Page 215 of Rudra Nandani: The Saga of Control And Seduction

As I closed my eyes, visions of her sitting atop me flashed before me; her slender neck, her long braid, her tiny waist, her soft breasts, and her beautiful brown nipples had driven me insane.

She was like a divine force, pulling me under her spell, a force of nature I could never resist. I had never thought I'd let her have so much power over me, and I'd be feeling what I was feeling for her, love-struck.

She had made me mad for her, hopelessly drawn like a bee to a flower, a moth to a flame, a river to the sea, a man to his woman.

My lips touched hers, and she moaned softly into my mouth.“Ahhh, Rudra,” she breathed.

I angled my face, deepening the kiss, savouring her. Her head leaned back against the wall, and I sucked gently on her lips, tasting her sweetness.

When she pulled back, her eyes met mine, wide, full of emotion.

Panting lightly, I brushed her wet cheek, still marked with the faint imprint of fingers. My heart clenched, and so I kissed hercheek softly, again and again, until it turned bright with a shy blush.

She gazed at me, her look tender yet timid.

Understanding passed between us without words, and she shook her head slightly, probably sensing what I wanted.

I knew she thought I might lose control again, but I wouldn’t hurt her. So, instead, I pressed a soft kiss to her forehead to ground myself.

She exhaled deeply, melting into my hold.

I carried her out of the pool, her body shivering slightly from the cold. She squeezed the water from her hair and grabbed a white cloth to wrap around herself.

“No need to dress,” I murmured, holding her hand and leading her to the bed.

The room still smelled like us, the broken bangles on the floor, the crumpled sheets, everything speaking of our sensational time.

“Let's sleep,” I said gently, and she nodded. We lay down, and she nestled herself against my chest.

I carefully moved her long, wet hair away from her face, letting her settle into me.

She was my world.

It might sound like an exaggeration, but to a man who had never known peace, she was home.

The noise around me and within me went quiet for the first time. I felt composed.

She fell asleep quickly while I stayed awake, my fingers softly combing through her hair. Our naked chests pressed together, sharing warmth.

I wasn’t sleepy; I was too consumed by her presence, too overwhelmed by all the emotions I had never allowed myself to feel before.

I was never so outrageous; instead, I was strategic and disciplined. I measured every step and every action. But anger rose in me when I remembered how that man had touched her, grabbed her hair, slapped her, and it made me mad beyond anything I had ever known.

I had faced death a thousand times without fear, but I realised I was terrified. Terrified not for myself, but for her.

I kissed her head and whispered,“You are not little, Nandani. You are the ocean that captured me like it drags everything close toit, the mountains that held me firm like I am a river, the rain that quenched the thirst of my soul, the sky that gave me hope to love again. You are the goddess who tamed the beast in me,”

My fingers continued moving through her damp hair, untangling every strand tenderly.

“On the battlefield, I was the death that feared nothing. I never knew fear, never knew pain,” I whispered.“But today, the thought of something hurting you... It terrified me. You are my strength, my fire, my light in the darkness. You are everything to me, everything,”

I smiled softly, feeling the overwhelming truth of my words.“And you know, Nandani, if you had married anyone else but me, I would have let myself die on the battlefield. I knew it from the moment I saw you,”

I breathed in her scent as my hand moved gently across her scalp.“And when I first saw you in your kingdom ... deep down, I knew.‘This girl—she’s going to be your undoing, Rudra.’And yet, losing to you has been the greatest victory of my life,”

I chuckled under my breath.“I used to think my mother was foolish for blindly loving my father.

But now... I understand her. When your world shrinks to just one person, seeing your day, your night, your hunger, your thirst, your entire existence in them feels magical. It feels euphoric. And it’s terrifying too, but it's the most beautiful thing I’ve ever known,”

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