Page 41 of Entangled Vows (Destined Diaries #2)

Never in her wildest fantasies had Mahika imagined this.

That her crush, her husband, her Vikram, would kiss her in a room full of people.

And it wasn’t a fleeting brush of lips or a formal, polite peck.

It was a kiss that reached into the marrow of her bones and rewrote something fundamental inside her.

It was deep and possessive, like a slow, consuming fire that curled around her spine and claimed her soul like it was always meant to be his.

Because it was.

She shivered when his lips moved over hers with terrifying command, his tongue sliding in, coaxing and teasing, tasting her like he’d waited for far too long.

His teeth caught her lower lip in a graze that made her tremble.

One of his hands tangled in her hair, the other anchored her firmly at the base of her back in a firm grip.

Her fingers gripped his jacket, holding on like he was the only steady thing in her spinning world. Breathless, she kissed him back, surrendering to the moment like it had been simmering beneath the surface for years. Maybe it had.

Her mind spun out of control. This kiss was even better than the one they’d shared in the car that day. More than that, it outshone every kiss she’d ever written as an author… and every fantasy she’d ever dared to dream. And she never, ever wanted the moment to fade.

But a small, rational voice tried to break through the dizzying haze, reminding her they were being watched. That this was their wedding reception. That they were the centre of the room, surrounded by soft and dim lights, and too many eyes. Family. Friends. Society. They were all staring.

But the rest of her, the louder, wilder part… just didn’t care.

Because Vikram was kissing her like the last thread of his restraint had finally snapped. It was raw, something primal, something dark, and completely out of control.

And God help her. She didn’t just like it.

She craved it, because this kiss didn’t just ignite her skin, it stripped her bare and exposed the girl who’d once had a hopeless crush on him.

It also revealed the woman she was now, the one caught in a web of duty and something dangerously close to desire.

It burned away her walls and carved himself into her skin.

When he finally pulled back, panting, Vikram straightened them slowly, holding her close like he wasn’t ready to let go. His breath rasped against her cheek, warm and uneven, and then he pressed his forehead to hers, anchoring them both in the eye of the storm they’d just unleashed.

They’d just crossed hundreds of fucking lines. And there was no going back now. Her lips tingled. Her skin buzzed. And her mind was entirely blank, except for the man in front of her.

She swallowed hard. “What… what was that?”

Vikram didn’t blink or smirk.

He simply said, low and rough, “That was the beginning of the end of all pretending.”

Mahika’s lips parted, but nothing came out. Because what did one even say to something like that? She was already shaken to see his protective side when he heard about the blank calls.

And now this.

He didn’t wait for her reply, just let his fingers trail down her arm and laced them gently around hers. With a soft tug, he turned them away from the dance floor, the cheers of the crowd fading behind them like background music. She didn’t resist. She couldn’t.

∞∞∞

Vikram led her to the open-air lounge bar tucked in a quiet corner of the terrace, his hand still wrapped around hers.

Mahika’s pulse hadn’t settled yet. Her lips still tingled and her body buzzed.

The crowd whispered around them, their eyes following them, but she barely noticed.

She was still reeling from their very public, very real kiss.

Her knees wobbled, and she sank onto a barstool, her breath still uneven.

The terrace was nearly empty now. A cold gust of wind swept past, biting into her skin and making her shiver.

Without a word, Vikram slipped off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

It was still warm from his body, carrying his scent of spice, musk, and something darker, something unmistakably him.

She looked up at him. Good God. He was like a male model with an attractive, muscular physique, all hidden beneath his layers… all broad shoulders, lean waist, and a quiet strength that made her squirm in her seat.

“What will you have?” he asked, his voice just loud enough for her to hear.

“Whiskey. Neat,” Mahika replied.

He turned to the bartender and raised two fingers with quiet authority. “Two Yamazaki 18s. Neat,” he ordered.

“Coming right up.” The bartender nodded before reaching for the rare bottle on the top shelf.

He then slid their drinks across the counter.

Vikram picked up her glass first and handed it to her.

She took a sip, letting the smoky whiskey slide down her throat, hoping it would calm the chaos inside her.

Then, without looking at him, she asked the question that had been circling in her head like a tornado.

“What are we doing, Vikram?”

The taste of his kiss still clung to her lips, and her skin still hummed with the aftershocks of it as she waited for him to speak. He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he leaned in, closer than he needed to.

“Do you really want to know, Momo?” His voice was dark, edged with something she couldn’t name.

She nodded, barely.

He let out a breath of laughter, the kind that made her chest clench. When she looked up, he was smiling. A genuine and unfiltered smile. The sharp angles of his face softened, and he looked heartbreakingly beautiful.

Goodness. It took restraint the size of an elephant not to take a picture of him right then and make it her wallpaper, frame it, and etch it into memory before the moment slipped away.

“We’ve been circling each other for years. Every fight, every taunt, every stare-down… Do you really think it was just angry hate?”

Her brows pulled together. “Wasn’t it?”

His gaze dipped to her mouth as his thumb brushed the corner of it in a sensual way. “No. It was always about this.”

She froze as his thumb hovered against her lower lip, lightly caressing it, and just like that, the air shifted.

“How can you say that? You used to ruin my day just by walking into a room,” she muttered, trying to ignore the dampness between her legs. “And you made it your life’s mission to piss me off.”

“You were so easy to rile up, my baby dragon,” he teased, his grin curling at the corner of his mouth in a lazy and unfairly sexy manner.

His hand slid to the back of her neck, his fingers tracing slow circles into her skin, and she nearly forgot how to breathe.

“I wasn’t going to let you win,” she said, crossing her legs. The subtle movement didn’t go unnoticed by him. His gaze flickered down briefly, heat flaring in his eyes.

“My baby dragon,” he murmured, “I don’t think either of us ever won. We just burned slower than we realised.”

“I didn’t think we’d end up here, Grizz,” she whispered, her voice barely holding. Instinctively, she swayed forward, their chest bare inches away.

He tilted his head, studying her like she was a puzzle he’d finally started to solve.

“I did,” he said, his voice dropping a shade lower. “Feels like everything led us here. Every insult, every dare, every time you slammed the door in my face.”

She rolled her eyes, though the gesture lacked its usual bite. “You earned every single one of those.”

“Probably,” he admitted with a faint smile, his thumb caressing her cheek. “But you never stopped it either. Never truly ignored me. That has to mean something.”

“Well, it meant you were relentless in annoying me, Grizz,” she muttered, trying to ignore the heat curling through her veins.

He watched her in that calm, annoyingly sexy way, all composed but hungry… like a predator. Like he’d made up his mind and would take her right there if she let him. The thought made her swallow and look away, her thighs squeezed together, trying to contain the rush he sent through her.

He noticed, and his eyes darkened with intense desire and something else she was scared to name.

“So…” she said slowly, “what happens now?”

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, his one hand tucked a loose strand behind her ear, his touch lingering at her jaw. The other settled on the bare skin of her thigh, right where the gown’s high slit revealed it.

“Now,” he murmured, his tone silky soft, “we stop pretending we don’t want to finish what we started.”

He reached for her hand. Mahika looked down at it, then up at him, feigning innocence.

“And what do you think we’ve started, exactly?”

Vikram leaned in and kissed the curve where her shoulder met her neck. She gasped, her whole body trembling. When he pulled back, his gaze caught hers. And in a voice low enough to make her shiver, he whispered, “This. Now c’mon inside.”

He turned around, signalling her to follow.

But she was Mahika. Never the kind to let someone else have the last word.

Instead of falling in step, she grabbed his arm, making him pause mid-step.

He turned, one brow raised in question. But before he could speak, her other hand reached for his tie.

Her fingers curled around the silk, firm and forceful, tugging him down until their lips hovered a breath apart.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked, his voice low, amused.

“This,” she whispered, and pressed her lips to his.

The kiss was anything but shy. It was all heat, bold and confident.

Her mouth moved over his with purpose, licking along the seam of his lips before her hand slid up to his neck, caressing the warm, taut skin.

Then she found the opening and kissed him deeper, her tongue duelling against his, claiming him.

She tugged on his lower lip and sucked hard, and that was it. The last thread of his control snapped.

Vikram responded instantly, like a fuse had finally been lit.

His hand clamped around her waist, pulling her flush against him.

Her fingers fisted into his shirt, anchoring herself, as if afraid the earth might shift beneath them.

One second, she was kissing him like she had a point to prove, and the next—

He had taken control of the kiss, his mouth still on hers, his hands mapping her body like he’d been starved for the permission to touch her this way. The cool night air danced around their fevered skin, but nothing could put out the wildfire now raging between them.

“Oh, my poor eyes.”

Mahika jolted, tearing her lips from his. They broke apart and turned towards the voice in unison.

Mohit stood at the edge of the patio, one hand dramatically shielding his face. His tone was exaggerated with just enough flair to soften the moment, but the surprise in his expression? That was real.

“What the fuck, guys? Wasn’t the scorcher you pulled inside—one that made half the aunties blush—enough?” he said, his eyes darting between them. “You had to sneak out here for a private encore?”

Mahika’s cheeks went up in flames. “We weren’t—” she started, but trailed off. There was no way to spin that convincingly.

“Oh, please, don’t explain,” Mohit cut in quickly, waving a hand like he was trying to erase the mental image. “I have got perfectly good eyesight, unfortunately.”

Vikram, in contrast, didn’t so much as blink.

He remained completely unruffled, his eyes locked on Mahika’s flushed face. Then, as if to make a statement, his fingers slid down to her waist and pulled her gently to his side before he finally turned to Mohit.

“I was kissing my wife,” he said evenly. “Didn’t realise I needed your approval.”

Mahika could feel Mohit’s gaze burning into them, his brows still raised in disbelief.

“Well, damn,” he muttered after a beat, folding his arms. “I thought you two barely tolerated each other. This is… one hell of a plot twist.”

Before Mahika could respond, Ishika sauntered in from the far end of the terrace, wine glass in hand, one eyebrow arched. “Guys? Is this some kind of private party I wasn’t invited to?”

“Ishika, perfect timing.” Mohit pointed towards them like he was laying out evidence in court. “Caught these two in the middle of a makeout.”

He clearly expected her to be shocked or at least mildly outraged. Instead, Ishika simply grinned smugly.

“It was just a matter of time. I knew the tension between these two was off the charts.” She winked at Mahika. “Mahi, do you want me to take Bungee for the night? Just in case—”

“Ishika,” Mahika groaned, covering her face.

“Stop. For fuck’s sake,” Mohit muttered, with his eyes squeezed shut, clearly annoyed.

Vikram merely smirked. “You all need to mind your own business. And go find the other bar. Inside.”

Mohit shot Mahika one last look, then turned back to Vikram with a sigh and a reluctant grin. “You know what? I’m happy for you both. Confused. Slightly traumatised. But happy.” He jerked his head towards Ishika. “C’mon. Let’s give the new couple their moment.”

Then, glancing over his shoulder, he added, “By the way, someone from the board’s been asking for you, Mr. Khurana. Apparently, your duties extend beyond playing heartthrob with my sister.”

Vikram sighed, the kind of sigh reserved for boring meetings and forced small talk. “Tell them I’ll be there.”

“I’m not your assistant,” Mohit called back, walking off, “but fine. Anything to stop the PDA before someone faints.”

As the patio grew quiet again, Vikram leaned in a little, his voice pitched low. “You okay?”

Mahika nodded, still a little breathless. “Yes. Just... hmm, you know...”

His lips curved in a slow, sideways smile. “I do. And you’re not the only one. Let’s go back inside… before Mohit sends a search party.”