A/N. This still needs more editing and might be riddled with grammatical errors. But here it is. Enjoy the read :)

"Your house is...big", she said, taking in the interior of his enormous living room area once they climbed back down after the tour.

"You don't like it?" He asked looking at her intently. He still didn't have his jacket on, with sleeves rolled up, he was showing his forearms. His shirt straining against his chest as he leaned against a chair.

Her face must have shown her disapproval, she shrugged as she smoothed her expression to what she hoped was more neutral. It wasn't that she didn't like it. His house was spacious, with what she could tell the standard four stories, looked sleek and modern. While it had all the latest furnishings and a gigantic open concept kitchen, it didn't have any paintings or knickknacks that would portray its owner's personality. She might not have been best of friends with the man, but she had imagined a vinyl player with a record collection from Bob Dylan, The Beatles, John Lennon, Frank Sinatra to be a part of his house. But this house neither contained those, nor did it have any soccer memorabilia or any of his other interests. No picture frames, no art, his walls were bare.

She shook her head and answered his question honestly. "No. It's just....too cold. Almost devoid of any personalization. Just feels like a house and not a home."

A look of what seemed like hurt flashed on his face before it returned back to its default robotic mode. Had she hurt him? She hadn't meant to be hurtful. Before she could say anything though, he cut in.

"It is what it is and I like it this way. You and I will be living with my father and Simi after marriage. Atleast for a year or so. We have three neighbouring houses, so we'll have one house to ourself, Simi and Pa will be in the third house and the middle one is morphed into a common area."

Simi was his 9 year old niece. Siya's heart warmed just thinking about the sweet child. She felt happiness rush through her thinking about sharing meals with Simi and Dev. Dev, Mr. Ray's dad had been her mentor, guide and a paternal influence in her life for the past five years. She looked forward for both Simi and Dev to become family, as much as she was hating the fact that she would be lying to them both. She had been to the property Mr. Ray had talked about. Atleast the house in which Dev and Simi lived. She had no idea the adjacent houses were a part of their property.

"I keep forgetting exactly how rich you are. People are struggling to pay rent in SF and you own four houses! Life is so unfair" She said, thinking out loud.

"Didn't realize you were a socialist." He said, a small smile playing on his lips. A smile that always managed to rile her up.

"This is not about being a socialist. You don't understand the struggles people have to go through to make ends meet in this country. I pay almost one-third of my salary to live in the studio apartment on rent." She replied promptly.

He eyebrows creased as he replied seriously,
"You used to pay that amount. Once you move into our other house next week, we can take care of the lease. It is expiring in 6 months right?"

"There is no 'we can take care'. I will handle the lease situation by myself, thank you very much." She replied firmly, she didn't want him doing her any favors. She was an independent woman and she could handle her affairs by herself.

He looked like he was struggling to decide whether or not it was worth getting into it with her. He finally sighed giving up.
"As you wish."

She walked to the couch and sat down with a plop before asking, "So?"

To her surprise he sat himself down next to her on the couch, his frame taking up most of the space, luckily the couch was huge enough that there was a person's worth of space still between them.

"Are you comfortable? Do you need any refreshments before we start?" He asked, playing the role of a perfect host.

She merely shook her head, too nervous to speak.

He nodded and spoke in a calm voice he used during business meetings, "Alright. Like I said, we are to get married in a week. You can talk to your parents tomorrow once they wake up. Mumbai right? So what a 12 hour time difference?"

"Yes" She replied, even though she knew it was more rhetoric than literal.

He reached for the files on the coffee table and handed her one before continuing,
"I have researched a little and come up with a plan of action to prepare us to pretend to be in love. Here's today's agenda. First we need to start on some icebreaking activities..."

"I think we need to set some ground rules first." She interrupted him. She felt like he had planned everything to the T, and she felt as much out of control as he felt in. That had always been a point of contention between them. Both of them were major control freaks so it had always been a battle between striking the right amount of control that each of them would possess. This arrangement would be no different.

"Ground rules?" He repeated, looking a little bemused.

"Yes, like what things are absolutely off limits, or things that we are uncomfortable with." She replied, explaining what she meant.

He looked like he was about to argue, but seemed to think better of it. He finally shrugged and spoke in a measured tone,
"Okay. Why don't you go first?"

She had expected more resistance, but he had agreed easily. She took a deep breath to calm herself as she saw him keep the file back on the table in front of the couch.

He turned his entire body towards her as he waited for her to speak. Suddenly she realized what she was about to tell him and felt tongue tied.

"I...I..." she tried, but words were failing her.

Concerned etched on his face as he saw her struggle with words. His next words uttered in an oddly comforting tone,
"Ms. Divan? Are you okay? You can be frank about these things. You know this is a safe space right? Between you and me? Its always going to be a safe space."

His soft words touched her more than they should've. She trusted him despite everything, so she slowly willed herself to speak what needed to be spoken.

"I have never...that is to say I don't think...I can't do physical intimacy."

She waited, looking as he seemed to try making sense of what he meant.

He nodded as if to acknowledge her words and asked, "Would you like to explain?"

She summoned her courage and stated more plainly, "I have never been with anyone. Physically."

"You're a virgin?!" He blurted out. His eyes wide his mouth dropping open. He looked shocked to the bone. It would have been funny if she didn't find his reaction over-the-top and a little insulting.

"You said this was a safe space!" She said in an accusatory tone. She was so overcome with embarrassment, she wished the earth would open up and swallow her.

He looked like he was trying hard to mask his shock and ended up with an odd looking expression, a mix of politeness, pity and shock. It didn't help much with her embarrassment, but she gave him props for trying to make her comfortable.

She patiently waited as he spoke,
"I'm sorry I don't mean to offend you, it's just I find it hard to believe given your age and your..."

He tailed off, so she asked, raising her eyebrows, prompting him to finish the sentence, "And my??"

He shrugged again before continuing in an almost nervous manner,
"I mean...it's not like you are...you're very...What I am trying to say is your attractiveness is above average, both in appearance and intelligence. You also have an attractive personality. I can't image how you have remained...I mean...well..."

She put a stop to his babble by squaring her shoulders and speaking in a loud and clear manner,
"It's been my choice. It's not because I lack something in any department. I just....I never felt that connection with a man before. I refused to be with someone I wasn't attracted to."

He looked at her in shock before asking her, his tone heavy with skepticism, his eyes narrowed,
"You are telling me you were never attracted to anyone?"

She sighed, this was one conversation she had had with many people. It was difficult to make people understand, but she tried, hoping he would,
"That is not what I am saying. I am saying that the more I got to know the people I was previously attracted to, the attraction seemed to fizzle out. I have never felt that...that...spark for the lack of a better word, with a man."

He waited a beat, seeming to consider her words, before speaking,
"Maybe you haven't given them a chance?"

She laughed at that. She spoke, her eyes still full of laughter,
"Are you trying to get me to wiggle out of this marriage? If so you make fine points."

He responded with a smile before replying,
"I'm just trying to understand you better. I myself have never been in a relationship with this spark you speak of. I have been in monogamous in all my relationships, mostly detached emotionally but I do indulge in physical desires. I believe myself to not be able to provide emotional aspect of the relationships, but I could never deny occasional physical release. Have you never felt the desire to physically indulge with someone?"

She shook her head and said,
"Are you asking me if I have ever been horny?"

He smiled again, and said,
"Sure. Say I am asking you that. Also if you have been physically attracted to another man. Just trying to understand where you stand sexually. Rather how open you are to having sexual relations."

Now she felt a little frustrated, she huffed before replying,
"I am a living breathing human being. I obviously have needs. Just as you do. It's just...it's different for me. I have never met anyone and been so overcome by need that I would consider it. Besides, I am a virgin as you have so eloquently pointed out. I don't think I am comfortable of sharing my first with a complete stranger. I think I would need someone who I know and trust and would be careful with me. Especially since the first time is supposed to be painful."

He nodded in understanding, and said in a reassuring manner,
"I have never been with a virgin, but I promise to be careful with you."

At his words they both froze as silence between them suddenly felt charged with something else. Her heart beat picked up pace as they both looked into each other's eyes. The space between them suddenly didn't feel like much.

"What?!" She yelped, feeling her temperature rise.

"Uh...that...came out all kinds of wrong. Honestly, I am not thinking about it...I mean I have thought about it, obviously, you are beautiful. Excuse me, I am going to give myself sometime to get my mental faculties in order."
He took his face in his hands and shook his head. She could have laughed at seeing him put his foot in his mouth, something she had never seen him do before, if she wasn't feeling almost as mortified as he was.

She gulped and spoke trying time get his attention back to the topic at hand,
"Um...my point being, I don't think I am comfortable doing the physical stuff."

"Atleast right away." She quickly added as he looked up at her from his hands giving her another shocked look.

"When you say physical stuff...er...I don't know if there's a good way to ask these questions...Just stop me if you feel harassed, that's the absolute furthest from my intentions." He said, looking so out of depth that she felt sorry for him.

"Just ask the questions. I know you don't mean to harass me by asking them." She told him, reassuringly.

He sighed and continued,
"I am just going to ask all the questions and you can answer the ones you are comfortable with. I want to know what level of intimacy are you currently comfortable to have with me. And...well...what levels of intimacy have you already had...if any...with..."

A beat of silence. This was incredibly awkward she realized.

She closed her eyes briefly before opening the and responding,
"I don't really know what level of intimacy I am comfortable having with you. The most we have done is shaken hands."

She paused. This was not strictly true. There had been incidents which had led to more that handshakes, but they had been more accidental or situational rather than deliberate. So they didn't count.

"Voluntarily atleast." She added quickly. "I know we will have to have atleast some kind of physical contact to sell the We-are-in-love angle of this arrangement. I just...I don't really know! And as for the other question...I haven't really...let's just say if there are levels, I'm not even past level zero. I haven't even qualified to have any levels."

She didn't think he could look any more surprised than before but he proved her wrong.

He seemed a little more skeptical as he asked,
"So no kisses?"

She shook her head no. Was it sad? She was a thirty year old virgin who had never been kissed. Who would think it possible.

"No kisses on cheeks or forehead?" He asked carefully.

Another head shake. Yes, her love life was pathetic. But this was getting sad. The realization that she had done none of this was slowly gripping her.

"Hugs?"

No. She shook her head again.

"Hand holding?"

Silence. To her complete surprise her eyes filled up with tears. She had never realized how truly alone she had been for these past years. She had a lot of friends, but she didn't have that someone special who she would turn to once the day was over. Someone who would give her that physical comfort she craved for so often.

"Wow." He said, as he digested what she conveyed to him. That was all it took for the feeling of utter loneliness to overcome her as her face crumpled involuntarily and tears started spilling down her cheeks. Hurt, mortifications, loneliness gripped her tightly as she tried getting off the couch to get some privacy in her vulnerable moment.

But he gripped her arms to keep her seated, launching into apology,
"Hey I didn't mean to..."

She sniffed and replied, her voice quivering a little,
"I know you didn't. But isn't it ridiculous? I'm basically thirty and I have never as much as held hands with a guy I found attractive. How pathetic does that make me?"

She could feel his eyes on her as she sniffles, wiping the tears off her face. There was another beat of silence after which he spoke.

"Do you find me attractive?"

Her head whipped up to look at him as she yelped,
"W-what?!"

He looked so serious as he asked with deliberation,
"Do you find me attractive? You don't need to justify or be too descriptive. A simple yes or no would suffice."

Was he being serious? Had he looked at himself in the mirror?! The man was attractive on most days, impeccable dressed, dapper, refined. But his attractiveness today was appealing to her at a whole new level. She would be lying is she said she didn't find his rumpled unvarnished look extremely attractive. But she would rather die than admit that to him. If this was a usual day and if this was one of their usual banters she would have denied it.

But this was different. She was feeling so raw and vulnerable and he was being so supportive and caring. It felt like she would violate something if she didn't tell him the truth. She felt lightheaded and totally out of control. She had no idea what had gotten over her as she replied,
"Yes"

He was looking deep into her eyes, the heat in his eyes lighting a fire behind hers.
"Would it be okay if I hold your hand?" He asked, his voice quiet, soft and tempting.

She felt alarm course through her at his words. Staring at his handsome face, his less than formal demeanor, the heat in those beautiful eyes of his, she felt like she was being pulled by him.

"I will need an explicit affirmation from you Ms. Ray" He said, coaxing her to respond. He felt like comfort, like water in the middle of a desert. She wanted whatever he was offering.

"Y-yeah." She said, feeling as if she was under a spell.

He slowly but deliberately reached forward and covered took her hand in his. Gently maneuvering the hands so that their fingers were threaded with each other. A shiver ran through her spine as she felt a current run through her fingers, fill her bloodstream and reach her thunderous heart. Suddenly she wondered what it would be like to hold this man's hand just like this whenever she wanted to. God, what was happening to her.

"There. Now you've held hands with a man you find attractive. How does that feel?" He asked her, watching their hands entwined between them.

"I don't know" She said, breathlessly. His gaze shot back to hers as her words seemed to have exacerbated the tension brewing between them. Her mind still in overdrive. She was feeling a rush of so many emotions that it left her dazed and confused.

"Would it be okay if I kiss your hand?" He was looking at her again, his fingers playing with her hand, as the current kept getting stronger.

"Y-yes" She said. What was happening to her?!

"How does that feel?" He asked, after brushing his lips against the back of her hand, causing her whole body to visibly shudder.

"I-I don't know." She whispered again. Closing her eyes at the barrage of sensations.

She felt his fingers brush her hair, tucking a strand behind her ears, and she jerked her eyes open. He was just a breath away from her, his nose almost touching hers. Their breaths ragged, he seemed to search her eyes this time, whatever he saw in them must have conveyed her obvious consent, as this time he didn't ask her before he leaned forward to plant a soft kiss on her neck.

"Wait..." She gasped.

No sooner had the word left her mouth, he pulled away from her completely severing all physical contact.

"Too fast? Too uncomfortable?" He asked, his voice dripping with concern. He was still breathing hard, so she was sure he was feeling as deeply as she was. The fact that he was so careful and mindful about what she wanted touched her.

She knew what she wanted, but she needed to know a few things before she was sure it was the right thing to do. She asked in almost a whisper,
"Will you always ask? Will you always wait? Will you always step back and be patient?"

She waited as he took her hands in his, looking at her earnestly as he spoke,
"Yes. Always."

Her heart thudded loudly with anticipation as she asked,
"Do you want me to always ask?"

"No. You never have to ask." He spoke, his voice full of emotion that she had never before heard.

"Okay." She said, realizing her voice had the same emotion as his did.

Arousal.

She launched herself into his arms, almost the same time as he caught her in his, one arm around her waist, one on her back, as she threw hers around his shoulders so that her hands gripped the curls on the back of his head as she kissed him.

It didn't matter this was her first kiss, it didn't matter she was new to all of this, the only thing she was capable of thinking was how their lips were moving against each other's, how he was responding to her passion with his, how his powerful arms held her together as she was breaking apart with passion she didn't know she was capable of.

A phone had started ringing and it went through her head like a siren. She was kissing a man. Her boss. Her cold and distant boss, whom she bickered with on almost a daily basis, who wasn't even a friend, who she was supposed to marry. She pulled herself off of him with awkward abruptness of getting caught in the act.

"What just happened?" She exclaimed, her eyes wide with horror.

A/N.

So what just happened?!

Hello my lovely readers,

So happy to be sharing this chapter for all you eager beavers :)

What do you think? They went from 0 to 100 real quick. How do you think this will affect their relationship going forward?

Love,
AnjaaniWriter