by M. V. Kasi
Private Number: If you don’t come here by 9 pm, I’ll take it as a sign that you’d rather spend some intimate time with me at home.
She glared at the screen, anger flaring at his threat.
He is such a bully!
She knew there was no escape from going to the club because he could really be home taking it as an invitation from her to spend time with him.
She let out a sound of frustration.
She had to think of a way out of the predicament. And then, slowly an idea began to form in her mind. With a satisfied smile on her face, she began to get ready for the night.
If the devil wanted to induce nostalgia, she would help him with it.
***
It was close to eight thirty when Shiv received a call from his head of security.
“Good evening, Shiv. Naina just came out. She asked me to pick up three other girls on the way.”
Shiv was amused. The little hellion was not only going to be late, she was deliberately bringing her friends along. “Bring them to the club and send me a message when you arrive.”
“Sure, Shiv.”
Thanking Vasu, Shiv ended the call. He shook his head with a small grin at Naina’s tactics to avoid being alone with him. What his beautiful scheming wife didn’t realize was that by challenging him, she was only making the chase all the more interesting.
“Bring it on, sweetheart.”
***
“Wow! I can’t believe we are visiting this place again.”
There were excited squeals from the group of girls.
Naina didn’t let her friends know she was more or less summoned to that place by the man called the devil. The man who was also her husband.
She shuddered at the thought of how her friends would react to the news.
“Look at the queue! I don’t think we could have succeeded in crashing this place.”
Naina’s friend was right. They walked directly into the club, bypassing the long queue waiting outside because the man who drove them was accompanying them.
The interior of the club was still very impressive, even though a year had passed since she had been to the place.
They were greeted by the familiar face of the well-dressed hostess. “Good evening, Naina… ladies. Welcome to The Dungeon,” she greeted.
Naina smiled at the woman. “Hello, Reshma. How are you?”
“I’m doing good. Please come, I have your table reserved.”
Naina had hoped that the hostess would deny them a table since all the tables would have been reserved already on a Friday night. But the hostess didn’t even look surprised that three of her friends were also joining her for the night.
Naina followed the hostess to the VIP section which was crowded and appeared full, but the hostess took them to the far end where a table was reserved.
Feeling half disappointed, Naina thanked the hostess and sat along with her friends.
Soon, they began to chat about topics they spoke about during classes. But even as she participated in the conversation, a part of her was waiting for the devil to show up.
She didn’t know whether she was waiting due to nervousness or in anticipation.
A waitress came by and took their orders. And when the orders came within a few minutes, there were toasts.
“Here is to Naina,” Pooja cheered. “May she find her hot guy once again, and may they make cute and nerdy babies together!”
“Pooja!” Naina said with a horrified laugh.
If only her friends knew how close to reality that toast was. Dammit. Now, thanks to her friend’s toast, Naina’s mind filled with images of babies who looked like the devil!
She took a long sip of her drink to get rid of those images. Thankfully, there was no more talk about babies. There was laughter as they discussed the eccentricities of some of their professors.
As time passed, Naina hoped the entire night would pass without Shiv Jaipal showing up. Maybe he was pissed with her for bringing her friends. Although she had wanted to make him angry and also avoid spending time alone with him, a part of her was worried about what he would do as retaliation.
He was still a stranger, the stranger she was married to. She hardly knew much about him.
Suddenly, all her thoughts stopped, and her heart began to pound.
She felt his presence. She knew for sure that the devil was around. And even if she didn’t know where he was exactly, she found out by following all the head-turning from the rest of the women in the club.
Dressed in a dark blue shirt and designer jeans, he looked good enough to be on a magazine cover. He raised his chin and greeted a few people seated at the VIP tables. Naina assumed those were regulars to the club. But he didn’t stop to talk to any of them. He was coming towards their table.
“Holy shit! Is that Naina’s hot guy?” one of her friends asked. “The one who had turned her down for a dance and drinks?”
Naina’s face burned in embarrassment. “Yes. He is… uh… Shiv. He… uh… apparently knew who I was and felt it was inappropriate to dance with me.”
There was a shocked silence followed by a low whistle from another friend. “The way he is heading right here like some heat-seeking missile, I doubt he has any more such hang-ups.”
Naina’s cheeks continued to burn. She couldn’t deny he was coming straight for their table, and his eyes didn’t waver from her.
Soon, he was at their booth. “Hello, ladies,” he greeted with a small smile. “Welcome to The Dungeon.”
Naina could literally hear her friends swoon when the dimples flashed on his handsome face.
She wanted to scream. Don’t fall for his charms! You don’t know the truth about him. He’s a liar. A cheat. A dangerous criminal. And he forced me into a marriage!
But she remained quiet and didn’t return his smile. In fact, she gave him a daring look to do his worst because she deliberately flouted his orders.
His eyes flashed in amusement at her challenging look. He stood next to her in the booth and put his arm casually on the seat behind her. Trying not to make it too obvious, she moved a few inches away from him, so they weren’t touching. It only amused him more.
“So, what are you all having?” he asked.
“French Kiss!”
“A Love Affair!”
“Sex on the Beach!”
Normally, Naina would have giggled and joined her friends in such outrageous conversation. But right then, her face flamed at the names, and the awareness of his presence next to her positively crackled in the air.
There was a deep chuckle. Even his damn laugh sounded so sexy that her friends almost swooned again with exaggerated sighs.
Naina stared at her drink she hadn’t touched. She wanted to keep her senses on alert. She didn’t touch any of the snacks either because her stomach fluttered nervously, killing her appetite.
“Are you always at this club because you are the manager?” one of her friends asked.
“Not always. I come here once in a while. I own The Dungeon with two others.”
Naina was shocked. It didn’t occur to her that he might be the owner.
“So if we are with Naina, we can visit The Dungeon anytime we want?”
She felt his gaze on her. “Well, I definitely hope so.”
He took a small step away from the booth. “All right, ladies. Enjoy the rest of the evening.”
She almost let a huge sigh of relief when she thought he was going away to resume his work. As a high-profile criminal businessman, she was sure his days and nights were filled with underhanded deals. He was travelling most of the time too.
But he didn’t leave right away. She felt his potent gaze on her.
Reluctantly, she looked at him, hoping he wanted to say goodbye to her. But there was yet another amused grin.
“Ladies, I’m going to be stealing your friend away for a while,” he said, extending his hand.
Naina’s heart began to pound. She wanted to protest, but the flash
in his eyes despite the amusement made her pause.
Gritting her teeth and hoping it was only to talk briefly, she placed her hand in his. Holding her hand in a firm grip as though to stop her from escaping, he led her away from the safety of her friends’ company.
“Where are you taking me?” she demanded when they were out of hearing distance from people.
“Where do you think I’m taking you?” His voice was deep and husky, making her shiver. He led her into an elevator.
“My friends will be waiting for me. It’s rude to leave them alone.”
He pushed her against one of the elevator walls and trapped her with his arms. “They can entertain themselves, and I’m sure they will understand if their friend wants some private time with the guy she had the hots for.”
“I don’t!” she whispered. He was way too close.
“Don’t what?” He leaned his head lower.
She swallowed and tried to breathe normally. But her breaths came out faster, and her eyes fell on his lips, recalling their kisses.
“I… I don’t… desire you.”
“Are you sure?” He looked at the pulse beating furiously at her throat and smiled at her.
“Yes,” she whispered, even as her entire body began to flush in heat. “Let me go.”
“No.”
She tried to escape from under his arm, but it only trapped her body even more against him. Her breasts were flush against him, and she felt his hard arousal against her stomach.
She felt an answering heat within her body.
She sucked in a breath to stop herself from feeling anything. “Stop it, Shiv. Let me go.”
“I like hearing my name from you,” he whispered against her ear. “And why should I let you go? Why does the thought of us wanting each other scare you?”
She shivered, but she hated that her body was reacting to his presence. Putting her palms against his chest, she tried to push him away. When he didn’t budge, she glared at him.
“There is nothing between us. You’re doing this only because of my father’s political power.”
He chuckled. “My current hard-on for my wife is because I want to gain political power?”
Her face heated. “You know what I meant! I’m just a pawn to you.”
He bit her ear lightly, making her shiver. “A beautiful pawn. The one I can’t wait to devour.”
The next moment his lips captured hers.
She gasped and moaned as heat exploded within her. His tongue stroked hers while his hands ran over her sides, taking in her shape. Then they moved back and cupped her rear and pulled her closer against his hard body. The need that grew inside her scared her. Somehow clinging to her resolve to hate him, she pushed hard against him.
Pulling her mouth away from his, she turned her head. “Let me go!”
He held her chin and turned her face until she looked at him..
His eyes glittered with heat and passion. She felt a similar heat coursing through her body.
“You are over-sexed,” she stated breathlessly.
He raised an eyebrow. “I’m assuming it isn’t a compliment.”
“No! You are used to being with multiple women and in multiple affairs. You constantly need sex… and… and… in depraved ways.”
He paused as though thinking about what she said. Slowly there was a grin. “Then I guess you need to up your vitamin intake once we get started, sweetheart. I’m going to want you at least four times a day and in every possible way.”
Her face turned hot as heated images flashed into her mind. “That’s not what I meant! I meant… you will cheat.”
Suddenly his smile dropped.
She continued regardless. “I’m bringing it up because you don’t need to pretend like our marriage is anything more than what it is.
His face darkened with anger. And it was scary to see him angry. “You don’t know me,” he growled. “Just because I led my single life a certain way, doesn’t mean I don’t have values or I would cheat.”
Her heart thudded. “I know you will,” she said with conviction in her voice. He would be just like her father. But she refused to be like her mother. “I’m not saying it would affect me in any way. I just wanted to let you know I’m aware. So you don’t need to pretend like our marriage is anything more than what it is.”
He didn’t say anything and watched her quietly for a few moments. Her heart thudded at the look in his eyes. He looked at her as though he could read beyond what she was telling him.
Suddenly, he held her face in his hands, giving her no choice other than to look at him.
“I want you,” he said, making her heart pound harder. “And me wanting you has nothing to do with your father. Even if he didn’t exist, I would have come for you. You are mine, and I’m not letting you go.”
It sounded more or less like a threat, and yet a strange part deep inside her responded to his utter possessiveness. Leaning forward, he gave her a sweet, simple kiss on her cheek before opening the elevator door which led her back to her friends.
CHAPTER 3 1
Shiv was seated in one of the guesthouses at a remote location. He no longer preferred to conduct his businesses from his penthouse, especially when he was dealing with dangerous criminals. He wanted to keep that life as far away as he could from Naina.
The man seated in front of Shiv pushed a few photos towards him. “Mr. Jaipal, what I’m offering to you is the best. My weapons have been used in many civil wars. You can bring down forty people at the same time.”
Any normal man with morals would find the war-ravaged images revolting. But for someone who was dealing with illegal weapons, it shouldn’t produce a reaction. Shiv knew the man was testing him. Rumors were spreading slowly. The criminals no longer trusted anyone.
“Well, although the images are impressive, I still think the price is too much. The quantity I want is high enough to warrant a better price.”
The man’s eyes narrowed shrewdly in consideration. “You said something about converting my black money to white during the transaction.”
“Yes. Vijay will help in the deal.”
The man visibly relaxed slightly looking at Vijay seated next to him. Everyone knew Vijay’s family owned some of the biggest banks in the country.
“So when is the next war expected?” Vijay asked. “I can supply the cash. I have some floating that isn’t under anyone’s radar.”
The man’s face perked up. “How much?”
“Around fifty million dollars.”
Within a few hours, the man gave the details and also signed the deal. Plying the man with alcohol and drugs also helped. It was close to evening when the man finally left.
It was yet another day of business as usual, but Shiv was looking forward to returning home.
For two weeks, he had gotten used to having dinner at home with Naina. He had never stayed home for those many days. He always had to travel somewhere or the other to negotiate deals.
But the last two weeks, he deliberately cleared up his travel plans and got things done through phones and having the contacts fly down to meet him.
“I can handle the follow-up meetings on my own,” said Vijay. “You don’t have to come tomorrow.”
Shiv shook his head. “No, I want to see this through.”
“But there is a threat. Vicktor is—”
“I know. It’s under control. I have my men on alert.”
Vijay fell silent for a few moments.
“Don’t you think you should just initiate the plan right now? You are close. You can just take your wife and—”
Shiv shook his head. “No. I might be close, but there are still a few more organizations that also need to be brought down. I don’t want them escaping during the aftermath.”
Vijay nodded.
Shiv checked the time on his watch. It was close to six. “All right. I’ll get going. I’m going to Judge Dixit’s party. Are you coming too?”
“No. I have something e
lse I need to tackle.”
Shiv got up to leave. Anticipation filled him along with alertness for the night. He was going to take Naina out for the first time.
CHAPTER 3 2
Naina was seated on the bed with books spread around her. She had just finished her assignment when the door to the bedroom opened. It was Shiv.
“Get ready. There’s a party tonight that I want you to attend with me.”
He began loosening his tie before unbuttoning his jacket, making her stare at him with a slight quiver in her stomach.
She badly wished she could attribute the quivering of her stomach to fear, but she knew she no longer feared him. In fact, she had grown more and more aware of him.
Unlike the beginning days of their marriage, he hadn’t been travelling anywhere for the last two weeks and returned home each evening. They had dinner together. Even though she didn’t want to, she was forced to make polite conversation when he asked her about her classes or mother.
And during the nights, even though she used the pretext of her studying to stay awake until late, she still had to lie down next to him on the bed when she slept. And despite the mound of pillows she kept between them, when she woke up, she found herself on top of him or snuggling against him.
He didn’t touch her or demand for a kiss again. And yet, she felt extremely aware of him. Even though he hadn’t kissed her or done anything too obvious, she knew he was trying to break down her defenses slowly.
Either that or she was going crazy while her willpower was being severely tested.
She almost choked when he began unbuttoning his shirt.
“I have to study,” she said, trying not to stare.
She suspected he deliberately paraded his body in front of her. Each night, he only slept in his shorts. He most likely knew she couldn’t help but be fascinated by his damn near-perfect body.
Her eyes once again raked over his ripped body at the hard ridges of his well-defined abs and biceps. She knew he worked out in the mornings because he joined her in the penthouse gym where Vasu taught her kickboxing each morning. She had found him distracting even during the sessions. So much that, much to her embarrassment, Vasu had to take her to a different area in the gym, so she could focus.
