She keeps moving her head, making it difficult.

“Cub, don’t,” I warn. She giggles again and suddenly goes silent.

“They don’t want us together,” she murmurs.

I stiffen. There’s so much pain in her voice. Sitting next to her, I take off her other earring.

“Who doesn’t want us together?” I ask.

“Your mom and Sabrina.”

I’m about to argue, but she covers my mouth with her palm.

“I know you love your mom. You should—every son should,” she swallows. “But she’s trying to fix you with Sabrina.”

I hold her wrist and kiss her palm, taking it away from my lips. “She can’t just fix me with another woman. I know how to draw boundaries, Maahi. You need to trust me.”

The smile she gives me is filled with sarcasm. “It’s hard to trust in a long-distance relationship,” she adds nervously.

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