Page 92 of Reckless Dare

Something about his tone didn’t add up. He was too casual. And Abhiram Simha was never casual. He was always intense. Very intense.

“Hmm… so you had nothing to do with it?” she asked.

He turned his head towards her and looked at her, his dark eyes causing her to shiver deliciously.

She was looking forward to his kiss that would come later just before he left.

As though sensing her thoughts, his eyes flashed. “What do you think happened, Harvard?” he asked, his deep voice making her tingle all over.

She sucked in a breath, fighting to focus on the topic at hand. “I think you had something to do with it.”

“Like what?”

She shook her head. “Like you convincing him to leave.”

There was a pause. “Maybe.”

It was not a full confession, but she was shocked that she hit on the truth. “How?” she asked.

He shrugged. “By offering him unlimited access to our Simha parties. I guess that convinced him, and he joined the choir club instead of drama club as his extracurricular.”

Her mouth fell open in shock. “My God, you are devious!” she accused.

He looked at her with a darkly amused smile. “I guess I am.”

His amusement made her want to provoke him just a bit. “Aren’t you ashamed!” she asked. “Of manipulating people around you like they are some sort of chess pieces?”

She gasped when his warm fingers suddenly wrapped behind her neck and dragged her close. Their mouths were barely an inch apart when he spoke.

“No, I’m not ashamed,” he said. “I was willing to do anything to have you close to me. I will do it again if I have to.”

She should be angry about his manipulation. But his words reverberated deep inside her heart.

“Do you feel the same way, Harvard?” he asked.

She was shocked by his question and didn’t know what to say.

She wanted him. She felt thrilled, excited and alive when he was around. When he wasn’t there, a strange emptiness swarmed her. Along with the new-found feelings was the uncertainty about their fathers’ conflict.

“I don’t know,” she whispered honestly.

He didn’t say anything. She expected him to be angry or upset, but all he did was kiss her. Passionately.

He kissed her until she forgot everything but him. And she kissed him back equally passionately. She reached out to wrap her fingers along his neck, digging her fingertips into his shoulders to keep him close. Letting out a rough groan, he dragged her to him until she was seated on his lap.

She felt his hard arousal and it sent a jolt of electricity through her.

He still held the back of her neck. But he broke their kiss to look at her.

“Come with me to the beach house this weekend,” he said in a rough tone that sent a shiver through her.

She badly wanted to accept his invitation.

“I can’t,” she whispered. “I’m attending Nitya’s engagement party this weekend.”

He fell quiet.

She felt his frustration. She knew he had a rugby tournament coming up the next week for which he would be busy practicing until late evening. Which also meant that if they didn’t spend the upcoming weekend together, they would only spend time together after seven days.

---