Page 68 of Reckless Hate

“Fine,” she said ungraciously and got up.

She served pasta in two bowls along with the garlic bread she had warmed up. She placed the bowl with double the portion size in front of him before sitting back at the table.

They ate in silence. But unlike the silence that she preferred or enjoyed, this silence was tense and filled with sexual awareness. She could barely swallow her food because once again, it felt way too intimate eating together.

I need to keep my balcony locked.

Liar. You locked it last time for a night only to leave it open once again.

She both hated and craved her enemy’s presence which kept her constantly off balance. Her mind warned her and told her to hate him, but something else inside her reveled in his presence.

“This pasta is really good,” he said, breaking the silence.

“It’s your mother’s recipe.” Although she didn’t watch his mother cook to note the exact recipe, she had eaten often at his home to recall the taste of her favorite dishes. Kavita Simha was an excellent cook who loved feeding her family and friends and loved ones.

Something dark flashed in her enemy’s eyes and then it was gone. It was only momentary, but it unsettled her.

She wanted to ask him how his mother was doing, but she refrained from talking about anything personal. And it was the past that had severed their friendship in the first place.

Sucking in a deep breath, she pushed away the thoughts of their past and got up to clear the dishes. He got up and carried his bowl to the dishwasher and placed it inside, surprising her. The gesture made her feel off balance.

When he straightened, their eyes met. Her stomach fluttered with the heat and sizzle that passed through her. And then, desire erupted.

Their mouths met hungrily once again. Her back hit the dining table while she dug her fingers into her enemy’s hair. It was still damp from his long bike ride, and the slightly musky masculine smell of his combined with the citrusy cologne drove her crazy.

Their tongues dueled, and he won, sucking on her tongue as though drawing out her essence. She moaned out loud, grabbing him even closer. There was a crash somewhere, and she felt her enemy freeze on top of her. When his mouth left hers and he pulled away slightly, she opened her eyes and turned.

She saw the shocked face of her roommate.

“Uh… I-I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I just…” Anita’s cheeks grew red.

Samantha felt her cheeks grow equally heated. She shoved her enemy, who was still lying on top of her. He straightened in a leisurely manner. She stood up hurriedly and tried to put on a casual demeanor too.

“It’s okay, Anita. Ved and I… we were just discussing something. We are done, and he was about to leave.”

The jerk’s mouth twisted into a smile. “Yeah. So, when are we‘discussing’this again?” he asked, picking up the bike helmet which must have dropped while they were kissing on top of the dining table.

Her entire face flamed. She glared at him. “There’s no need to discuss in person anymore. You can send me the Outreach Program details in text or messages.”

His smile grew. “Sure. I’ll text you.”

Somehow, he made it seem like they would engage in dirty talk texting.

She turned away from the jerk.

“Hello, Anita,” he drawled. “See you later.”

“Bye, Ved.” Her roommate’s voice was breathless.

Samantha knew her enemy must have flashed his dimples at her roommate. As soon as the door closed, she turned to her roommate staring at the door with a dreamy look.

“Ved is so handsome,” Anita said with a dreamy smile. “You are so lucky.”

Samantha let out an exasperated sigh. “Ved Simha is a jerk. And we are not together.”

Her roommate didn’t believe her and continued to smile dreamily. Feeling partly annoyed and partly aroused from the encounter with her enemy, she walked back to her room.

“There’s chicken pasta on the stove,” she announced before shutting her bedroom door. The last glimpse was of her roommate continuing to smile dreamily.

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