Page 126 of Wicked Trap

She pushed away those dark memories and instead focused on the happy ones that the man next to her gave.

She often spent her weekends at the Vardhaman Estate. With the restoration of the mansion completed along with the revamping of the estate grounds, the place was now breathtaking.

The first time Arjun had proposed to her had been by the river at the estate, five years ago. She had turned him down even though she loved him because of the heavy guilt she felt about the ongoing murder trial of Girish Shetty. And also because she felt that she and Arjun had fallen in love way too soon.

But five years after Arjun had crashed into her life like a storm, she still felt his strong love along with being cherished and desired.

“By the way, you looked quite hot on that podium,” he said as he followed her into her bedroom. He pushed her into the bathroom and turned on the shower. “Did I tell you how much I love the hot and fiery activist vibe?”

He had told her that many times. In fact, he had even told her about the first time he had seen her on a video during one of her protests.

She laughed. “Pervert,” she scolded.

“Only for you, princess,” he said while rapidly stripping her clothes.

Her breath hitched, and her heart began racing in anticipation. After spending all day outside planting trees and hosting an event, she should feel exhausted. But as usual, a single touch and a heated look from the man she loved energized her.

Her hands fell on his checkered shirt, and she tried to unbutton it. But Arjun began kissing her throat, making her fingers tremble and become clumsy. He had stripped her naked while she was still struggling with the third button on his shirt.

“Five years, and you still haven’t learned to unbutton my shirts, princess,” he said with an arrogant smile. “I guess we aren’t practicing enough.”

She blushed at his teasing. But soon, she narrowed her eyes in determination. She knew exactly how to make the arrogant man’s cocky smirk disappear.

She cupped his hard arousal and squeezed.

He sucked in a harsh breath while his eyes flared. “You always play dirty, princess.”

She raised her chin. “I play to win, Mr. Varma.”

With another arrogant grin, he stepped closer. “We’ll see about that, Miss Palki.”

The rest of the night was a passionate war. Much later, during the early hours, she lay exhausted and content in Arjun’s arms. She ran her fingers gently on his chest where there was a faded bullet wound from five years ago. Each time she saw it, her heart still clenched, recalling the terrible moments when she was forced to shoot him.

But the man she loved made it easy for her to forget it.

“I love you, princess,” he said with a sweet kiss on the top of her head. “I can’t wait to call you mine in front of the world.”

“I love you too,” she whispered. She couldn’t wait either. She was excited to marry him and let everyone know that the handsome, arrogant man was all hers.

***

“Congratulations, little bro. You are now officially a family man.”

“Welcome to the club.”

Aryan laughed as his brothers teased him.

The wedding ceremony had finished a while ago. Tanvi was inside the mansion with his mother, his sisters-in-law and Tanvi’s friends. She was getting ready to take off on their honeymoon. The other wedding guests, Mr. Rao, Sameer and Tanvi’s friends’ husbands were chatting at a distance.

“Uncle Aryan, will Aunty Tanvi stay with us from now on?”

Aryan smiled at his four-year-old niece and ruffled her hair. “Yes, little monkey. She is going to stay here.”

Aryan was close to his niece and nephew. He often took them on picnics on the estate and played with them whenever he visited them at their homes.

Bhargav and Anya lived at the estate with his mother. And Yash and Narmada shuttled between the city and the estate. Narmada’s grandfather, Mr. Rao, who was now family, also lived with them. But no matter where they all lived, they often met and spent time together as a family. Tanvi was already close to his family, and now she was officially a part of it.

He had wanted to make her a part of his family five years ago, but she had turned down his marriage proposal several times. He knew she wasn’t mentally ready because of what had been going on in their lives.

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