Page 35 of One Hellish Wedlock
“The same friend from abroad?”
She nodded. “Take the next right. I’ll direct you.”
They sat in silence as Reyansh drove through the night. Aanya’s frustration still lingered in the air like a storm cloud.
Suddenly, she shifted in her seat, fidgeting. Her fingers stretched awkwardly behind her back as she tried to tug something into place.
Reyansh glanced sideways only to hear her murmur.
“The damn zip on this dress is sliding down,” she hissed, trying again to reach it.
It was already halfway open, and she had no idea how to fix it without help.
Reyansh slowed at the next red light, watching her contort and fail. “You’re going to sprain something doing that.”
“I can manage,” she snapped, still struggling. “I’ve changed outfits in a moving car. A zip is child’s play.”
He didn’t argue. But the thought of her changing clothes in a moving vehicle hit a nerve. If she wasn’t driving, then who was with her? Hot and unexpected jealousy stabbed at him. He didn’t ask. He didn’t want to know if she’d been with anyone else in the last year and a half, even if they were technically still married.
So he just drove…jaw tight, sulking in silence.
When they finally pulled into the quiet lane near Navya’s residence, he parked the car and turned to her. She was still struggling with the zip, clearly frustrated.
“Turn around,” he said quietly. “I’ll fix it.”
She narrowed her eyes. “No thanks. I’ve reached. I can manage inside.”
“No, you can’t,” he bit out. “There are guards patrolling your friend’s residence. I don’t want anyone catching a glimpse of your… current state of undress.”
She laughed bitterly. “And I don’t want to giveyoua free show of my flawless back. How about that?”
He clenched his jaw. “Trust me, Aanya, I have no such fantasy.”
His patience was fraying, and she saw it. The way his fingers gripped the steering wheel, and the flicker in his eyes was the proof of his restraint.Barely hanging on.
“I can zip you up without even looking at yourflawlessback,” he added.
She stared at him for a moment, her defiance fading. “How?”
“Come here,” he said, this time softer, like it wasn’t just about the zip anymore.
Against her better judgment, she leaned slightly toward him.
Just a little. Just enough.
Reyansh didn’t waste a second. His arm slid around her waist, just firm enough to pull her gently closer. The other hand moved to her back, fingers finding the edge of the zipper with frustrating ease.
And then she froze.
Because suddenly, she could feelhim…not just his hand, but his presence. His breath, the press of his body, the faint hum of tension that vibrated in the narrow space between them.
The scent of his crisp cologne hit her first, making her skip a heartbeat. She had never been this close to him before, not like this.
Not now,she told herself.Not with him. Not after everything.
But her body wasn’t listening.
Even Reyansh didn’t say a word. Didn’t smirk. Didn’t tease. He just looked at her…eyes locked and unmistakably intense. And then, slowly,painfullyslowly, he began to pull the zipper up.
