“You can come pick me up tomorrow when I call you,” Nina told her chauffeur. She stepped out of the car in front of a Trinity Hotel, which was a part of the high-end chain of luxury hotels that offered several spa packages that required the guests to stay overnight or longer.

Nina waited in the lobby until her car drove out of the gates. And then she walked out of the lobby.

She began to head out.

She nodded at the security personnel at the gates who gave her curious stares.

Nina hated sneaking around. But she knew Radha was having her watched closely. And Nina didn’t blame Radha for that because she knew that unlike Suraj, Radha’s patience was wearing thin.

Radha was worried about Gaurav hurting Suraj for a yet-to-be known reason.

And at the same time, Nina was worried that Radha would somehow find Gaurav and have him arrested before he could hurt Suraj.

It was an epic, tragic mess.

A mess that Nina intended to resolve as quickly as possible.

She continued walking away from the hotel, until the sounds of honks from the busy street and the rush of the pedestrians slowly tapered away. Soon, she reached a corner on the street which was almost empty.

Ten minutes later, her heartbeat sped up when she heard the throttle of a motorcycle in a now empty street. A shiny black bike sped through the turn with reckless speed and headed towards her, only to come to a screeching stop right in front of her.

The driver was watching her.

Nina felt the biker’s eyes sweeping the length of her. She was dressed for a high-end spa visit. Her calf-length, floral sleeveless dress looked completely out of place next to the bike.

The biker flexed his fingers, increasing the throttle of the engine.

Nina’s heart thudded loudly as her eyes swept through the man riding the bike. A leather jacket covered broad and muscular shoulders, and a dark helmet completely concealed the biker’s face.

Slowly, she went closer to the bike. Her eyes fell on the spare helmet strapped to the handle. She picked it up and put it on her head before climbing onto the bike. And then, she wrapped her arms around the biker’s hard stomach.

The biker didn’t say anything. Neither did she.

The biker increased the throttle of the bike once again before it sped through the streets.

Nina tightened her hold on the biker’s waist until her soft breasts and stomach were crushed against a hard back. The wind whipped through her neck, hands, and legs, and the vibration of the engine under her added to the adrenaline rushing through her.

The powerful bike zig-zagged through the busy streets for almost an hour, until it stopped in an underground parking garage of a large apartment building complex.

Nina got off the bike and waited until it was parked. The biker held her arm and pulled her towards the elevators.

She followed him blindly. Both of them kept their helmets on.

After several tense seconds, the elevator stopped, and the biker pulled her once again across a long corridor to stop in front of a non-descript door.

The biker punched in a code on the keypad, unlocking the door before pulling her inside the apartment.

The biker turned on the lights inside while Nina swept her gaze around the inside of the apartment.

Once the lights were turned on, they stared at each other.

They moved towards each other at the same time. Nina tugged at the biker’s helmet while hers was pulled away.

Soon, they were zig-zagging through the room with their lips locked.

Nina unzipped the man’s leather jacket and pushed it away. Meantime, he pushed her against a wall, deepening their kiss. Then keeping their lips locked together, he swung her into his arms before carrying her.

She gasped when her back hit a mattress. Then she felt his hands on her as he ran them frantically over her. He began kissing her throat where her pulse was beating rapidly.

Blinding pleasure took over her body. She frantically pulled up his t-shirt and ran her hands on his heated skin.

Her dress was tight and didn’t allow him to touch her bare skin below her cleavage. So, he pulled her dress up and ripped off her panties. Then he moved away from her briefly, and keeping his gaze locked on hers, he unbuckled the belt on his jeans and lowered the zip.

Her heart thudding loudly in her ears, she widened her knees, preparing for his incoming onslaught. She greedily took in his familiar, powerful body. But before she could have her fill, he moved on top of her.

She thought he would join them together instantly, but he slid down.

He kissed her, loved her with his mouth, and then began taking her soul with his tongue.

She moaned, she thrashed, and she begged. But keeping her locked in place as he continued his onslaught.

When she was about to shatter, she dug her nails into his shoulders. “With me,” she gasped.

He moved on top of her and then entered her in one swift move.

She clutched him close while he groaned into her neck. “Nina,” he whispered as though it was a prayer.

“Tell me your real name,” she insisted.

He paused for a second, and then raising his head, he watched her face. “Gaurav,” he said.

And then, he kissed her before beginning to thrust. She gasped and clutched him as his movements turned hard and desperate and full of need. Animal-like voices tore through both their throats as he tried to bind her to him in every possible way.

She tried to control her release, prolong it for longer, but it was like trying to stop a hurricane. It ripped through her body, shattering her soul.

“Gaurav,” she cried, wanting to feel his name on her tongue. He didn’t let her say anything more. His mouth covered hers, kissing her over and over.

Over the next few hours, he unleashed his relentless, masterful onslaught that carried her through heights of passion. And she stayed with him every step of the way, matching him bite for bite, kiss for kiss and groan for groan.

With each joining, their need only grew further. She let him fill her and complete her the way only he could ever do.

And even though his body was demanding and fierce with barely any softness, he kept his eyes locked on hers, conveying his feelings. The contrast between the ferocity of his body and the gentleness in his eyes kept her at the edge.

“Nina,” he called out each time as his body shuddered in her arms.

Sometime much later in the night, her body became exhausted. But still, not wanting to lose his touch, she wrapped her arms around him, locking him close to her heart along with her body.

He tried to move away and ease his weight from her, but she tightened her hold.

“Don’t leave me,” she whispered.

“Never,” he replied softly into her ear. “No matter what happens, remember that my heart belongs to you. Always.”

He kissed her forehead, and flipped them until she was lying on top of him.

His fingers moved up and down her back in smooth, languid strokes, making her slowly slip into a deep, content sleep.

 

 

SOMETIME LATER IN the early hours of the morning, she woke up to hands stroking her bare body. Nina smiled as she stretched her body even while her sore muscles protested.

Then moving over him, she kissed the warm skin underneath her.

She kissed the scars left by bullet wounds, and then ran her tongue on the flat male nipples, and then the washboard stomach before sliding even lower.

Deep masculine groans filled the otherwise quiet room.

But before she could experience the thrill of making him lose control completely and shatter inside her mouth, she was pulled on top of him.

It was her turn to fill the room with the sounds of her pleasured gasps. He held her hips and then her breasts, controlling her rhythm as she moved on top of him.

The hooded look in his eyes as he watched her face, and then watched the undulation of her body while she took him deep inside her, pushed her over to the edge.

 

MUCH LATER, SHE lay in an exhausted heap while she watched Gaurav sliding out of bed to go inside an attached bathroom.

She knew they were putting an important discussion off. And she also knew that once Gaurav came out of the bathroom, she would begin to broach the subject, and then their reality would crash in again.

Regret pierced her at the thought of bursting the bubble they had formed while getting lost in each other’s arms last night.

Sighing, Nina reached for her phone to check the time. She frowned when she realized that her phone was switched off.

She turned it on and was taken aback by the number of missed calls from Radha.

Nina frowned. She knew Radha must have figured out that she wasn’t at the spa and was meeting with Gaurav.

Nina returned the call.

Radha’s phone rang, but it wasn’t answered.

It wasn’t that early. Radha usually woke up by six in the morning.

While Nina waited for the call to be answered, she heard the bathroom door open and then a strong arm wrapped around her midriff, holding her snug to a naked and blatantly aroused male body. “Come back to bed,” Gaurav’s husky voice instructed into her ear.

A shiver passed through her and wanted to obey him, but she knew that Radha and Suraj must be worried about her.

Her breath hitched and a small moan escaped her when she felt Gaurav’s fingers pinching her aroused nipples while he rubbed his arousal against her back.

“Nina!” Radha’s voice sounded frantic on the phone.

Nina’s body jerked in alarm and took a step away. “What’s wrong, Radha?”

“Suraj was arrested late last night. It’s a mad house with media and investors. They are looking for you, too.”

“What! Where is he right now?”

Radha gave the address of the police station.

“I’m coming right away.” Nina ended the call and hurriedly hunted for her clothes that were lying around the room. “Suraj was arrested last night. Shit I should have been there. My bloody phone turned off right when—” She broke off.

Her eyes fell on Gaurav and he was watching her with his closed-off look.

Her heart began to thud and a sick dread spread inside her stomach. “You knew,” she whispered.

He didn’t say anything.

“You knew what would happen and you deliberately texted me, asking me to meet you yesterday.”

“I’ve never lied to you about my intentions, Nina. I told you right from the beginning that I intend to destroy and kill Suraj Bhupati.”

“Is that what last night was?” she asked. “You intend to go to him while he’s vulnerable, and rub it in his face that you were fucking his wife last night while his reputation was being shredded publicly?” She looked around at the ceiling and other corners of the room. “Should I be expecting to see a leaked sex video of you and me from last night going viral? That would definitely ruin Suraj’s reputation.”

Gaurav’s eyes flared. He closed the distance between them and held her arms. “You know damn well that I love you. If given a chance, I want to build a life with you. Last night wasn’t because I was getting back at him. I was keeping you away from getting arrested.”

She shook her head and tried to get out of his hold, but he didn’t allow her to. “What do you think would happen, Gaurav?” she asked. “You would destroy and kill your enemy and then marry his widow, who you think would magically live happily ever after with her husband’s murderer?”

“Are you asking me to choose between avenging my sister and mother’s deaths and building a life with you?” he asked quietly.

“No! All I’m saying is give Suraj a chance to prove whether or not he’s speaking the truth! We’ll both find the truth together. Don’t hurt him before even he has a chance.”

Gaurav didn’t respond.

Nina’s shoulders slumped in defeat and also despair. This time when she pulled away, Gaurav let her go.

She felt weary and defeated and bone tired of their hopeless situation.

She put her dress back on and took a deep shuddering breath. “I’m in love with you, Gaurav,” she said. “But I also love my husband. Not the same way I love you, but it is still love. I cannot knowingly let anyone harm the person I love.”

He didn’t say anything.

She picked up her small purse and went out of the room.

He followed behind her. “Let me take you there.”

“No. I’m going to the police station. Radha will know you were my kidnapper and alert everyone. And if my father-in-law finds out you got his son arrested, ruining his chance in the upcoming elections, he’s not going to spare you.”

“I don’t care,” Gaurav said quietly. “I’m not letting you go there alone. Either allow me to drop you or I’ll follow behind you.”

Nina wanted to curse, cry, and rage in frustration and worry, but she didn’t have time for such luxury.

 

AN HOUR LATER, Gaurav stopped his SUV outside a police station.

“Please, leave before you are discovered,” said Nina. She got out of the vehicle and then hurried inside past the swarm of reporters.

“Where’s my husband?” Nina demanded when she was inside.

The police personnel watched her with an uncertain look. And then their gazes were focused behind her.

When she turned, she saw Gaurav. He had followed behind her into the police station. Nina felt a bolt of panic. “Gaurav, leave—” she was about to warn him to leave right away when she saw him flashing a badge.

“Let her meet him,” Gaurav said quietly.

“Yes, sir!”

A shock passed through Nina at Gaurav’s command and a police officer’s response to his command. She stared at his badge and then at him, but he held a closed-off look once again.

“Who are you?” she whispered.

Gaurav wasn’t a reporter. He was a police officer! Nina tried to wrap that information around her head.

“How dare you!” a familiar angry voice of a female shouted while storming into the police station. “How could you do this!”

Nina stared blankly at Harika, trying to process what the other woman had shouted.

“How could you, Gaurav? Don’t you have any sense of love or family pride?” Harika demanded.

Harika knew Gaurav? What did she mean by family pride?

“How could you do this to your own father?” Harika continued.

With heart thudding in a sick manner, “Who are you?” Nina asked Gaurav once again. She felt stupid for having blind trust in a man she knew nothing about. She was devastated he took advantage of her loneliness and need for love.

“He’s the one who got Suraj and my uncle arrested. He’s my uncle’s son, the great ACP Gaurav Verma.”

Shock reverberated through Nina at the revelation. It was not because Gaurav was a police officer instead of a reporter like she had thought. It was because of who his family was.

“Harika, that’s enough,” Gaurav commanded softly.

“It’s not enough! Is your duty more important than your own father? He had a heart attack, Gaurav!”

Nina continued to stare blankly as Gaurav spoke through clenched jaw. “I didn’t ruin anything. The moment my father thought it was okay to live a life of power and luxury using blood money, he ruined himself.”

All thoughts wiped from Nina’s head except for one.

Gaurav Verma was not only the son of Ganesh Verma, but he was Pranit Verma’s brother.

The man Nina had stabbed and killed for raping her sister. The man whose murder Suraj had helped her cover up.

If there was the slightest of hope that Nina could still be with the man she loved, if he spared her husband’s life, the fact that she had murdered his brother, completely destroyed it.