Page 38 of My Sinner

She only had to touch him, and he felt reborn again. Her touch was like a warm welcome home after a long stint of living away. It was thehighafter feelinglowfor the longest. It was a promise of living a fulfilled life, one which could be filled with happiness.

Hope settled in his chest. A hope for more…with her. Happiness had eluded him for so long now. Even now, it was barely in his grasp. Having Avantika in front of him, being able to see her up close and breathe in her scent, and touch her in whatever limited way he could, made him the happiest he’d been in years.

Hearing her speak of her brothers and how they’d welcomed Shaurya in their midst had, however, pinched his heart. He’d been lonely for so long, never making friends and finding it hard to trust people, while Avantika and her family had all thrived and grown. But nobody knew it more than him that they deserved the best. They deserved all the happiness they had found.

However, it still hurt him badly that he wasn’t a part of them anymore, that he’d had to cut himself off from their lives. He’d never forget how the despair in their eyes had changed to hatred for him on that dark night.

On days like this, he wished that things had been different. If they had, maybe he’d have a family, too, one that included Avantika and her brothers. Avantika would have been his; he’d never have had to force her to spend these days with him. Perhaps, they’d have been blessed with children too. His mind painted a picture of a boy who looked like him and a girl who looked like her. The image was so real in his mind’s eye that it made his throat clog.

He took another sip of his drink. His time with Avantika was running out, and soon, he’d have to let her go to fulfill his end of the deal. He’d walk away from her, satisfied that he’d been able to steal at least a minor slice in time with her, that he’d got a second chance with her, however short. He’d have to live with that for the rest of his life. He couldn’t keep her forever, no matter how much he wished for it. He’d let her go as he’d promised he would.

He forced himself to concentrate on what his host was saying. Suddenly, his heart clenched. He looked to the side, and sure enough, she was walking inside the restaurant. Fuck! His heart always knew when she was around. Her brown eyes clashed with his, and his heart clenched harder with each step she took toward him. This woman truly held his heart in her fist, and she didn’t even know it.

He assessed her from top to toe. Fuck! Avantika was gorgeous...a sexy Goddess. Hair, face, body, legs, attitude—everything about her ticked all the boxes of what he wanted in a woman.

His eyes continued to roam over her, unable to stop. She was wearing a sexy low-cut, turquoise blue strappy top over a long black skirt. Her top wrapped around her bounteous breasts, and that tight black skirt hugged every delicious curve before exposing the long length of one leg. She had the barest of makeup on. Her long, silky hair fell in waves down her back, and her lips were painted the softest shade of pink. Her feet were encased in those black stilettoes with red soles. All her tattoos were on display, adding to her appeal. He swallowed. She was so beautiful that his eyes hurt by just looking at her.

He heard a throat clearing, and Dev forced his attention back to his host.

“She really is beautiful,” Mr. Fayadi said. “No wonder you look besotted, Dev.”

“She is…special,” Dev replied before looking at her again.

He stood as she neared him and his host followed.

Her lips curved as she addressed the two men. “My other engagement got cancelled, and I found myself free. I hope you don’t mind if I join you.”

“I’d never mind if a beautiful woman joined me,” Mr. Fayadi said.

If Dev hadn’t known that the older man was happily married for thirty-five years, he would have taken offence to his statement. Despite knowing that, he still felt a coil of anger at another man appreciating Avantika. Fuck! The way he felt so utterly possessive about her truly bordered on insanity. But it was as it was, and he couldn’t do anything about his growing fascination with her. He did wonder why she was here, though.

He pulled out a chair for her and helped her get seated before he sat down again.

A waiter appeared in front of them.

“A Whiskey Sour, please,” Avantika told the man.

No sooner had the waiter retreated than a phone buzzed between them. Their host looked at his phone screen and stood.

“I need to take this call,” he said. “I’ll be back in a moment.”

“What are you doing here?” Dev asked as soon as the older gent was out of earshot.

“I thought I’d help out tonight.”

He rocked back. “Why?”

She ran a hand through her hair. “I’ll answer that after I succeed in helping you.”

“And how do you intend on doing that?”

Her cat-like smile slid through his heart, heating his blood.

“Watch and learn, Mr. Luthra,” she announced just as their host approached.

Bloody hell! He hated that she never took his name.

“Your tattoos are fabulous, Ms. Rajpoot,” the older man said as soon as he took a seat. “Do they mean anything?”

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