"You've got to be joking!" Nandini burst out. Now she looked around properly. Lost in her fantasies, she hadn't really paid attention to the worsening weather. The snowfall had become so bad that the windscreen wipers were having difficulty in dealing with it. The drive was becoming more dangerous. Manik was struggling hard to avoid the strong pull of the icy wind. Apparently, the storm which had been forecast had started.
He wasn't joking, she accepted numbly. It was getting dangerous out there. They would be really lucky to make it to her flat even though they had almost reached there.
"It's just around the corner" she said softly and carefully, Manik drove there. The condition in the street was worse than the main road. The snow that had fallen in the morning hadn't cleared due to which it had accumulated up to seven inches. As a result, he had to stop the car several feet away from the parking spot.
But he seemed unconcerned, if the grin on his face was anything to go by. It appeared as if he was, enjoying this.
"I'm not used to so much of snow" he said ruefully.
"Where do you live?" she asked.
"India" he replied promptly.
"Oh. Than I can understand. It doesn't snow much in India except Ladakh" she babbled, knowing she was just delaying the moment when they would have to go to her flat. And probably, Manik knew what she was trying to do. But she wasn't delaying the moment because her flat was dirty or anything. She always made her bed and tidied up everything before she left for work. It was just that...her flat was, well, her personal space, something which she had got after a long period of struggles, sacrifices and adjustments. And she liked it that way. So naturally, the thought of Manik in her home appeared...unnerving.
He gave her another smile. "I don't think the two of us sitting in the car all night is such a good idea."
Of course it wasn't. But, it was just-
"Mr. Malhotra-"
"I really think you should start calling me Manik" he cut in smoothly. "Or Maan" he smiled that sexy smile of his. "I answer to both."
Oh but she couldn't. She couldn't get down to the usage of even his first name then forget about nick name and because that would make things between them more...personal. And she couldn't afford to do that! She couldn't get more personal with him.
She swallowed. "I wish to warn you that my flat isn't anything like the comfort you're used to, Mr. Malhotra" she said deliberately.
So that no confusion remained in his mind that she didn't want to call him by his actual name.
And it was the truth. Her flat was perfect for a self-working woman. It had the warmth and the feeling of a home, but, there wasn't any sort of five star luxuries which she was sure this man surrounded himself with. Come on, this Porsche was a perfect example to know just how wealthy he was!
Manik looked at her wordlessly for several long moments. Then, his left hand reached out and gently smoothened a strand of hair from her cheek. His hand lingered there, his thumb now caressing her cheek.
Nandini couldn't stop the shiver running down her body. Suddenly, her cheek felt red-hot.
"You're cold" he frowned. Clearly, he had misunderstood the reason behind the shiver. Thank god!
Because she couldn't let him know that she wasn't in the least cold. Rather, the heat in her cheek had spread to the rest of her body as well. Just because of one touch! Her gaze was caught and held by those deep, deep brown eyes. She stopped breathing when he leaned towards her. His face, those lips!...were inches away from hers now. Was he going to kiss her again? What would she do if he did?
