*Rani*

"Tom for God's sake, you'll end up giving me a heart attack one day". I yelp as he
suddenly appears sitting in front of me, with those longs legs of his folded beneath him. I'm in the yoga studio meditating, or rather I was until he disturbed me. He tends to do that, just appear out of nowhere like a freaking ninja.

He grins at me. "Sorry darling, didn't want to disturb. Thought I'd just sit here and watch you for a moment or two".

"Yeah, that's not creepy at all, Tom". I smile back at him. He also has this weird habit of hanging back to observe people and I usually kid him about being creepy.

Since he's been back from New York, we've gradually grown closer again. I know we often act and look more like a couple than friends but, I find myself drawn to him for some reason. I guess I'm pretty much unable to resist him and his charms. Well, unwilling to resist is closer to the truth. Oh well...

Tom rolls over on his back, like a big puppy, and plops his head in my lap. Looking up at me with those piercing blue eyes. "You don't think I'm creepy, do you darling?" He raises a brow and laughs. "Admit it - you think I am adorable".

"Oh, do I now? Mostly I kind of find you annoying," I chuckle.

I draw my fingers through his hair, to gently massage his scalp, and the soft purring Tom is making melts my heart.

I so love chatting to him because we can talk about everything - from politics to poetry, and sometimes even our dreams and hopes.  No one has ever been interested in what I think or feel the way he has.
He's helped me a lot with lessons at the yoga centre, and I've given him a few private lessons to sweeten the our deal. The closer we become, the more my walls seem to crumble around me. We're both open minded, and the physical contact we share feels so natural.

"Come now, you don't think I'm creepy. You like me exactly the way I am, Rani. You just have trouble admitting it". The smug grin that plays across his face makes me pull on his hair a bit until he lets out a small gasp, which clearly isn't from pain.
Honestly? I love the soft feeling of his curls running through my fingers. And you better believe that I play with his hair whenever I get a chance.

"Well, all I said was that you were annoying, not that I didn't like it".

"So you like me being annoying, then?" Tom turns so that he's on all fours, and he crawls to hover over me,  a couple of stray curls falling down onto his forehead. I lift my hands to push at his chest. "Get off me Tom you... you... you big oaf". He refuses to budge. He's being stubborn, and trying to move him is almost as ridiculous as fighting off a freaking bear or something.

"Why? Do I make you nervous, Rani darling?" He leans down, slowly running his nose along my jawline, which makes my breath hitch.

"Tom please..". I'm not sure what I actually begging him to do, or even why, for that matter. But he slides back slowly until he's sitting up. Then, he takes my hand to pull me up, too. Tom's hands gently grab my waist, lifting me into his lap and I wind my legs around him.

I rest my forehead against his, breathing in. As natural, our breathing changes as we begin to breathe each other in. We're silently looking into each other's eyes  as we share our energy with each other. I love this, the connection we've created. Sometimes I almost feel that I can actually read his mind, hear his thought.
For years, this is what I have read about, dreamed about. Building a soul connection that makes me feel warm inside.
We've begun to move closer. His lips so close to mine that my skin tingles as we continue to share breath with each other.

Everything else seems to melt away, including that nagging feeling not to do this.

Before I realize it, I'm feeling a little needy, and start craving more contact with Tom. My tongue begins to slowly trace his lips, and I hear him moan but am turned on by feeling the sound come from deep inside him. The next thing I feel are his lips as they softly mold themselves to mine. Tom lingers in that moment, and it's absolutely mind blowing.
His hands begin caressing my sides with slow deliberate strokes, his lips moving softly against mine. My legs are wrapping themselves tightly around him almost on their own and my hands find themselves caressing the nape of Tom's neck. I feel lost in this moment, lost in time. It might have been a minute or it could have been an entire hour.

*Tom*

Rani's lips are so damned soft and taste sweet, like warm tea with honey. I nearly moan at the feel of her fingers on my neck. It feels like we're melding into one another, like the space between us has dissolved.

I feel her lips part slightly, as I'm caressing her while her fingers sift through my hair, holding me close as possible.

When we break our huddle - both needing to breathe - we just sit there, foreheads pressed together in the peaceful stillness.

"Wow. So, that's what a real kiss feels like?"

"No, darling. That is what a spectacular kiss feels like".

Rani has confided that she has next to no experience in matters of the heart, except for a few innocent stolen kisses with a boy she had a crush on when she was fifteen years old. Considering that she's been trained her entire life to save herself for her future husband, I'm honoured, to be sharing these moments with her.

As Rani sighs, and rests her head on my shoulder, I can sense that there might be more to this moment than meets the eye. She's deep in thought, probably considering her next move.

"Tom...?" She whispers softly against my skin. "I truly wish we could,  you know, that we could just..."

"I know darling. You don't need to explain. I feel the exact same way". Even though Rani doesn't finish her sentence - I know what she means. She wishes we could be together, just as much as I do.

As Rani seeks comfort by burrowing herself into my neck, I can feel her trembling. Though I should be comforting her as a friend, the nearness of her is driving me mad. My whole body feels like it's humming with the kind of desire that's wholly inappropriate for us. 

"Problem is - I don't think I can stay away from you either, Tom. And I don't really want to".

"Then don't".  I shrug. "We'd just have to bare careful, is all".

"Are you sure, Tom? I mean this really wouldn't be fair to you. We don't have much time before I'll have to start planning my wedding and eventually give myself to someone else". She lifts her head, looking into my eyes. "I don't want you to feel like I'm taking advantage of a bad situation, or using you".

"Only, I'd know that you aren't because we're in this together, Rani darling".

I lean forward to softly kiss her temple, feel her melt into me. I don't know if I'm really ready to take things to the next level, knowing that I'll have to disappear back into the role of friend, but I'm willing to give this a go.

The heart wants what it wants. And my heart wants Rani Kapoor. And I bloody well intend to make the most of our time together. Every single moment. Starting right now...