Chapter 23. You have me wrapped around your little finger

I push the shopping cart down the chips aisle, scanning the long list of choices for what I crave.

I am trying to eat healthy but one packet of chips won't hurt, right?

I pick a packet of Lays and dump it in the shopping cart, after a pause, I add two more packets and rush out of the aisle but temptation works its magic again.

"Aisha!" I pause and roll my eyes at the familiar warning tone. I turn around to see my bodyguard carrying a tub of protein snack bars in his hand. He glances at the chips in the cart and frowns in disdain. "That's why you wanted to shop separately so you could buy junk food?"

"You can't decide what I eat too." I mutter in protest, putting a hand over the chips protectively.

Nimit sighs but doesn't comment. "Come on, it's late. We should leave."

"It's a grocery store, Nimit." I grunt, ignoring him and walking into the dairy section. "Who's going to hurt me here, the cashier or the old lady shopping for tomatoes?"

"We could have ordered all of this online."

"This makes me feel normal, let me be." I grunt, grabbing some cheese slices.

I am engrossed in choosing the flavour of ice cream when all of a sudden, Nimit grabs my arm and drags me into the employee storage room. It all happens so fast that within a blink, I am surrounded by darkness and Nimit is pressed against me, his hands over my head, caging me in.

I blink in shock, adjusting to the dim lights. My eyebrows furrow and I look up at him. "What the hell?"

Nimit continues staring at the closed storeroom door. "I saw Joel."

I gasp, eyes widening. "The lying model? Here? Why?"

"Could be a coincidence or could be he was following us. Either way, I'd rather not face him and I am sure you aren't interested in talking to him."

My shoulders slump and I lean back on the cold wall. "I am so exhausted. Maybe I should change my name and move to another country."

Nimit's eyes turn to me and there's a flicker of understanding and sympathy. He leans closer, his coffee breath fanning my cheeks. "Where would you go?"

I hold his gaze, willing myself to not look down at his tempting lips. "I don't know, maybe Antarctica. Penguins wouldn't want to kill me."

"The cold would. And no one wants to kill you."

I scoff and exhale heavily. "The last month tells me otherwise. Not kill but harm definitely. I have been running from guns and stalkers and models. I can't even go to the supermarket without a bodyguard, what does that say about my life?"

Nimit gently grabs my chin, his thumb caressing my lower lip. "It says that there's someone who doesn't want to leave your side."

My lips twitch into a teasing smile. "Yeah, because it's his job."

Nimit brushes his lips lightly across mine. My eyes flutter close and butterflies ignite in my belly. "We both know it's more than a job for me, Aisha."

I reach on my toes, trying to deepen the kiss but he steps back, making me frown. "What did Ved want?"

"Ved?" I scowl at the mention of his name. "It's been a week, are you still thinking about it?"

Nimit's face is serious as he replies. "I haven't stopped thinking about it. I couldn't hear what went on and you wouldn't tell me. So, I ask again, what did he want? You were lost in thought for a whole day after meeting him, it must be something important to have you so distracted."

I lean my head against the wall and his fingers gently wrap around my neck, tracing the veins. I shiver at the simple touch. "He wanted another chance. He wanted to date me again."

Nimit freezes, his fingers stop their strokes, his back stiffens and even his breathing stops. There's a long pause and then he blinks, taking half a step back. "He wanted what?"

I lick my lips, sighing before repeating. "He wanted to date me again."

His eyes narrow. "And what did you say?"

"I said that I had to think about it. I can't just forget the way he left and how much it hurt me but his apology was sincere." I shrug a shoulder. "He's back in the city for good now and we will crash into each other frequently, I don't want it to be awkward."

The anger shimmering in his eyes is unmistakable. "So you'll date him to make it less awkward? Seriously?"

I bite my lower lip, waddling into risky waters. "I am single so what harm can it do?"

Nimit glares and closes the distance, his hand around my neck tightens and his dark eyes scan my nervous face. The vein bursting on his forehead proves that I just started a war I'll never win. His lips curve into a sinister smile and then his mouth comes down on mine, ravaging me completely. I gasp at the possessive action and he uses that to his advantage, sinking his tongue into my mouth, tasting every part of me.

I meet his kiss with the same passion as if I have been starved for him for too long. Gosh, I had missed that mouth, that touch, him. I claw at his back, sinking my nails into his shoulder, trying to get closer to him. I don't care that we were in a grocery storeroom where anyone could walk in and see us. I don't care if someone recognizes me, and I'd be on the front page news again. I don't care about anything but him.

Nimit squeezes my neck harder, his other hand rubbing my thigh, inching closer to my throbbing core. I moan into the kiss when he rolls my lower lip between his teeth.

"Nimit, please..." My voice is barely above a whisper filled with desperation and need. I rock my body against him, easily finding his prominent arousal. Nimit groans deep in his throat, pulling away his lips to meet my hungry eyes.

"You are not dating Ved or anyone else for that matter." He orders and in my dizzy state, I'd have agreed to anything he wanted. I reach for his pants and Nimit shakes his head, grabbing my hand. "I am not going to fuck you inside a tiny dark storeroom, Aisha. At least not for the first time."

My stomach clenches and my eyes widen. First time? I voice my thoughts and Nimit smirks. "We both know this is more than just a night. It always has been. We are way deep into the waters now, it's swim or sink, baby."

I smirk a little. "So I am not single?"

"You are mine, Aisha. Mine." That doesn't answer my question but there's a dreading warning in his tone and his stance is bigger, meaner, like a man who isn't afraid to take what he wants, how ever he wants. Like he knows the power he has and the pain he can inflict. I gulp nervously. "And I want you to remember that the next time you meet your ex or a guy pitifully in love with you."

I am guessing he means Ryan by the last part.

"You have me wrapped around your little finger and as much as I hate how uninhibited I am around you, I don't want to change that. We have a lot of chapters to write together, baby. Just us. Am I clear?" He doesn't wait for my reply but presses his lips against mine again, once again, taking my breath and a piece of my heart. He consumes my body and soul and when the kiss is broken, we are both panting heavily, trying to get air back into the lungs.

The door knob rattles from outside and Nimit jumps into his bodyguard stance, adjusting his pants to hide his erection while staring at the door. I rub my flushed face and flatten my messy hair. I am sure he has left some hand prints on my neck but there's nothing I can do about them or maybe I don't want to. For someone who hates being controlled, Nimit is the ultimate exception.

A surprised teenage employee stands in front of us, blinking at our dark figures. He opens his mouth, probably to call for the manager but Nimit steps ahead, towering above him and the boy flinches.

"You didn't see us here." Nimit speaks darkly, threateningly and the poor guy gulps, nodding his head.

Nimit grabs my wrist, pulls me into his chest and walks out. For the boy, it might seem like a sweet couple gesture but I know it's to hide my face in case he recognises it. Within minutes, Nimit has paid for the groceries and we are briskly walking towards the basement parking lot.

Neither of us has said a word and the silence is comforting but there's an awkward energy hanging in the air. "I didn't see Joel." I say as we reach the car.

Nimit shrugs. "He must have left when we were in the storeroom."

I smile remembering the passionate kiss but my smile falls the second I see Nimit freeze and stare at the note on the car windshield. He reacts in seconds, dropping the bags and pulling me behind his back. He looks around the empty car park with tensed eyes and I clutch my purse, holding my breath.

"Get in the car, Aisha." He orders, unlocks the car, and sweeps his gaze through the window making sure the car is empty. With trembling hands, I open the door and clamber inside. "Head down." I lower my head between my legs, breathing heavily with increasing anxiety. The last thing I want to do is leave Nimit alone outside but I also don't want to argue when he looks ready to kill.

After a few minutes, he opens the door and climbs into the driver's seat, holding the white piece of paper between his hands. I glance at the paper apprehensively, it doesn't look like a letter, more like a small note. "What is it?"

Nimit rubs his forehead, looking over my fidgety leg. "Are you okay?" He puts a calming hand on my knee to stop it from bouncing up and down. I breathe deeply, nodding my head. "Fine, what does the note say?"

He passes the note to me. I gulp and take the note in my trembling hand.

The words send a terrifying chill down my spine. 'Don't you want to know how your mother really died? Who killed her?' 

~~~

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