Free You Can't Fight a Royal Attraction by Ruchi Vasudeva

that was silk and sweetness combined. Lushnessof anticipation mixed with the heady potency of his sensual exploration. Honey and warmth gave way to a fiery stimulation of senses that made her body strain against his. The world was blocked out as all her senses concentrated only on the intent of giving in to this. This onslaught of pleasure that flooded her veins and flowed through every cell of her body.
    She desired him, she acknowledged as her fingers curled into the solid muscle of his shoulders, her body seeking to reduce even more the distance between them. Yes. She closed her eyes and gave in as he deepened the kiss. With the acknowledgement came exultation that she was free. Free to feel. To indulge and revel in the exploration of capable hands roving her body, drawing her still closer against him. Free from the past that had frozen every feeling.
    They broke for air then he possessed her mouth again and sensation trembled through her. Never had it been so powerful, so encompassing. She moaned as need intensified.
    This was wrong.
    Wrong.
Reason set up a clamour. It might have been a gong sounding out, resounding in a brain incapable of listening to good sense.
    She drew back. The shock she felt was visible on his face. Shock and disbelief. Somehow it hurt her more than anything he could have said. So he couldn’t believe he had kissed her.
    Kissed
seemed to be an understatement.
    Her phone music was playing a popular Bollywood Punjabi number. The kitchen tap was still running.
    ‘Oh God.’ He went over to close the tap. Mortification swept over her.
    ‘Please… don’t apologise.’ She couldn’t bear that. His shocked reaction told her all she needed to know about histhoughts regarding their kiss. She had challenged him and he had responded in a testosterone-fuelled reaction. She’d be a fool to read more into this. Fool to think it had been anywhere as mind-blowing for him as it had been for her.
    ‘You needn’t apologise,’ she reiterated.
    ‘I wasn’t going to. Why should I apologise anyway?’ He stood, feet apart, a distinctly masculine stance that rubbed her already vulnerable senses the wrong way.
    ‘It was just a kiss,’ she said desperately. Was that reassurance for him? Or for herself?
    ‘Did I say it broke the meteorite boom record?’ he said moodily. Nastily.
    ‘It wasn’t bad, so don’t pretend it was.’ She bristled.
    ‘Don’t push me any more, Saira,’ he warned. ‘Already this has gone far enough. We need to keep things in balance.’
    ‘Oh, right.’ She watched, fascinated, as his jaw clamped tight and a muscle bulged at the angle of it. Her tone had been less than conciliatory. His obvious effort to keep control made her feel ashamed. However tempted she was, she probably shouldn’t bug him. What if it came to his asking her how it had felt?
    As though he wouldn’t know already, the way she’d all but thrown herself on him.
    ‘I’ll finish up the cooking. You go write your story then,’ she said.
    His stance became even more aggressive. He hooked his thumbs in his belt. ‘If you think I’m going to take that run away option and act like I’m trying to save face, you can think again. It may not have been very wise but I didn’t do anything to be ashamed of.’ His jaw practically thrust out at her, set stubbornly.
    Stupid jerk. All she needed was some time to clear her head. She gave him a frustrated look. ‘Right. Then stayhere, add the rice and stir and switch off the fire after five minutes. I’m going to change for dinner.’
    She scooted out. Keeping her chin up so he wouldn’t guess she was really scrambling to get away. He could look as scowl-y as he wished. She needed to clear her head-space. He had effortlessly wrangled his way into it and she had to push him back out.
    She felt like crawling into a cave and hiding. Of course she wouldn’t hide. Physical need had made her digress a little. Surely she could take it in her stride?
    But she only had to