The kiss wasn’t a mistake. Arjun couldn’t lie to himself, but he didn’t have a choice, he couldn’t very well just barge in and have Radhika.
He wasn’t happy with the way he had handled things after kissing her senseless, he had simply ignored her and that kiss but her reaction to his kiss had stumped him. He couldn’t believe she had kissed him back and with that delightful abandon. Giving it all in that one kiss. He didn’t know what to say to her after that. He couldn’t very well tell her the truth that he wanted to have her wicked way with her.
His body was already reminding him of that unexpected desire she always aroused in him. He could still smell her scent on his body; still remember the taste of her.
Exquisite. She had been wonderful.
The drive back to her place was ingrained in his mind, though his attention had been focused on the road ahead, he had been far more aware of Radhika’s presence than he would have liked to admit.
He had watched her as she sat there looking at the passing vehicles via the side window; so serene, so angelic, so very beautiful.
He shook his head as he remembered the time when inside his head an image had formed of Radhika’s body pressed close to his own offering him every sensual pleasure. Cursing inwardly, he had fought to suppress his body’s reaction to that image by dropping his hand from the steering wheel and driving one handed hiding his very arousal from her view.
Arjun paced his living room, as he though how her mere presence affected his very senses. He had repeatedly tried to concentrate his mind somewhere else and avoided looking at her but inside his head, he could conjure a perfect vision of her; the way he saw her after kissing her thoroughly.
Swollen lips, eyes cloudy, glazed with desire and her chest heaving beautifully as she gasped for breath. She looked stunning, all mused up from the kiss and it had taken all of his will power to turn away from her and not take her then and there.
He stopped near the window and thought, the silence between them had been soothing; nothing was needed to be said. He liked this understanding. Arjun sighed and wished he could have these moments with her again soon, with her snuggled in his arms, their scents mixed together, enjoying each other’s embrace and togetherness.
Where did that thought come from? Did he want her?
No. Absolutely not.
He was being stupid and silly. He had been there, in love with her once and had his heart broken by her betrayal. No, he wouldn’t repeat that mistake again.
He definitely was proud of how she had handled her life, gaining such a respectful, challenging job and flourishing herself well enough to establish a permanent name for herself. She had always been his nerd; studying along with excelling in sports, a nerdy all rounder.
His? She wasn’t his. Not now, not ever.
He might want her but he repeatedly told himself that that need meant nothing. It was just temporary roused by the fact that he was in direct contact with the woman who had once ruled his heart. He reminded himself, he was no longer the idealistic who believed in once in a lifetime love, she was simply a crush. That’s it, nothing more.
He knew the woman he would love must be a woman whom he could trust implicitly and definitely not someone like Radhika.
She was merely a woman he had once loved. Loved? Yes, because he was a young teen who had believed in true love and look what did that get him. He was a fool, taking her innocence and virtuousness at face value. That was then, now he was no longer a teen but an adult, no longer willing to succumb to those childhood fantasies. He would have to extinguish this flame of desire that burned continuously in him.
Was love even important in life?
Right now, he did not care. He did not have the time or the will to care.
Sooner or later, he’d figure out what was really important in life. With or without her help, it just didn’t matter.
………………………………………………………….
By the next morning, things had become much clearer for Radhika, she was happy she’d gone after what she wanted. She had no regrets about that impulsive kiss, about her kissing him back. She probably should have done it a long time ago, but no going back. From now on, she was only looking forward.
Looking and moving forward.
This was pure lust and she would get it out of her system and then there would be nothing between him and her. That’s it. She would finish this last thread of ‘whatever’ that was hanging between them and free herself from his obnoxious control.
As she sat in his car, she had tried to stir up her ego and feel hurt by his nonchalance attitude towards the kiss. But as hard as she had tried, she couldn’t resist turning her head to look at him, imprinting his image in her mind. The open neck, the straight line of his collarbone, that hard chest; all called her to touch them, touch him.
She shook her head as she fluffed her pillows, at one point in her life; he had been her idol, her inspiration. And she would be lying if she said she wasn’t impressed with his humanitarian gesture with respect to his project. She had known, he would do well and caring about people when he still had the power to run it all for himself and earn profits made her smile.
Assassination bid, no doubt a possibility. But, she was sure he could hire enough guards and manage rightful intelligence to thwart any plans. Then, why did he need her?
Whatever may be the reason, he still made her heart skip that beat and….
Stop it! She exhorted herself desperately. She was suddenly afraid of her own wild imagination, her lack of ego. How could she forget how he had behaved when they had reached her house?
He had stopped his car at the designated place and jumped out to open the door for her. As she passed through the door, Arjun had accidently brushed his hand against hers. She had felt as if an electric shock had passed through her.
She had decided then to leave. She couldn’t let herself lose in his charisma again.
Not that he hadn’t tried to stop her, he had screamed her name but she didn’t want to face him after he had behaved so smugly about the kiss.
She swirled in the direction of her house, shied from turning towards him and had walked away.
It was the right decision. Yes! Correct. She was an independent woman with no place for a man.
Radhika stared at the work clothes strewn over her bed. The conservative dressing did not scream as she was in college, a head-turning Radhika.
No more will she be sensible and level headed. She tossed the black jacket on the bed and removed the rubber band. Hair cascaded past her shoulders.
So, the kiss did not affect him, eh!
Fine, no problem. Now, we will see who will resist whom and who will admit out loud his reactions.
Her ego had been badly hurt. There she was behaving like a pile of slushy while he stood tall and arrogant as ever, showing no indication of anything that had happened between them.
But no more. Radhika dressed herself in her mid thigh skirt and ruffled up low cut purple blouse and vowed to stun someone today.
She looked at the mirror and nodded her head, she owed that to herself.
………………
Radhika Verma finished studying and making external notes on Arjun Khanna’s proposal. She sighed as she shut her computer and arranged her pencils horizontally right next to her legal pad.
"I need the Oil Producer’s file the one that I asked you to get from the archives," she told Seema, her assistant who had just rushed into the office.
"In your top tray, I love your skirt and the hint of cleavage in that ‘I want sex’ blouse, seems the new client is a hottie," Seema said.
"I don’t want sex and here," Radhika plunked down a steaming cup of tea before her," A peace offering and the new client is none of your business."
“Why thank you,” Seema appreciated her boss’s gesture. She knew her boss could be ornery but she nevertheless loved her. Radhika was more a friend to her, these rough moments were few and she was thankful for it.
"Because I knew you'd save my behind, even though you disapprove of my behavior."
Seema grinned at her and shamelessly nodded her head, "That’s right."
The phone rang.
Radhika raised her eyebrows," The phone, Seema?"
“Ofcourse, I wasn’t expecting you to pick it up,” Seema gushed out as she deftly took a sip of Radhika’s coffee and walked out to pick it up.
"Ms. Verma's office, Seema speaking. How may I help you?"
“Right away,” Seema buzzed the call through the interline and walked up to Radhika’a office to listen to the conversation.
Radhika raised her eyebrows at her unwarranted presence in her office but she simply fanned herself and mouthed ‘Hottie’. The man on the phone sounded simply splendid and Seema was interested in knowing who it belonged to.
Radhika sat up ruler-straight, "Mr. Khanna."
"Now Radhika, I thought we agreed on Arjun," said a lazy, amused voice. He loved the way the phone carried her voice to him. It sounded melodious and sensual, rousing his very soul.
Radhika rubbed her hands over her arms to cease down the goose bumps that had erupted listening to that pure male voice.
She ignored that, "I'm at work, Mr. Khanna."
"I know that, seeing how I called you and all," Oh, she could just see him, the annoying man balanced on his chair, mischief snapping in those thick-lashed, dark eyes, as mop of black hair fell over his forehead giving him the ‘I am sexy’ look.
It made her fingers itch to push it back into place. No, not via the phone.
Seema shifted, reminding Radhika of her company. Radhika hunched her shoulders and half turned. "What may I help you with?" she said primly.
"Have lunch with me?"
"Lunch?" Radhika lowered her voice. "Why?"
"Because we need to discuss your body."
Her mouth dropped,"Arjun!"
"That's better, love. No more of that Mr. Khanna foolishness. After all we've been through together…"
She gasped, and whispered furiously. "We have not been through anything. You’re behaving like an idiot.“And a nuisance albeit a gorgeous one.
"I take my work seriously. I need to see the body of your report before you proceed further.”
"My…report?"
Innocence rang in his sexy-as-sin voice. "Why, Radhika what did you think I was talking about?"
She hung up on him.
Seema's eyebrows rose. "Well, well, what have we here?"
"Don't you have some work?"
"Wild horses couldn't drag me away right now. You actually hung up on that man, my perfect Radhika." Her generous mouth curved. "And you're blushing. Who is he?”
Radhika busied herself brushing potential dust from her squeaky clean desk," no one important. My new client, now go.”
Seema simply shook her head in a no, "How…suitable and sounds mouth-watering," The devil gleamed in her gaze," Have you let him kiss you yet? Is he any good?"
“Seema,….work,” Radhika said as a tinge of blush graced her cheeks.
"Oh, dear, someone’s got it bad," Seema said, sipping her coffee and gave a dreamy sigh,” wish I could see him once.”
Before Radhika could reply the phone rang again.
"You going to get that?" Seema asked, grinning.
"Isn’t that a part of your job description?" But she picked it up. "Radhika Verma’s office—"
"We got disconnected.”
“What do you want, Arjun,” Radhika said rolling her eyes at a smirking Seema still perched at her door.
Arjun chuckled, he loved seeing her all flustered, “The meeting, can I pre-pone it to one, please and no lunch, I promise.”
“Right, see you at one,” Radhika said briskly and kept the phone down.
She looked over at Seema and said, “The show is over, ma’am. Now, back to your station.”
Seema only chuckled, gave her a military salute as she headed down the hall.
Radhika sighed and rested one cheek on her fist, staring at nothing.
Yummy. Tempting as no one had ever made Radhika think about him as he had; he was always present in her mind, somewhere or the other.
What was wrong with her? She would be utterly happy when this assignment got over.
She sat up straight, now, we will see who gets affected how, Arjun Khanna.
Game On.