Page 76 of The Secret Bride
Viya's hand came to rest on my chest, right over my heart.
"Not like this. Please. If people find out this way, they will think I trapped you. That I seduced the CEO to secure my position at the company. Do you know what kind of rumors that will start?"
The concern in her voice was genuine. She was worried about her reputation. About being judged and gossiped about.
I understood her concern, but the possessive part of me wanted everyone to know immediately. Wanted every man in that office to understand that she was taken. That she was mine.
"Yes, you did trap me, darling," I said with a teasing grin. "Completely and thoroughly."
She swatted at my chest playfully, a smile tugging at her lips despite her attempt to look stern.
Before she could say anything else, I rolled over, pressing her down into the pillows and capturing her mouth with mine. She made a soft sound of surprise that quickly turned into something else entirely as she kissed me back.
God, I would never get tired of kissing her. Never get tired of the way she responded to me. Never get tired of the small sounds she made when I touched her.
I deepened the kiss, my hand sliding up to cup her face. Her arms came around my neck, pulling me closer, and I could feel her heart racing against my chest.
Eventually, she started tapping my shoulder insistently. I pulled back to find her gasping for breath, her lips swollen and her cheeks flushed.
"I need to breathe, Armaan," she said between gasps, but she was smiling.
I pressed one more quick kiss to her lips, then forced myself to move away before I lost all sense of time and responsibility.
"Fine. I will go." I sat up and swung my legs off the bed. "But you need to be ready at exactly eight o'clock tonight."
She propped herself up on her elbows, looking curious.
"Why? What is happening at eight?"
"I am taking you out to dinner."
Her face lit up with a smile that made my chest feel tight.
"Really?"
"Really. So attend all your meetings and training sessions like a good employee. But be ready by eight. Sharp."
"Okay," she agreed, still smiling.
I got up and began gathering my scattered clothes from where they had been discarded last night. As I dressed, I could feel her watching me. When I glanced over, she quickly looked away, her cheeks turning pink.
I chuckled and walked back to the bed. Leaning down, I kissed her one more time, slow and deep, trying to memorize the taste of her.
"I will see you tonight," I murmured against her lips.
Then I forced myself to leave before I changed my mind and crawled back into bed with her.
I made my way back to my own suite, checking the hallway to make sure no early risers would see me emerging from Viya's room. The last thing I wanted was to cause problems for her, even though every instinct in me wanted to claim her publicly.
Once in my own room, I headed straight for the shower. The hot water helped clear my head and focus my thoughts on the day ahead.
I had meetings scheduled with Mr. Tanaka and the rest of the Japanese executives. Contract details to finalize. Terms to negotiate. Important business that required my full attention.
But my mind kept drifting back to Viya. To the way she had looked sleeping in my arms. To the sound of her saying my name. To the plans I was already making for tonight.
I got dressed in a fresh suit and spent the rest of the morning working through emails and conference calls. Around noon, I met with Mr. Tanaka and his team at their corporate office.
The discussions went well. We hammered out the final details of the collaboration, agreed on timelines and deliverables, discussed the training schedule for the development team.
