Page 29 of Right Where I Belong
She sneaked a glance at him. His eyes remained on the descending pods of the Ferris Wheel.
God, his face… It always got to her. Under the dim lighting, the shadows played across his features, making him look even more devastatingly handsome. Her pulse fluttered in her throat. Get a grip, she scolded herself. Already, thanks to her stupidity, an awkwardness had crept between them, one she didn’t know how to eliminate. She focused on her surroundings, only to realize that he’d bypassed the long queue and led her straight to the side. A glowing pod stopped in front of them. Once it emptied of its occupants, Aditya led her inside.
The glass pod doors slid shut with a soft hiss, sealing them in. A small bench was placed at the side. Instead of taking that, she stood near the window, taking in the view. Aditya stood beside her. A gentle hum filled the space as the Ferris wheel began its slow ascent, lifting them above the chaos of the club below. Thelights from the dance floor sparkled beneath them like a galaxy of light scattered across the dark.
“It’s beautiful up here,” she murmured, not looking at him.
“It is,” he replied.
When she turned to look at him, he wasn’t looking at the view. He was looking at her, his gaze heavy, filled with something she didn’t quite understand. Her chest constricted. She’d behaved foolish with him earlier, and she needed to apologize.
“You’ve been quiet…” she began softly.
He didn’t reply. He continued to watch her, his gaze far too intense.
“Can I be honest?” he finally asked.
“Of course.” Her heart fell, and her face flushed. God, this was the moment he’d reprieve her for her folly.
“I’m trying not to do something stupid,” he finally said. His words took her by surprise.
“Like what?” she asked.
“Like this.”
He stepped closer, close enough that she could feel the warmth radiating from him, close enough that her heart began to thud against her ribs. Her back grazed the side of the pod as he leaned in, slow and deliberate. One arm lifted and braced above her head, caging her in. A shaky breath escaped her mouth. His eyes dropped to her lips. He hesitated—one second, two—but she didn’t move away. She couldn’t. Tremors shot down her spine; anticipation curled in her belly. And then, just before his lips met hers, clarity struck her like a bolt of lightning.
She’d been wrong. This attraction wasn’t one-sided. He was caught in it too. Whatever this was between them, it had pulled him in just as hard. Before she could even finish that thought, his lips brushed hers, and she forgot how to breathe.
The kiss was gentle. Slow, tentative, giving her space to retreat or reject him. She wanted to do neither. She wrapped her arms around his head and pressed her lips to his, giving him all the permission he needed to take it up a notch. And he did. In the space of a heartbeat, the kiss changed from slow and soft to urgent and demanding.
Her hands found his shoulders, her fingers curling around them. Aditya’s arms slid around her waist, drawing her in, their bodies fitting together like they’d done it a hundred times before. He’d stirred something deep inside her—an ache, a hunger she hadn’t felt in years. And God help her, she wasn’t going to fight it. Not tonight. Not with him. She was going to give in to this blinding need, this pull, right here, right now.
His grip on her waist tightened, drawing her flush against him. His lips moved over hers with an urgency that mirrored her own. Her thoughts scattered and vanished into thin air. The world beyond the glass pod melted away. There was only him and her, and the desperate pull between their bodies, straining to get closer. To blur every line and to become one.
His hands moved restlessly over her body, gripping, stroking, urging her closer. He licked her lips open, deepening the kiss. His tongue plunged into her mouth, tasting her like he couldn’t get enough. It wasn’t enough, not by a long shot. It was just the beginning. And she wanted more, so much more from him. Her arms wrapped tighter around his neck, her tongue seeking his—demanding, hungry for the friction, forhim.
His hand slid back to cradle her nape, tilting her head just the way he wanted, as his tongue slowed, tangled, and teased. Molten desire surged through her blood. Need made her dizzy. She wasn’t sure if she was breathing anymore. It didn’t matter. Nothing did. All that existed was the heat of his mouth on hers, the pleasure curling through her veins, the wild beat of her heart, and the desperate pulse in her core. He shifted, and his thigh slidbetween hers, pulling her impossibly closer. She gasped as his hardness pressed into her stomach, setting off sparks that shot straight to her core. Her nipples tightened in response, aching against the barrier of her bra. God.There were far too many clothes between them.
“Fuck,” he breathed, his voice rough with need as he touched his forehead to hers. “I can’t believe this is happening. I wantyou,Sabrina. Right now. Will you come with me?”
Her pulse thudded in her ears as the weight and meaning of his words settled in her chest.
Hewantedher.
She stared up at him, her thoughts spiraling. She’d spent years building walls around her heart, her body, and her life. Being a widow had come with expectations, and with motherhood, even more. Between raising her son and surviving her mother-in-law’s cold judgment, she’d forgotten what it meant towantsomething just for herself. And she wanted Aditya. Truth be told, she’d wanted him for a long time. But tonight was the first time she felt confident enough to actually do something about it.
Far away from the weight of home, the obligations, the buried grief, their common friends, and her past mistakes that still haunted her, she felt free.
And Aditya? He wasn’t looking at her like she was broken or burdened. He looked at her like she waswhole. Desirable. Sexy. Maybe it was this city, the music, the heat between them. Maybe it was the two drinks she’d consumed earlier. Maybe it was just the magic of the night. Or maybe she was simply tired of waiting for permission to feel alive again. For once, she didn’t want to think. She just wanted to feel. And right now, she wantedhim.
“Yes,” she whispered.
She kissed him again, showing him that she wanted him too. That this attraction between them had exploded beyond herimagination. That it was dragging her under too. She wanted him. Urgently. Desperately. And she wasn’t going to pretend otherwise.
A throat cleared behind them. Aditya shifted, touching his head to hers again. His ragged breaths matched her own. He brushed a last kiss to her lips before taking her hand and guiding her out of the pod, past the waiting security and then out of the club.
Her heart was beating wildly as he led her to the main section of the hotel. His palm was warm and firm against her back as they stepped into the elevator. She stood flush against him, heart pounding, his scent and heat surrounding her like a cocoon. Neither of them spoke. Words felt too small for what was unravelling between them.
