Page 22 of Driven By Desire
“Max.” A firm hand on her arm stayed her from sliding into the driver’s seat. “We need to talk.”
Uh oh. Those were never the words you wanted to hear from the man who’d kissed you senseless the previous day. Hoping the smile she pasted on her face passed for jaunty and carefree, Max managed an enquiring, “Anything important?”
“It’s about us.”
“Is there an ‘us’?” Desperate hope had her insides twisting as she waited for his reply.
“There can’t be.” The conviction that underlined the response had any fanciful dreams she’d nurtured dying a brutal death.
“Right. Thanks for the update.” Getting in to the car, she slammed her door shut and started the ignition.
Bending, Krish reached in and wrapped his hand around hers, turning the car off. Keeping his fingers around her own fumbling ones to stop her from turning the key again, he said, “I never meant to hurt you. Give me a chance to explain.”
Pride had her stiffening in her seat. “Relax, Krish, it was just a kiss. There’s really no need to make such a big deal about it.”
The warmth of his strong, long fingers seeped through the stiffness of her own making a mockery of her words. Acutely aware that all she needed to do was turn towards him to align her lips with his own and remind him of the magic they made together when that happened, she stared blindly ahead.
“Whatever else it was, Max, it wasnotjust a kiss.”
Turning now, her furious eyes clashed with his stormy ones. “Step back, Krish.”
“Not till you listen to what I have to say.”
“Go to hell.” Shaking his hand off, she turned the key in the ignition starting the car with a roar. Shoving the gear into reverse, she spun the car around missing his feet by carefully calculated inches. She kept her eyes averted from the stiff figure standing in the driveway and on the road ahead through sheer determination. As she sped away, she vowed that the one thing she wouldn’t do was look back.
---***---
Krish stood at the large bay window in his bedroom that overlooked the backyard and watched Max work. True to herword, she’d arrived at eight and was working at a pace that spoke volumes about her hurry to finish and get out of there. Taking another sip from the enormous coffee mug he held, Krish sighed.
“Problem?” Chirag’s sleepy voice had him glancing over at the door. Wearing grey track pants that hung loosely from his waist and nothing else, he yawned loudly and scrubbed a hand through his hair. Sauntering in, he grabbed Krish’s mug from his hand and came to stand next to him.
“Why would there be a problem?”
“Well, you’re staring soulfully at Max and sighing.” Taking a huge gulp from the mug, Chirag cradled it possessively to his bare chest. Just in case, his brother had any thoughts of reclaiming it.
That was enough to have Krish tear his gaze from Max and look at his brother. “Staring soulfully?”
The incredulous question had Chirag grinning sheepishly. ‘I once went out with this chick who writes poetry.”
Lips twitching, Krish waited for the punchline. Chirag didn’t disappoint.
“She talks in verse.” After a brief pause, he added, “All the time.”
The burst of laughter drew Max’s gaze up to the window. Her eyes briefly skimmed Chirag’s bare chest before landing on Krish. In boxers, a frayed grey t-shirt and a fairly intense case of bedhead, he looked sleepy, rumpled and ridiculously appealing. What a picture the two of them made. If someone could bottle the appeal of the three Mehra brothers, they’d be laughing all the way to the bank.
Glancing back at Chirag, she smiled faintly in acknowledgement of his wave before bending back to her work. She’d been aware of Krish’s gaze following her like a searing brand from the moment he’d stepped up to the window. Probably because she’d found herself stealing glances at his bedroom window in the hope of seeing him all morning. Like a lovesick puppy. Disgusted with herself for still yearning for a man who didn’t want her, she grabbed her phone and dialed a number she’d been avoiding for a while.
Pressing the phone to her ear, she turned her back on the two of them and finalized her plan for the night. She was just ending the call when the two of them sauntered out of the back door and towards her. Chirag had pulled on a t-shirt whether out of deference to her presence or the cold, she didn’t know. From whatever little she’d gotten to know him, she was sure it was the cold.
“Good morning. Come to check on the progress?”
“God, no.” Giving her a casual side hug, Chirag said, “Just came by to say hi.”
Wanting to keep things professional, Max said, “You’re not big on cars either?”
“Love them. Love how sexy I’m going to look when I drive this beauty but it’s not what I want to discuss first thing on a Saturday morning.”
Persisting, Max kept her eyes carefully averted from Krish’s silent figure as she said, “Since the two of you are here, let me just quickly update on you all the work that’s been done.”
