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“No.” Harsh caught her arms and tried to pull her up but Raashi wouldn’t be deterred this time.
She leaned forward, planting an open mouth kiss against the throbbing length of him. Harsh groaned, bracing himself against the wall with one hand, the other buried in her hair. She yanked on his briefs and wrapped her hand around the hot, silken member that suddenly was the object of her most desperate craving. Unsure of her technique but willing to make up for it with enthusiasm, Raashi wrapped her hand around the base and took the tip into her mouth.
“Raashi.” Her name was a practically soundless prayer, the frantic need in it filling her with a sense of power over this incredible man.
She’d barely gotten to it, when he hauled her up, kissing her fiercely, his tongue tangling with hers and making her forget whatever thoughts she’d had about power.
“Enough,” he ground out. “Or I won’t last.”
“Don’t last,” she rasped, wrapping one leg around his hip and pulling him closer, grinding herself against him.
“Raashi,” he laughed, a desperate sound, his forehead falling to rest on her shoulder. “I don’t have a condom with me.”
That gave her pause. “Oh.” She nuzzled her cheek to his hair. “How is that even possible? I thought you’d always have stashes of them handy.”
He stiffened in her arms, steel seeming to infuse his body as he straightened and looked down at her, eyes hooded, an unfathomable look in them.
“No,” he said quietly after a fraught moment. “I don’t have stashes handy.” He went to pull his pants up, but she stopped him with a hand on his arm. “I’m on the pill for hormonal reasons. And I’m clean. I got tested regularly while in the US and I haven’t been active in years now.”
Harsh froze, his face in profile. And then he shook her hand off and finished setting his clothes to rights. Only once he’d fixed himself did he turn to where she stood, disheveled and flushed, her dress still pulled up to her waist.
Gently, he pulled her dress down and brushed her tousled hair back. Leaning in close, his breath feathering over her ear, he murmured, “We can’t say the same for an alley cat like me, can we? Manwhore that I am…going bare with me would be a big mistake, Viper.”
It was like someone had dumped a bucket of ice-cold water on her head. Shaken, Raashi pulled back from him, struggling to still the tremors racing through her body.
“You’re right,” she replied shakily, struggling to sound casual and blasé about the whole situation. Trying not to sound like the inexperienced idiot she truly was. Trying to sound like she did this all the time, she thought hysterically.
“We need to talk,” Harsh said from behind her, sounding perfectly in control, the absolute asshole. But then he did do this all the time, didn’t he?
“Maybe another time,” she muttered. “I should get back to the party. My family will be waiting for me.”
“They can wait a little longer,” Harsh replied inflexibly. “This is important.”
“If it’s about a prenup, I already told you I’d sign whatever you want.” There was too much noise in her head. Raashi needed to get away, to process what had happened, what she was feeling, and everything in between.
“It’s about Anant Madhavan.”
The noise in her head and around her quietened, stilled, until there was nothing left but vacuum.
“What about him?” she asked, her voice calm and collected, years of practice kicking in.
“What’s your history with him?” Harsh walked over to stop in front of her, forcing her to meet his eyes. She did so, unblinking.
“He’s my father’s ex-business partner.” Raashi had played this particular game for years. Harsh Kodela would not win this round.
“And?”
“And?” she queried coolly, feigning bored confusion.
“That’s not all he is,” Harsh watched her carefully, his perceptive gaze seeing far more than she wanted him to. “Talk to me, Raashi.”
For a split second she thought of telling him. But fear slammed through her at the fleeting thought, years of conditioning kicking in.
“About what?” she asked. “I don’t have a clue what you’re getting at.”
“I’m not a fool,” he said softly. “And I won’t let you play me for one. I’m a Kodela, Raashi. If you’re hiding something that could hurt my family, I need to know.”
She laughed, forcing herself to sound light and carefree. “God, you take yourself too seriously. What the hell could I be hiding?”
