Page 27 of Right Where I Belong

She looked too awestruck by everything around her.

“Nightclubs not your scene?” he asked, sliding closer to her. “Or all this is just too much?”

“Both.”

A server began to place their drinks in front of them. The women had ordered cocktails while Akash and he had stuck to the same malt they were having earlier.

“Why?” he asked, suddenly curious. “I mean, you must have experienced places like this. Agreed this is a bit over the top. But still.”

“Actually, all this is a first for me.”

“How? You’re related to Rithwik! And we all know how much he likes to party. I’m sure Aisha and he must have forced you out with them many times.”

She laughed. The sound warmed something inside him. He blinked that strange sensation away and took a large gulp of his whiskey.

“They’ve tried a lot over the years; I never go,” she replied.

“Why?”

“I have a child. Where is the time to party? Or to do anything actually…”

His brow creased. “Having a child shouldn’t stop you from beingyou. All our friends have kids, but the women make time for themselves.”

“Exactly what Aisha and Diya have been telling me…” Sabrina paused to sip her drink. “I finally took their advice, and here I am, taking a chance on myself again.”

“Well then, let’s drink to that.” He raised his glass in the air. “To you, and everything that will come next.”

She tapped her glass to his before looking into the crowd again. Akash was leaning closer to Shauna, speaking in her ear. A second later, Shauna tossed her hair over her shoulder and glared at him. Aditya chuckled softly under his breath. Sabrina’s eyes fell on him again, a half-smile curving her lips.

She shifted closer. “She wasn’t kidding when she said they didn’t get along.”

“Oh, they get along just fine,” he replied, his tone amused. “This is all foreplay.”

Her eyes widened. “What?”

“Akash claims she’s the bane of his existence, yet he can’t shut up about her. He’s into her, not that he’d ever admit it. And Shauna has made her dislike for him evident in all possible ways, but she can’t stop looking at him. In fact, I think she argues with him just to get a reaction from him.”

Sabrina turned to watch the other couple. Shauna rolled her eyes as Akash said something again. But the younger woman’s eyes stayed fixed on him.

“I think I agree…” Sabrina said finally. “I think she likes him too. You’re right; all that bickering seems like a way to hide the attraction simmering between them.”

Aditya studied Sabrina carefully while she was studying the other couple. Even though they’d barely interacted over the years, talking to her was surprisingly easy. Maybe it was the kind of comfort that came from years of sharing a loud, overlapping circle of friends. It was familiar, casual, effortless.

He tipped his head in the direction of Shauna and Akash. “What do you say? Shall we do something about them?”

“What do you mean?”

“Meaning, let’s leave them alone for a bit to figure out whatever it is that is between them.” He held his hand out to her. “Come, dance with me.”

She hesitated just a moment before her hand slipped into his. Something unfurled inside his chest. He masked the shock with a smile and tugged her to the dance floor, twirling her once before releasing her hand.

She threw her head back, shut her eyes, and began to sway to the music. Her movements were fluid, instinctive, and unapologetically sensual. And in that moment, Sabrina didn’t just look beautiful, she looked sexy as hell. The knowledge hit him low and hard, catching him completely off guard. It was the first time he was seeing her like this, so relaxed and carefree.

Fuck. What was wrong with him? He was ogling Sabrina Solanki, and for the life of him, he couldn’t stop looking at her. She was a friend, well, sort of, at least. Prior to tonight, he’d never really looked at her differently. But now, he couldn’t stop looking.

The last time he’d met her had been at Kanika’s engagement party. She’d been kind to him then, trying her best to make him smile and laugh. She was a good person, and he ought to stop staring at her the way he was.

Sabrina bit her lower lip, and his eyes latched onto her mouth. Something hot and heavy flared inside him. Ignoring all his strange reactions to her, he began to move to the music too.Her eyes opened and latched onto his. Smiling, she continued to dance.