Chapter 51

"It killed me to think that you did not trust me. Can't you see that, Nandani?" Months later she could still hear the hurt that tinged his voice. Hated that she had put it there, even if he was not blameless in all of this. "You were an idiot," he declared, with a softness that had her wondering where this was going. That gave her the tiniest amount of hope.

"The biggest idiot," she agreed softly.

Manik nodded. "The biggest idiot. And you are bossy. And sarcastic. And stubborn. And..."

Nandani started to argue. "Now wait a minute..."

"Can you just let me talk for a second, Nandani?" Manik's voice was impatient. "You are completely maddening. And you think you have to have control over everything. And that if you don't, you think you are doing something wrong." He paused for a second and then continued, "Well, you will just have to get used to it. Because what is between us? You cannot control it. And neither can I, though I have tried a million ways. I just love you. I have for months. Even after flying halfway around the world, literally, it does not seem to be going away."

Nandani's heart expanded. Or the room got smaller. Suddenly she felt like she was bursting. Manik actually loved her? Still? Despite all the shit she had put him through?

He ran a hand through his hair in a way that was endearingly familiar. "Nandani, I have never done this before, so this is kind of new to me. As much as I thought it would go away if I left, it has not. So I guess I do not have a lot of options." He stood facing her, this gorgeous guy she had sort of known for years yet somehow never seen at all. Now that she looked at him, Manik looked like everything she had ever dreamed of. "I will give us another chance if you will," he said.

"For real?" Nandani whispered.

"For real." Manik stepped forward and his arms came around her, his hands resting at the small of her back. Her body loved every second of it. It was like coming home after being gone for months. Years.

Nandani reached up to run her fingers through his hair. "I love you too. Even though you are a..."

His mouth came down on hers, silencing her thoughts. It felt like heaven, their lips and tongues entwined, sweetness with a hint of hunger that was always just below the surface with them. A sense of desperation. They pulled back minutes later.

"So what does this mean for us? Are we..." She looked up at him, dazed from their kiss and their exchange of thoughts. Her heart was flying and her head was running to catch up.

"It means that as many pints of Baskin-Robbins you are planning on consuming..." he bent his head to run his lips along the edge of her ear, "... you should better be ready to share with me."

She laughed as he backed her into the wall. "But I am going to New York! What about..."

"I like New York. We will figure it out," he murmured against her mouth, sliding his lips along her jaw.

He said something against her throat that might have been a 'nice dress.' And then she could not laugh anymore as his hands went under her dress, and she stopped caring about words. It was hard to complain when you have just got everything you ever wanted.

When he finally lifted his head his eyes were stormy. "I have been thinking about you," he said. Something in her thrilled as he reached a hand out to her hip, pulled her gently toward him, leaned down until his mouth brushed her ear. "I think about my mouth on you." Manik's voice was low, his lips on her skin. Something in her curled at the feeling. "When you are just starting to come, you make those little noises because you are so close you want to scream." He pulled her harder against him. A bolt of pure lust ran down her body. She had no idea whether he felt anything beyond the physical, but she was ready to take anything he would give her.

Manik's mouth grazed her ear again. "I want to make love to you, and when you are so far gone that you would scream my name with desire." His voice was rough but his lips were soft, moving back and forth across her sensitive skin. When he spoke she could hear not only hunger but something else. Something deeper. "And you say my name over and over, Nandani."

She realized that she had missed him more than she had thought possible. At that moment, with him pressed up against her and whispering those things, she needed him back.

Manik's eyes blazed at her and he released a long breath she had not noticed he was holding. "Fuck you are gorgeous. It has been driving me crazy, being away from you," he murmured, lips moving on her neck.

"Tell me you missed me, Nandani."

"God, more than you can imagine." The words were husky.

"Tell me you need me," Manik said.

"You have no idea. I always need you. Only you," she muttered.

Manik groaned and she could tell her words were affecting him. Nandani's whole body shook, with desire. Holy God, this boy undid her, she thought. The dirty talk, the sweetness, the innocence, the boldness. All wrapped up in a combination, that was Manik.

Then Manik kissed her, once more, lightly, before leaving her, to find her way to the dance floor, to meet Mukti and bid her goodbye.

"There you are!" Mukti exclaimed. "I have been wondering where could you be?"

Nandani blushed all kinds of red, hidden, she hoped, by the darkness of the place then. "Where were you?" Mukti asked her.

"Bathroom."

Nandani's phone buzzed and she glanced down without Mukti noticing.

Meet me out, back

Five minutes, Manik

"Okay, Mukti. I am very tired. I am leaving. I will see you tomorrow. And don't have too much fun, without me."

Manik was waiting when she got there. He held open the door to a cab and she stepped in, conscious of her dress rising her thighs, as she sat. He shut the door behind her and walked around to get to the other side.

"My place or yours," Manik asked after sitting down.

"Um, yours," she replied. She did not want to risk Mukti coming home early.