Page 46 of Twisted Alliance

Shivay nodded.

“It’s important for you to stay home, son. Ishani needs to get used to you too. For all we know, if things turn bad, you and she might have to go to San Francisco soon—”

“No, Dad. I’m not leaving without you.”

Mihir Thakvar sighed. “You are quite stubborn, son. But I guess I can’t complain because you get that from me.” There was a soft smile. “My stubbornness was what got me your mother. Chitra wasn’t too impressed with me at first. According to her, a God Shiva devotee from a faraway desert land and a God Krishna devotee who grew up in the West wouldn’t have much in common, but we still fell deeply in love.”

Shivay had witnessed the love between his parents until he was ten. Even though he was a child, he could still recall the devastation on his mother’s face when she told him that his father died in an accident.

“I want you to spend more time at home,” Shivay’s father reiterated. “Make use of the home office you had set up. I know you ordered computers for the library and accounting room so your wife can keep busy, but she needs you the most at this time.”

Shivay didn’t say anything.

“All right, I’ll see you later, son. I’m going to the hospital to check on a few things.”

Shivay’s eyes fell on Rai Bahadur, who gave a subtle nod to Shivay to acknowledge that security was taken care of for his father’s hospital visit.

Soon, Shivay’s father left the mansion. As Shivay went to the home office room, his mind fell on Ishani Gujjar, his errant wife.

The act she had put on earlier that morning proved that she was up to something again.

“Yes,” she whispered. “You can t-touch me… as my husband.”

Those words had angered and aroused the hell out of him. He was angry because he knew it was an act with an ulterior motive, but despite knowing it, he still desired her fiercely, making him angrier.

Her nervous seduction made him rock-hard. It had led to a kiss because he wanted to show her what allowing him to touch her would mean. Even though he wanted the kiss to be punishing, it became something more. The moment he felt her soft lips and tasted her sweetness inside, his need for her burned hotter.

It took every ounce of his self-control not to pick her up, put her on the marble countertop, and push up her long skirt before ramming into her as his body craved for so long, but the shocked gasp escaping her mouth and her inexperience stopped him. She might be untrustworthy and dangerous, but it was obvious she was innocent when it came to sex.

Fuck.

He should stop craving his temporary wife. Even though a part of him thought she belonged to him and owed him everything for her betrayal, another part of him held back from claiming her.

He just hoped his innocent yet treacherous wife wouldn’t bring out the savage part of him with her nervous seduction.

CHAPTER 16

“The next big ritual at the Thakvar mansion should be the celebration of the arrival of the next Thakvar heir.”

Ishani blushed under her veil at Rai Bahadur’s wife, Malathi’s words.

They had just finished a ceremony. Over the week, several rituals and ceremonies were performed at the mansion. It was to bless the newly married couple for a long and happy married life.

“What do you want to have first?” a woman from the Thakvar household asked Ishani. “A boy or girl?”

“It doesn’t matter,” another woman replied. “Both will be blessed by God Shiva and Goddess Parvati.”

“That’s true. And they will surely have both and many more to fill the mansion with several Thakvar heirs.”

As the women laughed good-naturedly, Ishani continued to blush.

“He is so handsome,” a woman said with a sigh.

“Yes, he is handsome and regal despite being brought up in a foreign land.”

Ishani sneaked a look to see him talking to Mihir Thakvar at a distance. The older man was smiling while he held the usual stoic expression. He was wearing traditional clothes for the ceremony, making him look regal.

Her devil husband might be handsome but was as cold as ice.

---