Bound by Fire

The Heat Turns Up

By the time the party started winding down, Sanya felt like she had run a marathon. She had been grilled by more aunties, introduced to distant cousins who she'd never remember, and made small talk with so many people that her cheeks were starting to ache from smiling. Aarav, as always, was annoyingly composed and charming, breezing through the evening like it was no big deal.

As the last guests trickled out, Sanya finally allowed herself to breathe. She plopped down on one of the plush couches in the living room, kicking off her heels with a groan.

"That bad, huh?" Aarav's voice came from behind her, and she didn't even bother turning around.

"You should try being interrogated by your entire extended family while pretending to be madly in love with someone you barely know," Sanya muttered. "It's exhausting."

Aarav walked over, sitting down beside her and loosening his tie. He glanced over at her, an amused smile playing on his lips. "You did great, though. They're all convinced."

Sanya rolled her eyes. "Convinced that I don't know your favorite dessert, maybe."

Aarav chuckled, that low, rich sound that always seemed to annoy and unnerve her at the same time. "Well, we'll work on that. In fact, I think you deserve a reward for surviving tonight."

Sanya raised an eyebrow, sitting up a little straighter. "A reward? What kind of reward?"

Aarav's smile turned into a mischievous smirk. "How about this?"

Before Sanya could ask what he meant, Aarav reached down, slipping his fingers under her foot and giving it a gentle squeeze. She yelped, jerking her foot away. "What are you doing?!"

"Relax," Aarav said, laughing softly. "I'm just giving you a foot massage. You looked like you could use one after standing in those heels all night."

Sanya stared at him, suspicious. "Why are you being nice?"

Aarav raised his eyebrows, feigning innocence. "Can't a guy be nice to his fake fiancée?"

Sanya narrowed her eyes but didn't protest when he reached for her foot again. This time, when his hands started massaging the arch of her foot, she let out an involuntary sigh of relief. Damn him and his annoyingly good hands.

"See?" Aarav said, his voice dropping to a lower, more intimate tone. "I'm not always a pain in the ass."

Sanya bit her lip, trying to ignore the tingling sensation that was starting to spread from her foot up her leg. She could feel the warmth of Aarav's hands against her skin, and it was doing strange things to her heart rate. *This is just a foot massage*, she reminded herself. *There's no reason to get all flustered.*

Except, of course, it wasn't just the massage. It was the way Aarav's touch lingered, the way his fingers pressed into her skin just enough to send shivers up her spine. And when she finally looked up at him, she saw that his gaze had shifted too—no longer teasing, but something a little more serious, a little more heated.

Her breath hitched as she met his eyes, and for a moment, neither of them said anything. The air between them felt thick, charged with something that Sanya couldn't quite name but couldn't deny, either.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Aarav's smile softened, his hand still resting on her foot but no longer moving. "Like what?"

"Like... I don't know. Like you're... thinking about something."

He tilted his head, considering her for a moment before leaning in just slightly. "Maybe I am."

Sanya's heart was now racing, her pulse quickening as she felt him shift closer. She tried to keep her composure, but the heat rising between them was making it impossible to think straight. There was a tension in the air that hadn't been there before—something hot and electric, buzzing just beneath the surface.

Aarav's fingers traced lightly up her ankle now, his touch slow and deliberate, sending sparks up her leg. Sanya's breath caught in her throat as she stared at him, unsure if she should pull away or lean into it.

"I've been thinking," Aarav said quietly, his voice husky, "that maybe we've been trying too hard to pretend this is all fake."

Sanya blinked, her mind reeling. Was he serious? *This is just part of the act*, she told herself. *He's playing the part, that's all.* But the way he was looking at her didn't feel like acting.

"Don't be ridiculous," she muttered, trying to sound more composed than she felt. "We're just... tired from the party."

Aarav's smirk deepened, and he leaned in a little closer, so close that she could feel the warmth of his breath against her cheek. "Are we? Or is something else going on here?"

Sanya's mouth went dry. Her brain was screaming at her to move, to say something snarky or make a joke, but she was frozen, caught in the intensity of Aarav's gaze.

He was too close now, his hand sliding from her ankle to her calf, his thumb brushing lightly over her skin. The soft, lazy touch sent a jolt of heat straight to her core, and she sucked in a sharp breath.

"This isn't—" she began, her voice barely audible, but Aarav cut her off.

"Isn't what?" he murmured, his lips dangerously close to hers now. "Real?"

Sanya's heart pounded in her chest. He was so close, too close. She could feel the heat radiating from his body, smell the faint scent of his cologne. It was overwhelming, intoxicating.

Before she could think better of it, her body acted on its own. She leaned forward, closing the gap between them. The moment their lips met, it was like a spark had ignited a fire.

Aarav kissed her slowly at first, as if testing the waters, but when Sanya didn't pull away, the kiss deepened. His hands moved up her legs, sending shivers across her skin. Sanya's fingers found their way to his shirt, grabbing onto the fabric as if it was the only thing keeping her grounded.

For a moment, the world outside faded away. There was only Aarav—his lips on hers, his hands pulling her closer, his body pressing against hers as the kiss grew more urgent, more intense.

But then, just as quickly as it started, reality crashed back down on her.

Sanya pulled away abruptly, her heart racing, her breath coming in short gasps. "What... what are we doing?"

Aarav didn't let go of her, his gaze dark and smoldering as he looked at her. "You kissed me."

"I—I didn't—" she stammered, her face flushing hotly. She scrambled to her feet, taking a few steps back. "This... this isn't supposed to happen."

Aarav stood up too, his expression unreadable now. "Maybe it should."

Sanya's pulse pounded in her ears, her mind spinning. This was all wrong. They were supposed to be pretending, just pretending. But now, after that kiss... what was happening between them felt far from pretend.

"I need to go," Sanya blurted, grabbing her purse from the couch.

Aarav didn't try to stop her, but the look in his eyes made her heart ache. "Sanya—"

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said quickly, rushing out the door before he could say anything else.

As she stepped out into the cool night air, her lips still tingling from the kiss, Sanya realized with a sinking feeling that she was in deep trouble.

Because fake or not, something very real had just happened between them.

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