𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒊𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒏 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔

𝟰𝟯. 𝗔𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀

Chapter Forty-Three: Always

He watched her leave, clenching his fists. He walked towards her, pulling her back into his chest. She gasped as he wrapped his arm around her waist, burying his face in her hair. "If you're so unbothered by me, then let me hold you for a while before I go," he said.

Nehmat, closing her eyes, let her drunken self rest her head on his shoulder. "You're playing a dangerous game, one you'll lose."

"If I get to hold you for a while, then I'm ready to lose the battle," he whispered in her ear, his breath sending shivers down her spine.

"What if I say no?" she asked, breathing heavily.

Smirking, Shubman tightened his grip, making her clutch his hand. "Is Nehmat scared she'll lose herself to this Punjabi guy?"

Nehmat smirked and raised her head to look into his brown eyes. "Is that a challenge?"

Shubman's eyes sparkled with mischief as he looked down at her. "Maybe it is," he said softly, his voice laced with both challenge and affection.

Nehmat felt her heart race, a mix of excitement and apprehension flooding her senses. "You think you can win?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

"I don't need to win," he replied, his thumb gently stroking her waist. "Just being with you is enough."

Her resolve wavered, but she didn't want to let him see how much he was affecting her. "You're too confident for your own good," she muttered, though her tone lacked its usual bite.

"Only when it comes to you," he said, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. He leaned closer, his breath warm against her ear. "Because I know how you feel, even if you won't admit it."

Nehmat felt a shiver run down her spine. She knew she should push him away, and assert her independence, but something in his touch, his words, made her hesitate. "And what do you think I feel?" she asked, her voice barely audible.

"I think you feel the same pull I do," he said, his lips brushing against her ear. "The same need to be close, to hold on, even if just for a moment."

Nehmat tried to steady her racing heart. "Isn't that a bit delusional?" she said, attempting to inject some scepticism into her voice. "How can you be so sure?"

Shubman didn't answer right away. Instead, he buried his face in her neck, inhaling the scent of her Zara perfume. "Because the goosebumps on your body tell a different story, darling," he murmured against her skin, his breath warm and tantalizing.

Nehmat felt a shiver run through her, unable to deny the physical reaction his touch elicited. She tried to muster a retort, but the words caught in her throat as he continued to nuzzle her neck gently, his lips brushing her skin.

"You can't hide what your body is telling me," he whispered, his voice a blend of confidence and tenderness. "Every time I touch you, you react. Every time I'm near, you can't help but feel it too."

Biting her lip, Nehmat struggled to maintain her composure. "You've had too many drinks," she answered, her voice slightly breathless. "I think you need to sleep."

Shubman chuckled, turning her around and stroking her cheek. "Says the one who got drunk on half a bottle," he teased, a playful glint in his eyes.

Before she could argue, he picked her up in bridal style and walked towards her bedroom. "I know you want it, so let the drunk mind of yours rest and don't argue," he said, his tone firm yet gentle.

Where was her anger and betrayal now? Where was it when she needed it to confront him? It seemed as though they, too, had shared drinks together and were now resting somewhere deep in her heart.