Page 46 of Right Where I Belong

Think faster, beautiful, unless you want me to send you more lingerie. I’ve been dreaming about you wearing sexy lingerie in green.

Her face heated.

You’re impossible.

Aditya

I’m persistent ;)

She took a breath and typed again.

I’m ready… to give us a try. But I have some rules.

Her phone rang immediately.

“Hello, beautiful,” his deep voice came down the line, making her insides quiver. “I refuse to have this conversation over text or on a phone call. I’m on my way to you.”

“Okay.”

The line went dead. Sabrina jumped off the bed and flung open her wardrobe, her fingers darting over the hangers. What should she wear? Should she dress up or down? Uff, this was so confusing. She had no idea what to wear. She didn’t want to look like she was dressing up for him. But she also didn’t want to look like she’d just rolled out of bed and didn’t care. Ugh.

She finally yanked out a pair of high-waisted jeans and pulled on a plain black top. Sleek. Simple. Paired with her black bellies, hair left down, and a quick swipe of gloss, she looked fine. Not too put together, but definitely not a mess either. She was still adjusting the hem of her top when the doorbell rang.

Her heart thundered. Oh God. This was actually happening. She pressed a hand to her stomach, willing the nerves to settle, and opened the door.

Dressed in a navy-blue suit and a white shirt, his jaw dark with evening stubble, his hair mussed, and that sexy smile on his face, Aditya looked gorgeous as always. He stepped in without hesitation and kissed her cheek. A feather light press of lips, yet it short-circuited her brain.

“Hi,” he said, his eyes scanning her face with that familiar heat.

“Hi,” she whispered back, her voice a mixture of calm and panic.

He looked around as he stepped in, his gaze taking in the quiet apartment. “Where’s Shauna?”

“She’s not home,” Sabrina said.

“Perfect,” he said. His voice dropped slightly. “We won’t be interrupted.”

Her breath caught.

She closed the door, heart still pounding as she turned to face him. “Would you like some water?”

“No.” His eyes didn’t leave her face. “I didn’t come for water. I came foryou.”

Her cheeks burned.

She splayed a hand toward the sofa. “Please sit.”

Removing his jacket, he draped it over an armchair before unbuttoning his cuffs and rolling his sleeves. Taking a seat, he patted the cushion beside him. She lowered herself next to him.

“So, tell me your rules,” he said, his eyes on her.

She swallowed. “Okay, so here goes. First, no telling our friends. We go slow, get to know each other first before we have sex again, and we do this for the remaining five weeks I’m here. Once I leave, this… us, it’s over.”

His forehead creased. “Why the deadline? Why can this not continue back home?”

“Because I can’t afford to get attached. I have to think of Ahaan. I can’t risk him seeing me with someone and getting used to the idea… only for it to end. He doesn’t need that kind of confusion or heartbreak. If this is just a short-term thing, I need to keep him out of it completely.”

“So, you’ve decided how this ends even before giving it a chance to begin,” he stated, his tone calm but firm.