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“Then why does it leave me feeling used and cheap?” I asked quietly.

He looked at me furiously, hands gripping my shoulders so hard I was sure they were going to leave marks on my skin.

“Really? Were you feeling cheap yesterday morning when I ate you out in the shower and made you come three times? Did you feel used when I fucked you in my study three days ago? Or when you got down on your knees and took me in your mouth last night?”

I trembled with need at the memory of everything that we had done to each other but stood my ground.

“It wasn’t the sex that made me feel cheap and used. It was the fact that you used sex to change the topic every time I asked you how you were feeling,” I stated, and he flinched as if I had dealt him a body blow. “That’s all it was to you, Viren. A diversionary tactic. That’s why I’m asking you if you have the balls to stop hiding behind sex and just talk to me tonight.”

He looked tormented, and I was wondering if I’d pushed it too far, but then, he nodded. Just once. But it was enough to bring a tremulous smile to my lips.

“In that case, I’d be happy to spend the night here with you,” I replied.

We wandered over to the reception desk hand-in-hand because Viren was holding my hand tightly as if it were a lifeline that kept him from drowning.

“What do you want to do first?” he asked, throwing off his Armani jacket as soon as we entered the room.

I inspected the complimentary box of chocolate truffles and champagne the hotel had left on our bed. That looked promising, I thought happily. But first things first.

“Do you want to try the hot tub on the balcony?” I asked excitedly.

“Do you have a swimsuit?”

I lowered my lashes and gave me a sidelong look.

“Are you brave enough to go without?” I teased.

“I am, but is it safe for you to do that?” he asked with a frown.

“The balcony is sea-facing, Viren. There’s literally no one around,” I replied with an eye roll. “Let’s live a little. You know I’ve never been skinnydipping.”

He paused in the action of throwing off his shirt and gave me an incredulous look.

“Never?”

I shrugged in reply, refusing to feel embarrassed.

“I never had the opportunity,” I said.

Viren pulled out a notepad and pen from the writing desk in the corner of the room.

“Here,” he said, tossing them to me. “Make a list of everything you’ve ever wanted to try in life.”

I caught them, intrigued at the idea. I had never made a bucket list because I was too busy trying to survive. But maybe now was the time to try new things.

I threw off my clothes and slid into the hot tub when Viren said it was warm enough. He poured us some champagne and opened the box of chocolates.

I picked a dark chocolate truffle with macadamia nuts and relaxed in the tub with the chocolate in one hand and champagne in the other as I thought about all the things I wanted to try.

“There’s this thing where you go rolling down a hill in a big plastic bubble,” I said slowly.

“Do you mean zorbing?” Viren asked in surprise.

“Yeah! That looks like fun!”

“It is! And it’s even more fun on water. Here, let me write that down for you,” he said, setting his champagne aside. “What else?”

“I want to ride cross-country on a motorcycle. Like a really long trip…maybe to Manali?”