Page 173 of Lawfully Yours

Suddenly, something struck Arundhati’s head. “Have you ever danced like this with Kamya?” she asked.

His expression sharpened instantly. He did not like that name between them, ever. His grip tightened as he pulled her body closer until her curves moulded perfectly against his.

“We are not discussing Kamya ever again, Aru. Unless you still don’t trust what I’ve already told you about us.”

The finality of his tone should have been enough for her to change the topic, but still, she couldn’t resist teasing, especially when his palms had settled dangerously low on her hips. She swayed her hips deliberately, feeling his hands follow, caressing, and sizing her up.

“There’s no space for Kamya,” he added, “or for any other man between us anymore.”

She grinned wickedly. “Kushal Nair dated men too before?”

That earned her a sharp tug, pulling her body fully flush against his.

“I meant the men you dated in the past. And no, for your general knowledge, I’m not into men. But I’ve met a few who were into me…”

Her teeth caught her lower lip. No wonder. With his sculpted jaw, lethal eyes, and that commanding arrogance, of course, men and women both would fall at his feet.

She arched a brow playfully. “You could answer everything except the one thing I asked. Did you dance with Kamya like this? That itself is suspicious, Mr. Nair.”

Now his patience thinned. For a moment, he wanted to punish her teasing by grabbing that soft, round butt he’d been resisting all night. And then he did exactly that. His hands finally slid lower, grazing, squeezing, owning. She gasped as he held her eyes, as he palmed her curves, unapologetically.

“In the couple of times we went to dinners… yes, we danced.” His thumbs stroked dangerously close to her spine, then downward again, making her shiver.

She shook her head, a small frown tugging her lips, though her body betrayed her, arching into his. He leaned closer, his hands roaming higher again, sliding over her bare back, his rough palms grazing her smooth skin. His mouth hovered a breath away, his eyes still locked on hers.

“But I never touched her,” he said huskily, his lips brushing her cheekbone, “like this.”

Her knees weakened. Heat coiled low in her stomach. She almost let go, almost gave him the kiss they’d been torturing each other with for weeks.

But that’s when her phone buzzed in her clutch. She blinked out of the trance. It was Akash.

Her heart still raced as she muted the call, whispering breathlessly, “I’ll have to call him back. It’s about tomorrow’s case.”

Kushal’s hands lingered another second on her before he finally let her go. He kissed her hair once, then leaned back with control hard-won. “Answer it. I’ll settle the bill.”

She nodded, already fumbling to redial as she stepped out to take the call, while Kushal signalled for the bill, smirking faintly to himself. That damned phone call had rescued him from surrendering first. Not that he would’ve minded. She craved histouch as much as he craved hers. But he had plans for their first real night. He wanted to make it special for her. Tomorrow, he had decided. He would end this exquisite torture for both of them forever.

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

Throughout the ride back, until they stepped into the elevator of their penthouse, Arundhati was still glued to her phone with Akash. Kushal listened in silence, catching every word but saying nothing. He knew from her clipped tone that she’d have to dive into work before she could call it a night.

When the call finally ended she turned to him, apologetically. “I’ll need about an hour. Have to get some documents ready for tomorrow’s hearing.”

He only nodded. He’d anticipated it.

The elevator doors slid open, and they walked together to the penthouse door. She clutched her purse, waiting patiently for him to unlock it, but he didn’t. He just stood there, looking at her with that unreadable smirk.

Her brows knitted. “Aren’t you going to open it?”

Instead, he tilted his chin toward the keypad. “Go ahead. You do it.”

Her confusion deepened. “But you never told me your new passcode.”

“It’s still the same,” he replied smoothly.

She blinked. “No… I tried my birthdate last time. It didn’t work.”

His smirk only widened. “It’s still the same, Aru. Just the order has changed. Notdd/mmanymore, butmm/dd.” His eyes softened then, enough to make her knees weak. “I would never change that date. It’s etched into my heart more than this door. The day my wife was born… is the day my world started.”