Page 48 of Right Where I Belong
He was happy. Not just content, not just fine, but truly, deeply happy. Life had always been good, but now it felt different. Fuller. Richer. As if something had finally clicked into place. Whatever was blooming between him and Sabrina, it was special. And it was pulling him in deeper every day. The teasing messages, the heated glances, the face-to-face conversations, holding hands, stealing kisses, heated touches that lingered for a long, long time—all of it had become the favorite part of his day.
The last few days had been all about getting to know one another. They met daily at her house for a casual meal, followed usually by a walk. Shauna had very kindly stayed out of the way allowing Sabrina and him privacy, and it had been perfect. Their time together was filled with warm conversations and laughter. It all felt… easy. Natural. Like slipping into a rhythm that was always meant to be theirs.
But tonight, he was taking Sabrina out on a proper date; it was going to be their first proper date after they’d started seeing each other. He let out an excited breath. It was a Friday, six days since the night that had wrecked him. So much had changed since then. He knew her so much better now.
Sabrina had shared a lot of herself with him—about her work, her son, how she’d fulfilled her dream of becoming a successful entrepreneur. Even the little things, like her favorite ice cream flavor—vanilla—and her love for all things purple.
But there were still some doors she kept closed. She never spoke about her marriage, her childhood or her side of the family. He wondered why. However, he wasn’t in a rush. He smiled to himself. He had time. They had time.
He, too, had shared more of himself with her than he had with anyone in a long while. He’d told her about his father, including how the man’s recklessness had destroyed their family business. And how his mother had picked up the pieces, rebuilt everything from scratch, and raised him with strength and dignity. His mother had taught him everything he knew about resilience, loyalty, and ambition. They were close, more like friends than just parent and child, and he adored her. He told her how he enjoyed F1 racing and cricket, how he loved Dubai and Singapore and had often considered moving base permanently to one of these cities, but hadn’t because his mother refused to move, and he couldn’t fathom not having her around. That was one of the key reasons he traveled so much and so often.
All through these last few days, he had wanted to show Sabrina the man he was, and learn the person she was. And he did like her. He liked everything about her. Liking her had been so easy. Resisting her, on the other hand, was so Goddamn hard. Each time he kissed her goodnight, it was getting harder to leave. Harder to not pull her back into his arms and show herjust how much he craved her. Because he did. God, he wanted her with a passion he hadn’t known he was capable of.
The worst part was that sheknewexactly how much he wanted her. And now thathewas determined to go slow and ‘do it right,’ she’d decided to test his resolve with a seduction that was equal parts calculated and irresistible. She’d touch him often, her fingers grazing against his jaw, his throat, or his arms. She’d kiss him longer, harder, her arms wrapping even tighter around him during their goodnight kisses. Fuck.
Each night had become a test of his willpower. A delicious and torturous test. He’d leave her door aching, his body tense, every part of him screaming to go back. He sighed, looking to the side. She was driving him crazy with want.
The front doors of the building lobby slid open. Sabrina stepped out into the golden glow of the streetlights and damn near stole the air from his lungs. She was wearing the emerald green dress he’d gifted her. The silky fabric hugged her curves and swished around her legs as she walked. On her feet were those killer Louboutins. And heknewthat underneath, she was wearing the black silk and lace he’d sent her earlier that week—lingerie he’d imagined her in. His pulse surged.
Why the hell had he been waiting so long to claim her again? Because now, watching her walk toward him, looking sexy as sin, he realized something with bone-deep certainty. He was well and truly fucked, and he didn’t want to wait any longer.
She opened the other rear side door and slid in beside him, her leg brushing his. The faint scent of her perfume curled around him, soft, sexy like her.
“Hello,” she greeted him, her voice low and teasing.
“You look beautiful.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek, just long enough to hear her soft exhale. “You’re trying to kill me, aren’t you?”
She tilted her head. “Why would I do that?”
“To punish me for holding back all these days, especially when with every touch and kiss you’ve been pushing me to go further.”
She laughed, the sound low and throaty. “Then you should have acted on it.”
His lips twitched. “You’re the one who wanted to go slow.”
“And I was also the one who said fuck slow. Slow was a stupid idea. We hardly have four weeks now. Why wait?”
He caught her hand and brought it to his mouth, kissing her knuckles. “Let’s ditch dinner and go straight to my hotel.”
Her other hand traced the sharp line of his jaw, her touch feather light. “Tempting. But I’m hungry. And I want to try this restaurant you keep bragging about. Shauna said the soupy dimsums they serve are divine.”
“You’re doing this on purpose!” he said, letting his teeth scrape down her hand. Her soft gasp was music to his ears. “That’s fine, beautiful. Ipromiseyou’ll pay for it later. Tonight, I’m making you mine.”
Her eyes were dark when they met his. “I can’t wait… Adi.”
“Fuck,” he growled. The way she said his name… This woman knew exactly how to drive him out of his mind.
He instructed his driver to proceed. The car surged forward, and within minutes, they pulled up outside the elegant restaurant he had picked for the evening. A host led them to a corner table by the window, and soon they were seated, their drinks in hand—his usual malt, and a cocktail for her.
The atmosphere between them crackled like a live wire. He studied her. Seated beside him on the round table, Sabrina looked radiant, like sin draped in silk.
Finding his eyes on her, she dropped her glass on the table and uncrossed her legs. A wicked grin spread on her lips, and then he felt it—her foot slowly teasing his ankle beneath the table. His breath faltered. Her mouth curved into a sexy smile.Damn. She knew exactly the effect this was having on him. And she was enjoying it.
“I’m losing my mind, beautiful…” he whispered.
“Oh?” Her brows arched, amused.
“You’ve been seducing me since the second you stepped out of your building.”
