Life's Second Chances

Thirty-Six

Feeling eyes on me, I look up from the glossy pages scanning the café finding a woman standing by the main counter staring at me curiously. Barefacedly she continues eyeing me, not at all phased that I caught her. She smiles softly, a streak of pity softening her black eyes as she approaches me. Kade gives me a warning look from his seat a few tables down but I nod in assurance to him.

"Sorry I meant not to stare, it's rather impolite. I just recognized you from the papers. It's a shame how they target you for something you are not responsible for," she holds up today's paper and splashed across the front page is Sid and I leaving his office two nights ago.

Heart up for harvest.

Sidharth Rai and girlfriend, Anuksha Arora spotted leaving Rai Consolidated headquarters hand-in-hand amid Panacea investigation.

A dossier accusing Panacea Pharmaceuticals of illegally procuring the organs of murder victims for sale leaked two weeks ago. Panacea Pharma is owned by Rai Consolidated, a New York-based conglomerate privately owned by Sidharth Rai and family. Even with the steep accusations against her boyfriend, Anuksha Arora still maintains a united front even going as far as joining forces with him to facilitate the investigation.

I stop reading the rest knowing exactly where the article is headed, handing her the thick bundle of papers with a tight smile. "They can write what they want, it doesn't change the truth,"

"Yes, but the truth is really what you make of it. No matter what it is someone will always spin it in a different direction,"

"As long as my boyfriend and I know the whole truth anyone else's take on it means squat. So, if you would excuse me please," I pick up the magazine giving it my full attention praying she gets the hint.

"You're so much like your mother," my eyes dart up from the article to her leaning against the bar across from my table. "I knew her a very long time ago," my skin crawls at the unnamed woman's changing demeanor. Her dark eyes narrowed repulsively, lips pulled tight and chin held up defiantly. "Tell her Savitri has brought Satyavan back from the dead," with that she walks out the café with a young guy in tow.

Sid passes them on the sidewalk as he enters the café looking rugged with sex-tousled hair, dressed in a gray sweatshirt and dark blue jeans. Even unkempt he looks every bit sexy and debonair. "Morning, love," he leans down kissing me deep tasting of fresh mint. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"You looked too cute peacefully asleep" I clutch onto his face smoothing my thumb over his cheek, deciding whether I should tell him about what just happened.

"I was beginning to think you pulled a quick morning-after on me and went home," he grins gulping his coffee down.

"Last thing you should be worrying about considering your virility and stamina," I lick my lips, biting down on them over the rim of my white coffee cup.

"Quit looking at me like that or I swear I'll fuck you right here on this table,"

Smirking, I lift my leg up onto his chair, grazing my foot against the inside of his thigh. Swallowing hard, he slides his tongue against his teeth growling under his breath. He reaches under the table grabbing my chair by the seat and pulls it beside him. Locking his arm around my shoulders, he presses his mouth to my hair draping my cardigan over my lap.

"Now, be a good girl and unzip your jeans," an instant blush creeps up my face burning my skin red-hot. "Do what I tell you," he rumbles bending his head, taking me in a toe-curling kiss.

I choke on the lump in my throat, reaching for my jeans button and zipper. "What color panties are you wearing?" wickedly smiling, he cups my breast with one hand while the other travels underneath the cardigan to my heated core.