Advika's POV

My eyes widened, and my breath hitched when Shravan suddenly leaned closer.

A wave of tingles spread across my body as his warm breath fanned my neck. His face was so close that his beard lightly grazed my cheek, sending shivers down my spine.

My whole body was trembling but I was holding onto myself until I felt his hands grazing my skin. It felt as if he was also debating himself.

My eyes widened to the point of coming out of their sockets when he suddenly grabbed my waist. His warm fingers against my cold skin sent jolts through my body.

As if it was not enough I felt the tip of his tongue grazing the shell of my ear. I felt tingles and shivers at the same time.

And then suddenly I felt something sharp there. Is it his teeth?

God!

"Now, do I remind you of your brother?" he asked, his voice low and taunting.

I immediately shook my head.

"Will you call me that again?"

I shook my head once more, faster this time.

He moved his face away, and I let out a breath of relief, but it was short-lived as his nose was now brushing my jaw, his lips just a centimeter apart from my skin.

And then he dipped his head in the crook of my neck, inhaling sharply.

Suddenly I felt weak on my knees.

This is because of the fear I felt earlier.

Right?

"You are trembling," he mumbled against my neck, which made his lips slightly graze it.

A shudder wracked through me, and my hands instinctively rose to his chest. His wet skin was taut and hard under my palms, and the moment I touched him, I felt his body relax slightly.

It was like a trance had broken. He stepped back abruptly, though his face remained dangerously close to mine.

His dark, intense eyes held a raw, consuming desire that sent another shiver down my spine. I had never seen this side of him before.

The storm of emotions swirling in his eyes was attracting me like a moth to a flame.

I was so last in the depth of his eyes that I didn’t even realize when his hands began to move. His thumb brushed against my ribs, right below the elastic of my bra. At one point, I felt his thumb tugging at it, almost as if he hated the barrier it created.

"Ahhh"

Half moan, half cry escaped my lips when he suddenly squeezed my waist from both sides.

"Do it again" he said.

My eyes squinted slightly. I haven't done anything. What does he want me to repeat?

"Aahhhh"

I again moaned and this time loudly when he squeezed my waist tightly this time.

The pressure of my palms on his chest increased, unintentionally drawing him closer.

My throat went dry as I watched him glance down at my lips, lingering there for a long, heated moment. My chest rose and fell rapidly, and the space between us evaporated.

His fingers dug slightly into my waist as his lips hovered dangerously close to mine. Slowly, his hand trailed up from my waist to the small of my back, sending sparks flying through every nerve in my body.

“I’m thirsty,” he mumbled, his voice husky.

I could feel the heat of his gaze as if it were a physical touch.

My tongue darted out to lick my dry lips, my throat felt parched, and suddenly, I realized the same.

"Me too" I mumbled without even thinking what he meant to say.

His eyes lit up as if he had got permission to have his favorite candy. He moved his face closer and closer, our lips were just at a hair distance when suddenly we heard a voice near our ears.

"Paani laun?"
(Shall I bring water?)

The voice startled us both. Shravan pulled back instantly, and we turned to find Lucky sitting nearby, a wide grin plastered on his face.

Shravan gave him a murderous look, which made him stand up, turn on his heels, and run inside the resort while shouting, "Breakfast is ready!"

My cheeks turned crimson red when I realized how close we were just a moment ago. Shravan let out a deep sigh before stepping back. The silence between us was so deep that we could hear the lapping of the water when he moved. Taking it as an opportunity, I turned and grabbed the railing of the stairs.

I was still feeling weak on my knees and it took me a lot of energy to step up. All the while I could feel a heated gaze on my bare back and leg. My heart was pounding so loud that I could feel it in my throat.

The way the dress clung to my body there wasn't much left for imagination.

Bending down to pick up my cover-up, I couldn’t help but sneak a glance back at him.

I gulped nervously when I found him staring at me intently. He was floating on the pool as if it was a bed, with his dark deep eyes on my back. He was so lost in staring that he didn't even realize that I was looking at him, or maybe he just didn't want to hide his intentions.

A shiver ran down my body when he finally lifted his eyes to my face.

I immediately covered myself with the cover-up and walked inside the resort.

The day hadn't even started yet, and I was already exhausted!

~×~×~×~

I was getting ready for the meeting when, from the corner of my eye, I saw Shravan enter my room. I pretended not to notice him, focusing instead on the task at hand.

I am still not over the way he reacted in the pool and, more than that, the way my body responded to his proximity.

He picked up the file from the coffee table which he gave me to read. I thought that he would leave after taking the file, but instead, he started walking towards me. My pulse quickened, and the fine hairs at the nape of my neck stood on end.

“I hope you’ve memorized the presentation. I don’t want any mistakes,” he said, his voice low and steady from behind me.

“Yes. My memory is sharp. I memorize text after reading it twice,” I replied, keeping my tone normal as much as possible.

I can't let him know what effect his touch has on me.

"Hmm, that's good for you. Now, if you are ready, then shall we?" He asked.

I fastened my watch, taking a moment to steal myself to face him because it was not like I could avoid him for the next few months.

The moment I turned around, he froze, and his eyes widened a bit. I could feel his breathing becoming shallow.

My breath hitched when I saw him. Shravan looked devastatingly handsome in a black-and-grey formal ensemble. By sheer coincidence, I was dressed in the same color combination—black pants and a grey shirt.

I gulped nervously when he took a small step forward, throwing the file on the bed.

What has happened to him?

We were supposed to stay away. Right?

“Now, I never said we’re supposed to stay away,” he replied, his voice smooth as silk.

My eyes widened. Had I said that aloud?

“I said…” He took another slow, deliberate step forward. “…that we’re not allowed to fall in love.”

My back hit the edge of the dressing table, and I gripped its edge to keep myself steady. My whole body was trembling, and his presence was suffocatingly close.

He leaned forward, and I froze. What does he want?

I stopped breathing entirely when his face moved close... too close to my chest. The warmth of his breath fanned against my exposed skin, teasing the line of my cleavage. I dared not look down, but I could feel the smirk on his lips against my skin.

Every second felt like an hour with him this close to me.

Then, just as suddenly, he straightened and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me flush against his chest.

“I’ve told you to keep your hair tied, haven’t I?” he murmured, his lips brushing softly against my forehead.

Before I could respond, his hands reached behind me. The faint scrape of his knuckles against my back sent goosebumps down my spine as he used a claw clip to gather and secure half of my hair.

“And…”

His hands slid forward, resting lightly on my shoulders before trailing downward so slowly, so deliberately that my breath hitched again. The slight touch of his fingers on the side of my breasts didn't go unnoticed by me.

"We want our clients to be focused on our presentation. Don't we?" He asked while buttoning the upper button of my shirt.

My eyes widened, and I swallowed hard when I realized that I left the upper button open as I was feeling too hot and bothered by the morning incident.

I thought about buttoning it up before stepping out but the sudden arrival of Shravan made me completely forget about it.

“And one more thing…” His tone hardened slightly, snapping me from my thoughts. “The clients and business partners we’ll meet today don’t know about my marriage. For them, you’re just my secretary.”

The intensity of his proximity and the lingering touch of his hands clouded my thoughts. Half his words went over my head.

“Who are you to me?” he asked, tugging slightly at the fabric of my shirt.

“Wi—” I stammered. His sharp gaze warned me, and I corrected myself. “Secretary.”

"Good girl"

With a soft smile on his lips, he patted my head as if I was his pet.

"Come, I am waiting for you outside"

And with that, he left while whistling with his hands shoved in his pants pocket.

The moment he left, I exhaled a shaky breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. My heart was pounding, and my hands trembled as I gripped the edge of the dressing table.

What the hell are you doing, Advika? This isn’t you! Get a grip on yourself.

You need to take revenge for every prank he has pulled on you, not give him the satisfaction of doing whatever he wants!

~~~~~~~~

Let me know how the chapter was. Can you feel the tension between them? 😉

For those who didn't read the previous note, I will change the title of the book to - "Deal with the Devil", tonight. Hope you won't get confused.

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