Page 20 of Power

A black sports car with tinted windows drove up to the curb in front of the bar. The driver’s side door opened, and a tall and tanned figure stepped out.Too late. Shyam made his way around the front of the car and stalked toward me.

God, he looked good. His black collared shirt hugged his tight muscles. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing his muscular forearms. Dark jeans hung low on his hips. My eyes lazily roamed just below his hips to his crotch. I realized too late that I was gawking and quickly righted my gaze up to his face. A knowing smirk lit up his sexy face. This man was a fucking Indian god, and he knew it.

“Get in,” he ordered as he opened the passenger-side door.

“I can walk home.” I continued walking past him. Since the universe wouldn’t allow me to preserve my ego around this man, I stumbled on a chunk of uneven pavement.

His hands quickly grabbed me before my butt met the sidewalk. “You’re drunk. Get in the car. Now.”

“I live one block over. I’ll be fine,” I said as I found enough balance to stand on my own.

“I don’t take well to repeating myself. Get your ass in the car before I put you inside.”

I sighed in resignation.Fine.I walked back to the car and sulked into the seat. Shyam got into the driver’s seat and put the car in drive. He drove in silence, with his hand gripping the gearshift. His frustration with me showed in the white of his knuckles.

When we were alongside the front of my building, Shyam didn’t stop the car. He kept driving past it.

“Hey! We missed my building,” I said, pointing backward.

He stayed silent.

I raised my voice to get his attention. “Stop! Where are you going?”

“Somewhere to sober you up,” he said, his eyes still focused on the road.

I stopped arguing, knowing that it was pointless to do so with Shyam. Turning my head to peer out of the passenger window, I took in the high rises and the soft glow of the New York City lights. They hypnotized me, steadying my thoughts. I felt myself drift off with the gentle vibration of the car and surrendered to the effects of the alcohol. The smell of cologne and tobacco soothed me to sleep.

I didn’t know how long I had slept for, but when I awoke, the city lights I was accustomed to had disappeared. There were no buildings in sight, nor pedestrians walking on the street. The road was dark and eerie. Trees lined it, but instead of looking peaceful and welcoming, they seemed foreboding and haunting.

We approached a massive metal gate. It was impenetrable. Shyam braked the car, and the gate slid open, allowing us passage. Large flood lights lit the driveway to what looked like a fortress. It was basically a cement building with darkened windows, no ornate architecture or elaborate landscaping.

“Where are we?” I asked.

“My home away from home,” he answered.

How could anyone live here?It looked so…cold.

We pulled into an underground garage with bright lights shining overhead. I had to squint through the brightness to make out the various sleek cars that decorated the lot. Shyam pulled his car into a spot between a yellow Lamborghini and a white Maserati. I was not surprised that he would own so many expensive cars but work in a city where driving them was nearly impossible.Wealthy tech CEOs and their toys.

He moved to the passenger side and opened my door. Apparently, chivalry wasn’t dead, even if you were a criminal. I stepped out of the car and grabbed onto the door handle to steady myself. My brain still felt groggy, despite my mini nap. Shyam grasped my hand in his for support as he led me through the garage. Sparks flew up my arm from his touch, waking up my clouded brain. Anytime our skin made contact, I felt the energy of our chemistry.

We reached an industrial door with a retina scanner on the side of it. Shyam lowered his head and the door slid open, revealing an elevator. I stepped over the threshold, still holding his hand. Looking down at our joined hands, I noticed how our fingers had become intertwined unintentionally. He wasn’t just holdingmyhand anymore; I was holdinghisin return. He caught me staring at our union, and my cheeks reddened with my embarrassment that he’d caught me. I felt him give my hand a gentle squeeze—reassurance that he wanted this too.

The doors opened, revealing a spacious living area with black marble floors. Gray leather couches lined the perimeter. Two sleek, low-lying wood coffee tables lay centered between the couches. A fireplace warmed the space in front of the couches. The interior looked nothing like the plain exterior of the home.

Expansive windows lined the far wall. I left Shyam’s grasp and walked over to see the view. The sky was unusually dark for New York. I hadn’t seen dark skies like this since I moved from the Pacific Northwest. Stars dusted the charcoal sky. It was beautiful.

“How far away are we from the city?” I asked.

“About ninety minutes,” he replied while busying himself in the kitchen just off to the left of the living room. With the open floor plan, I could see through into the kitchen, which was just as sleek and masculine as the living room.

“Do you drive to work from here every day?” That commute must be so long, even if he used a driver.

“No, I have a place in the city that I use during the week. I come here on weekends for privacy.”

Privacy for work or pleasure?I imagined he would want privacy for his illegal dealings, but maybe he brought other women here too. A flash of irritation coursed through me. Images of the bimbo fawning all over him the other night at Nirvanaplayed like a movie on a screen in my head.

Shaking my head to stop my thoughts, I came back to reality. He was a gorgeous and powerful man, so it was stupid to think that he was a celibate monk in his spare time. Yet, I couldn’t stop the bitterness I felt at the idea of him with another woman.

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