Accidentally Engaged(50)
She considered it for about two seconds before she giggled. “I’ve already slept in your bed. You’ve searched for bugs in my hair. We’ve managed to have both an arranged and a fake engagement. Not to mention the things you did with my feet. I’m not sure slow is possible.” She leaned forward and nipped at his neck.
He laughed. Grinning, she finally took the opportunity to get her tongue into that dimple. She nibbled and licked her way back to his lips.
His hands tightened. “So, you’re saying…”
“Do you have condoms?”
His smile nearly split his face in two. “Yes.”
“Then take me to bed, Nadim.”
He beamed. “Gladly.” In one smooth movement, he grasped her bottom and stood, barely letting go of her lips as he walked her over to the pink four-poster bed.
It turned out that talent while making out on her couch or his living room floor easily predicted talent in a bed, too. Granted it had been a long time, but twelve boyfriends and a handful of casual hookups had left Reena feeling pretty confident at judging sexual prowess. She tended to categorize first times as either: wow, potential to become wow, awkward, or nope. For Nadim, she needed a new category. Something between wow and holy crap wow.
“Sweet mother of God…” he said, collapsing on top of her afterward, arms straining to keep his weight off her.
She laughed, pushing him off her. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“It was fully intended as one,” he said into his pillow.
“I’ll be back.” She hopped out of bed to use his bathroom because she wanted a UTI like she wanted a nuclear winter. While in the bathroom, she looked at her face in the mirror.
Hair a mess. Neck reddened with friction irritation. And a goofy smile plastered on her face. Not a trace of regret.
He got up after she returned, presumably to clean up and dispose of the condom, before they settled back in his bed.
She smiled, nuzzling her cheek in his satiny sheets. “You have excellent sheets, by the way.”
“They’re Egyptian cotton. Is that why you wanted to sleep with me?”
She giggled. “Maybe. I’ve always had a soft spot for Egypt. I want to see the Pyramids one day.”
“They’re on my bucket list, too.”
“What else is on your bucket list?” she asked.
“Would you call me weird if I said it was to eat fresh bread in bed?”
She laughed as she shifted to rest her head on his chest. Mmm…nicer than the sheets. She rubbed her cheek against him.
He chuckled before checking the time. “Ha! It’s not even five. Going to have to kick you out soon. I’m making dinner for this chick I’m really into.”
She grinned. “Oh really? What are you making her?”
“It needs to be spectacular to impress her—she’s a fantastic cook. I’m doing shrimp and scallop linguine with a white wine sauce.”
Reena twisted onto her side and ran her hand down his side, resting it on his solid hip bone.
“I’m sure she’ll be impressed. And I’m sure she’ll be willing to help you cook, if it means we can spend more time in bed together.”
He laughed out loud and pinched her bottom. “Have I mentioned you have a rather amazing ass?”
She laughed harder as he grasped her hips and pulled her on top of him, kissing her soundly. She took that to mean they weren’t going to get out of bed quite yet.
Later, Reena was resting her head on his chest again, her hand drifting across one of his hip bones to the other. It still felt unreal that this was happening, that she had access to touch the body she’d been admiring for weeks. “Can I ask you something? Actually, two things.”
“Of course.”
“Your stomach…” Her hands skimmed over his belly. “You have those big arms but no…six-pack. And…don’t take this badly but…do you even lift anymore?”
He laughed at her bro-dude impression. “Nah, not much. Not at all, really. And you keep feeding me bread…You mind if I lose the biceps?”
She readjusted herself so her head rested on his arm instead of on his chest. “Nope. Not at all.” She knew better than to ever say it out loud, but she didn’t care one bit if he was squishy or built like a tank. Both had their benefits. And right now, during after-sex snuggles, a layer of squish covering the hard muscles would be welcome.
“Okay. Second question. You keep saying that I’m not what you expected. What exactly did your father tell you about me?”
“Well, he said you were good. Not that you’re not good”—he squeezed her—“but you know what I mean. Wholesome. They told me you worked in finance and were still single because you’d been focusing on your career. I thought you were a devoted daughter who lived with your parents. That’s why I was shocked to see you across the hall.”
“You didn’t know what I looked like?”
“I did see a picture in your dad’s office. But it didn’t really look like you. You were wearing this purple salwar kameez and standing with your parents. And your hair was straight. I could tell you were cute, but—”
“I know that picture. From my brother’s wedding. Mum’s makeup artist totally overdid it.” She chuckled, remembering the ridiculous high heels she’d been forced to wear. No wonder he didn’t recognize her. She’d felt like an illusion that day. In fact, the whole day had been a charade. Despite Khizar and Nafissa being so madly in love, both their parents’ interference on the wedding day ruined any chance of them enjoying any of it. Mum even hired that makeup artist, despite Nafissa being a makeup artist and wanting to hire one of her friends. Reena decided then not to have the big Indian wedding her parents would insist on, and to never even consider one of the arranged introductions they forced on her.