Page 128 of Entangled Vows
“Baby, I—” he began.
She reached up and pressed two fingers against his lips.
“Don’t,” she whispered. “Don’t say anything that will ruin this moment.”
Something flickered in his eyes. Relief or maybe disappointment. But it vanished before she could understand what it meant.
“I need you,” he groaned, his hips moving again, sending ripples of water spilling over the edge.
“Then take me,” she breathed. “Whatever you need. I’m here.”
He stared at her as if she were something rare, fragile, and impossibly precious. The look in his eyes undid her. She shut her own, unable to handle the intensity as they reached their pleasure peak together. It was all too much. Too much feeling. Too much truth. Too much ofhim.
And she didn’t want to run from it anymore, nor did she want to chase it. Because what if it wasn’t forever? What if it was just another beautiful illusion waiting to break her heart?
42
Three Months Later
Six months into the marriage, the clause in the will tying the company’s future to Vikram and Mahika’s union had officially come into effect. On paper, everything seemed to be running smoothly. But even with the legalities in place and the merger successfully executed, unease still lingered among the employees. Whispers filled the corners of the office. Eyes watched them with wary curiosity. And no one knew for certain who would still have a job in the coming weeks.
Thankfully, Mahika had managed to retreat into the sanctuary of her own office, steering clear of the drama outside. Her team respected her space. In the beginning itself, she had made it clear that being born a Jaykar and now a Khurana didn’t make her the keeper of corporate secrets. She had no insight into who was staying, who was being let go, or what changes lay ahead. To their credit, her team had accepted that and poured themselves into their work. Still, the atmosphere in the building remained tense, as if everyone was collectively holding their breath, waiting for the ground to shift beneath them.
Mahika had always taken pride in her work. She had never been the kind to count hours or wish for the day to end, not even when she had deadlines or ideas waiting to be written into her book.
Writing had always been her joy and passion, and after sharing her secret with Vikram, she had started writing again. And for a while, balancing both worlds had felt fulfilling.
But the last few months at the office felt different. Every tick of the clock moved slowly, stretching each day into something she just wanted to escape from.
What unsettled her most was the strange longing to go home. Even if home came with its own kind of chaos, it was where she wanted to be.
Something had shifted in Vikram after he met his mother again. Whatever it was, it was hard to name. At work, he was still the same—cold and commanding, and working closely with Mohit to restructure everything the Jaykar name had built. But at home, he was different.
He had become softer. With her, he was quieter, gentler, almost careful. Every night, no matter how late he returned, he came to her first. He held her like she was the only thing anchoring him to the present. He would bury his face in the crook of her neck and exhale as though he had been holding his breath all day.
When he came home late, Mahika often found herself in the kitchen, cooking dinner for the two of them. She’d even started doing little tasks at home like folding his laundry and tidying their room… little habits that were never hers before. And yet, they came so naturally to her now.
And no matter how bitter and busy the day had been, one thing never changed between them. They always ended the night wrapped in each other. And every single night, Vikram fell asleep with his arms around her.
But Mahika stayed awake.
Long after midnight, her mind spun in restless circles. The emotional closeness, the physical comfort, the quiet understanding between them... it all felt too fragile.
Six months had flown by faster than she’d expected, and somewhere along the way, she had stopped wanting it to end. That thought alone filled her with fear. This marriage had never been meant to last beyond its purpose.
Vikram had never brought up whatever he was about to say that night in the bathtub. She didn’t know what those words were, but in a strange way, she was strangely grateful that it remained a mystery. Maybe it was nothing. But the intensity in his eyes that night told her otherwise. And if he ever voiced them, if he ever gave those feelings a name, everything between them would change.
And she was no different. She felt like a walking contradiction. She wanted this life, this connection with him, but she wasn’t ready for what it truly meant. Her feelings were already complicated, and giving them words would only make them real.
So, this was what they had now. A shared space with quiet conversations, fleeting touches, and unspoken fears. And the thought of losing it all terrified her more than she wanted to admit.
∞∞∞
A shrill alarm cut through the quiet, and Mahika stirred, her eyes still heavy with sleep. Beside her, Vikram groaned and reached out to silence it. Monday morning had arrived.
He had worked through the entire weekend, barely stopping to eat or rest. The exhaustion clung to him, pressinghim deeper into the mattress. Mahika lay still beside him, staring at the faint light seeping through the curtains. She wasn’t ready to face the day, and she knew neither was he. Before she could move, Vikram shifted and pulled her closer, wrapping his arm around her. She let herself sink into him, enjoying the quiet warmth of that moment just a little longer.
“Can’t we just sleep in today?” he murmured, his voice unbearably sexy and husky with sleep.
