by P. G. Van
“You are the best, Ariya.”
“Don’t say that yet,” she said, laughing.
“Mom is driving me nuts with her planning,” Siri confessed.
“Don’t say that, Siri,” Rohan interjected.
Ariya laughed. “Rohan, I suggest you not taking sides, that’s best for you.”
“That’s good advice.” Rohan chuckled as he pulled into her mom’s driveway.
Ariya got out of the car to greet her mom, even before she took her bags out. She hugged her. “I missed you, Ma.”
Her mom kissed her cheek. “I missed you, too, sweetie. Look at you, you’ve lost so much weight. No more travel jobs for you.”
“Whatever you say, Ma.”
Ariya spent the next few days at her mom’s house and then moved back to her apartment in the city. It was an apartment her parents had owned long before having a child. She lived in the apartment during the week as it was closer to the office location of the local magazine she worked with more often.
It was her first day back to work after a month, and she lugged her groceries and made it up the stairs out of breath. She stopped a few steps away when she saw a bouquet of flowers sitting right outside her door. She stepped around the flowers to open the door to place her grocery bags inside the apartment before reaching for the flowers. She picked them up and stepped inside, closing the door behind her.
She placed the flowers on the table and pulled out the card attached to the flowers. She opened the card, her heart beating in her chest and was disappointed to see the flowers were from the TV network that produced the show.
Who did she want the flowers from?
She ran her fingers over the card absentmindedly staring at the flowers. She had worked on many assignments with many other networks and never received a bouquet as big as the one in front of her. She flipped the card and smiled looking at the tiny sticker that was on the back. The tiny sticker of a snake, specifically of an anaconda. A sticker she recognized to have seen Veer take from the river cruise.
Happiness knew no bounds when she realized Veer had sent her flowers, and she couldn’t figure out why she was so happy. She stepped away from the flowers and went about with her usual routine. She went for a run around the block carefully avoiding the section that was closest to his apartment.
She shook her head to herself when she couldn’t explain her behavior. Her rationale side lost the battle when she decided to text him.
Ariya: Flowers?
Her fingers trembled when she saw that Veer was typing a response to her text.
Veer: Flowers.
She scrunched her nose when she saw his response.
Ariya: If you sent them, Thank you!
Veer: Did I send you flowers?
She cursed when she realized he wasn’t the one who sent her the bouquet and disappointment formed a big lump in her throat. She stared at her phone screen unsure of what to say.
Relief swept over her when she saw his response.
Veer: A small token of thanks for getting me into the millionaire club of followers.
Ariya: You are welcome.
She stared at the phone hoping he would send another message, but nothing. Shaking away a thread of disappointment that started to weave around her, she opened Veer’s online profile. She almost dropped her phone when she saw that he was very close to a million and a half followers. She had been so busy watching it until she reached the one million followers within the first week of the trip.
Later that night, she lay on the couch following the news about the recent landslides and how the northern part of California was being hit by wildfires and landslides and floods. She dialed the number on the screen and donated to help with the recovery of thousands of homes.
Ariya was sad for what people would have to go through in that area, but that sadness was dulled by the deep pain she was feeling. The pain of wanting something that she should stay away from… Veer.
She slowly ran her hand over her neck where she was stung a few weeks back and felt the heat on her skin. She pressed on her skin with her fingers like she wanted to feel the sweet pain she felt when he sucked away the poison from under her skin. She let out a deep sigh unable to get him out of her head.
She lay on the couch replaying the moments they shared and realized there was something more than mutual admiration for each other’s work. Veer was compassionate and caring, and something deep within her wanted that, wanted to be taken care of by him. She longed for his soothing touch that would take away the tightness in her chest.
She reached for her phone and opened his online profile, but this time it was not to check his follower count. She wanted to see him, look at the pictures to remember the way he looked at her. She felt special under his eyes, and the memory of the look in his eyes stirred something deep inside.
Ariya looked at the pictures of him, and she wanted to go back in time and remember every memory of her taking his picture. She looked at the picture that Andy had posted of her and Veer looking as if they were going in for a kiss when he was merely checking on her sting—it made her smile.
She read the comments his fans had posted about them and saw the comments in a new light. When she read about women wanting to be in her place, she had snorted, but now, she wanted to be back in that moment, in his arms, an image in his deep, dark eyes.
She couldn’t wait to see him at the network event but could not get herself to call him. Stings from the past were still raw in her mind.
Chapter 14
Siri whistled walking into Ariya’s room. “Who are you really meeting tonight?”
“It’s a work event, Siri. I told you, you can go with me as my guest.” She winked at her sister in the mirror. Her heart was racing in her chest, and she hoped her sister wouldn’t pick up on her nervousness. She was excited but more nervous.
“You look lovely… beautiful.” Her sister’s voice was soft as if in admiration.
Ariya turned to look at her sister. “Remember, you helped me pick this dress.”
“It looks much better on you than on the mannequin.” Siri smiled.
“Now you sound cheesy.” She giggled.
“I’m serious. The color, the style… this dress was made for you.” Ariya was wearing a wine colored, long chiffon dress that flared from the waist. The material felt soft and the shoulder-baring, high-neck dress made it the perfect dress for a not-so-formal event. She paired her dress with long gold earrings and decided to carry her rose gold clutch.
“Thank you. You look lovely, yourself.” Siri and Rohan were going out for dinner, and she was wearing a baby pink, lace cocktail dress and looked elegant.
“How come you are not taking the guy you talked to me about to the event.” Siri’s question made Ariya let out a gasp. She had told her sister about a guy she has been talking to but didn’t give her any details.
“No, he and I haven’t talked in a while.”
“Why?”
“He’s… he is in my line of work, and you know what happened when I dated a guy in the same field.”
“Ariya… that guy was a cheating asshole… you didn’t break up because you worked for the same network.”
“I know but being in the same circles makes it hard to…” Her voice trailed off when she heard her mom call out to them. “Let’s go, Rohan is here.” Ariya was thankful for the interruption.
“Oh my, look at you two,” her mom said excitedly.
“Thanks, Ma.” Ariya kissed her mom on her cheek.
“Siri, you should pick this color for your wedding dress.” Her mom kissed her sister on the cheek.
“Ma, that’s exactly what Ariya said when we went shopping for this dress.”
“This is a beautiful color for you, sis.” Ariya smiled.
“And, I think you should get a dress this color for Siri’s wedding.” Her mom ran the back of her hand on Ariya’s cheek. “You are glowing like a bride… are you meeting someone special tonight.”
&nb
sp; “Stop it, you two… it’s the network event for the pilot show launch.” She glared at both of them.
Siri looked at her phone and scrunched her nose. “Rohan says there is a fancy car waiting for you outside.”
“Stefan…”
“I like Stefan. Do you like Stefan?” Her mom asked, playfully.
“Yes, Ma, I like him. He is my best friend.” Ariya glared at her mom.
“Fine. Just asking.” Her mom shrugged and waved her girls goodbye.
“Bye, Mom. If it’s too late, I’ll go to my apartment.”
“It’s okay if you want to come back home, even if it’s late,” her mom called out.
Ariya and Siri stepped out of her mom’s suburban home and went down the winding walkway to the driveway. Rohan waited outside in the driveway, and another dark, elegant looking car was parked on the street along the curb.
“That’s fancy. The network sends Bentley limousines for pickup?” Rohan winked at Ariya.
“No clue.” She smiled at her future brother-in-law.
“You have fun.” Siri hugged her.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Ariya waved to her sister before smiling at the elderly man who held the door open for her. She sat in the back of the luxurious car, unable to stop thinking about Veer. She didn’t know what he would say or what she should say to him. Would he be angry that she didn’t call him in the three weeks they had spent time away?
A thought that he may have moved on since she didn’t want more than what they had, crossed her mind, and it hurt deep inside. She swallowed painfully as the car pulled in front of the lavish hotel where the party was being hosted.
She walked to the ballroom with her heart in her mouth, not knowing what she would do when her eyes locked with Veer’s. She spotted Stefan as soon as she stepped into the party area.
“You look great!” Stefan gently hugged her.
“You don’t look too bad yourself, Stef.” She laughed, still feeling anxious. She moved around the room as Stefan introduced her to the executive team of the network. She smiled at the people she met, but her eyes roamed from time to time. It took a few minutes to realize Veer was not in the ballroom.
People trickled in for the next thirty minutes but no Veer, and her anxiety turned to disappointment. She sat at the table with Jerry and Andy and chatted with them until they heard Stefan on the microphone.
Stefan accepted the applause and kicked off the event. He talked about the two weeks he and his team spent in the rainforest. He made sure he credited everyone and finally turned to smile at her.
“A special thanks to Ariya from the team and especially Veer, the star of our show who is unfortunately stuck at home sick,” Stefan said, and her heart took a nosedive into her stomach when she heard Veer was sick. The crowd broke into applause when the picture of Veer, his eyes gleaming at her just before his haircut, was projected on the screen behind Stefan.
Ariya coughed fighting back a sob. She looked at the picture fighting back the tears. She saw the depth in his eyes and knew she had to go to him. She needed him in her life and decided not to be miserable for another minute. She stood up from the table when Stefan continued to talk about the trip, but Jerry caught her hand.
“You okay, Ariya?”
“Yes, I need to go,” she whispered.
“Hang on, I’ll give you a ride.” He stood up and followed her out of the ballroom.
“You should go back, Jerry. I will have the person who brought me here take me back home.” She turned, but Jerry followed her out to the car.
“Back to Palo Alto, miss,” the elderly gentleman asked.
“No, I need to go to another location. I can give you directions.” Her voice wavered at the thought of what she was going to do. She was going to knock on Veer’s door. She had texted him a ‘Hi’ on her way, but she did not get a response.
Ten minutes later, the luxurious car pulled up in front of one of the best apartment homes in San Francisco. She thanked the man behind the wheel and asked him to go back to the hotel and walked into the lavish lobby. She walked up to the young man at the security desk.
“I’m here to see, Veer. Veer Thakur.”
“May I see your ID miss?”
She gave the security person her ID, and he picked up the phone and dialed a number. After waiting for a minute, he hung up and looked at her. “I’m sorry, miss, I am not getting a response on the intercom. I need the tenant’s approval to let you in.”
She wanted to collapse on the marble floor and cry, but she smiled and thanked the young man. She turned, fighting back the tears and took a few steps toward the exit door. A ding from the elevator behind her made her stop, and she turned, almost on impulse.
Ariya’s eyes were blurred with tears, but there was no mistaking the tall, fuzzy figure of the man who stood a few feet from her. His eyes were locked on hers as he walked to her looking dapper in a dark silk suit and a light blue dress shirt.
She stood frozen as he walked to her and wrapped his arm around her waist. She threw her arms around him and buried her face into his chest, drenching his tie with her tears.
“Veer…” Her heart fluttered when he smiled at her. “I… I thought you were sick.”
“Sick of parties… without you.” His voice was a soft whisper.
“Are you headed somewhere?” She had no control over her words as her body felt the thrills of being around him.
“I was going to the party… to see you.”
“Veer…”
He gently hushed her and led her back toward the elevator without another word. She looked up as she walked next to him and saw him clench his jaw. They stepped into the elevator, and he punched a code on the number pad on one side of the elevator.
Veer pulled away slightly to look down at her. “I can’t stop thinking of you.”
“Veer… I…” He sucked her words and the air in her lungs as his lips closed in on hers. She moaned into his mouth when her back hit the elevator wall. Her hands wrapped around his neck, and she hoisted herself by locking her legs around his waist.
Veer kissed her with so much hunger she was left with no choice but to match the passion. She dug her fingers into his neck when his lips left hers to roam the column of her neck. “Baby, I missed you.”
“I missed you, too… I’ve been miserable since the day we got back.” She sobbed.
“I’m here, sweetheart,” he mumbled against her neck before bringing his lips to hers to suck her lower lip and feast on her sweetness.
The elevator doors opened, and he stepped out into his living room holding her in his arms and never wanting to stop devouring her mouth. He walked her straight to his bedroom unable to bear the need to be unified with her, a need he had been fighting for weeks. He decided to give her, her space for few weeks, but they have been painfully long and hard weeks.
“I want you, Veer,” she murmured against his lips, and it made him want to rip the beautiful dress she had on that night. He slowly pulled his lips away and let her feet back on the floor.
His hands cupped her face and looked at her. “You are so beautiful.”
She smiled, feeling the heat creep to her cheeks. He let his hands slip lower to cup her bare shoulders and then one hand slipped to the center to cup her yearning breast. He took the other hand to the rounded curve of her bottom and melded her body to his bringing her softness to his steely rod.
Her breath hitched when she felt his desire for her against her belly. The hardness that threatened to dent her flesh sent waves of sweet pleasure through her body. His hands roamed hungrily making her skin tingle with his touch. His touch triggered sensations that deepened the ache inside, and she couldn’t get enough.
She pushed aside his suit jacket and started fumbling with his tie. He let her body go and helped her remove his tie, followed by the buttons of his shirt, diving to their freedom. She had only wondered what it would feel like to touch the skin that layered over his rock-hard muscles.
“I need you now, baby,” he groaned into her chest.
She gasped when he buried his face in her chest, and she felt the prickle from his facial hair through the thin material of the dress. She arched her back, his hand supporting her back as he ran his hand over her curves like he was memorizing every inch of her body.
He went back to claim her mouth and swept her feet off the ground to make her body fall onto the mattress, his body threatening to crush her with his weight. He bit down on her lower lip before letting go of her mouth to wander downward.
Her breath hissed when he looked up at her from her chest as he squeezed one of her breasts. She moaned delectably, tossing her head sideways. She raised the small of her back off the mattress in anticipation as he took his lips toward her throbbing folds.
Veer buried his face in the delicate fabric of her dress right over her sunken clit as he reached for the hem of the dress to pull it up to her thighs, exposing the creamy length of her legs.
“I’ve dreamed of this for weeks.” He nuzzled her wet depths over the thin material of her panties while his facial hair put her delicate skin through sweet torture.
“Veer… I…” She lost her voice when he took a bite of her weeping folds over the soft fabric that served as the last barrier between them and her need to be touched by him in her most intimate part of her.
She gasped when he pulled her panties like he wanted to rip them and pushed them to her knees. He looked up at her as she looked at him with the deepest desire in her eyes. He smiled at her before planting a kiss on the top of her mound and then leaving a flurry of kisses on the delicate area as his beard and mustache set her skin ablaze.
She called out his name fisting her hand in his hair as he delved deep into her throbbing darkness with his tongue. He circled his tongue over her clit over and over again with such precision, and she shuddered with pleasure.
One hand reached out to squeeze the breast he ignored as he flicked his tongue over her clit and when she felt the sweet pain in her chest, she came in a million shudders. She moaned his name unable to use her voice as he lapped up her arousal like he couldn’t get enough. He was lapping with so much pleasure that he moaned into her folds making her come again, waves of pleasure clashing inside her for a surge of sensations making her float into a state of bliss.
