Page 56 of The Royal Contract

“Sanjana,” he said against her lips, his voice filled with agony as she stroked him from the base to the head in a twisting motion. Encouraged by his reaction, she repeated the motion by slowly increasing the pressure with every stroke. She felt powerful, and she continued to pleasure him with her steady strokes. Jai had his eyes locked on her even as the water dripped down his face, his breathing turning ragged with every stroke.

He groaned and pulled her closer to him even as she tugged and pulled on him with different variations of strokes and pressure until he exploded. The pulsation against her palm as he peaked set off her throbbing deep inside.

Jai groaned her name, his breath hot in her ear, and his voice trailed off as he gasped for air under the running shower. She clung to him as he shuddered, her lips nibbling the soaked skin on his chest. Fueled by her need to please him, she followed the signals her body gave her, and she closed her mouth over the taut muscle on his chest, digging her teeth into his flesh.

He let out a feral cry, and she felt his fingers grip her hair, angling her head to consume her mouth hungrily as his hand squeezed the globe of her bottom. She was wet from the shower, but deep inside, she had another reason for the surge. He pushed her back into the shower’s glass wall, making it vibrate. The cold surface didn’t bother her as the man who held her possessively set her ablaze.

The sweet pain his lips inflicted on hers was the only matching force to the dull ache that demanded to be satiated. His fingertips dented her soft skin as he lifted her feet off the shower floor, opening her up for his invasion. “Hold on, baby!”

With those words, he started a riot in the shower. She cried out in pleasure every time he drove in and gasped when he pulled back to only ram into her for the ultimate peak. When she felt her release sizzle through her, she groaned his name, her mouth going to his neck, and as if to dissipate the power of her explosion, she sank her teeth into his skin, making him groan. Hearing him cry with pleasure set her off on another peak as she clung to him.

*****

Later that morning, Sanjana sat in one of the front rows, her eyes on the man who made her body jitter from just the way he looked at her. They were at the press conference, where the new airline was announced. He yet again surprised her with her father’s presence at the event.

She looked at her husband with pride as her father praised him for involving people from their region who were settled outside India to be involved as well. She narrowed her eyes at him like she understood why they traveled through so many countries and met all the people on their so-called honeymoon.

He held her gaze from the stage where he was seated and gently ran his finger over his collar. A threat that he would reveal the hickey she had left on him from their rendezvous in the shower that morning.

Heat crept to her cheeks, and she looked away, unable to hold his gaze. It was an exciting day for the region and the country, and it was all because of the man she was married to.

How could anyone not love him?

Don’t you dare fall for him!The pragmatic voice raged from deep inside.You can’t afford to be thinking about him even after the contract term expires.

It was delightful to be with him, and she knew, just like anything good, it had to come to an end. She raised her eyes to look at him and found his eyes trained on her like he was picking up on the strain she was experiencing.

His eyebrow went up as if questioning what was going on, and she smiled, gently shaking her head. The man was on a mission to keep his family happy and to give his extended family of the region the opportunities they deserved. She was part of the mission, and just because he indulged her in their lust for each other, it didn’t mean she could have him all to herself.

The idea of not being with him brought tears to her eyes, even as her father praised him in front of the entire world through the lens of a reporter. How would they end the contract? Announcement on social media? What would that do to the royal family image?

Or maybe she would be expected to silently leave, and everyone would be told she was away at work? Initially, she didn’t care enough about him or the marriage to have thought through all these scenarios. It all felt entwined at that point, and she had no brain power to unravel it all.

What if she made a scene and refused to leave the palace?

*****

Sanjana was in her parents’ backyard, looking into the night sky, lost in thought. After the announcement of the new airline, they went to her parents’ place for dinner. All day, her thoughts circled around the what-ifs with the hope of an outcome that would allow her to be with him.

What if he doesn’t want this to go beyond a year according to the contract?

“Sanjana, are you out here?” It was her sister calling out into the dark. She knew it was a matter of time before someone came looking for her. She secretly hoped for it to be her husband, and the disappointment was hopefully not something Deepika would notice. “Why are you hiding in the dark?” Deepika turned on one of the lights and walked over to where Sanjana was seated on a bench.

Deepika handed her a small bowl with her favorite dessert and sat next to her on the bench. Moments passed in silence, and finally, her sister asked, “What’s going on, Sanjana?”

Sanjana was shaken out of her spiraling thoughts and looked at her sister. “What do you mean, what’s going on?” She scoffed. “I’m just chilling here.” She hoped her sister would not pick up on the turmoil she was harnessing internally.

Deepika placed the bowl on a small side table and cleared her throat. “You need to stop BS-ing me.” She placed her hand on Sanjana’s shoulder. “Look at me when I’m talking to you.”

She slowly looked up at her sister, debating what to say next to deflect her from the topic at hand. “Deepika, what’s there to hide? I just needed some alone time, and I miss the backyard so… I can’t hang out here?”

Deepika let out a sigh. “You can keep saying what you want, but we are not leaving here until you tell me what’s really bothering you.” Her sister was smart and also adamant by nature and combined with the protective older-sister trait, Sanjana knew she didn’t have much wiggle room.

How can she tell her sister about the contract? That would be a breach of his trust.

“If you don’t start talking in the next ten seconds, I’m calling Papa. Then you and I both know there will only be the truth that will come out of your mouth,” Deepika threatened, her eyes narrowing at Sanjana.

Sanjana knew it was time to come clean with her sister. About everything, not just the contract but also the fact that she had abandoned her IAS exam training and had been pursuing a career as a pilot. She took a deep breath and held Deepika’s hand in hers. “Promise me…” she said, her voice weak, and added, “… you will not repeat what I’m telling you to anyone. Not even Surya. You cannot tell anyone.”

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