by P. G. Van
“How is this not public knowledge, I mean about the sword?”
“No one, I mean no one, except immediate family, is aware of this. Yet, somehow people from all over India are after the trust because the heir of the trust will be the owner of the sword along with the millions of dollars.”
“What do you mean?”
“I had a representative of the North Indian Royal Family reach out to me about the trust. They made a huge offer to buy the assets owned by the trust,” Nick said softly, and that made my head spin.
Chapter 9
“What do these people want, Nick?” My voice was shaky.
“There’s more than one thing people want from the trust. Some people want the money, and some want the power the royal status brings. What I didn’t realize until recently was the hunt for the diamond.” Nick placed his palm on my back and guided me out of the library and back toward the living room.
“Nick, are we in danger?” A shiver ran through my spine.
“No. They will not bother us as long as they think we are not attached to the trust… emotionally.” Nick’s voice was almost a whisper.
I turned around to look at him, my hand over my mouth suppressing my gasp. “Is that why you told Sanjana you are dissolving the trust?”
Nick smiled but did not respond.
“You really don’t plan on selling the assets, do you?” I couldn’t help smiling.
He shook his head slowly. “How could I do that when I know how much the history means to both our families?”
I put my arms around him from behind as he turned to close the bedroom door. “I’m sorry I overreacted when you told Sanjana about your plans.”
He patted my hands before pulling one hand to his lips. “Keep that to yourself. Let’s stick to the plan of selling the assets. I want to see how badly people want the assets and why.”
“Nick… do these people think the sword is hidden somewhere here?”
“Yes, and that kind of makes sense. If the royal family was keeping something from others, where would they keep it? Somewhere close and on their property.”
“Lands that are under the trust.”
“They haven’t been able to do anything because of the limitations on the trust and if they can acquire the lands.”
“Let’s go back if it is not safe here,” I pleaded.
“Sameera… I would never have brought you here if I thought it was unsafe.”
“What about our family?”
“There’s absolutely nothing to worry about.” He took me into his embrace and planted a kiss on my temple. “Let’s go eat dinner.”
Nick led me to the living room and toward the double doors when we entered the suite.
“Do you think Rajaram left his family to… to protect the sword?” I asked, walking hand in hand with him.
“I guess you’ll need to find out from his journals.” He smiled.
“That security… was that for us or the journals?” I wondered out loud.
“Some people believe there may be a clue hidden in those journals. When I tried to bring them to you during my last trip, they wouldn’t release them to me because you didn’t accompany me… making me wonder if he did leave a clue.”
“Would Rajaram leave clues in plain sight?” I asked.
“Hidden in plain sight?”
“I can read the journals and look for clues, but I don’t know what I can find that people have not found in all these years.”
“I’m pretty sure a lot of people have read the journals, but you haven’t read them yet,” he encouraged.
“I’ll continue reading and see if I can find anything tonight.”
“Don’t stay up late and keep your husband waiting.” He winked.
I playfully slapped his arm with the back of my hand. “I never do that.”
“I know… we are going to the orphanage where Reetu grew up tomorrow. Get some rest.”
“Nick… I don’t want to go anywhere without you.” I wrapped my arms around him and felt his heart thud against my cheek.
*****
I scooted closer to Nick in the back seat of the SUV as the vehicle pulled through the private road leading up to the orphanage. Reetu had spent most of her childhood at the orphanage, and just at the thought of her stuck in jail made me very sad.
“We need to get Reetu out of jail. She doesn’t need to give us any information. She did what she did, but she didn’t hurt anyone,” I whispered.
Nick looked at me for a moment before speaking. “I don’t entirely agree with you.”
I took a deep breath and did not prolong the topic. I looked out of the window and saw a small group of people standing at the top of the wide, rounded steps at the entrance.
“That must be Sagar, Sanjana’s brother.” Nick looked at the young man standing ahead of the group.
“Oh, does he work here?”
“Yes, and he seems to be the one creating holes in the flow of money,” Nick growled.
“What does he know about the trust or the sword?” I leaned in closer to Nick.
“We’ll find out,” Nick stated as the SUV came to a stop.
I watched as Sagar rushed to the car with a smile playing on his face. His eyes were identical to Sanjana’s.
“Sameera,” Sagar laughed, putting his arms around me and sweeping me off the ground. I gasped in surprise not expecting such an overwhelming welcome.
“Hi,” I managed to say as he set me back on the ground.
“I can’t believe it took this long for us to meet.” Sagar seemed genuinely excited to see me.
“Good to meet you, too, Sagar.” I smiled at the man who seemed to be in his late twenties.
“Sagar, Nick Bhatia.” Nick extended his hand and shook hands with Sagar.
“Hello, Nick.” Sagar smiled and immediately turned his attention back to me. “Sameera, Sanjana told me you wanted a tour of the orphanage, and I had to do it myself.”
Sagar was overly enthusiastic and even flirtatious as he led me through the hallway. I turned to look at Nick as he walked a few feet behind me, his eyes trained on me. I smiled at him, but he didn’t return my smile.
A tingle started deep inside when I realized Nick might be jealous, jealous of the attention Sagar was showering on me. I bit my lip to stop myself from smiling as I couldn’t help but enjoy the look on Nick’s face. He made no attempt to hide his unhappiness, and I found his expression totally cute and decided to enjoy the novel feeling.
I walked next to Sagar as he led us through the large facility and talked about the amenities and features. It was a weekday, and most of the children at the orphanage were away at school. Sagar continued to talk about the history of the orphanage and how many children were rescued every year.
Nick was quiet as Sagar led us to the massive library. Just before we entered the library, I took a step back to stand next to Nick. I took his hand in mine and looked at him. “Stay with me, please.”
He smiled and reached down to plant a kiss on my cheek, and I looked up at him as he pulled away. I bit my lip to stop myself from laughing when I realized Nick flashed a victorious look at Sagar. I couldn’t believe the silliness of the moment but couldn’t deny the happiness it gave me to see Nick’s expression.
Sagar led us in silence toward the back of the library. On one of the walls of the high-ceiling room hung a painting, a painting of Rajaram. I looked at the painting Reetu probably saw every day she spent at the orphanage. Unlike the painting in the private suite, Rajaram did not have the same sword, but he had the chain Nick wore around his neck.
I took a deep breath and looked up at Nick. “It’s the same chain, that’s how Reetu recognized it.”
Nick pulled me closer to him. “The sword is different, and only a few people can tell the difference.”
“Let’s talk about this later… can I go hang out with my cousin?”
“Can you ask your cousin to stop flirting with you?” He growled under his breath making me laugh.
&
nbsp; “Are you jealous?”
“No, I’m annoyed. Just find out if he knows anything about the mess with the funds.”
“Yes, sir,” I purred making him shudder.
“I will deal with you later tonight.”
“Nick, Sagar seems innocent and naïve,” I whispered.
“I’m not ready to trust anyone yet.”
“We should get out of here soon. I get the feeling we are being watched,” I whispered feeling a shiver run down my spine.
“Meera…” Sagar called out, and I winked before turning away from Nick.
“This is the founder of the trust,” Sagar said looking at a large painting hanging high on the wall in the auditorium.
I let out a slight gasp when I looked at the beautiful painting of the man who laid the foundation for the link between Nick’s and her destiny. Her eyes fell on the chain and the pendant and knew what Reetu had meant about how beautiful it looked in real life. Rajaram was wearing a traditional war outfit and held his sword with pride.
The chain was almost out of focus in the painting, yet it was not a detail to miss. I took a deep breath to steady my heart and thanked Sagar for the tour.
I walked away from the painting with a growing anxiety for not finding any answers and an awareness of being watched.
Chapter 10
Nick and I spent all morning at the orphanage, and I spent most of the afternoon talking to Sagar trying to get as much information as I could about the orphanage and more. I completely ignored Nick while I spent time with Sagar talking about Rajaram.
I was surprised to find out Sanjana was the only one who was passionate about what Rajaram started decades ago. Sagar didn’t seem as shaken up as Sanjana was when I told him Nick and I were planning to dissolve the trust. He kept switching topics, and I figured he wasn’t interested in talking about the trust. He was overly flirtatious teasing me that he wasn’t warned about what a beauty I was and that he was heartbroken I was married. Nick had walked into the library just when Sagar was bouncing off his cheesy dialogues, and I knew that annoyed Nick.
Later that night, I sipped on the hot soup enjoying the warmth. Nick wasn’t eating and was typing on his laptop, his brow furrowed.
“All okay?” I asked softly.
He nodded without looking at me.
“Nick, eat. Don’t work at the dining table,” I pleaded.
“I should have stayed back today. I could have gotten some work done instead of hanging out with…”
“Hey, I didn’t ask you to go. You could have stayed back at the palace and worked,” I said playfully.
“Fine, I’ll do that tomorrow,” Nick grumbled.
“Very cool, I will tour the rose gardens with Sagar tomorrow.” I winked, and the look I saw on his face, I’d never seen it before. It was annoyance, anger, and most of all something I had never seen, jealousy.
“I’ll have the car ready for you.” He stood up pushing the heavy chair making it screech loudly.
I couldn’t help but find the situation endearing and cute. Nick was never the kind to be jealous, overly protective, yes, but never jealous or possessive. I never thought I would find the moment thrilling. He folded his laptop closed and started walking out of the dining room.
I gulped down a glass of water before following him out of the dining room. Nick was walking fast, and his longs legs allowed him to move even faster. I didn’t catch up with him until we were in our private suite in the palace.
“Nick, are you mad?” I laughed following him into the living room.
“No.” He didn’t turn to look at me.
“Nick, stop,” I ordered laughing.
He stopped in the middle of the living room, but still did not turn to look at me. At that point, I knew I pushed the situation just a tiny bit more than I should have. I knew Nick was probably feeling crappy about how such a small conversation bothered him.
I couldn’t help the smile that played on my lips as I went to stand in front of him. “Are you done sulking?”
“Sameera, I have a few things I need to deal with and… if you are done having fun at my expense…” he growled.
“Baby, this side of you makes me want to…” My words were lost in his mouth as his lips came down to mine for a hungry kiss.
I gasped against his lips taking in his sheer dominance. I ran my arm around his neck and gripped his thick, dark hair between my fingers. A grunt rumbled deep inside his chest when he ran his hands over my bottom and pulled my feet off the ground.
I moaned into his mouth enjoying the roughness of his kiss and wrapped my legs around his waist.
“You are in so much trouble.” His voice was gravelly against my lips.
“Are you going to spank me?” I murmured between hungry kisses as he walked us to the bedroom.
The moment the words left my mouth, I felt the sting on my bottom before his hand sent reverberations through my body. I moaned feeling all the sensations clog at my core that was drenched in my desire.
Nick pulled his lips away from mine just as I was running out of air in my lungs to trail his lips down my neck. “I must confess, I do not like anyone looking at my beautiful wife.”
He nipped the skin on my neck making me hot and wanting him to do dirty things to me. “Nick, I want you.”
“Sweetness, I’m going to make you pay for annoying me today.”
“Bring in on, baby.” I laughed throwing my head back enjoying the burn from his stubble on my skin. I rode my body up making him bury his face into my chest.
I almost came undone when he sucked in a mouthful of my flesh and groaned into my chest. “You’re mine, only mine.”
“I’m yours, Nikhil,” I moaned and felt the delectable sting from his teeth sinking into the skin on my chest.
“Baby,” he said apologetically, kissing away the sweet pain he inflicted. “I missed you all day.”
I pushed his face further into my chest by digging my fingers into the back of his head. “I’m right here, right here, Nick.”
My squeal turned into a snort as he dropped our heated bodies onto the bed. He came down on me hot and heavy. The restraint he usually exercised was missing, and I wasn’t going to complain. I knew he made that conscious change from the time we had our children, and I was happy to see his sexy aggression in bed resurface.
“I missed you, Nick.” I turned my face to bring my swollen lips to his and mumbled against his lips. “I missed the man I fell in love with.”
He growled, his hunger sending jitters through my body in anticipation of the promising sexual engagement. I moaned an objection when he pulled his lips away from mine and went hunting for the zipper that would help him free my body of any fabric.
He pulled down the zipper on the side of my long dress and fumbled with the fabric before pulling the dress off over my head. As if to return the favor, I tugged on the hem of his polo shirt and pulled it over his head crashing my chest into his, our lips melding together.
His hands roamed over the thin material of my slip as I took in the velvety warmth of his skin as his weight threatened to crush me. His hardness throbbed between my legs waking up new sensations through my nerves.
“Take me, Nick.”
“Patience, sweetheart. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Nick, I dare you to take me the way you want to… I want it… I…” My voice was lost in the sound of my silk slip ripping right through the middle. He impatiently pushed away the slip that barely clung to me and scooped my nipple out of my bra cup.
I arched my back off the mattress and closed my eyes in decadence as his warm mouth closed in on my pebbled tip. He supported his body on his elbow, and he tugged and teased on the tips of my breasts switching from one to the other.
My body writhed under him unable to handle the growing ache in my deepest folds. His name played on my lips as he sucked and nipped every inch of my body as his lips trailed south. My hips raised off the soft mattress as he nuzzled my heated core over the
soft cotton of my panties.
“You smell so good,” he hummed into the damp fabric at the apex of my thighs. His tongue teased the peak that was drenched in my arousal.
My body shuddered, and I shut my eyes tightly when I felt his teeth tug and pull my panties lower. My heart was thudding in my chest, and my blood was gushing through my body so fast I thought I was going to pass out.
Nick exercised expert seduction, his purposeful movements threatening to push me over the edge. I tossed my head from one side to the other with his name playing on my lips in a delicate whisper.
I felt the seismic ripples through my body when his mouth closed in on my clit, his tongue flicking and circling the throbbing peak.
“I need you now… I can’t wait,” I pleaded.
He kissed me devouring my folds for a bit longer until I cried out his name. “Let go, sweetheart… don’t fight it.”
His words were the catalyst for the exothermic reaction that erupted inside me. My body trembled with waves of pleasure as I came undone. Nick lapped me hungrily causing mini orgasms to rip through my body.
Nick’s mouth left my depths to find my lips, and I reached for his steely shaft unable to bear the emptiness. My fingers circled his girth and guided his tip to my mushy depths. He rammed into me with an undeniable hunger as soon as the tip made it past my folds.
I dug my nails into his biceps, my eyes riveted on his face as his bore into mine. “You are so tasty, I could feast on you all day.”
I moaned as he built up a rhythm moving his hardness in and out setting my being on fire.
“Come with me, baby,” he ordered, and that did it for me. I clenched my insides taking in his warmth as it coated my walls on the inside.
He collapsed on me, our bodies slick with sweat. We both lay in each other’s arms catching our breath.
Nick wedged his face into the crook of my neck. “That was wicked.”
I smiled, unable to talk, and felt the state of pure bliss suck me right in as I lay in the arms of the man I love.
Later that night, I woke up to a hooting sound in the distance. I was sprawled on Nick with my cheek on his chest. I lifted my head to look at him. I smiled at the calm, beautiful face of the father of my children.
