Page 68 of The Rules of Playing with Fire

“Don’t spare him,” she said to Sameer as Mihir tried to escape the scene.

“I thought he wasn’t the marrying type,” Sameer jeered as he caught Mihir’s wrist and smeared a splash across his cheek and forehead.

“What can I say? A mother can always hope,” Sneha aunty said, pulling out a naughty smile. “I have a feeling things are about to change.”

Mihir and I, of course, kept our eyes off each other and stayed as far away as we could manage. No use fueling the fire when we wanted no one to detect the smoke.

After helping Tara out of the floral jewelry and escorting her to her room to shower and change, I helped Riya in her room. When I finally retreated to mine, I found Mihir standing shirtless near the bed.

“Are you out of your mind? What are you doing here?” I whispered, shutting the door behind me with haste.

He grinned. “Waiting for you.”

“Topless in the room of a respectable, unmarried woman?” I teased. “You’re a very bad man, aren’t you?”

“Oh, you have no idea.”

He wrapped his large arms around me. “You look like a bride with henna on your hands and that haldi on your cheeks.”

My heart tumbled but I giggled.

“What?”

“It’s the way you say haldi in your American accent. Haldi,” I imitated him.

“You know you’ll be paying for every little infraction, babe.”

“Infraction?”

“Indeed, my wayward lover who likes to slip out of my arms.”

I smiled impishly and brushed my lips against his. “Well, the last punishment wasn’t all that bad.”

He pulled me closer. “Tell me what you want, Sona.” Goose bumps rippled across my body when he kissed my ear, but I pushed him away.

“Right now, I want you to put on your kurta and go downstairs. I’m going for a shower.”

“Not alone for sure,” he declared. “I’m coming with you.”

“Hey, I’m serious. We’re behind schedule. You’ll be called downstairs any minute now. They better not catch you coming out of my room.”

He grumbled but said, “Alright, but a kiss before I leave.” He grabbed me at the waist and fell back on the bed with me.

“Hey!”

He flipped me over, pinning me to the bed, and under his weight, my body erupted in unexpected arousal. He grazed his pelvis against me as he brought his mouth down on mine. My thighs parted on to allow for the thick denim to do its work, and my eyes closed at the touch of his lips. My arms tightened around him, and I found myself getting wetter…

Just then, a gentle knock. I gasped, but before we could move, the door flew open. Tara stepped in and let out a horrified scream.

Mihir jumped off me with a legerity that defied his size while I scrambled up inelegantly.

“Get away from her,” she yelled, shooing Mihir. “What the fuck are you doing?”

Mihir, being Mihir, retained his wits about him. “Well, that,” he said.

“Tara…Tara, it’s alright,” I said in a tone one uses to calm a child or a pet.

Meanwhile, Sameer’s urgent voice came booming up the stairs. “Tara, what’s wrong?”

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