Page 86 of Fixation

She flicked her hand through her hair. “Apart from how you behaved with me, I saw how you all behaved with Navya and Sheena that night at the yacht. You forced Rajiv to come and negotiate with you when you could have simply let them go.”

“Fine, let’s rehash that night and get it over with.” He exhaled. “The only reason we kept Navya and Sheena back was because Mihir wanted Ananya. She knew that, and yet, instead of facing him, she ran away and let Rajiv come into the picture.”

“That’s not true. Ananya wouldn’t do that.”

“You’ve seen Mihir and Ananya together. They have some bad history between them, possibly which none of us know the full details of. My brother changed after whatever transpired between the two of them all those years ago. My guess is that she saw this raw, dark, dangerous side of him, and fled. Think about it, Reina, and tell me it isn’t true.”

“Fine,” she accepted a moment later. “That could be the case. Nonetheless, you used the situation to your advantage.”

“Yes, we did. Dealing with your brother was pure business for us.”

“Of course, it wasbusiness,” she scoffed. “Since you are the cold and calculated brother—the one they send out to close a deal. I’m pretty sure you were the one who suggested the terms of negotiation with my brother.”

He shrugged. “Like I said, it was business. He was willing to give us

a nearly three hundred-million-dollar yacht and free usage of three of his ships for six months to transport our goods anywhere in the world, just to let Sheena and Navya go. Of course, we’d accept.”

“Sure, you would. Right after you put him in that position.”

“Wedidn’t put him in that position. It wasyoursisters and Sheena who put him there by gate-crashing our party. Did you expect them to get away scot-free? You ought to know by now that we don’t take lightly to anyone going against us. They paid a price for their own actions,da? I don’t get why you’re blaming me or my brothers for the consequences thereafter.”

She glared at him.

“Reina, it’s all in the past,” he said. “Everyone has moved on from that, except you.”

Her eyes flared. “And am I supposed to move past the fact that Mihir got me kidnapped and held me hostage to look after you?”

Vedant sighed. “Replace Mihir with Rajiv and reverse the situation. What do you think your brother would have done if it was one of you girls in my place?”

Her expression fell. They both knew he was telling the truth. She opened her mouth, but he held a hand out stopping her.

“Can we forget about the past and our families, and circle back to us… to you and me and how we feel about one another?”

“I hate you,” she snapped. “Now you know how I feel about you. Can we leave now?”

He winced. “Reina… I am sorry. I behaved like a dick. Please, let me make it up to you. Give me a chance to explain.”

“Never. You were my biggest mistake. But it’s done. I have moved on.”

“Really?” He advanced a step closer to her. “You’ve moved on from me?”

“Yes.” Reina remained in place. Her jaw—that defiant jaw lifted. Her lips pouted. God, he had missed her so much.

“So, if I touch you,” he caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers, “Nothing happens,da?”

Her throat bobbed, but other than that, she showed no reaction to him. He moved a step closer. She still held her ground. God, had she truly gotten over him? Had he meant nothing to her? Or had his awful behaviour pushed her away from him? Sadness and desperation clawed inside him. Because if this was truly what she wanted then… then... Fuck. He hated the way that would end. But he would do it for her. He would leave if she didn’t want him. But first, he had to know if she truly felt nothing when he touched her.

His fingers traced the curve of her cheek, the hollow of her neck and across her collarbone. Still, she didn’t react. She simply stared at him, unmoved. He studied her. Every inch of her was stiff as a board, like she didn’t feel a thing when he touched her. His eyes dipped lower down her body and paused at her hands. They were curled into fists so tight that they trembled. His eyes jumped to hers. Hope flared in his chest. Either she truly hated him or she hated how she was reacting to him despite trying to show him otherwise.

Testing that theory out, he lifted her chin and lowered his mouth to hers. Finally, her lips quivered, ever so slightly.

“Tell me to leave you alone, and I will,” he whispered, allowing his hands to roam down her bare arms. “Tell me you don’t want this, and I will go away.”

“I…” she began. Her hands clutched the lapels of his jacket. He was unsure whether she was going to push him away or pull him closer.

“I…” she repeated, her lips trembling under his. “Bloody fucking hell.”

And then she closed the distance between them and slammed her mouth to his. Oh God. He’d found heaven again. His arms wrapped around her waist just as she knotted hers around his head. Mouths melded, tongues clashed, and the kiss turned hot, heavy, hard, and savage. Need rushed through him. Electricity crackled between them. His body hardened. He shifted her a few steps back and lay her against the hood of the car behind her. He moved into her, his mouth never leaving hers, fitting his erection into the vee between her thighs. She moaned, her eyes shutting close.

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