Despite her exhaustion, her body reacted instantly to the sound of it.
“If only,” Mahika whispered. “Just think. We could have still been on our honeymoon if you hadn’t cancelled last week.”
“Don’t,” he said with a quiet warning. “I promise, when we do go, it’ll be fucking epic.”
“It better be,” she teased.
They had planned a honeymoon to Tokyo, but a work emergency forced them to cancel. Vikram had apologised more than once, not just with words but with little gestures that spoke even louder. He had shown up with her favourite flowers, and had bought Bungee a new sleeping bed, organic rabbit food, and a pile of toys. He even took her to the little Italian place she always mentioned in passing, and arranged a cosy movie night with all her comfort snacks.
What began as watching,The Holiday,somehow ended with her bent over the back of the couch, his hands gripping her waist, his mouth whispering promises along her shoulder.
Mahika had always understood that sometimes work was important and personal plans had to take a backseat. And if she was honest, there had been a strange sense of relief in that. She was already addicted to him, to the life they were living. She didn’t need a honeymoon to get hooked on to anything beyond his soul. It was already happening, quietly, and completely.
Silence settled between them, and she thought he had drifted back to sleep… until her own alarm went off.
“Okay, okay, I’m getting up,” Vikram groaned before finally releasing her and climbing out of bed.
Mahika rolled onto her side and shamelessly watched as he stretched his arms above his head, muscles rippling down his back. Her gaze dropped lower and landed on his perfectly shaped ass.
Delicious.
And then he turned, giving her an eyeful of the front view.
“Morning, Mr. Khurana,” she teased with a smirk.
“Shower with me, Mrs. Khurana? Give me something to think about all day.”
She could’ve refused. Told him they were running late. She could’ve brushed aside his plea. But all it took was one look into those dark eyes quietly asking, and her resolve melted. He took his time with her, as if the world outside could wait. And somehow, it did.
An hour later, they stepped out of the car and walked towards the building, hand in hand, just as they had for weeks. Mahika’s body still hummed with the afterglow of that morning, like a secret only she could feel.
The crowd of reporters were back at the main gate, throwing out questions, wild speculations, and stories dripping with doubt. Mahika couldn’t help but wonder who was feeding them such bizarre rumours about the company. It felt intrusive. If they were in Delhi, the frenzy might have made more sense. But this was Dehradun, and such things rarely happened on a daily basis.
Vikram didn’t say a word, but his grip on her hand tightened.
“Bloody hell,” he muttered as they stepped into the elevator, finally alone.
“I don’t know, but I feel like someone might be leaking these rumours on purpose.” Mahika’s brows furrowed.
Without hesitation, Vikram tugged her closer, one arm wrapped around her waist with a possessiveness that made her pulse skip.
“Why do you feel that way? Is someone bothering you? Are you getting those blank calls again?” His eyes were wild and searching.
She shook her head quickly. “No. Nothing like that. It was just a thought.”
Still, he didn’t loosen his hold. Not until she reached up to cup his jaw, still rough from his morning stubble. Stretching up on her toes, she brushed her lips over his in a fleeting kiss as the elevator climbed towards her floor, the one where they usually parted ways.
“You know where I am if you need me,” she murmured, her eyes locked with his.
A devilish glint lit his features. “Is that your way of inviting me to fuck you in your office?”
Mahika let out a soft laugh and stepped back just as the doors opened. “Be good. I’ll see you later, yeah?”
But before she could slip away, Vikram caught her by the wrist and yanked her back against his chest. The intensity in his gaze made her heart thud wildly.
“Have I told you how fucking incredible you look today?” he murmured, his voice rough with heat.
“Not in words,” she replied with a smirk. “But your body did a pretty good job of telling me.”