Page 171 of Lawfully Yours

He thought for a moment, letting the silence stretch as his gaze raked over her pretty face. “Surprise me.”

Before she could bite back, the door creaked open and Akash stumbled in, clutching a file. His eyes widened as he froze at the sight of them standing far too close.

“Uh…I was looking for Mr. Verma. Sorry, you please carry on!” he stammered and immediately backed out, disappearing like smoke.

Arundhati’s cheeks flushed as she quickly turned toward the door. She was halfway out when Kushal’s voice followed her. “We’re leaving at eight. I have work to finish before then.”

She turned just enough to meet his eyes once more. “Eight sharp,” she confirmed softly, and then walked away.

What would she wear? Something bold. Something unforgettable. Something that would make him lose the control he prided himself on? She didn’t have much time to prepare.

****************

Kushal finally wrapped up with the client around 7:45 p.m. Although he was tired, the moment he checked his phone, all his exhaustion vanished. Her text blinked on the screen:

‘I’ll be waiting at the parking lot, sharp at 08:00… at your car.’

Excitement pulsed through him. This wasn’t just a dinner. It was their first step in starting over. He quickly stripped out of his court-worn shirt, tugged on a fresh crisp one from his cabin closet, and slipped into another smart suit. He had always kept spare suits stocked in his office for emergencies—unexpectedclient meetings, sudden trials. Never had he imagined he’d be using them to walk into a date… with his wife.

By the time he stepped out, the office was nearly empty. He bid quick goodbyes to the handful of staff still lingering and made his way to the elevator.

The clock hit 8:00 p.m. as he entered the underground parking, and there she was…leaning casually against his car. His wife.

Kushal froze.

Holy f*ck.

He had asked her to surprise him, but that didn’t mean he had expected her to wear something like this.

Maroon was his weakness, especially when she wore it on her body. And this time it wasn’t in the form of a saree. No, she had gone further, pushed the line into dangerously sinful territory.

She wore a maroon bodycon dress that hugged every inch of her, with those thin spaghetti straps holding it over her shoulders. The hem barely kissed her knees, and a teasing slit on her right thigh offered just enough of a promise to wreck his focus entirely throughout their dinner date.

His throat went dry. Because one look at her and his first instinct was not dinner. It was to reach her, drive home straight, and spend the night showing her just what wearing that did to him.

He didn’t realise he had almost slowed down his walking speed to 0.5x. She saw it and even read every unfiltered thought flashing across his face.

By the time he finally reached her, she pushed off the car with a sway that made his jaw clench. Rising slightly on her heels, she leaned in close, wanting him to take the fragrance of his favourite perfume. She’d been purposely wearing it for him tonight, the same scent that had haunted him in his sleep during their initial months of their marriage.

“I guess I know who’s going to break the order first…” she whispered, her lips brushing dangerously close to his ear. “And it’s not me.”

Heat blazed down his spine. Damn her. She was right. He could already feel the walls of his restraint crumbling.

He bit the inside of his cheek hard, forcing back the growl before looking at her again.

“Let’s see,” he muttered low before he reached for the handle of the car door for her.

She turned around to slide into the seat. The faint stretch of her body as she leaned in, the sway of her hips, the view of her perfect, rounded bottom…he saw it all, and it hit him like fire to gasoline.

Because f*ck, he was already hard. Just like that. One single move from her, and his body betrayed him.

He shut the door a little too firmly, dragging in a ragged breath as he straightened. If she looked at him right now, she’d know. She’d see exactly how undone he was by one simple, sensual act of her getting into his car at the front passenger seat. If this was him even before the start of their dinner date, how the hell was he supposed to follow the order that she was so particular about tonight?

God help him indeed.

Chapter 33

Kushal’s Car