Reyna :-
The world felt tilted.
Lights blurred into streaks, sounds melted into each other, and my heartbeat thudded too loud inside my ears. Maya was beside me- laughing one second, swaying the next when I saw a man step toward her.
Tall. Broad shoulders. Dark clothes.
My vision snagged on him instantly.
Another one.
Another man who thought drunk girls were invitations.
He leaned closer to Maya, his voice low, concerned- too concerned. I didn't hear the words clearly, only the tone, only the way his hand hovered near her arm.
Something inside me snapped.
I shoved him hard in the chest.
"Stay away from her," I slurred, stepping in front of Maya like a shield. "Did you not get enough already?"
He stumbled back, startled. "Hey- what—"
Before he could finish, a hand wrapped around my wrist.
Firm. Warm. Familiar.
"Reyna....control."
That voice.
I twisted around, fury blazing hotter than the alcohol in my veins. Advik stood there, jaw tight, eyes sharp despite the chaos around us.
"He's my friend," Advik said, slower this time, grounding. "Rudra. He's not doing anything. He was just checking if she's okay."
I yanked my hand back like his touch burned.
"Don't touch me," I spat. "Don't you dare touch me."
People nearby glanced over, drawn by the tension. I didn't care. I was shaking- anger, hurt, betrayal all mixing into something ugly and loud.
"You have no right," I went on, stepping closer to him despite myself. "No right to touch me, Advik Raichand."
He stiffened at the way I said his name.
"This..." I laughed bitterly, gesturing around us, at the night, at Maya, at myself. "This is all happening because of you. You're destroying my di's life. And now you're trying to destroy mine too."
His eyes darkened. "Reyna...."
"Oh, don't," I cut him off, words spilling fast, reckless. "I know exactly what you want. You want to sleep with me. And with my Ira di as well. That's how men...ohhh sorry fuckboy like you are, right? Collecting women like trophies for your stupid mafia games."
Silence fell heavy between us.
Advik's face hardened, anger flashing sharp and cold. "Mind your language," he said quietly. "You don't know what you're talking about."
I scoffed. "Oh, really?"
"I'm not happy about this marriage either," he continued, voice controlled but strained. "But I'm doing it for the families. For peace. For everyone's happiness."
Something in me broke into laughter- soft at first, then louder, edged with disbelief.
"For happiness?" I tilted my head, eyes burning into his. "Then why did you kiss me?"
The words hung there. Heavy. Exposed. Undeniable.
His mouth opened slightly.
Then closed.
He said nothing.
That silence hurt more than any answer could have.
Behind him, I vaguely registered Maya being guided away, Rudra's arm steady around her shoulders as she mumbled something incoherent. They watched us from a distance- concerned, tense, helpless spectators to a mess neither of us knew how to clean up.
Advik didn't look away from me.
Neither did I.
The ocean roared beside us, the city breathing around us, but all I could feel was the crackling, dangerous space between us- charged with things unsaid, undone, and already ruined.
And I knew, with terrifying certainty-
This night was far from over.
Advik :-
"Then why did you kiss me?"
The question didn't sound loud.
It didn't need to.
It pierced straight through me.
For a moment, everything else- Marine Drive, the noise, the ocean- fell away. All I could see was her. Reyna. Standing there with accusation in her eyes, holding up a mirror I had been avoiding since the moment my lips touched hers.
Why had I kissed her?
Because I wanted to.
Because I forgot everything I was supposed to remember.
Because control slipped, and desire didn't ask for permission.
The realization burned.
She wasn't wrong. That was the worst part.
I said nothing.
And my silence said enough.
She laughed then but there was no humor in it. It was sharp, broken, the kind of laugh people make when something inside them finally cracks. She turned away from me like I was already poison.
"I'm going home," she said, her voice uneven. "I don't want to see this man's face."
I saw it before she even took a step- the slight sway, the way her balance faltered as she walked toward the car. Panic surged through me, instant and fierce.
I had seen her drive angry.
I had seen her drive reckless.
And tonight, she was drunk, shaking, shattered.
If she drove now, she wouldn't just risk the car.
She'd destroy herself.
She reached into her bag, fingers fumbling for the keys.
"No," I muttered under my breath and moved fast.
I caught her wrist just as she lifted them. "Give me the keys."
She glared at me. "Get away from me."
I didn't argue. I simply took them.
Before she could react, I turned to Rudra and tossed him the keys. "Ask her where she lives. Drop her home. Safely."
Rudra looked between us, understanding flashing in his eyes. "Relax, man," he said lightly. "I only do things with consent."
I almost smiled- almost.
"Call one of our people," I added. "Have them pick up your car."
He nodded and guided Maya away, steadying her as she leaned into him. Within seconds, they were a few steps away, voices low, leaving the night strangely quiet.
Leaving her. Leaving me. All alone.
The wind shifted, softer now, carrying the scent of the sea. Reyna stood there, arms wrapped around herself, jaw clenched, eyes burning.
"Get inside the car," I said.
"No." She stepped closer instead, close enough that I could feel her anger like heat. "You're destroying my family, Advik. Please. Don't do this. Don't ruin us."
The words hit harder than anything she'd thrown at me all night.
Something snapped.
I reached for her before she could step back.
She tried to pull away, but I caught her hand, firm and unyielding, and guided- no, pushed- her into the passenger seat. She stumbled back against the leather, breath leaving her in a sharp gasp.
"Advik...!"
I shut the door before she could finish.
I moved to the driver's side, slid in, and started the engine. The sound filled the silence, loud and final.
I didn't look at her. If I did, I knew I wouldn't be able to drive away.
And leaving was the only thing keeping us from burning everything to the ground.
Reyna :-
The Ferrari purred beneath us like a living thing.
Low. Dangerous. Smooth.
I leaned back against the leather seat, half-aware of the city lights slipping past us, half-aware of only him. Advik Raichand behind the wheel- jaw clenched, hands steady, eyes fixed on the road like it was the only thing keeping him sane.
God.
He looked unfairly good when he was angry.
The sharp cut of his cheekbone. The tension in his forearms as he gripped the steering wheel. The way his black shirt clung to him, sleeves pushed up just enough to show veins that flexed every time he shifted gears.
I watched him openly.
He didn't look at me once.
That annoyed me more than it should have.
"So..." I said lightly, tilting my head, letting my voice drip with mischief I didn't fully feel but desperately needed. "Do you want to kiss me again?"
Silence.
Just the hum of the engine and the rush of wind through the open windows.
I smiled to myself.
"Advik," I went on, softer now, teasing but edged with something real. "Tell me. Why did you kiss me? Why did you touch me like that and then go downstairs and do roka with my di?"
His jaw tightened. Still, he didn't answer.
I shifted closer, my knee brushing his thigh. "You don't get to do that," I said. "You don't get to mess with my head and pretend nothing happened."
That did it.
"Shut up, Reyna." His voice was low. Dangerous.
I laughed quietly. "Or what?"
He finally glanced at me, eyes dark and furious. "Or I'll stop the car and leave you right here. Middle of the road."
The threat sent a thrill through me instead of fear.
"Oh," I murmured, leaning closer. "You want me to shut up?"
He faced the road again, jaw rigid.
"Then," I whispered, "you'll have to kiss me."
He smirked.
It was slow. Lethal. The kind of smirk that said he knew exactly what he was doing to me and was enjoying every second of it.
And just like that, I lost.
Something inside me snapped, unraveled, melted straight into heat. My pulse skidded. My breath hitched before I could stop it. God, that smirk. I'd felt his mouth on mine once already, knew the weight of his hand, the promise in his touch and now my body remembered before my mind could catch up.
I wanted him.
Not politely. Not carefully. I wanted him in the reckless, aching way that made my skin feel too tight and my thoughts blur at the edges. I wanted to grab that smug mouth, wipe the smirk off with my lips, feel his composure crack the way mine just had.
I hated how easily he did this to me.
The way my gaze dropped to his mouth without permission. The way my thighs pressed together, betraying me. The way my chest rose too fast, too shallow, like I was already bracing for impact.
He knew.
Of course he did.
His grip on the steering wheel tightened, knuckles whitening, but the smirk stayed-controlled, infuriating, devastating. Like he was holding himself back with sheer willpower.
And suddenly I understood.
He wasn't ignoring me because he didn't want me.
He was ignoring me because if he looked at me for even one second longer... he'd lose control too.
Before he could react, I moved.
I slid out of my seat and into his space, climbing onto his lap in one reckless motion, my hands bracing against his shoulders. The car swerved slightly before he corrected it, swearing under his breath.
Advik :-
"We're almost there, Reyna." My voice, a flat statement, barely cut through the haze of her inebriation.
She blinked, slow, heavy lids struggling to rise. Her head lolled, then snapped back, a jolt that sent a fresh wave of giggles bubbling from her throat. "Almost where? The moon?"
I offered no response, my gaze fixed on the road. My duty was simple: deliver the drunken sister-in-law, escape the suffocating proximity.
I knew she was checking me out but I ignored it also.. and then,
A sudden shift in weight, a soft *thump*, and then she was on me. Her body, warm and pliant, molded itself against my side. One bare thigh, smooth and surprisingly firm, pressed against my leg. The denim of my jeans offered little resistance to the sudden heat. She wore shorts, a fact I hadn't registered until now, and the sensation of her skin against mine was a jolt, an unwelcome current.
"Reyna, get off." My voice was rough, a low growl I barely recognized as my own.
I should have stopped the car.
I should have pulled over, opened her door, and put distance between us before things spiraled any further. But the moment she moved and climbed onto my lap, my entire body reacted before my mind could catch up.
Her weight settled against me.
Her head nestled into the crook of my neck, her hair, dark and smelling faintly of smoke and something musky, tickling my ear.
"Why? Am I bothering you?" Her breath, warm and sweet with alcohol, ghosted over my skin. A shiver, involuntary and unwelcome, traced a path down my spine.
"You're drunk. You need to get home."
A soft hum vibrated against my throat. Her lips, impossibly soft, brushed the skin just beneath my ear. A gasp hitched in my chest.
*No.* This was wrong. This was dangerous.
"Mmm, you smell good, Advik." Her tongue, a wet, darting flick, tasted my skin.
I forced my eyes to stay on the road, forced my hands to remain locked on the wheel even as every nerve in my body screamed. Desire flared hot and sharp, undeniable, but I buried it under layers of discipline carved into me over years.
Not like this.
Not her.
Not without consent.
My jaw clenched. The wheel, cool beneath my palms, felt like a lifeline. Every muscle in my body tensed, warring with the burgeoning heat that flared low in my belly.
"Stop it, Reyna. It is wrong"
She ignored me, her lips trailing a slow, agonizing path along my jawline. Each soft press sent a jolt through me, a raw, primal thrumming. Her fingers, delicate yet insistent, found their way to my chest, lightly tracing the fabric of my shirt. The warmth of her thighs, now fully splayed across my lap, seeped through my clothes, igniting a slow burn that threatened to consume me.
Then, her hips began to move. A subtle sway at first, a gentle friction against my crotch.
My breath hitched. The blood, thick and insistent, rushed south. A low groan escaped my lips, a sound I quickly swallowed. My manhood, dormant moments ago, stirred, then hardened, pressing against the unforgiving denim.
The thought, raw and undeniable, screamed through my mind, "I want her. I want to fuck her"
Her movements grew bolder, a slow, deliberate grind that sent sparks of raw desire through me.
My hand, as if possessed, lifted from the steering wheel. It hovered, suspended in the air, trembling with an unspoken need.
My gaze flickered to her face, half-hidden by the shadows, her eyes closed, a faint smile playing on her lips. She was lost to the alcohol, to the moment.
The internal battle raged. "She's drunk. She's not herself. She's my future sister-in-law." The words echoed in the cavern of my skull, a desperate plea for control.
But the heat of her body, the intoxicating scent, the relentless friction, chipped away at my resolve. My hand descended, not to her waist, but to her thigh. My fingers brushed the soft skin, warm and yielding, then tightened, a desperate grip.
Her moans, soft and breathy, fueled the fire. My thumb, rough against her skin, traced the curve of her inner thigh, inching closer, ever closer, to the apex of her shorts.
My mind screamed, "Stop!"
But my body, a traitorous entity, craved more. The image of her, naked beneath me, her legs wrapped around my waist, her cries echoing in the night, flashed with vivid clarity. The fantasy, potent and dangerous, threatened to consume me whole.
Then, the gates came into view. Tall. Iron. Familiar. The imposing, wrought-iron gates of the Rathore mansion loomed into view, illuminated by the cold, stark light of the security lamps. A cold splash of reality. The fantasy shattered.
My foot slammed on the brake. The Ferrari lurched to a halt, the sudden stop sending Reyna tumbling forward. She gasped, a startled sound, her body momentarily losing contact with mine. The spell broke.
"We're here." My voice was ragged, a strained whisper. My hand, still trembling, withdrew from her thigh as if burned.
She blinked, her eyes fluttering open, a confused frown creasing her brow. "Here?" Her gaze, still hazy, darted around the familiar surroundings. "Oh."
The engine idled, a low rumble filling the sudden silence. I stared straight ahead, my jaw tight, my hands gripping the wheel. The air in the car, thick with unspent tension, felt suffocating. My manhood, still hard and throbbing, was a painful reminder of my near transgression.
She seemed to snap back into a semblance of awareness. Her eyes, now a little clearer, met mine. A flicker of something, confusion? embarrassment? recognition?, passed through them.
"Get back to your seat," I said firmly this time, finally turning to look at her. "Now."
The words weren't cruel but they were final.
She pushed herself off my lap, her movements clumsy, but deliberate. The sudden absence of her weight left a cold void.
"Right." She fumbled with the door handle, her fingers slipping once before finally catching. The door creaked open, letting in the cool night air and she stepped out.