Page 21 of Addiction

She finally tooka breath only when a slower, less famous song played.

“Do you do this every year?” she exclaimed. Her mind hadn’t calmed down from the high it was in. She still couldn’t believe he’d invited Coldplay to perform in his house. How unreal was that?!

“Birthdays ought to be celebrated,da? And since our birthdays are on New Year’s, this party makes sense.”

“Wait a minute. You said ‘our’.” Her eyes rounded. “All three of you have your birthday tomorrow? Are you triplets?”

“No.” His face turned serious. “We were born and raised at an orphanage. Mihir is the eldest, followed by me, and then Vedant. We never knew our birthdays. Our late adopted father, Alexander Oshnov, chose the first day of the year as our birth date. It was also the date he formally adopted us. Every year since, he celebrated New Year’s Eve with pomp and splendor, to bring in our birthdays.” His composure cracked as he spoke. “He passed away five years ago, and we are continuing this tradition for him. To honor the great man he was.”

A tendril of compassion curled inside her for him. He was an orphan, just like her. His life had also changed for the better after he’d been adopted, again just like hers.

Something must have shown on her face because his expression shuttered. The cold, uncaring mask was back on his face now.

“See,” he began, “I told you that you’d start liking me once you get to know me.”

She rolled her eyes. “Nope. Still don’t like you.”

“Oh, come on. Don’t you feel a little warmth towards me—the poor little orphan boy?”

Navya spread a palm out. “I think this wealth and privilege makes up for the sadness in your past, doesn’t it?”

“Does it?” He shook his head. “Sometimes even money is not enough to give you what you’re truly looking for.”

Her mind buzzed at his complicated words. She itched to ask him what he meant, but that would initiate an intimacy she definitely did not wish for with him. She was here, obliging him by chatting with him, only until she could escape from him.

The second he let her out of his sight, she’d take Reina and leave. Suddenly, a familiar tune played on the speakers. A roar went up in the crowd as the band started to sing another one of their famous songs,Yellow.

“Oh my God, I love this song!” Navya exclaimed in delight.

All their wristbands started blinking with yellow lights. A few couples around her began to slow dance. Armaan held a hand out to her.

He looked into her eyes. “Dance with me.”

Her breath stuttered.

“So far, you have proved immune to me and my charms,da. Do you think a dance will change that? Do you think you won’t be able to resist me if I take you in my arms?”

His words were a challenge, but she had to prove it to him and to herself that she was capable of resisting him. Carefully, she placed her hand in his. She had to control the tremor thatran down her when her hand touched his. Despite her gloves, she could still feel the heat of his hand.

He pulled her to his chest. Her hands fell on his shoulders. She looked anywhere but at him.

He leaned forward and whispered in her ear. “It’s just a dance. I won’t eat you up. Not now, at least.”

Her eyes jumped on him, narrowing in annoyance. He grinned, looking victorious. She’d given him exactly what he wanted, her looking at him. His smile widened. Mischief danced in his eyes. Her eyes roamed over the sharp angles of his face, taking him in. God, this close, he was even more handsome, and now that she was looking at him, she couldn’t look away. She was transfixed by him. A warning bell clanged in her head, but she ignored it.

His hold on her waist tightened a fraction. Heat seared between them, scorching her skin. His eyes sparked with lust, and his expression clouded with desire. It ignited her own desire for him. This, between them, was dangerous and explosive. It was growing stronger with each second, and she was helpless to resist it, and him. If she wasn’t careful, then she’d get burned. Yet, she was unable to stop looking at him. Not when her favorite song was playing in the background, and not when his scent was all around her and on her. In this moment, she wanted to burn with him.

He leaned forward and rubbed his nose down her throat, inhaling her scent. Her heart pulsed. She let out a slow, shaky breath. The last time he had done this had been aboard his yacht, right after he’d caught her when she’d been trying to escape. Then, too, she had shuddered against him. But that night, she had been so confused by all these emotions awakening inside her that she had turned around and slapped him for taking this liberty with her.

Now also he was doing the same, but she couldn’t bring herself to stop him. All the emotions he was making her feel—need, want, desire, craving—all of it was taking over her mind, and she let it. His nose charted a path from her ear lobe down the side of her throat. She stopped breathing when he swiped his tongue at the base of her neck, over and over, going in a circle.

Lifting his head, he pulled her closer and tipped her face up with his hand. Their lips were only a hairsbreadth apart now.

Her heart rumbled. The desire that had been slowly simmering inside her boiled over. For the life of her, she couldn’t understand why she’d been resisting him for so long. He was the only man to ever make her heart beat so fast and to make her feel so damn alive. He made her desire him when she’d truly never desired another man before. He’d awakened this urge, this need inside her that was aching to be fulfilled, and God help her, she was going to fulfil it. Right here. Right now.

She closed the distance between them and pressed her lips to his. It took him less than a second to react. His hold on her tightened some more, and his lips began to move against hers with a hunger that matched hers. All her thoughts scrambled and fled. The world around her disappeared. There was only him and her, and their bodies that were straining to get closer. To become one.

His hands moved restlessly over her body, gripping, tightening, stroking. He licked her lips open, deepening the kiss, plunging inside her mouth, tasting her essence. Her arms tightened around his neck. Her tongue sought his, needing the friction, demanding his attention. And he gave it. His one hand returned to her nape, tilting her head further back, and then his tongue settled to play with hers. Desire bubbled in her blood. Need made her dizzy. She couldn’t remember if she was breathing or not. It didn’t matter. Nothing did. She was lost toeverything but the delicious feel of his mouth on hers and the pleasure coursing in her veins.

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