Page 34 of Shattered

I grin and pull back, noticing her flushed face. “I am glad you did,because from now on, there’s going to be a lot more kissing.”

Her eyes widen, and her face turns a deeper shade of red as she ducks her head, her hair fanning her face.I gently lift her chin with a finger until our eyes meet again. She darts her tongue out to lick her lips, unaware of how she is torturing me. I take a deep breath before speaking.

“Good night,” Ifinally manage to say, trying to contain the lust burning inside me. She frowns, clearly puzzled, as if my decision to end things so soon caught her off guard. Hell, I, too, don’t want to say goodbye, but I know if I stay a minute longer,I’ll end up doing something she’s still not ready for. As if she can read my mind, she gives me a nod.

“Good night,” she smiles, stepping out of the car and heading to her door.

I watch her until she disappears inside, then let out a sigh and pull away, the road ahead blurring as my mind replays our kiss over and over again. Damn it, I miss her already. This woman has me in knots, but strangely, I find myself smiling at the thought of being tied with her for the rest of my life. Now I feel like a fool for thinking I would stay happy being single. Now I understand why my parents were adamant about me getting married. Hell, now I’m more eager than them to get married and spend my life with Kavya.

Chapter 17

Kavya

“Ewwww!” I squeal, closing my bedroom door and leaning back against it, my heart doing flip-flops. My cheeks feel warm, and I don’t need to look in the mirror to know that my face must be bright red. Luckily, when I stepped into the house, Sunita Aunty was already asleep; otherwise, I’m sure she would have noticed my flushed face. I touch my lips with my fingers, still feeling the lingering heat of his kiss. My body is buzzing with tingling sensations, making me feel both jittery and exhilarated.

As I walk to my bed, I set my mobile on the nightstand and toss my purse carelessly onto the bed. Flopping down on my back, I stare up at the ceiling, replaying every single second of the kiss. Me, kissing Reyansh! I’ve never considered myself daring; I’ve always been the type to think things through and act rationally. Even with Deepak, I maintained clear boundaries, restricting myself to hugs and kisses on the forehead or cheeks. But with Reyansh… there’s something about him makes me want to throw caution to the wind and live in the moment, rather than overthinking everything.

Rolling onto my side, I tuck my hands under my cheek and stare into the soft, dim light of my room. That kiss wasn’t just arandom, impulsive thing. It didn’t feel like a fleeting moment or something I would regret. Instead, it felt perfect in a way I didn’t expect. The way he held me, and the way his lips met mine… Gosh, he had me melting into his arms—it was like everything clicked into place. I felt safe, desired, and alive all at once. A sense of rightness and contentment permeates every fibre of my being, igniting desires I never knew existed. I never imagined that a single kiss could transport me to an entirely new world of sensations.

And beyond the physical effect, the way he makes me feel emotionally also touches my soul deeply. The happiness I find with him is a unique kind of bliss that helps me escape all my pain and sorrow. He makes me feel cherished and secure, reassuring me constantly that he’s there for me and will protect me from any harm. The care and respect he showers on me moves me deeply, making me feel that I matter.

And there’s a voice within me urging me to share what’s going on in my life with him simply because he deserves to know. Taking a deep breath, I contemplate, ‘But can I be brave enough and open up to him about my parents’ accident? Can I trust him with my secret?’I wrestle with my thoughts before coming to a conclusion,‘Perhaps I don’t know him completely, but I trust him enough to be my pillar of strength. And maybe deep down, what I really need is a shoulder to lean on.’

With that thought, my heart is made up, and my mind supports my decision. Tomorrow… Yes, tomorrow, I’ll pour my heart out to him, ensuring there are no secrets between us. If we’re building something real, it must be built on a foundation of honesty and transparency, devoid of any secrets and deceit. The betrayal from my past relationship reminds me of how vital honesty is in love.

The sudden ringing of my mobile phone shatters the silence, jolting me out of my reverie. I reach out to pick up myphone, and my heart gallops in my chest as I see Reyansh’s name flashing on the screen.

“Hey,” I say softly into the phone.

“Did I wake you?” His deep voice is like a soothing balm, instantly calming my frayed nerves.

“No, I was just lying down.”

“Would it be too cheesy if I admitted that I can’t get the kiss out of my head, and you’re the only one on my mind?” he asks, his voice low and husky.

My heart does a little flip at his words. “Nope, not cheesy at all. I’ve been replaying that moment in my mind too,” I reply softly.

“You have no idea how tempting it is to sneak into your room right now, and how hard it is to hold myself back and resist doing something impulsive and crazy.”

A soft laugh escapes me. “Crazy definitely defines you, but I also appreciate your patience,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady. Inside, though, I feel that familiar flutter in my stomach, the kind that makes your toes curl and your knees go weak.

“You’re totally worth the wait,” he says, his tone sincere.

“That means a lot,” I reply, touched by his words, and before I can stop myself, words flow from my mouth. “My ex-fiancé didn’t respect my choice to wait until marriage for sex. Instead, he got another woman pregnant, claiming I failed to fulfill his needs.”

“Wait, does that mean you’re a virgin?” he asks, his curiosity piqued.

I pull the phone away from my ear, staring at it in disbelief, before placing it back and saying, “Seriously? Out of everything I said, that’s the only thing you picked up on, Reyansh?”

“Of course, my focus is entirely on you and not on that asshole ex of yours.”

This man always finds a way straight to the core of my heart, “Reyansh, you...”

He interrupts me. “Kavya, what your ex did to you infuriates me, and a part of me wants to break his nose for it. But strangely, I also feel grateful to him because if it weren’t for him messing up, you wouldn’t be with me. And my feelings for you go beyond mere physical desires. Never doubt that. I’m a patient man, not a reckless boy. I won’t let my desires cloud my judgment and risk losing something that’s so precious to me—you.”

His words should startle me, making me wonder if he’s too good to be true. However, the sincerity in his tone tells me that he means every word he says.

“When you put it like that, you make me feel like the luckiest woman on earth.”

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