Page 45 of Obsession

She’d deliberately provoked him, and instead of walking away, he’d kissed her. He’d ached to do more. If it wasn’t for her phone ringing, he would have buried himself deep inside her wet heat, uncaring of the consequences.

Thank God he’d been interrupted.

He looked outside his window. The sunlight glinted off the mirrored facades of all the skyscrapers adjacent to his. Today’s incident had highlighted a very important fact—that he was unable to control himself around Ananya Mehra. This attraction between Anna and him was off the charts. It smoldered hot despite the time, distance, and all that had transpired in between. He just had to touch her, and the heat turned into an all-out inferno. He’d entered her office, and had wanted to touch her on sight. She’d looked so pretty in that beige dress, her hair loose around her shoulders, his ring dangling on her chest, and her pink lips pouted in irritation.

That instant need to touch her had unsettled him, and instead of the calm discussion he had intended, he’d behaved inexplicably rude with her. Their interaction had been doomed from that moment, and Anna had made it worse.

He could no longer deny that he wanted her. Desperately. Intensely. This desire, this need he felt to claim her, was growing by leaps and bounds, and he was helpless in controlling it. Once again, she was getting under his skin.

It had taken him years, but he’d believed he was over her. Now, despite her betrayal, he wasn’t so sure anymore.

In retrospect, everything would have been different if he hadn’t approached her that day in the art gallery. Had he stayed away then, everything would have been so different now. His mind drifted to the past and to that time long ago, when she had started to mean the world to him.

The past

Eleven pm on a Friday night, Mihir lay on his bed, unable to sleep, counting the hours till he’d meet her again. His first date with Anna had been something else. Of course, she’d chosen the restaurant and had made a huge display of texting her location to her brother. He’d been thoroughly amused and taken in by her. They’d spent long hours together that night, talking, and it had been fantastic. He didn’t remember ever enjoying himself so much with a woman.

After that night, he’d met her daily. They’d take long walks in Hyde Park or sit in cute cafés, talking non-stop.

Anna was delightful. She was naughty, sassy, vivacious, and gave as good as she got. Somewhere deep down, he had always known that she would change the landscape of his heart. That was why he’d hesitated to pursue her prior to this. She was special. Her eyes sparkled with intelligence and kindness. She was effortlessly graceful, confident, and so damn bold. It had only been a week since they’d started dating, and she’d captivated him completely.

Tonight was the first time in a week that he hadn’t met her or even seen her in college. He knew she had classes at all odd times today, and he knew that she was going out with some friends to a nightclub. She’d asked him to join so she could introduce him to her friends. But he’d refused. Already, he felt that things were moving too fast between them. They were anyway scheduled to meet tomorrow. Perhaps a day away from her would clear his mind from the spell she’d woven around him. Perhaps then, this strange new ache he felt in his heart would settle down or even go away.

However, now, alone in his house with nothing to do but think about her, the ache in his heart felt even more persistent, and he realized how foolish he’d been. He was sulking at home all by himself, feeling lonely, when he could have been out spending time with Anna. Fuck, he was an idiot.

He sent her a text.

Hello, Anna

He waited for a reply but it didn’t come. Disappointed, he’d just put his phone down when it beeped. His heart soared.

Hello, Mihir. Are you missing me?

He chuckled.

What if I am?

Come meet me. I’m at Luxe.

Ugh! I don’t do nightclubs

Are you like 70? Just come. I’ll put your name on the guest list

Don’t. I’ll see you tomorrow.

Suit yourself. You don’t know what you’re missing.

Assuming the conversation was done, he put his phone down. It beeped again. His eyes widened when he saw the selfie she’d sent him. His heart flipped. Holy hell. Dressed in a strappy silver dress, her eyes smoky, her hair flowing loose, and her lips painted a bold red, she was absolutely stunning.

He shot out of his bed. God, he was behaving like a fucking idiot again.

Half an hour later, he was outside the nightclub. He grimaced at the long queue of people waiting to get inside. Mihir knew this place. Armaan insisted on coming here whenever he was in town. And while Mihir didn’t like to use the influence of his name, tonight, he had no choice. He called the manager, and within seconds, he was ushered inside.

Loud, thumping music hit his ears as he entered the club. Flashing strobe lights sliced through the smoky air. And the people. God, there were so many of them—moving, talking, dancing. It was a sensory overload. His eyes searched the crowd for her, pausing and moving past every woman in sight. His heart squeezed when he looked at the dance floor, and there she was.

Anna was dancing with a guy. His hands were on her waist, while her hands rested on his shoulders. Jealousy, swift and sharp, cut through him. He had an inexplicable urge to leave. Perhaps, he had misjudged what she felt for him.

The guy whispered something in her ear, and the two of them moved to a side corridor. Mihir watched them from a distance, his entire focus on her. The man said something, and Anna turned away from him. He caught her arm, pulling her closer. Her face contorted with anger as the two of them began to argue. Mihir rushed to her.

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