The beginning

Chapter 14

Deepika continued to hold Ranveer's hand as they waited for the lift and made their way to the basement parking lot. She held it all the way to the car, until he had to let go to drive. She strapped herself into the seat and turned so she could watch him. She'd never been able to observe him as he drove. She watched as he manouevered the large car skillfully through the crowded streets, a soft smile on his face, his body relaxed. The weekend and the early evening meant that once they were out of the narrow streets around her apartment and onto the highway, the road was fairly clear.

He turned his head slightly towards her and looked at her from the corner of his eye. "What?" he asked.

She smiled. "You look happy," she said.

He smiled wider. "I am happy," he said. "I had a lovely afternoon, and now I'm going to spend the evening with you."

She smiled wider, as well. "I had a lovely afternoon as well. Where are we going?" she asked.

"Well, there's a really nice hotel on the beach a little way beyond Vashi. It'll take us an hour and a half or so to get there. Or else we can go to Taj Land's End and request a private room overlooking the sea. It's your choice. Both places will offer us enough privacy to not be photographed," he replied.

"Hmm... let's go to the place in Vashi some other day, when we have more time. I don't want to spend three hours in the car if we only have five hours together," she said.

"Land's End it is, then," he agreed.

"Shall I call them and ask them to accommodate us? I don't really want to walk up to the reception and ask for a room for a few hours. There are always journalists and industry people around there, and I don't really feel like answering a bunch of questions about something that's none of their business," she said.

He nodded. "Yes, go ahead." He listened as she called and spoke to the receptionist and asked for a room to be reserved for an exclusive dinner, stressing the need for privacy.

"My clients are engaged in sensitive negotiations and we have chosen your hotel because of your reputation. We do not expect to be let down," she said, voice severe, and Ranveer had to stifle his laughter. "Price is no object," she said, and his eyebrows rose. "Yes, I'll hold," she said, muting the call. "What?" she asked Ranveer.

"Price is no object?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Whatever it is, it's worth it to spend time with you. It's just money. I make more than I know what to do with. This is its purpose," she said.

He considered her for a moment, then nodded. "As long as you're sure," he said.

"I'm sure," she replied, smiling. The receptionist's voice came back on the line, and Deepika picked up the call again. "Yes, please go on," she said.

He watched her pull a little notebook and pen from her purse and smiled. Always so organised. She jotted down a few details and he listened as she asked about service entrances and elevators and discreet attendants. He was sure that by the time the manager (since the receptionist had long since relinquished the phone to her) put the phone down, she would think that the hotel was hosting no less than a meeting of international importance rather than a simple romantic dinner.

He smiled when Deepika requested candlelight and ordered the food and champagne. Well, maybe they would guess it was a romantic dinner. She finished her discussion with the manager when they were only about fifteen minutes away from the hotel. She looked at him and he laughed. "What?" she asked.

"Poor hotel staff. You've set them a near impossible task, getting all this ready in fifteen minutes," he said.

"Well, they don't have to bring everything at once," she said. "Plus they are being well paid for this. I would think they relish the opportunity to do something out of the usual way."

He laughed again. "Let's give them better notice next time," he said, and she laughed and agreed.

Thanks to her meticulous instructions and the hotel staff's courtesy, they entered the hotel and reached their room with its high balcony overlooking the sea with a minimum of fuss. They saw that a table with two chairs, a crystal vase with a single rose, and a couple of glasses of something sunset-coloured were set out in the balcony. Also on the balcony were a couple of large deck chairs. "I don't recall asking you asking for the rose or the deck chairs," Ranveer said.

"I didn't," Deepika replied. "Some enterprising staff member has put two and two together and decided that this is a romantic dinner after all, and given us something nice. Remind me to find out who it was and thank them," she said, sinking into one of the deck chairs, drink in hand. She patted the other and Ranveer came and sat down beside her.

"Hold my drink for a moment, will you?" she said. When he took it she sat up and shrugged off her jacket. When she turned back to him, he was staring at her slack-jawed.

"You've been wearing that the entire time?" he asked, trying to clear his mind of the image of her silky bare back and the filmy ribbons dangling down it. She smirked at him and sipped from her drink. He shook his head, took a deep breath, and relaxed back into the chair. He reached out and intertwined their fingers as they watched the sunset together. They heard the doorbell ring just after the last sliver of red sun went down. "Really good service," he said. She nodded and went to open the door. At the door was a young woman carrying a tray of citronella candles.

"Good evening ma'am, my name is Reena, I will be your assistant this evening. Please let me know if I can be of any service," she said as she walked through the room and out onto the balcony, placing the candles in discreet holders all around them and lighting them one by one. "Good evening sir," she said to Ranveer, who greeted her back. When the candles were all lit she turned to them and informed them that their dinner was being prepared and would be served whenever they wanted it. "Would you like something to drink in the meantime?" she asked. Both Ranveer and Deepika said no. Deepika stopped her before she left the room.

"Reena, was it you who organised the rose and the loungers?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am, I hope you liked them?" she asked.

"Yes, thank you Reena, that was very thoughtful of you. I also wanted to make a request," Deepika said.

"Please go ahead ma'am," Reena replied.

"Please make sure that as few people as possible know about the occupants of this room," she said.

Reena nodded. "We take the privacy of our clients very seriously, ma'am," she said. "Please rest assured that we will do everything we can to protect yours. And if I may say so, ma'am, I'm a big fan of your work."

Deepika smiled. "Thank you," she said, and Reena nodded and left the room.

Ranveer was standing at the edge of the balcony when Deepika returned. For a moment she stood in the doorway and just drank in the sight of him silhouetted by the red sky. She was struck by what a beautiful man he was. It wasn't something she thought about often. His zest for life, his vibrant personality, the affection in his eyes - these were usually the things that came to her mind first. But standing like this, his hair blowing faintly in the breeze, his shirt and jeans clinging to his muscles, his profile highlighted by the amber sunset, she couldn't deny his sheer attractiveness. He turned to smile at her and she felt heat pooling low in her abdomen at the look in his eyes.

He watched her walk towards him, her stride fluid, her hair floating in the breeze, and had to remind himself of their pact to take things slow. Her eyes glowed like banked embers in the twilight as she neared. He reached out and caught her hand. She slipped her fingers between his and squeezed. That singular touch had him shivering. "Are you cold?" she asked.

"Not at all," he replied, holding her gaze as he lifted their linked hands to his lips. His kiss on the back of her hand drew a matching shiver from her. He drew her closer and she leaned into his side, both watching the rather spectacular show of colours dancing across the sky. He was hyper-aware of her every breath, of the expanse of bare back just millimetres away from his fingers.

Slowly, giving her plenty of time to object or move away, he slipped his hand around her waist. The edge of his palm rested against bare skin. He felt her tense. He kept the hand there and she slowly relaxed as he began to point to the people on the beach and make up small stories about them. He was delighted when she joined him in the game, leaning over the rail on the balcony as they speculated on what the trio of old ladies was talking about or which team of beach cricket players would win. He was captivated anew by her laugh and her quick wit and her imagination.

He was also captivated by the feel of her skin smooth and hot against his hand as he stroked his fingers in ever bolder sweeps up her back. He could feel her minute shivers beneath his fingertips. Her voice grew more husky and her gaze more hooded. He caught her licking her lips and had to restrain the groan that threatened to make its way past his. Their easy conversation fell away to be replaced by a charged silence.

The sky had darkened to the point where the glow of the candles illumined their faces. He was mesmerised by the glitter of her eyes in the candlelight. The breeze blew a strand of hair across her lips and he raised trembling fingers to brush it away. He tucked the strand behind her ear, then skimmed his fingertips down the bare skin of her neck, shoulder and arm until he was holding her hand again.

He brought it to his lips, kissed her fingers, then turned it over. She gasped when he pressed a kiss to the centre of her palm. His lips moved to the inside of her wrist. He flicked his tongue against the delicate skin and the sensation arrowed up her arm to the tips of her breasts and pooled between her thighs. She shook as he laid a trail of kisses up her arm to the inside of her elbow. He nipped at it and her knees buckled as a whimper escaped her lips.

The whimpers became moans as he kissed his way up her arm to the side of her neck. She tilted her head, inviting him to taste the sensitive skin. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders as he leaned over her, bending her back over his arms.

All his movements were soft and slow. They put her into a state of drugged pleasure that allowed her to give herself over to the moment. She stroked one hand over the nape of his neck and felt his low moan against her skin. The sound raised goosebumps. She could feel his fingers clenching and releasing on her skin. She could feel the unsteadiness of his breath and the shivering tension of his muscles beneath her fingers.

The knowledge that she could affect him so intoxicated her. The understanding that he would always respect her wishes freed her. The feel of his arms around her, holding her so securely, got rid of the last of her doubts and inhibitions.

She leaned back further, directing his head down her throat to the place where her halter top had a slit from her neck to her breastbone. She dipped her fingers into it and widened it enough to reveal the soft inner curve of one of her breasts. He pressed trembling lips to it and she sighed and sagged into his arms. He sucked lightly before kissing his way back up to her neck again as the material fell closed.

He pressed kisses along her jaw before finally kissing her lips. She moaned into his mouth and caressed his tongue with hers. The kiss that was supposed to be a gentle brush of lips turned into an ever-growing series of deep, intoxicating caresses. She met him stroke for stroke, her hands lifting to bury themselves in his hair.

He shivered hard when her fingers stroked down the nape of his neck and he felt her smile in the kiss as she repeated the action, eliciting more shivers as his mind clouded. When she bit his lower lip he moaned. He was doing his utmost to stay in control. His hand on her back itched to dip into the loose fabric of her top. She was pressed into him and he could feel she was not wearing a bra. But she'd set the limits and he'd abide by them. He raised his head to see a fever of arousal in her eyes.

They'd agreed that they'd talk about everything even if they didn't cross any lines physically. So he said what he was thinking. "I want to touch you," he whispered, and saw her blush even in the dim light. "I want to run my hands into your top and feel the weight of your breasts." Her blush turned darker and she ducked her head. He bent his head so his lips almost touched her ear. Her breath was hot and rapid against his cheek as he whispered, "I want to take the top off and put my mouth on them." Her whimper caused his hands to clench around her waist and in her hair.

Deepika felt like she was slowly burning up with the candles around them. Each word out of his lips fanned the flame that he'd ignited. Her body felt soft and pliant, melting like wax in the heat of his embrace. If she stayed a second longer she'd be begging him to do everything he'd said.

She wrenched herself out of his arms and took a step back, breathing like she'd run a marathon. Her body protested the distance vehemently. She almost swayed back towards him when she saw the heat in his eyes, but managed to take another step back, then another, until there was about a foot of air between their bodies. Ranveer continued to watch her, hunger mingled with a little confusion in his eyes.

"Did I say too much?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No, I..." she faltered, blushing red. "I want-" she began, then stopped, took a deep breath, shook herself, and started again. She was determined to talk about this. Talking had been his only request. "I want you to do all of that," she said in a rush. His eyes darkened further. She swallowed hard and took another step away. "Best we stop now," she said.

Ranveer nodded. "Best we do, before we get carried away," he said, though his dark eyes and clenched fists told a different story.

Deepika nodded, as well. "Shall I call for dinner?" she asked, walking into the room. Her heart pounded. Her back was cold from the sudden loss of his hands but she could feel the heat of his gaze washing over it.

Ranveer followed her into the dimly lit space, unable to take his eyes from the satiny skin of her back for all his talk about stopping. She turned to quirk an eyebrow at him when he didn't respond. He let his eyes rise slowly up her figure to her face and knew she was feeling the same tug and fighting it just like him. Her gaze flicked briefly to the bed and he swallowed hard at her fiery blush. It was a struggle to answer her question and not give in to the urge pull her down onto it. Focus, he chided himself.

He knew what Deepika wanted, why she wanted it. He knew he wanted her for keeps and that giving in to their mutual desire now would leave her doubting their future. The thought was enough to help him dissipate some of the heated images running through his mind.

"Yes, please ask for dinner," he said at last and saw her shake herself as if to clear her head. She took several deep breaths as she dialled the hotel intercom and asked for their dinner to be served. She smiled at him when she put the phone down, her expression more at ease, her body no longer as tense. He smiled back.

"They said it'll take them about ten minutes," she said.

"Let's eat outside on the balcony. It's a nice night for it," he said. He knew he'd never survive an evening with a bed in the same room as them.

She nodded. "Yes, it's pretty out. You can even see some stars," she said, walking back to the door to the balcony. He stood near it and she held her breath as she brushed past him. He smelled altogether too delicious for her peace of mind. She felt him go still at the faint brush of her hand against his. She could feel her blush rising from the pit of her stomach as he stared at her, seemingly caught. She couldn't move either. The pull between their bodies was near impossible to resist. A part of her mind whispered slyly, just exactly why was she trying to?

She gasped when she felt her back hit the edge of the door frame. She'd taken an involuntary step back as he leaned towards her. The gasp broke his intense focus on her lips and brought his gaze back to her eyes. Something in them must have given him pause because his eyes softened and he raised his hand to brush the backs of his fingers down her cheek. The touch was gentle enough to make her sigh and nuzzle her head into his hand. He leaned in to place a soft kiss on her forehead. She melted into his arms.

For long moments they just stood there, wrapped in a hug that made all tension vanish. Ranveer marveled at Deepika's implicit trust in him and vowed to himself that he'd do everything in his power to never break it. He hoped she'd never stop holding him like this, like he was precious to her, like she had no cares in the world when she was with him.

Deepika didn't want to leave this embrace. She didn't think she'd ever been held like this before him - Ranveer held her, had always held her, like she was infinitely precious. It was a heady feeling of being wanted and protected. "Love," her heart whispered, "This is love." She wanted to trust it but it had been wrong before. She raised her head from his shoulder and studied his expression. He blinked his eyes open. "Love," her mind insisted. "What you see is love." He looked at her so tenderly. No one had ever looked at her like that.

The warmth that filled her body and brought a bloom of colour to her cheeks was not a blush but something else, something she'd never felt before. She heard his soft intake of breath as he saw it light up her eyes. "So beautiful," he whispered, caressing her cheek with the pad of his thumb. "You're so beautiful." This time she did blush, her head drooping with shyness. With him she was just a girl being praised by the boy she liked. She had no facade.

The words 'I love you' hovered on the tip of Ranveer's tongue. He didn't know whether to say them. They were true, but was it too soon? He was saved from having to decide by a knock on the door. Deepika looked up at him again and smiled. "That must be our food," she said, slipping out of his arms. He chided himself for feeling bereft. She was only a few steps away.

Deepika opened the door to Reena and another staff member standing there with a cart laden with plates. "Please come in," she said, allowing them to wheel the cart past her. "We'd like to have dinner outside," she told them.

"We can set that up for you, ma'am," Reena said. She and the young man with her worked quickly to drape the wrought iron table in the balcony with linen, to light candles and to place the dishes and chairs. "Enjoy your meal, ma'am," Reena said before leaving them alone again.

Ranveer held out a hand to Deepika. "Shall we?" he asked. She smiled and placed her hand in his, allowing him to lead her out onto the balcony. He pulled out her chair for her and she smiled at him.

"Are you always this gentlemanly or am I getting special treatment?" she teased.

He pretended to be offended. "How dare you cast aspersions upon my character?" he gasped.

She laughed. "Well, how am I to know how you behave with your other dates?" she asked.

He huffed. "It's not just with dates, okay? I'd like to believe I'm always a gentleman."

Her eyes took on a mischievous gleam. "Are you saying I'm not special, then?" she asked with a frown. She watched as his face took on a slightly panicked expression.

"No, no, that's not what I meant at all," he said hastily. "Of course you are special."

She held the frown for a few moments, pretending to consider his statement, before she burst out laughing. "You should see your expression," she said between giggles.

"That was mean," he grumbled.

She reached across the table and pinched his cheek. "You're so cute when you're grumpy," she said.

"Yeah, yeah, make fun of me some more," he said, pouting deliberately though his eyes sparkled with mirth. Her laughter and the swift caress she brushed across his cheek were his rewards. He smiled and clasped her hand before she could withdraw it back to her side of the table. "Speaking of dates, this is technically our first proper one," he said.

She tilted her head, considering. "Well, if you disregard all the lunches and dinners and movies and afternoons spent hanging out at my home, then yes," she said.

He laughed. "Well, those don't count," he said.

"How do you figure that?" she asked.

"Because on none of them was I free to do this," he said, getting out of his chair, walking over to hers, kneeling beside it, and pulling her in for a kiss.

When he broke the kiss she smiled. "True enough. I concede the point," she said and leaned in to kiss him again before sighing and pushing him away. "Come on, let's eat before the food gets cold."

He shrugged and went back to his chair. He poured the champagne as she lifted the covers off the dishes and began to serve them both. She'd ordered some kind of grilled fish and a rice dish and salad. He'd also heard her order salted caramel icecream for dessert. Dinner was a concession to both their tastes. They both liked fish, though he preferred it fried and she preferred it in a curry. Grilled was a compromise they both didn't mind. He knew she'd ordered the salted caramel icecream for him. He loved it.

"What?" she asked when he continued to stare at her in silence.

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head. "So, tell me, how have your last couple of days been? How are the promotions? What's it been like having your parents around?"

She smiled and answered his questions as they ate. "But yeah, it's been generally nice being part of a big ensemble cast. Means the focus isn't on me so much," she said to close out her thoughts on the promotions for Race 2.

He nodded thoughtfully. "You'll be starting the promotions for Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani soon, won't you?" he asked and watched her shoulders tense.

She took a deep breath before meeting his eyes. "Yeah, in a little more than a month or so," she said. "That's an ensemble cast, too, but Ranbir and I will have to do a lot of interviews alone."

"And how are you feeling about that?" he asked. He didn't like the unease on her face or the blank mask over her eyes. He wanted to know what was behind it.

She sighed and seemed to deliberately loosen her shoulders. Both their forks lay on their plates, the food forgotten. Her eyes when they met his were wary.

"I'm... Okay with it. I've grown accustomed to him again after our film," she said, watching him carefully. "Are you- I mean, how do you feel about it?" she asked.

He breathed deep and forced himself to relax. "I'm okay as long as you're okay," he said. He watched her to gauge her reaction to that. She sighed, though her expression didn't grow any easier. He reached out and caught her hand. "What's wrong?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Nothing," she said, withdrawing her hand from his.

"Deepika, I can't help if you won't talk to me," he said, brows furrowed at the way she refused to meet his eyes.

She raised her head to look at him. He looked concerned rather than angry and she was ashamed of the thoughts that had been running through her head. She breathed deep and reached for his hand again. "I'm sorry," she said.

"For what?" he asked. She shook her head, averting her gaze again. He huffed in frustration. "What's going on in that beautiful head of yours?" he asked when she didn't reply.

"Does it bother you when I work with him?" she asked at last.

"It didn't bother me before, but it's starting to bother me now," he said. She shrank back and he clasped her hand tighter. "Not because you're working with him. Because you seem so uncomfortable."

She looked up at him with enormous eyes. "I'm sorry," she said again.

"Deepika, for god's sake don't apologise. Just tell me what's wrong," he said, agitated. He saw the way she flinched at his tone and scrubbed a hand down his face. "I can't do this like this," he said and watched her head and shoulders droop further.

"What- what are you doing?" she asked when he stood up from his chair and came over to her side of the table.

"Come on, get up," he said and she stood, confused. He drew her over to one of the loungers, sat down on it, and pulled her down with him. He wrapped her in a hug and felt her shaking. He held her tighter until she stopped trembling. "Now will you tell me what's wrong?" he whispered into her hair.

"I don't deserve you," she said.

"That's bullshit and you know it. Tell me what's troubling you," he said.

She sighed. "I'm afraid, Ranveer."

"Go on," he said when she didn't elaborate.

"I... care about you. I'm happy with you. I don't want that to change because of him," she said. She felt his fingers, which had been stroking her back, still on her skin. His heartbeat sped up beneath her ear.

"Why would it change?" he asked.

"Ranbir... he knows me. He knows how to get to me. He can make me blush. I loved him once, and he knows it. And I will have to go along with it," she said. She felt him tense when she said the word 'loved'. She raised her head from its resting place on his chest so she could look into his eyes. They were wary.

"I get it," he said. "Look, you're the best judge of what you can handle. If you think you can deal, well, you probably can."

"What about you, though? Can you deal with it?" she asked. "There will be all sorts of stuff said and written about us," she said.

He sighed. "I know better now than to believe anything in the media. I'll rely on you to tell me what to believe. But you've got to talk to me, Deepika. I'm only human. Which man would be happy seeing his girlfriend romance her ex? But as long as it's just work, as long as you're honest with me, I'll deal with it," he said.

She raised her head at that. "I will always be honest with you," she vowed. "I want you in my life," she said, blushing. It was the most direct claim she'd ever made on him.

He smiled. "I want you in my life, too," he said.

"Will you tell me if something bothers you?" she asked. "No matter what it is."

He nodded. "Yes, I will. Don't worry, baby, we'll be fine," he said.

She leaned in and kissed him. "Thank you," she whispered.

"What for?" he asked.

"For not giving up on me," she said.

He hugged her closer. "Baby, that will never happen," he said.

She blinked back tears at the conviction in his words. She couldn't help the quiet voice in her mind that doubted them. Why should he stick around when everyone else had found her not worth the trouble? She burrowed closer to him, drowning the thought out with the steady beat of his heart. She sighed when that made him hold her tighter.

At last he loosened his arms and said, "Come on, let's have dessert if the icecream isn't totally melted by now."

She smiled and sat up. "Let's see," she said, holding a hand out to him.

They went back to the table, both a little lighter. They laughed and teased each other and battled over the softened icecream. She allowed him to win the last spoonful because she knew it was his favourite and basked in his happiness. He kissed her with the taste of the icecream still on his tongue and reveled in her hum of pleasure against his lips.

When dinner and dessert were done he pulled her back to the loungers and she sank into his arms with a sigh. "This was a good idea," she said. "Let's do this every week."

"What, have lunch with your parents and then dinner at Lands End?" he asked.

She slapped his arm. "You know what I mean."

He laughed. "Yes, let's spend more time together like this, just the two of us, nothing else to worry about," he said.

She smiled and snuggled closer. Then she asked, "What time is it?"

He looked at his watch. "It's close to nine," he said with a sigh.

She sighed as well. "I guess it's time to go home."

He held her tighter. "No, not yet. We have half an hour." He couldn't see her face but knew she was smiling. That, and the way she immediately capitulated told him she didn't want the evening to end as much as he didn't.

"Okay," she whispered, making herself comfortable against his side. His hands stroked up and down her back in a hypnotic rhythm as they lay there. She found her eyelids drooping and fought to stay awake. It was a losing battle with his heart beating steadily beneath her ear and his body a warm weight against hers. She didn't even realise it when she slipped seamlessly into dreaming of him.

Ranveer realised Deepika had fallen asleep when her body grew heavy against his. He whispered her name and got no response. It did funny things to his heart to have her be so vulnerable with him. He continued the gentle movements of his hands over her skin, marvelling at its warmth and satiny texture. He wanted nothing more than to stay like this until the morning, but he'd said he'd get her home by ten thirty. So he tried waking her again

"Deepika? Wake up, meri jaan. We need to go home," he whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead and stroking his fingers down her arm. She mumbled something and pressed closer to him. "Wake up, my love, it's time to leave," he said. She blinked her eyes open and raised her head.

"Ranveer? Did I fall asleep on you again?" she asked with a sheepish smile.

He smiled back. "You did," he said. "I don't know whether to be offended that I'm that boring or proud that I make such a good pillow."

She laughed. "Mmm, you're the comfiest pillow I've ever had, if a rather talkative one."

He laughed too. "Well, much as I'd like to continue playing your pillow, we need to get home. Your parents will be waiting for you."

They paid the bill and drove back in a peaceful silence broken only by music. The roads at this hour were practically deserted. Before they knew it they were back at her place and the guards at the gate were waving them through.

He pulled into a guest parking spot and switched off the car. "I'll walk you up," he said.

"There's no need, it's getting late and we have an early start tomorrow," she tried to protest, though she knew nothing she said would dissuade him. She didn't really want to leave him, either. He didn't bother to reply, simply getting out of the car and making his way over to her side to help her out.

They ascended to her floor in silence with her tucked into his side and their hands entwined. They stopped outside her door. "Good night, love," he whispered, drawing her into his arms.

She laid her head on his shoulder. "Good night," she whispered back. She stayed in the embrace for a few seconds longer before stepping back with a sigh. "I'll see you on set tomorrow, okay?" she said.

He nodded and kissed her forehead. "Tomorrow," he said. "Thank you for a lovely day."

She smiled. "Thank you, too," she replied.

He was mesmerised by the shine in her eyes. He raised a hand to trace her smile and felt her lips tremble beneath his fingertips. He pulled her close again with his arm around her waist and kissed her.

She sighed and melted against him, then stepped back when she felt herself beginning to get lost in the kiss. "I'd better go before my parents open the door and find us here like this."

He laughed and let her go. "That would not be ideal," he agreed as she rummaged in her purse for keys. "Good night my love," he said when she had the door open. He took her hand in his again as she stepped through the door.

She blushed at the endearment. "Good night," she replied. She didn't want to let go of his hand. She didn't want to take a step away from him. She didn't want to let him go. He seemed equally reluctant. His thumb swept soft caresses across the back of her hand that raised goosebumps down her spine. He held her gaze as he brought her hand to his lips and she shivered. He kissed it once, twice, before sighing and letting it go. The desire to feel the texture of his lips was so strong she couldn't help extending her fingertips towards them. He gasped at the touch and she startled and pulled her hand away.

His voice when he spoke was gravelly with need and an emotion she didn't dare name. "I'd better go now before I can't," he said.

She blushed and nodded. It was a struggle to keep her feet in place as he walked away from her towards the lift. He pressed the lift button and the doors opened immediately. She watched as he paused with an arm extended to hold the doors and stared at her. The yearning to go to him was almost unbearable. The beep of the lift warning system broke the spell and he smiled and shook his head, then blew a kiss. She blew a kiss back. He caught it and pressed it to his heart before winking and entering the lift at last. She waited until the doors were closed before turning away with a sigh and shutting her own front door. 

Author's note:

I know I said that I'd only write one more chapter, but these two forced me to write this one and then one after that. I'm posting this one while I work on completing and editing the other. So you'll be getting another chapter after this and probably an epilogue as well. I blame them entirely. *grumpy face*