Accidentally Engaged(49)
That look on his face. He thought he’d screwed up again. But he hadn’t. This ring was…it was lovely. The first thing Reena needed to do was to wipe that look off his face. She let a small smile reassure him. “It’s a beautiful ring.”
But inside, her mind was spinning faster than a food processor blade. An un-gagement ring? Who ever heard of such a thing?
Only Nadim. The man who’d made her laugh, both intentionally and unintentionally every time the walls closed in on her since the day they’d met. Who shared gin gimlets in her local dive bar when she lost her job. Who rubbed her feet after several hours under bright lights for a cooking contest she wanted to enter. And now, when faced with the terrifying prospect of facing this lonely life alone again, he bought her a fake ring to prove his real feelings.
It couldn’t be more perfect. Reena didn’t want to hide the truth anymore—she was coping and surviving thanks to this man.
Fuck it. Salvaging the friendship was one thing, but this ring, this remarkable, extraordinary symbol, didn’t mean commitment, family, tradition, or forever, but only meant he cared for her. Just her. Whatever this thing between them was, it was as real as this diamond was fake, and maybe it was time for Reena to trust the feelings that were threatening to consume her whole.
Reena grinned widely and pushed his shoulders down. He fell back on the living room floor with an umph, legs stretched out in front of him. He still held the ring.
Chuckling, she lowered herself on his lap, straddling his firm thighs. She leaned in to kiss him softly on the neck before presenting her left hand to him. “You’re so weird,” she said, “but yes, I’ll accept your un-gagement ring.”
His eyes widened with her kiss, but he quickly laughed as he put the ring on her finger and tossed the box behind him. A warm smile on his face, he rested his hands on her hips. “It’s a perfect fit. And you’re weird, too,” he said.
“Is that all you can say about me? Competent, generous, and weird?”
“Hey.” He laughed, pulling her a little closer by the hips. “I love competence. I could watch you knead bread all day. But”—he leaned over and spoke into her neck—“I missed some other descriptors. You’re sexy. You always smell fantastic, and you have the most amazing curly hair I’ve ever seen. You’re so cute when you’re thinking hard and you bite your lip and I just want to pull it out with my teeth. And don’t even get me started on your feet. I’ll never understand how anyone could think you’re unmemorable.”
Reena blushed. For a split second, her traitorous insecurities wondered if he only said these things to please her father. But when he lifted his head and she saw the sincerity in those intense eyes, she trusted him. She trusted this. She looped her arms behind his neck and steadied herself. “Shut up, Nadim,” she said, before lowering her lips to his.
This kiss wasn’t like their last one. It felt more like a question—an intentional action instead of getting caught in a moment. Because though she had enough confidence to kiss him, her self-doubt prevented her from showing him exactly how much she wanted him.
He apparently had no such reservations. He growled from deep in his throat before lifting his knees to slide her even closer, eliminating all space between them. His hands trailed up from her hips to her waist as his most rakish smile yet transformed his face.
“You kissed me,” he said.
“I did.” She smiled.
His arms raised, one to the small of her back and the other behind her neck as he leaned in closely, but didn’t touch. He just stared for a few moments as the air around them seemed to crackle with electricity. She bit her lip.
“So, it’s open season? I can kiss you, too?” he asked.
She nodded.
Slowly, he lifted his hand to her mouth and pulled her lip out from between her teeth. “I didn’t think you wanted this. It’s not why I bought you the ring,” he whispered, his hand lightly stroking her cheek. He breathed a sigh. “I bought it to apologize for thinking of you this way…This is complicated, yeah? And I really don’t want to mess it up, but…” He leaned in close again, his hands stroking the skin on the back of her neck. “I dreamed you wanted me. Tell me that you do.”
She did, but she preferred actions to words. “Kiss me.”
His smile widened seconds before his lips claimed hers. And this kiss was like the one on Monday—completely enveloping. She didn’t know why she’d waited—she should have come here and kissed him every night since that first kiss. Actually, they should have done this weeks ago. Intense and enthusiastic, he had one hand on the back of her neck and the other rested on her cheek as he all but devoured her whole. She wrapped her legs around his waist and finally ran her fingers over that velvety cropped hair. He moaned in appreciation.
Out of breath and needing some air, she pulled back and looked at him.
His lips were swollen and curved into a smile. Pupils dilated. Skin flushed. He leaned forward, chasing the connection she’d broken. She grinned.
“Fucking hell,” he murmured. “I should have promised to never make an honest woman out of you a long time ago. Are you sure, Ree?” He rested his head on hers.
She nodded, tilting her chin up to kiss him again.
“I haven’t been able to think straight all week,” he said, once they broke free again. “I want you. All of you, in every way. I want you in my home. I want you with me in my kitchen. I want you in my bed.” He let his hands fall back to her hips. “But I’m okay if you want to go slow here. Or stop altogether.”