Page 26 of Twisted Bonds

Thirty minutes later, she stopped in front of the Meena fort. Her smile widened when she saw a familiar black horse waiting outside the fort ruins without a rider.

Getting down, she left her horse next to Manik and went into the fort. It was late morning, and she intended to return to the Bhil mansion well before sunset.

Just as she stepped into the fort, strong hands grabbed her and pushed her against the stone wall. Her heart raced while heat spread through her body.

“You are late, Mrs. Thakvar,” a gruff masculine voice murmured against her lips.

“I’m not late,” she gasped between her breaths. “You are early.”

White teeth flashed in the semidarkness even as strong hands began to move over her body, touching her, caressing her. Their mouths met in a deep kiss. Soon, there were no more words as passion took over completely. A week-long separation added desperation to their passion.

By the time Gauri could finally catch her breath, she was lying on top of the muscled chest where she could feel the racing heart come to a steady beat. She felt him reaching for her hand and slipping something on her finger. She raised her head.

The shadows inside the fort had shifted in the past hour, and sunlight fell over the familiar handsome face. She traced her finger over his cheekbones and jawline, marveling at his masculine beauty.

“Happy anniversary, love,” he said with a grin.

She looked at her hand and saw a large, stunning sapphire ring that matched the Bhil clan color.

“Happy anniversary of the day when I nearly killed you?” she teased.

It wasn’t their wedding anniversary. It was the anniversary of the day when they had met for the first time, and she attacked him with arrows to scare him away from forming an alliance with the Bhil clan.

She hadn’t known at that time that Rishab Thakvar wasn’t the kind to get scared away. And that danger would only challenge him further and would make him come after her.

He laughed. “Well, there’s that, but it’s the day I saw and fell in love with my desert rose.”

Warmth spread through her heart at his words.

It had been over ten years since they got married. But each time she saw him, touched him, or heard him talk, she was still filled with wonder about how incredibly lucky she was to have him in her life. She was glad that she tricked him into marrying her.

He was handsome, romantic, and protective. She knew he would lay his life to protect her and their loved ones. He was also arrogant and commanding, often driving her crazy. But no matter how much they argued or fought, their love remained strong.

She would love him until her last breath.

“I love you,” she said, kissing him again and letting him feel her love.

He let out a dramatic groan. “Don’t kiss me like that now, wife. Or you’ll blame me for keeping us here for too long.”

She laughed. She wished they could spend more time in the fort, which was their private sanctuary. But they had a lot of things to finish before they left for the Thakvar mansion the next day.

Taking a deep breath, she was about to get up, but his hands tightened.

She laughed. “Anika and Neel will be home soon.”

Reluctantly, the grip on her loosened. Before he changed his mind and also hers, she got up and straightened her clothes.

Soon, they headed out from the fort to their home.

***

There was a flurry of activity at the Bhil mansion. Preparations were being made to pack specialty sweets and other gifts to the Thakvar mansion the next day.

“Mr. Thakvar, welcome back home!”

“Thanks, Rumi,” Rishab greeted the housekeeper with a smile.

“Sir, your favorite junglee maas curry and sweets are for tonight’s dinner!”

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