Intertwined

Chapter 4 : The Unmistakable Pull

Mahir was wearing a black tracksuit, sleeves bunched up to his forearms, a black water bottle in left hand. The zipper of his hoodie was open til the end of the sternum that gave a nice view of his well built chest. He definitely had ran himself around Mumbai because Sneha had no other explanation for his soaked in sweat state. And despite that all, he looked smoking hot that for a moment, she forgot about the danger she was in.

He placed the bottle on the vase stand before walking towards her and she instinctively took a step back, only to feel the wall and his portrait touch her back. He stopped a foot away from her yet she still felt the heat radiating off of him. It warmed her up instantly and beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

“I warned you last night to stay away from me. That I better not catch you in my room again. Yet here you are.” His eyes bored into hers. Tone dark and intense. “What are you doing here ?” - he asked lowly, jaw clenching.

She gulped, desperately pleading with her vocal cords to cooperate. “I wanted to find some c-clue..”

His left eyebrow arched up tauntingly. “Really ? I didn't know Sherlock named you his heir in his last will.”

Her face flushed in embarrassment. His sarcasm seemed to have grown with him.

“I was looking for anything that might give me a hint of your changed behaviour.” - she told him gaining courage and saw his eyes instantly changing. The anger returned.

“So ? Was your investigation fruitful Ms. Holmes ?” - he asked with mocked sweetness, his head tilting to a side.

She bit the inside of her cheek to stop the retort dancing at her tongue. It was unwise to irk the devil further besides, she was standing in his room, not the other way around.

“No. I didn't find anything. That's why asking you directly now, why are you behaving like this ?” - she asked, her adamancy to find out overpowering her nervousness she felt around him.

“This is how I am.” - he deadpanned, looking aside.

“Don't lie to me! You were not like this when we were kids. What have I done to make you hate me so much now ?” - desperation was evident in her tone.

He locked their eyes again and she sucked in a breath. There was that sea of complains again. “You didn't do anything that's what you have done.”

Her brows furrowed in confusion. “Stop with the riddles Mahir! Answer me clearly!” - she was getting irked.

“And why should I ? I am not answerable to you Sneha.” - he said, the intensity in his eyes making a comeback. “Kabir is.”

She bit the inside of her cheek again. “Why do you bring Kabir in-between everytime ?” - she asked impatiently.

His hands rolled into fists. Jaw clenching once again and she saw the vein on his temple popping. He turned on his heels, facing away from her and ran a hand through his hair.

“Leave.”

Her mouth dropped open. He was actually getting on her nerves now. “But-”

“This is the last time I'm asking you nicely Sneha, LEAVE!” -

Her temper rose. Her jaw set stubbornly, she grabbed his arm to make him face her again. He lost patience. Turning around, his hand went straight to her hair to grab a fistful and tugged at it roughly.

She gasped. All her movements stilling. Flashes of childhood went through her head when he used to pull at her hair. But now, it had the total opposite effect on her. She felt her heart racing as he glared at her, their faces just inches apart. His grip was firm and strong holding her in place and it did strange things to her body. Fluttering kind of sensation. Making her skin tingle and burn at the same time. She also realized belatedly that her breath was coming in small gasps, her chest heaving like she was in an oxygen deprived room.

“Mahir...” - she whispered breathlessly. She hadn't planned to, it left her mouth automatically as a plead. Pleading for what ? She had no idea. But her breathing escalated further when his eyes darkened and grip tightened on her hair.

And she stopped breathing altogether when his gaze dropped to her lips.

The temperature of the room suddenly rose to a million degrees. He intently stared at her lips for a long moment before his eyes jumped up to look into hers. He bit down on his lip like restraining himself, holding onto the thin rope of control.

“Don't test my patience Sneha. Believe me, maintaining distance from me is solely in your favour.” - he said, his voice husky. “For the last time, drill this in your brain and keep your curiosity at bay.”

He kept looking into her eyes, making sure that the meaning of his words was conveyed before leaving his grip on her hair. Her hair became at ease, like one feels loosening the hair after being tied up for long. But she herself didn't feel at ease and was shocked as disappointment coursed through her when he left her hair and stepped back.

Her face heated up at her preposterous behaviour. She was unable to meet his eyes and turning on the spot, fled the room.

~

Fingers trailed over her arm. The touch sensual and intimate. The lights in the room were almost none. A soft glow, dimly lighting the room. Her lover was standing behind her, she could feel his warm breathing on her neck and the heat his body radiated. His other hand slowly curled around her bare waist and her belly convulsed involuntarily at the touch.

She panted.

The hand trailing up her arm had now reached her neck and was putting aside her hair from her shoulder.

“You were made to be mine Sneha...” - he breathed, his lips ghosting over her ear. Her eyes closed and a shiver went though her body. “And I want to claim you in every way possible.”

She gasped, her knees buckling as his words set loose her wild thoughts. Each one lewder than the previous. Faster than flash, his hand went to her hair to clutch a fistful. He roughly tugged her head back and dug his teeth in her neck.

“MAHIR!”

Sneha woke up with a gasp, tangled in sheets and sweating. The room was dark, the ticking of the clock the only sound apart from her heavy pants. It took her some time to realize that she was in her room and was dreaming.

Again.

She dropped her head in her hands, trying to regulate her breathing and get her thoughts sorted.

It had been two days since her intense encounter with Mahir in his room and two consecutive nights she was dreaming about him — and quite inappropriately at that. She was aware those dreams, the feelings, the sensations running wild through her,  everything was wrong! So very wrong for all the obvious reasons! She was Kabir's fiance. It didn't do for her to feel that way about Mahir! But she was helpless. There was an unmistakable pull between them which she couldn't deny. Neither was able to ignore or overcome. She was trying her damn best to maintain a distance from him — not only because he had asked her to but also because it was the right thing to do. Morally acceptable. But the more she tried, the more she was drawn to him. The feelings he evoked in herrr...

GOODNESS GRACIOUS!

She had never felt that way before. All her life, everyone had treated her like a princess. Her parents, her uncle aunt, Rithik. Then there were the Chauhans who always doted upon her as their own. Mandira pampered her like a glass doll. Kabir treated her so gentlemanly, maintaining a respectable distance from her but being kind and caring at the same time. She had become so habitual of that treatment from everyone that she didn't know she was dying to be treated roughly by someone.

And that someone had to be Mahir!

Her cheeks flushed at the memory of them both in his room. The way he had clutched her hair and pulled. It was dominating. And the look in his eyes gosh... possessive and electrifying! It burned her and the left imprints on her mind. She didn't know where it all was leading her to. But one thing was sure...

She was losing her sanity and was unable to do anything about it.