Well well well, look who persuaded me to not end this book. Of course I couldn't leave you like that. Rishit and Lima still haven't had sex and that's like a necessity, isn't it? And you all should know - I am a sucker for happy endings!

Meanwhile I am writing three novels at the same time - one is this, one which I am hoping to be published (I'll give you signed copy, don't worry) and one interactive script for another application. So yes, it's quite hectic. And of course I am a working woman, so there's that too.

But you are my favorite readers and I shall not disappoint you!

Chapter 22.

It's all that pent up sexual tension.

~~~

One Month Later.

It had been over a month since Rishit Smith has disappeared without a trace. Alesha, Olivia and Viaan had not been able to get in any contact with him even after hundreds of calls and messages. Ms. Blaze just said he was needed on another project and he was now oceans away.

Viaan and Alesha had ended up doing his job of the second floor designing. The work had already started, there were painters, carpenters and other staff had started working under the guidance of the three designers.

After Rishit's sudden disappearance, Benny had decided to stay back to help in case anything was needed.

They were all dealing with it, after a month they had quit talking about him, his name was rarely mentioned. They were too busy with the work to wonder how he was doing and what he was doing.

It seemed as if they were slowly forgetting him, all except for Lima.

There was barely a minute that passed by when she didn't think of him, when she didn't miss that hazel eyed man. Each night as she slept, she looked out of the window, straight at the dark starry sky.

The moon didn't shine so bright anymore, now that he wasn't looking at it with her.

Her days were spent pretending that she was fine and his absence didn't matter to her, not one bit. Her nights were spent crying and mentally wishing she could turn back time.

If she had known that would be the last time she was seeing him, she wouldn't have let him go. She would have held onto him, no matter how much he wanted to escape.

If only she had listened to her heart, if only she had stopped him, if only she had kissed him harder, if only she had barred open her soul to him.

If only were the start of her sentences, they all ended in I wish.

Regret and guilt were now her best friends. And the nightmares were frequent guests.

"Ms. Fox."

She looked up from the magazine that she held to hide his glistening eyes. She quickly blinked them away.

"Yes, Viaan?"

"The kitchen is almost ready. Do you want to see it?"

She kept the magazine on the table. "Sure." She stood up, looking at the brown kitchen, it sure looked pretty. So why wasn't she feeling happy?

"How is it?" Alesha asked with a delighted grin.

She nodded. "Good."

Alesha's smile fell at the dull answer. Lima noticed it and smiled it reassuringly. "It's really good. I like it."

Over the weeks they had gotten closer, they had even gone for drinks a couple of times. While Olivia and Alesha drank to dance and swallow their worries, Lima drank to forget Rishit.

She hoped with a blurry brain maybe even Rishit's memory would get blurrier but although everything would start to look dizzy, his face was as clear as day, engraved in her mind.

She couldn't even eat lemon cheesecakes anymore.

Olivia came to the kitchen. "The study room will be done in a week. This is moving so fast."

"Yes, at this pace we'd be done by three months." Viaan responded.

"I'll miss you." Olivia winked at Lima.

Lima chuckled. "Yeah, I wish I could say the same."

Olivia wasn't offended, she knew Lima would miss them terribly. She still hadn't told anyone about her last conversation with Rishit, about how he liked Lima. She didn't think it mattered anymore. She didn't think Rishit was serious, because if he were – why would he leave?

"So what are we doing tonight?" Viaan asked, dropping his arm around Alesha's shoulder.

Alesha instantly slapped it away, scowling at him. "Aren't you getting too touchy nowadays?"

"Do you not like it?"

Her lips thinned. "No, I don't."

Viaan smirked. "Liar."

She blew a breath of frustrated air. "How is it lying when I am saying the truth?"

He shrugged a shoulder dismissively. "Are you a lesbian?"

Alesha gritted her teeth. "For the hundredth time. NO!"

"Then shut up and let him keep my arm around you."

"Viaan!"

"Alesha!"

"You are so annoying."

"You are so beautiful."

"Just shut up!"

Lima and Olivia look at each and sigh, walking out of the kitchen, letting the two bicker.

"Their fights have increased significantly." Olivia noted.

"It's all that pent up sexual tension. They really should have sex soon and not on my bedsheets." Lima replied.

"We actually had bet on where they'll have sex, the house or the garden." Olivia reminisced with a smile.

"We?"

"Um, myself and Rishit."

The air suddenly tensed at the mention of his name, time seemed to freeze.

"Lima, if you ever need to talk -" Olivia started, noticing how Lima's eyes glistened and her shoulder hunched defensively.

"What is there to talk about? He left." Lima cut her off, not wanting to talk about it. She was scared it would open a gate to feelings she couldn't close back.

Olivia licked her lips. "Anything really. Even the stupid things, I'll be there. You have helped me when I needed it, plenty times. Let me do the same for you."

"Thanks but I am fine." Lima lied.

Olivia smiled dejectedly and patted her back lightly. "If you say so."

"Ma'am, we are breaking down the walls now." Jason, one of the workers informed.

"Okay." Lima acknowledged.

Olivia giggled as Jason passed them. "He looks hot."

Lima scanned Jason, he was tall, well built, blonde hair and green eyes. He had a right dimple and he arms were bulged. His skin was tan and his chest surely ripped. Even so, Lima did not find him attractive. He wasn't her Lemon Cheesecake. "He's okay."

Olivia rolled her eyes, eyeing the hunk like a piece of lollipop. "He's yummy."

Lima smirked at Olivia's glazed look. "Then eat him."

Olivia snorted. "I wish. I say no to workplace romance. Plus I don't even know him."

Lima shrugged, like it didn't matter. "Then get to know him." She waved at Jason. "Hey you, sexy boy."

Jason turned with a confused gaze, looking at his own body. "Me?"

"Yes, you. What are you doing tonight?"

"What are you doing?" Olivia hissed, her cheeks burning red. She felt like swallowing her own face.

Jason blinked in puzzlement. "Um nothing?"

"Great, take out Olivia on a date."

"Lima!" Olivia wished she could slap this ridiculous woman next to her. Her ears were flaming red by now.

Jason felt a blush creeping up his neck. He coughed, looking at Olivia, blinking sincerely. "I would love to."

Olivia's eyes widened at that. "Really?"

Jason cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. "Will you go on a date with me tonight?"

Olivia bit her lower lip from screaming out in joy. She nodded. "Yes."

"Great. Um I'll see you then." Jason cleared his throat again and then turned around, going back to his work.

Lima raised an eyebrow. "See, easy peasy."

Olivia glared at her but she was too happy to shout or complain. "That was reckless and very stupid."

Lima sighed heavily. "You know what I learnt this past one month?"

"What?"

"If you want to ask someone out on a date, ask! Don't overthink." Lima answered.

Olivia had a feeling this had something to do with Rishit but she didn't say anything. She instead peered closely into Lima's eyes. "If you get a chance to ask, will you?"

Lima's reply was prompt, she had answered that question herself a million times in the last one month. "Without any hesitation."

Just then Lima's phone rang and she picked it up. "Yes, Noah."

"I haven't seen you harassing my employees in a while." Noah greeted, his voice silky soft.

Lima snorted. "I don't harass them."

"The complaints they send me say otherwise. But how are you?"

"I am fine."

"You sure?"

Lima frowned, it was rare for Noah to care. "Yes Noah, what would happen to me?"

"You have a point. How's the game coming along?"

"I am almost done, I'll drop by next week maybe." Lima replied.

"Great. And how's the house work coming along?"

Lima's eyes furrowed even deeper. "It's not like you to call for chitchat. What's your motive?"

His voice turned a little hard. "Can't I be polite?"

"Not really. But thanks for sending those workers. We had a shortage of them."

"You are welcome." Noah smiled. "I hope they know their jobs."

"Yes. Then bye, don't waste my time."

"You need to learn manners."

Lima cut the call.

Dinner was fast and heavy. Mr. Pence picked up the garbage to throw out. "Will you be going out tonight Ms. Fox?"

Lima nodded in response. "Yes." Since the past few weeks she had started to walk around the hill at night after dinner. Sometimes she would stay till midnight, just letting her treacherous thoughts consume her.

Her path was the same, walk till the forbidden area, sit there for a while, drown in her guilt and then come back to her room to sleep and greet her nightmares.

Alesha and Olivia waved goodbyes while Viaan turned to play his games.

"Do you know how to kill that snowy demon?"

"That's the ice spirit." Lima corrected.

"Eh. Whatever. How to kill it?"

"Buy the blue snake, his venom will kill it."

After a long minute, Viaan hissed and gasped and then yelled cheerfully in victory. "Thanks!"

Lima stepped into her shoes and started her daily walk. Like most of the days, she once again forgot to take the jacket.

The truth is, she was hoping Rishit would come, handing her his jacket – like he had done before.

"Stupid hope. Never dies." She muttered under her breath as the chilly air nibbled her skin.

"Should have bought a jacket." She groaned as the wind started to get colder with the height.

As she walked aimlessly and despairingly, a sudden sound made her freeze. It was so small, delicate, but under the silent sky she heard it.

Someone was following her.

Her heartbeat started to increase, and her hands started to sweat.

'I should start to carry a gun.' She thought to herself. This wasn't the first time she had sensed that feeling of being followed. It had been frequent.

Last week when she went to the city, she could swear there was a pair of eyes watching her while she bought new shoes.

Before that, the time she had visited her office, she had felt a car trailing behind her.

And then as she walked in the garden during the day, her shoulders had heated up under someone's hidden gaze.

At first she thought she was just dreaming but that sense had only grown over time and here. Here, alone under this dark sky, she was starting to get a little scared.

She picked up a rock, just in case she might need to hit someone with it.

Her steps started becoming smaller and softer, her ears strained for any sound.

'Come on you stalker, who are you?' she thought.

Her stalker didn't disappoint, there was the unmistakable sound of a footstep.

Lima's hold on the rock tightened. She took few fast paces and then turned suddenly to face her intruder, hoping to surprise him.

There was a man, standing just in front of her, complete in black clothes and a ski mask over his face, making it impossible to recognize who he was.

She hadn't expected that, hell, she was still hoping she was having a dream.

Her eyes widened and she swallowed. "Who are you?" She barked out hoarsely.

The man also seemed stunned at being caught. He had done a pretty job of hiding till now.

They stared at each other and then all of a sudden the man lurked forward. Lima let out a shriek of surprise.

His hands wrapped around her arms tightly and he pushed her back, jolted by the sudden motion, her hold from the rock loosened and it fell down.

The man stuffed a napkin into her mouth to stop her screams for help, he put his feet in between hers, pulling them apart and making her fall down on her back.

Unable to fight with hands seized tightly behind her and unable to scream with her mouth gagged, Lima was helpless and in pain. The stones bit at her back and yet she struggled against his tight hold. Her legs jerked upwards trying to fight him off, but it wasn't of much use.

'This is no amateur stalker.' She thought dreadfully. 'He knows what he's doing. He knows how to harm a person.'

She kicked and shifted her body, trying with all her might to get this man off her but it was in in vain. He climbed over her, straddling her. His grip had left her hands but now his entire body was towering over her and there was very little she could do to fight him off.

His hand wrapped around her neck, choking her and Lima's gasped but her mouth couldn't produce a sound. Her eyes started to water and her feet and hand hit this unknown man. She was desperate to save herself. Her hand couldn't reach the rocks and she couldn't throw the hefty man off her petite body.

Lima realized she was fighting for her life and she wasn't succeeding at all.

Her neck started to hurt more and more and just when she's lost all hope, the man was punched off her body, landing to her side, letting her free.

Lima instantly rolled away, kneeling to the side, removing the napkin from her mouth. She looked at her savior, under the dark night, there were two figures fighting. Both throwing punches and kicks like a pro.

She couldn't figure out who either one of them was. It was starting to get darker and darker under the moonless night.

The man in ski mask was really good with his techniques but the other man was equally good. He managed to hurt the intruder on ribs and jaw but before he could hurt him more, the assaulter escaped. He ran through the trees, into the wild area leaving no chance for anyone to follow him.

Lima rubbed her neck, her breathing uneven. She was still on her knees, barely registering the rocks digging in her skin. She felt eternally thankful to this kind and athletic stranger for saving her life. But she feared she couldn't thank him properly, her head was starting to feel lighter, she was starting to feel dizzy.

The realization that someone was trying to kill her, just about nestling in her mind.

The stranger came closer to her, and her eyesight was getting blurry but she wanted to see who this man is, who her hero was.

"How many times have I told you to carry a jacket?" He removed his denim jacket and gently wrapped it around Lima's cold arms.

Lima couldn't believe her eyes or her ears, she was dreaming, she had to be.

"Lemon Cheesecake." She breathed out, a slight smile on her face as the stars shined on his face, lightening up his familiar features.

Oh how she had missed those hazel eyes.

And he could fight? That too so perfectly?

"I still have to protect you from men, huh?" Rishit joked, scanning the bruises on her neck with an angry gaze.

But her brain didn't register the words. She muttered the words she had told many times to the moon – wishing it was Rishit's face instead, "I missed you. I missed you so much." And then she fainted into his warm arms.

If this was a dream, she never wanted to wake up.

Rishit wrapped his arms around her body, holding her close. His jaw clenched and his lower lip trembled at her raw state. Had it been just as difficult to be away for her as it was for him? "I missed you too, more than you'll ever know." He muttered into the silent air, kissing her forehead.

Oh what a feeling it is, to miss and to be missed.

~~~

And he's back!

Also a sneak peek into the next chapter? They do the delicious nasty nasty. ;)

So vote and comment and I'll put the next chapter, say on Thursday?