Reader discretion advised
****

The team bus pulled up to the hotel. It had taken them a little more time because fans had surrounded the bus. Rohit and the others finally made their way inside and the staff directed them to the private suite where a celebration had been organized. Pushing open the door, Rohit froze mid-step, taking in the scene before him.

Sakshi and Radhika were sprawled across one of the beds, sound asleep. Hazel was in the middle of the room, twirling and dancing to a song playing softly on the speakers.Vritika was curled up in an armchair holding a half-full glass in her hand. She had a mischievous smile playing on her lips as she swirled the contents of the glass. Her cheeks were flushed, and her grin widened when she noticed Rohit enter.

"Rohiiittt!" she exclaimed, getting up unsteadily. She stumbled forward flinging her arms around his neck with surprising energy. "You were... amazing!" she said in a slurred voice. "Double century, and you just... boom boom boom!" She made a gesture of swinging a bat.

"Are you drunk Ritz?" Rohit caught her easily, but his gaze immediately darted to the glass she had abandoned. Holding her steady with one arm, he picked it up and gave it a sniff.

"No, silly," Vritika said with a lopsided grin "It's just... fruit punch. Yuvi said so." She broke into giggles, barely able to stand straight.

"Yuvi Paaji!" Rohit called out in a sharp tone. "This is your doing, isn't it?"

"It's a party, Rohit! You can't celebrate a World Cup win with plain old fruit punch."

"You spiked the punch? Paaji, seriously?" Virat asked

"Relax, Cheeku," Yuvraj said. "It's just a little fun. Look at her! She's having the time of her life." He gestured toward Vritika, who was now attempting to mimic Rohit's batting stance, holding an invisible bat and swaying unsteadily.

"Boom, boom, boom!" she repeated, giggling uncontrollably.

Rohit rolled his eyes but couldn't help the small smile tugging at his lips as he steadied her again. "Yeah, she's having fun all right. And she's going to have a massive headache tomorrow."

"Oh, stop worrying so much," Yuvraj teased.

 "Do you know how hard it's going to be dealing with her when she realizes she was drunk? She hates alcohol!"

Yuvraj shrugged with a smirk. "Then maybe don't tell her."

Meanwhile, Vritika tugged at Rohit's sleeve. "Rohit," she whispered, "you're so... cool. Like, you hit those sixes, and I was like, 'That's my boyfriend!'" She clapped her hands together.

Rohit chuckled despite himself. "Well, I'm glad you were impressed," he said, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "Now, let's get you sitting down before you fall over, okay?"

"I'm fine!" Vritika protested, wobbling slightly. She suddenly noticed Virat who was recording her, grinning mischievously. Without warning, she stumbled toward him and threw her arms around him in a tight hug.

"Bandar!" she exclaimed, her voice muffled against his shoulder. "I'm so, so proud of you."

Virat laughed. "I should get you drunk more often if you are this funny."

"I mean it, bandar," she whispered loudly "You're, like, my favorite cricketer. Don't tell Rohit I said that, though."

Virat burst out laughing, glancing over her shoulder at Rohit. "Too late. He's right there, and he looks very jealous."

"I heard that," Rohit interjected, crossing his arms but unable to hide his smile. "And for the record, I'm the one who hit the sixes tonight."

"Yes, yes, you're amazing too," Vritika said, waving a hand dismissively as she turned back to Virat. She squished his cheeks between her hands. "But Veer... I'm so proud of you. You're my superstar. You are the best brother ever. I loved the aggression you showed the Aussies."

"I'll take it, but you are going to regret this when I show you this video tomorrow." Virat managed to speak despite his squished cheeks.

Vritika gasped, lunging forward to grab the phone, but Virat effortlessly lifted it out of her reach. "Veer! Delete it right now!" she demanded, nearly tripping over her own feet in the process.

"No chance," Virat laughed, stepping back. "This is going to be my new favorite memory."

Vritika froze and her hands dropped as she spotted the phone still recording in his hand. "You wouldn't dare," she narrowed her eyes.

"Oh, I absolutely would," Virat grinned waving the phone in her face. "This is gold. Priceless."

Vritika turned sharply toward Rohit. "You know what? Rohit is my absolute favorite. At least he wouldn't betray me like this."

Rohit smirked. "Oh, I don't know about that. I'm very tempted to join Virat in his blackmail."

"Veer is a traitor!"

"Oh no, Vri. You just declared me the best brother ever five seconds ago. Own it."

"I take it back! Rohit is my absolute favorite now!" Vritika turned to him and grabbed his cheeks. "The coolest, the best, my boyfriend who hits sixes like it's nothing!" Vritika moved toward Rohit and retaliated by squishing his cheeks. 

His eyes dropped to her hands, and he noticed the redness on her fingers. He gently pulled her hands away, frowning. "Ritz, what's this? Your fingers are red."

"Oh, that's nothing. Just from crossing them during the match."

"How many times have I told you not to do that? You're going to hurt yourself." Rohit said sternly.

"It's a habit," she said sheepishly, pulling her hands back. "I get nervous."

Rohit sighed, taking her hands again and carefully inspecting her fingers. "You don't need to do this, Ritz. You know I'll play my best whether your fingers are crossed or not."

"Noooo, you don't get it....I get soooo nervous that my stomach flips inside and I get sooo worried, so I have tightly cross them to hold onto something."

Rohit gently held her hands trying to soothe away the redness. "I get it, Ritz. But, love, you don't need to put yourself through that."

"Stop lecturing me Ro, and come dance with me. Veer join us! Oooo, look at that, Hazel and Yuvi paaji are dancing like hell. And Sakshi and Mahi bhai and all the gang."

After a little dance, Vritika moved to pick up her drink again.

"No more drinks for you tonight," Rohit said and snatched her glass before she could take a sip.

"Hey! No, give it back, Rohit!" she whined, trying to tug it away from him.

"That's enough, Ritz. You've had enough for one night."

Vritika crossed her arms over her chest. "You can't tell me what to do, Ro. I'm an adult!" she said.

 "Well, I think I just did." Without warning, he leaned down and wrapped an arm around her legs hoisting her over his shoulder like a sack of flour.

"Rohittt!" Vritika squealed. Her fists lightly pounded against his back. "What are you doing?! Put me down!"

"Not a chance," he said. "You are not having more of this drink. You will thank me later."

She huffed as she dangled helplessly over his shoulder. "You're insufferable! Put me down right now, Rohit Sharma, or I swear—"

"Or what?" he interrupted.

When they reached their room, he gently lowered her onto the bed, making sure she was seated before he stood back, arms crossed.

"Why'd you put me down so soon?" she asked, swaying slightly as she leaned back on her hands. "I wasn't done."

"Done with what?" he asked.

"I was just about to squeeze them," she replied matter-of-factly, slightly slurred.

"Squeeze what?"

"That juicy ass of yours."

"What?" he asked, blinking rapidly. He did not just hear her speaking about his ass.

"You heard me," she said.

A slow grin crept across Rohit's face. He crossed his arm and let out a hearty laugh. "You think my ass is juicy?"

"It looks like it, but well, you never know, I could be wrong. Why don't you..... show me?"

Rohit's jaw practically hit the floor. "What?" he asked again, certain he was hearing things now. "Ritz," he said, "you are so drunk."

"Why are you stalling?" She pouted in anger. "I want to see your ass, strip down!"

Rohit stared at her, utterly dumbfounded. "Ritz, you've had way too much to drink. You don't know what you're saying." 

"Oh, I know exactly what I'm saying," Vritika retorted.She got up and moved closer to him. "Why Ro, are you feeling shy?" 

"Shy? Me? Do you even hear yourself right now?"

"Yes, I do!" Vritika said "You're the one acting all weird. Why are you being so... so uptight? Afraid I'll judge your six-pack?If you are feeling so shy....then I can strip with you." She reached for the hem of her top, but Rohit caught her hands before she could unbutton her top. 

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Ritz, stop right there!" he said, his voice an octave higher than usual.

Vritika froze and yanked her hands out of his grasp. "You don't find me attractive, do you?" Her voice quivered."Don't you... don't you like me anymore?"

"What?!" Rohit exclaimed, utterly baffled. "Of course I like you! What are you even talking about?"

"You don't find me attractive," she declared. She buried her face in a pillow. "You're ashamed of me!"

 "Have you lost your mind?"

"I knew it!" she wailed, turning her head slightly to glare at him. "You think I'm... I'm boring! And plain! That's why you won't strip with me! I knew it!"

Rohit slapped his palm to his forehead, trying to suppress a laugh. Ye Yuvi paaji ne pataa nahi kya milane ko bola drinks mein...... "Ritz, I don't even know how we got to this point in the conversation, but I never said anything about you being unattractive."

"Actions speak louder than words! If you loved me, you'd strip!"

Rohit bit back a laugh and knelt in front of her. "Listen, Ritz," he said, taking her hands in his. "You're the most beautiful, most attractive woman I've ever met. You could wear a potato sack and still look like a supermodel, okay? But you're also tipsy, and I don't think either of us wants you waking up tomorrow to all of this."

 "You think I'd look good in a potato sack?" she asked, tilting her head.

Rohit chuckled. "Absolutely. I love you. A lot. More than cricket, okay? But I am not doing it,  in this state. Trust me you will regret it later"

Vritika sniffed. "So... if I wasn't drunk, you'd show me your juicy ass?"

Rohit groaned. "Can we please stop calling it that?"

"Why?" she sniffled. "You don't think it's juicy? You don't think you're juicy?"

"Okay, okay, that's enough! Time for you to go to bed before this gets any crazier."

"I'm not crazy!" 

"This whole conversation says otherwise."

Vritika wriggled in his hold. "You're no fun, Ro! And you still haven't shown me your—"

"Goodnight, Ritz!" he interrupted, carrying her to the bed and gently laying her down. He tucked the blanket around her snugly.

"At least give me a kiss!"

Rohit turned back to look at her. Her cheeks were flushed, her hair was adorably messy, and her eyes were heavy-lidded but her nose was scrunched up.

"Fine," he relented and leaned in to plant a soft kiss on her forehead. "There. Happy now?"

"That doesn't count! Forehead kisses are for friends or grandmas, Ro!"

Vritika's fingers suddenly curled around the front of his shirt, tugging him back toward her with unexpected strength.

"Ritz, what—?" he started, but before he could finish, she yanked him down and pressed her lips to his.

He stumbled and Vritika used his momentum to flip them both onto the bed. Rohit landed on his back and she wasted no time climbing on top of him, straddling him.

"Ritz!" Rohit exclaimed, "What are you doing?"

She leaned down and her hair fell in a curtain around them. "You," she said "are looking so hot right now."

A faint flush crept up his neck. "Ritz," he started.

She ran her fingers over the collar of his jersey. "You look good enough to eat."

Rohit looked up at her. She was not going to give up anytime soon... "Yeah, okay..." He snaked his arms around her and made her lie down on his chest. "See, before any kind of eating...it's necessary to..uh..talk. Why don't you tell me about...um...Karan!"

Vritka scrunched her eyebrows. "Karan who?"

"You know the guy you said asked you to be his partner for prom?"

"Oh him.....hmm. What about him?"

"What do you think about him?"

"Oh, he's cute." 

Rohit's smile vanished. "You think Karan is cute?"

"Yeah...he is a really sweet boy."

"Do you care about him?"

"Why would I care about little boys Ro..when I have my man right here."

Rohit grinned and pulled her closer. "I love you, Ritz."

"I love you soooooo much Ro....so muchhhhh that sometimes it makes my heart burst!" 

Rohit smiled at her and was just leaning again when-

"Arey Rohit bhai kaha rah gaye..aao na jaldi!!!" Rishu shouted from outside.

"Haa abhi aaya." Rohit sighed.

He looked back at Vritika and found that she had fallen asleep. After adjusting the blanket over her he walked quietly toward the door and locked it so that nobody would be able to get inside apart from him.

It was almost morning when Vritika woke up with a splitting headache. She groaned. Her head was throbbing painfully, and her mouth felt like she'd swallowed sandpaper. 

"Ugh," she muttered. "What in the world happened last night?" 

She sat up gingerly and slid off the blanket from her shoulders. And that's when she felt something odd on her forehead. Her hand shot up, and she peeled off a bright yellow sticky note.

Good morning, Ritz.

Take the aspirin on the table and drink some water. Someone spiked the drinks last night, so don't freak out if things are a bit fuzzy. I locked the door to make sure no one bothered you. You'll be okay. Also... you were hilarious. 

Love, Ro.

Grabbing the glass of water and aspirin from the bedside table, she swallowed the aspirin and took a sip of water. Flashes of last night came rushing back.

"Why don't you strip with me, Ro?"

Her eyes widened in horror.

"I want to see your juicy ass!"

She let out a groan, burying her face in her hands.

 "Oh no... oh no, no, no...Oh my god, oh my god, I did NOT say that. I did not!" She felt like crawling under the bed and never coming out.

"No wonder he left me a sticky note instead of waking me up. He's probably traumatized," she whispered, her cheeks flaming. "Juicy ass?! What is wrong with me?"

She threw off the blanket and grabbed her bathrobe from the nearby chair, wrapping it around herself tightly as though it could somehow shield her from the embarrassment crashing over her.

"I need to wash off the shame," she muttered.

She reached for the faucet, twisting it until the tub began to fill with warm water. She added a generous splash of lavender-scented bath oil. She leaned against the counter, staring at her reflection. Her hair was a wild mess and her mascara smudged faintly under her eyes. 

"You're a menace," she told herself. "He must think I am insane.Like, actual insanity"

The thought alone made her cringe so hard she had to look away.

She stepped into the tub, sinking into the warm water. For a moment, she could pretend she wasn't a walking embarrassment.

But, of course, her brain wouldn't let her rest.

"You're so hot Ro...why..I could strip with you?"

Vritika slapped a hand over her face, letting out another groan. . "OH MY GOD! Why did I say that? WHY? I'm never drinking again," she declared to no one in particular. "And I'm never, EVER talking to Rohit about last night. If he brings it up, I'll just... fake amnesia. Yeah, that could work. I will tell him I don't remember anything from last night. Not. A. Thing" 

"Goddd, stupid, stupid, stupid! I'm soooo stupid." She slapped her palm against the water, sending the water down the edge of the tub. "How am I supposed to face him now?"

What if Rohit teased her? What if he looked at her weirdly? What if—worst of all—things got awkward between them?

"I don't want things to be awkward," she muttered, sinking deeper into the water until only her nose and eyes peeked out. "We're close . Very close. He knows I'm... like this... right? Oh god, but does he know I'm this bad?"

"Okay, Vritika, here's the plan," she said, clutching the sides of the tub. "Step one: Act normal. Step two: Avoid bringing it up. Step three: Never, EVER drink around him again. Ever. Step four... If he brings it up... fake a seizure. No, wait, that's too dramatic. Laugh it off! Yeah, just laugh and pretend I was joking. People do that, right?"

Before she could overthink further, the bathroom door swung open, and Rohit stepped inside, casually tying the knot of his bathrobe. He froze mid-step as his eyes landed on her submerged in the tub.

 "ROHIT!" Vritika screamed, grabbing the bubbles closest to her and pulling them to her chest to cover herself.

Rohit's face turned an impressive shade of red as he spun around on his heel. 

"Sorry! Sorry! I didn't know you were—uh—I'll just come back later!" His words tumbled out aand he fumbled for the door handle.

Vritika gawked at his retreating back. Her embarrassment grew by the second. This was so awkward. This wasn't what she wanted. She didn't want him running off like he'd committed a crime. She wanted... She wanted—

"Ro!" she blurted out before she could stop herself. 

Rohit paused, one hand on the doorknob, clearly debating whether to turn around. "Yeah?" he asked, still facing the door.

Vritika bit her lip. Say it. Spit it out. You're Vritika Kohli, for God's sake. Be bold! Be sexy! This is your moment. You can do this.

She swallowed hard, then mustered her most confident voice. "Why don't you... join me?"

Rohit froze completely. His shoulders stiffened, and he slowly turned his head, just enough to glance at her from the corner of his eye.

"Ritz, are you—uh—sure you're okay? You didn't hit your head in there or something, right. You took the medicine right? Or are you still drunk?"

Her eyes narrowed. "I'm perfectly fine and very sober but if you're too scared..."

 "Me? Never." 

Then, to Vritika's utter shock, he untied the belt of his bathrobe and dropped it in one smooth motion. He stood there, stark naked, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. His broad shoulders were defined and the muscles in his chest and arms were sculpted. His torso tapered down to a lean waist, and the faint trail of hair below his navel disappeared before her eyes darted away, her face heating up to volcanic levels.

Her jaw dropped, her eyes widening in disbelief as they instinctively darted up and down before she snapped them back to his face, her cheeks blazing. 

"Oh. My. GOD, Rohit!" she yelped. "You didn't have to take it so literally!" she shot back, her voice muffled behind her hands.

He chuckled and that made her cheeks burn even hotter. "Relax, Ritz. It's not like you've never seen—"

"DON'T FINISH THAT SENTENCE!" she yelled.

"Oh, so now you're shy?"

"You're ..... naked!"

"Last I checked, you're the one sitting naked in a tub," he shot back. "Seems fair to me."

Her jaw dropped, and she splashed water in his direction, though it fell short of hitting him. "You're insufferable!"

"And you're adorable when you're embarrassed," he said "Should I get in or not?"

"Yeah, please do." She said looking at the water.

Rohit came closer and climbed inside the tub behind her. He settled, his legs coming either side of her. Vritika could feel his bare chest press against her bare back. The was no space between them and no barrier. His strong hand came to wrap around her waist and stopped on her stomach, tracing circles there. She leaned back into him. This was almost beautiful...

"I didn't think you'd really act on what you said yesterday, Ritz." His breath was warm against her ear.

Her stomach fluttered as she remembered her bold words the night before causing her cheeks to heat. "I didn't either," she admitted softly.

"You were worried, weren't you?"  His lips brushed against the edge of her jaw. "That things would get awkward between us?"

Vritika closed her eyes as she nodded. "Yeah," she whispered. "I didn't want to mess things up between us. You mean everything to me, Ro. I didn't want things to be weird or—"

"Ritz, nothing's going to change between us," he said "You just said what was in your mind. Honestly, it was funny, and I loved seeing that side of you. It's just you being you. And I wouldn't want it any other way."

Vritika smiled and slowly turned around so that she was facing him. Her nipples brushed against his chest and that caused them to get erect. The hair on her arms stood up.  A soft gasp escaped her lips, and her cheeks flushed, but she didn't pull away.

She managed to look into his eyes and they looked tired. "You boys were up all right, celebrating?"

Rohit nodded, his gaze flickering to her lips before darting back to her eyes.  

"Yeah. We had a blast." 

He tried to focus only at her eyes. But it wasn't easy. The closeness of their bodies, the warmth of the water surrounding them, was making his thoughts scatter. "You know, I having  a really... difficult time here....not looking anywhere other that your eyes."

Vritika smirked. "You can look you know."

Rohit gaze dropped to the rest of her body, noticing the curves as though memorizing every inch while her hands trailed on his chest through his hair. He brought her close and placed a light kiss on her pulse point. As he trailed downwards. Vritika threw her head back and held his shoulders tightly. She felt his hands brushing her collar bone and then coming to cup her left breast. Her eyes opened slightly to notice me admiring them. 

"You are gorgeous, Ritz." he said in a low intimate voice. He flicked his thumb over her hardened nipple and traced it side. Then he noticed the small mole near the areola, and his lips curled into a soft smile.

"Ye woh hai na...."

 "Til she supplied, her cheeks flushing.

"Ha, wohi," he said. "God, Ritz, it's so sexy." 

Vritika's nails dug into his skin as she felt his tongue licking her breast wile his hand caressed the other one. Pleasure was beginning to form in the pit of her abdomen. It made her clench her legs tightly. But she couldn't because Rohit slid his leg between. 

"Ro...." Vritika moaned.

Rohit's breath hitched at the sound of his name on her lips. He pulled back slightly, his dark eyes meeting hers with an intensity that made her shiver.

"Tell me what you want, Ritz," he murmured. His voice was husky with desire.

Vritika bit her lip as arousal coloring her cheeks. She ran her fingers through his hair and tugged it gently.

"I want... I want you," she whispered. "All of you."

Rohit groaned, capturing her lips in a searing kiss. His hands roamed her body, leaving trails of fire in their wake. Vritika arched into him, desperate for more contact.He broke the kiss, panting slightly. 

"Are you sure?" he asked, searching her eyes.

Vritika nodded. Rohit's ministrations intensified, his tongue swirling around Vritika's nipple as his fingers kneaded her other breast. She could feel his hardness pressing against her thigh, and she rolled her hips instinctively, seeking friction.

"God, Ritz," Rohit groaned against her skin. "You're driving me crazy."

His hand slid down her stomach, tracing the curve of her hip before dipping between her thighs. Vritika gasped as his fingers trailed to her inner thigh. 

"Rohit, please," she whimpered, her voice thick with need.

He captured her lips in a searing kiss, his tongue exploring every inch of her mouth as his fingers continued to tease and tempt her. But she wanted more, needed more.

"Ro.... don't stop," Vritika breathed

Rohit's eyes darkened with desire as he looked at her flushed face. Her lips were  swollen from their passionate kisses. "You want more?" he asked.

"Yes," she whimpered.

 "Then beg for it," he whispered against her ear.  Vritika's eyes widened slightly at his commanding tone but the ache between her legs only grew stronger.

"Rohit..." 

"Come on, Ritz," he coaxed, his fingers still tracing tantalizing patterns on her inner thighs. "Tell me what you want."

"Stop teasing me!"

"That's not begging, love. Try again." He traced a finger down her flushed cheek.

Vritika squirmed under his touch, desperate for more. Her pride warred with her desire as Rohit continued his maddening caresses.

"Rohit please...."

"Try again....I told you would be begging one day, Ritz."

Her body ached for his touch, every nerve ending on fire. She bit her lip, hesitating.

"I... I want..." she started, her cheeks burning.

Rohit's fingers inched closer to where she needed him most, but still not quite there. "Yes?" he prompted.

Vritika took a shaky breath. "I want you to touch me," she whispered. "Please, Ro. I need—"

Suddenly, loud voices sounded from the hallway outside, startling them both.

"Oi, Rohit bhai ! Are you in there?" It was Hardik's voice, followed by a sharp knock on the door. "Kya bhai aap, abhi take naha rahe ho....jaldi karo yaar, Mahi bhai nikal rahe hai."

Rohit and Vritika froze. "Why do they always barge in?" she hissed.

Rohit let out a frustrated sigh, resting his head against Vritika's shoulder. "Because they have perfect timing. Every. Single. Time." he said sarcastically.

"Rohit bhai! Sab wait kar rahe hain, yaar. Mahi bhai naraaz ho jayenge!" Rishu called from outside.

"Mahi bhai ko kya hua? Kaha jaa rahe hai woh?"

"Arey woh unhone propose kiya tha n Sakshi ko kal....?"

"Haa toh?"

"Toh ab woh dono ranchi nikal rahe hai. "

Vritika smirked, resting back in the tub. "I guess Mahi bhai doesn't waste time, huh?"

Rishu banged on the door again. "Arey bhai, jaldi! Sab log goodbye bolne jaa rahe hain."

Rohit sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Fine, fine! Main aaya." He looked back and saw Vritika glaring at him. "Sorry Ritz. I have to go now, but....be ready when I come back. We have a date."

He got out of the tub and locked the bathroom door after him. Vritika just buried her face in her palms and groaned.

"Ugh, you infuriating man," she whispered. This man was going to be the death of her....

*****

A/N

😳😳🙈 Don't forget to vote guys 😉