Page 39 of The Pursuit
“Krish...” I began uncertainly, my voice already husky from our passionate exchange.
He cut me off with a harsh shake of his head. “I’m not some toy for you to play with and discard whenever you feel like it, Agent Trisha.” The use of my title, spat out like a curse, stung worse than a slap.
Krish’s eyes raked over me with blatant accusation. “You think you can just seduce me, get whatever sick satisfaction you want, and then go back to treating me like I’m no one?”
I opened my mouth to protest, but he closed the distance between us again in two strides, gripping my arms in a punishing hold. “Do you enjoy doing that, Trisha?” he growled, his face mere inches from mine. “Stay the fuck away from me,” he snarled.
The crude words felt like a punch to the gut, forcing the air from my lungs. Then, as abruptly as he had grabbed me, Krish shoved me away from him. I stumbled back a few steps, gasping for breath as he pinned me with a look of pure, undisguised loathing.
With that, Krish spun on his heel and stormed backinside, leaving me alone on the terrace. I could only clutch my arms around my torso as the hot sting of tears burned my eyes. Why the hell had I kissed him?
CHAPTER 15 (Chasing Love)
KRISH
Next Day
I paced restlessly around my room, my mind replaying the intense, unexpected kiss I’d shared with Trisha on the terrace last night. The memory of her soft lips crushed against mine, her fingers tugging at my hair, our bodies pressed together in a desperate, heated embrace—it all felt like a dream. Or rather, a torturous, tantalising nightmare I couldn’t escape.
“Where the hell are my sunglasses?” I muttered, frantically patting my pockets. I needed a distraction, anything to get Trisha off my mind.
Just then, Ayaan strolled in, grinning from ear to ear. “Right here, genius.” He plucked the sunglasses from my front shirt pocket and handed them to me.
I snatched them back, feeling my cheeks heat up. “I... I knew that.”
Ayaan chuckled, his eyes gleaming with mischief as he leaned closer. “By the way, what happened to your lip? Got a little nibble there.”
My fingers instinctively flew to my lower lip, and I winced at the tender soreness. Trisha’s passionate bite mark was still there, a branded reminder of our encounter. I quickly glanced at the mirror, then back at Ayaan, hoping to play it off.
“Uhh, something must have bit me. I don’t know.”
“Something, huh?” Ayaan barked out a laugh. “Or should I say someone?”
I glowered at him, willing the blush to subside.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. And if you are here to waste my time, then get out. I’ve loads of work to do yet, all thanks to your silly plan of confronting Raghav alone in ‘The Roost’ pub.”
“Why are you being cranky?” Ayaan mocked.
“I’m not being cranky,” I muttered, cutting off Ayaan mid-sentence. “In fact, why are you in my room? Why aren’t you bothering your wife today?”
Ayaan chuckled, plopping down on the sofa. “She’s busy with Dad in the kitchen. She has no time for me for now.”
“So, you mean I’m your backup for timepass?”
Ayaan chuckled.
“Something is definitely wrong with you, buddy. You got mood swings?”
I rolled my eyes. “Can we just focus on the plan for your ‘Roost encounter’ with Raghav?”
“Alright, alright.” Ayaan held up his hands in surrender, though the amusement never left his expression. “So, about confronting Raghav at The Roost...”
As Ayaan outlined the details of our mission, I found it increasingly difficult to concentrate. All I could think about was the way Trisha had kissed me, the desperate heat and hunger in her touch. I’d never expected her to initiate something so passionate, so unrestrained. It hadcaught me completely off guard.
“Back to earth, Krish!” Ayaan’s voice suddenly snapped me back to the present. “You still with me?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah, sorry.” I avoided looking at him because I knew the moment my friend would look into my eyes, he would know I’d fallen in love. I still was in love.With Trisha.No matter how much I denied that, even to myself.
