Page 148 of One Hellish Love

“Say that again,” Rudra demanded.

Her eyes widened as she realized what she had just said. She’d just confessed her love for him—something she had avoided saying for so long, but now, it was out. The moment she had feared and longed for all at once.

She tried to pull back, shying away, but Rudra held her firm, his hand gripping her waist now as he pulled her even closer.

“Don’t run from me now,” he whispered, his lips grazing her ear. “Say it again, Kashish. I need to hear it.”

Her cheeks flushed a deep shade of crimson as she found it hard to breathe under the weight of his intense gaze. His demand was insistent, and his eyes burned with a desperate plea. She swallowed hard, gathering the courage to say it again.

“Yes, Rudra... I... I love you.”

The moment the words left her lips, Rudra’s eyes darkened with pure emotion, a haze of desire and love clouding them. Before she could react, he leaned in and kissed the corner of her lips, a soft smooch sound escaping as he pulled away, his breath ragged.

Kashish gasped, but Rudra wasn’t finished. His fingers gently wiped the slight wetness from the corner of her lips, his eyes filled with a yearning that almost made her weak.

“Say it again,” he demanded. “I need to believe it.”

His tone left no room for hesitation. He needed her to say it, to confirm what he had longed to hear his entire life.

“I love you,” she whispered again.

This time, Rudra kissed the other corner of her lips, lingering a moment longer as his hand gently caressed her cheek. He pulled back just slightly, his eyes blazing with a need that made her feel like the world had disappeared around them.

“Again,” he whispered, his lips ghosting over her skin.

Her body trembled as she met his gaze. This time, she didn’t shy away. She looked directly into his eyes, her voice bolder, stronger.

“I love you, Rudra.”

Before she could even finish the sentence, Rudra pulled her fully into him, their lips crashing against each other’s with a raw, desperate need. Neither of them knew who made the first move, but the kiss was deep, hungry, and filled with the passion they had both suppressed for so long. His lips devoured hers, demanding, exploring, as if he were claiming every inch of her soul.

Kashish instinctively reached for his chest, needing something to hold onto to steady herself, but Rudra, even in the haze of passion, felt the familiar surge of discomfort. Without breaking the kiss, he swiftly grabbed her arms and wrapped them around his neck, guiding her hands to his nape. Understanding why he did that, she tugged at his hair, pulling him deeper into the kiss as if she could fuse their hearts together with just that touch.

He groaned softly against her mouth, the sensation of her fingers in his hair igniting every nerve in his body. His hands slid down to her waist, pulling her impossibly close, their lower bodies pressed together, melting into each other. The kiss grew more frantic, more desperate, as if neither of them could get enough of the other. Her lips moved in perfect sync with his,matching his intensity, her love pouring out with every stroke of her mouth against his.

Kashish could barely breathe as she kissed him back with everything she had—her fears, her love, her surrender—all of it pouring into him, like she was giving him the very essence of herself.

Time seemed to stop. The world around them disappeared. There was only Rudra, only his lips on hers, only this moment.

When they finally pulled away, gasping for air, Rudra’s forehead rested against hers, their breaths mingling, as they stared into each other’s eyes.

“I love you,” she whispered once more, the words now flowing naturally, with no hesitation, no fear. And as she said it, she saw a different kind of softness in his gaze—one that told her he believed it now.Completely. Undeniably.

Rudra cupped her face again, his thumb tracing the curve of her cheek as he smiled at her, a smile that was filled with more love than she’d ever seen in him before.

“And I will love you... until my last breath,” he murmured, sealing the promise with another deep, passionate kiss, one that left no doubts—this was forever.

******************

The blare of the alarm woke Rudra early the next morning. He stretched and turned it off, glancing at the clock. It was 6:30 a.m., time for his usual morning workout. He looked over at Kashish, who was still asleep beside him. They had spent the night in his room, kissing each other for hours and still not getting enough of each other. Surprisingly, she showed no signs of regret sleeping next to him unlike the last time.

As she stirred awake, Rudra gently pulled the duvet over her and kissed her forehead softly.

“Sleep a little longer,” he whispered.

“Where are you going?” she mumbled, grabbing his hand sleepily.

“The gym,” he replied with a smile, amused by her reluctance to let him leave. “I’ll be back in an hour.”

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