Page 39 of When Love Trespassed

“Don’t decide that for yourself,” he said, stepping closer. “I’m the critic tonight, remember?”

He gently took her hands and lowered them, his thumbs grazing the spaghetti straps on her shoulders like they were made of silk. The moment his fingers brushed her bare skin, it sparked a thousand goosebumps across her skin.

As his eyes roamed over her from head to toe, Nandini tried not to melt under his smouldering gaze.

“It’s perfect,” he said at last.

She bit her lip. “Are you sure?”

He smirked. “Absolutely. Leaves… just enough to drive a man wild.”

She let out a giggle. “Okay, stop drooling. Time for dress number two. Try not to faint. And if you are getting bored waiting for me… turn on the music.”

Shaurya raised an eyebrow, amused. “I could never be bored after that visual.”

She swatted his arm playfully, her fingers grazing the fabric of his T-shirt, before spinning around and rushing back into the bathroom. The door clicked shut behind her.

Shaurya let out a long breath, running a hand through his hair. He was still reeling. If this was just the first dress… he wasn’t sure he’d survive the next two.

Another ten minutes passed, and Shaurya, growing both impatient and amused, wandered to the bedside table and lit the vanilla candles he found there.

The warm flicker added a soft, golden hue to the room.

He played melodious, romantic music from his phone and leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his gaze fixed on the bathroom door.

And then it opened.

Nandini stepped out, this time in a long black gown, its silky fabric caressing her curves like it had been stitched for her alone.

The thigh-high slit revealed a smooth stretch of her leg, each step making it sway just enough to send his heart into overdrive.

Her back was mostly bare, and instead of trying to hide it, she’d pulled her hair into a sleek ponytail, almost as if she was daring him to have a look.

He almost whistled but stopped himself just in time.

She gave him a little twirl, grinning mischievously. “How’s this one?” she asked, striking a playful pose like a model on a runway.

Shaurya didn’t move at first. His gaze swept over her slowly, reverently, as though he was memorising her every curve. Then he said, “I think it’s not the dresses anymore. It’s the woman wearing them. You make every one of them look perfect.”

She blushed hard at that, her fingers fidgeting for a second before he crossed the space between them. His knuckles grazed along the exposed skin of her back, making her breath hitch.

“Why did you buy these outfits?” he murmured, leaning close.

She raised an eyebrow in mock-offence. “You forgot? Valentine’s Day is nearing.”

He smirked, about to lean in for a kiss, when she tugged on his T-shirt with a teasing glint in her eye. “Don’t get too excited. Priya and the girls have planned a Valentine’s girls-only party. That’s what the outfits are for.”

“Party?” he repeated, visibly unimpressed.

She nodded.

“Well,” he said, his voice dipping as he traced a finger slowly down her arm, “then you better start planning for an excuse. Because you’re definitely wearing one of these on Valentine’s… but not with them. With me.”

She bit her lip and gave him a gentle push, laughing.

“Keep dreaming, Mr. Ahuja.”

He stumbled backwards onto her bed and made no attempt to get up, grinning lazily.

“See you in a bit,” she sang, sauntering towards the bathroom. “Now comes the sexiest one.”

Shaurya groaned, feeling painfully hard. This was going to kill him tonight in the best way.

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

He sat on the edge of Nandini’s bed, excited and eager, having turned off the lights just as she’d asked.

The only light in the room now came from the little flames dancing in glass jars on her bedside table.

The room was painted in a soft, golden glow, the flicker of vanilla-scented candles casting shadows along the walls.

When the bathroom door creaked open slowly, Shaurya turned his head. And for the third time this evening, he forgot to breathe.

Nandini stepped out wearing a red satin slip dress that clung to her body like a glove.

It was daringly shorter than the others, the edge barely skimming her upper thighs, with a sheer lace along the hem.

Thin, barely-there straps kissed her shoulders, framing her collarbones like they were made to tempt.

The neckline dipped low enough to tease, bringing all his hidden secret fantasies to life.

She paused at the doorway, shy but stunning, her fingers fidgeting nervously against the dress.

“I’ve never worn anything like this before,” she admitted in almost a whisper.

Shaurya swallowed hard, still not moving from where he sat. “Come here,” he said, his timbre low and velvety.

She walked toward him slowly, her bare feet gliding against the cool floor, her heartbeat thudding in her chest. His gaze didn’t leave her for a second. Not a single word passed between them . Just Intensity. Heat. Longing.

She didn’t miss the way his eyes hungrily swept up and down her body as he walked towards him.

When she was one step away, he held out his hand.

She placed hers in his, and he gently pulled her onto his lap.

She gasped softly at the sudden closeness, landing delicately on him, her dress riding up her thighs as she adjusted her stance.

Shaurya’s hands slid to her hips, then slowly down to her thighs.

“This one is only for my eyes. Say you agree,” he murmured huskily.

“Yes.” She nodded, breathless.

His fingers grazed the skin of her thigh, skimming softly as he leaned in, his mouth brushing over her neckline.

A slow kiss, then another, unhurried and reverent.

He sucked gently at her skin just below her collarbone and whispered against her flesh, “This... this is mine to see. To touch. To feel.”

Her hands tangled into his hair before sliding down over his neck to his shoulders, hungry to feel more of him.

And suddenly, his possessive and addictive touch was everywhere.

He kissed her shoulder as her straps slid down her shoulders.

When she slipped her hands under his shirt, he wordlessly pulled it over his head, tossing it aside.

Her fingers traced his chest, memorising every line, every inch of his magnificent body.

He looked up at her like she was the only thing that existed. Nandini leaned forward, her forehead resting gently against his, her breath catching when his hands found her waist. The room may have been wrapped in candlelight, but the heat between them burned brighter than any flame.

“You really know how to test my self-control,” he murmured in a rough, tortured voice as his head tilted back at her touch.

She laughed softly, but it melted into a breathy gasp when his hand skimmed higher, his fingers pausing right at the lace edge of her panties. A dull ache thrummed between her thighs as his knuckles grazed the velvety skin there. Then he stilled to glance up at her.

“Just giving you a heads-up,” she said in a whisper, her cheeks flushed with a shy smile. “I’m not exactly wearing anything sexy underneath this.”

His dark eyes, burning with desire, met hers, and he licked his lower lip slowly, intentionally.

“Sexy or not, they are coming off tonight,” he replied.

Before she could say a word, he gently eased her back onto the bed. His body hovered above hers, close enough to feel steady but aching with restraint.

Her face was flushed, and her eyes dazed, like she had already slipped into a world where only the two of them existed. Her fingers brushed along the line of his jaw, admiring the way his skin felt warm under her touch.

He leaned in and kissed her lips while his hand moved beneath the hem of her dress, which had already ridden high up her thighs.

With unhurried precision, he tugged her panties aside and slid an eager finger inside her. She stilled for a second, taken aback by the sudden intimacy of the moment. Their eyes locked as he paused, silently waiting for her signal.

A silent conversation passed between them and instead of speaking, she arched her hips into his touch, her body answering for her, louder than any words could. She wanted this as much as he did. Her eyes fluttered closed, surrendering completely to the sensation… and to him.

Her fingers fisted the bedsheet, trying to ground herself. Shaurya leaned down, pressing his lips on hers, whispering her name like it was something sacred, as he worked his fingers in and out of her.

“You’re beautiful like this,” he murmured against her temple, “so open… so real.”

He watched the way her body responded to him, how she pressed closer, needing more, silently asking and silently receiving. It wasn’t hurried. It wasn’t rushed.

Words had abandoned her. All she could do was hold onto him, her body arching into him as waves of sensation rolled over her, building and crashing as he brought her closer to that edge she hadn’t known she needed so badly.

When she moaned his name in that moment, Shaurya murmured something soft and reassuring against her skin.

Nandini was lost in another world as his fingers kept working magic inside her. She had never let anyone this close before. Had never gone this far in any relationship. Not emotionally. Not physically. She had never wanted to. But with Shaurya, it felt right.

‘He’s the only one who’s ever seen me like this. The only one who ever will,’ she promised silently to herself.

She didn’t second-guess her feelings. She was falling deeply in love with Shaurya Ahuja. And for the first time, Nandini wasn’t afraid of how much she was falling. Because she wasn’t falling alone. He was right there with her.

Suddenly, it was too much.