Hey guys! I'm here sooner this time!

"Before you ask," or rather yell, Shivaay thought to himself, "Remember I was talking about you postponing your trip? That was because I was supposed to come to London on Thursday. Om wanted me to inaugurate the gallery today, so I came a little earlier!" He explained, as a smirk slowly formed on his face; consequences of shushing him. Annika maybe his wife, but he was Shivaay Singh Oberoi.

"You could have told!" Annika whined. That smirk did tell her that she had stepped in tad too much. Before she knew, she was in his arms. He gave painfully slow kisses along her neckline, teasing her. Annika squirmed a little and suddenly turned away. She looked around the room,

"Gauri is with Om," Shivaay said in a dulcet whisper as he took her hand in his. He grazed his hand slowly on hers. He felt her stiffen up as if his touch sent electric current. He twirled her and tightened his grip around her waist as he sat on the sofa, with her in his lap. Annika was slowly becoming breathless. Her body was a little agitated, as if a thunderstorm had passed through. She slowly leaned in. Nothing. She leaned further as her lips writhed with the want of his against it. Frustrated, she opened her eyes. Shivaay sat relaxed, with a smirk on his face. "You aren't getting that honey..." He chuckled as he pulled her closer. Annika tried getting out of his clutch, muttering curses. It only made him tighten his grip around her. He placed his puckered mouth on her shoulder and let his hot breath warm her skin. She immediately clutched the collar of his shirt. He inhaled her fragrance, which only seemed to intoxicate him. He buried his face in the crook of her neck.

"What are you doing to me Annika?" He muttered.

Even amid the heat, Annika had to roll her eyes. She had the solemn right to ask that question. She let out a moan when his beard slightly pressed against the sensitive spot on the nape of her neck. And it seemed as if the time stood still.

Annika jumped when she heard the door open. Her skin was fervent and probably crimson. She turned around to see a lady walk in.

"Hello Mr. Oberoi. How do you do?" She flirtatiously fluttered her eyebrows and Annika already disliked her.

"Hello Maria. How do you do? This is my wife, Annika. Annika, this is Maria. She does the housekeeping!" Annika gave her a sickeningly sweet smile as Shivaay introduced her. She watched how Maria's expression changed at the mention of 'wife'. Maria looked at Shivaay for a moment and he scratched his neck. She immediately went inside to start with her cleaning. Shivaay slowly turned to Annika, who was giving him a stern look.

"You slept with her, didn't you?" She asked curtly. Shivaay was at loss of words. He had forgotten to tell the agency Maria worked in to send someone else. There was no way he could expect Annika to be okay with it. She did know that he did philander for a little while. But this was totally unacceptable. Getting her answer from his silence, she said "Just give me a heads up before I am made to meet women who have been with you the ways I have not!" before walking away.

Shivaay and Omkara had left to attend the event. As much as they wanted to, Annika and Gauri couldn't accompany them because they were supposed to be in the next city.

"So, this Maria?" Gauri asked as they dusted the apartment. Shivaay had obviously sent Maria away. Annika hummed as she moved the furniture a little. "One night stand apparently. The audacity of him to bring her to me," She muttered as she scrubbed the table.

"She is pretty," Gauri said, earning a glare from Annika. "Di, come on. It's not like you haven't been with anyone else before. Spare Jiju..."

"Do I parade them to him?" Annika asked angrily. Gauri although, wished her Jiju saw this jealous side of Annika. Knowing her sister, she would probably do everything at her power to hide it. "I don't understand..."

"Well..." Annika sat down on the couch. "Shivaay and I... we haven't really, you know!"

"WHAT?" Gauri was sure her eyes balled out of her sockets the moment she heard it. Those two were very handsy in the mehendi, which she saw in firsthand, that she was sure they wouldn't last until the wedding. "It's almost two months Di!" She cried in disbelief. "The lingerie?" Annika shook her head, slightly embarrassed.

"We were planning to you know, take it slow..." She explained, while she regretted telling Gauri what she did.

"Wow. Just wow. So, how do you work up with the celibacy? It's almost like a vanvaas!" Gauri had her mouth opened all the while.

"Kuch bhi! I don't think it was supposed to drag all this while. It just, didn't happen." Annika got up, unable to take the questions any longer. She went inside to the washroom while her phone rang. Gauri saw the caller ID and picked up the call,

"Hello Professor Burke! How are you? Di is inside, can I take the message? Oh... three days? I'll let her know. Bye!" Gauri hung up the phone and was about to tell Annika. Instead she opened her phone and deleted the call. When Annika walked in, she smiled at her and looked out the window. It was time for the snow to be the aphrodisiac...

"Call us when you reach there." Om looked up the sky worried. It was starting to snow heavily and for some reason, Gauri couldn't stop smiling. "Okay, something is definitely wrong. What did you do?" He asked as they went back to the penthouse. Gauri smiled widely again, "Nothing at all," she said as she claimed his lips.

After an hour and half drive, Annika and Shivaay reached the cottage she had rented for her stay. She did not say a word when Shivaay told her he was accompanying her, and he was really worried. "Annika... I'm sorry. I genuinely forgot!" Annika saw the worried lines on his face and snaked her hands around his neck. "It's alright!" She pecked his cheek and went to light up some fire at the fireplace. It was freezing and snowing heavily outside that some warmth was mandatory.

"Snow has covered the roads Annika. Are you sure you will be having your meeting tomorrow?" Shivaay asked as he looked out the window. The snow had covered the roads completely. Annika too looked out worriedly. She wasn't really sure either. Shivaay turned back to look at her. The fire seemed to have illuminated the place around, especially Annika. The red on her skin made him itch to touch her, but he sighed instead. He didn't know how to ask her if she was ready yet. He saw her make way to the adjacent room when his phone pinged.

Gauri- Don't have to thank me Jiju!

He didn't know why until Annika came in.

She opened her luggage only to find a few barely there negligees and a note.

Your meeting is postponed to Thursday. Enjoy your stay there Di. Honestly? It's time!

-Love, Gauri.

Somehow Annika knew that was true. She changed into the red one that hardly covered anything and stepped out the room. She saw the look on his eyes that burned with desire so intense, that even the fire seemed lull next to it. She stepped in to embrace him yet again; only this time, skin to skin.

The next part of this chapter should be private, but the feature is removed.

but still.

I don't take responsibility for any reader who is underage.

VOTE HERE TOO. Don't make me regret publishing back to back.