Chapter 1

## Proofread Version

Tossing and turning.

Rolling from left to right.

Groaning and moaning,

Dripping with sweat!

Finally, she kicked off her blanket and sat up in bed with a groan. Her skimpy, sheer nightwear—best suited for summer—was now sticking like a second skin to her naturally fair body. Her pillow, as well as her bedsheet, felt damp from the sheer volume of salty droplets her body was precipitating.

She stared at the clock on her side table while tying her jet-black, clammy hair into a messy bun. It struck 2:30 AM. She had a distinct memory of sleeping peacefully with a perfectly comfortable room temperature, so what was the reason for this sudden heat?

Suddenly, her big, almond-like eyes popped wide, her green marbles filled with horror.

Is she a werewolf?

Is she going to shift right now?

Oh yes! Tonight is a full moon.

Well, isn't 21 too old for werewolves to shift for the first time?

Or maybe she is a weak wolf who can't shift!

Or possibly, she is in heat right now!

"No! No! No! I can't be a wolf! How will I tell everyone?" She jumped from her bed, freaking out and pacing to and fro.

But she stopped abruptly when her eyes fell on the AC in her room. She narrowed her eyes to make sure she wasn't imagining things. The green in her eyes sparked, and her heart-shaped lips stretched into a wide grin, flashing a beautiful dimple. Her AC was off!

"Isliye maa kehti hai novels padhna kam karde Beenish!" she chided, mumbling to herself. "**Kya kya veham paalne lagi hai aaj kal?**" She slapped her forehead, scowling.

*(That's why mum says to stop reading so many novels, Beenish! What kind of delusions have you started harboring these days?)*

She sighed, shaking her head, before grabbing the remote from her side table and pushing the power button to turn it on. She stood there with one hand on her curvaceous waist, waiting patiently for the AC to beep and the louvers to slide open.

She frowned, staring at the AC when there was no response. She slapped the remote against her palm before pushing the button again, wishing for that typical Indian mechanism to work—where slapping an appliance magically repairs it.

"**Indian bacchon ki tarah ab tujhpe bhi maar ka asar nahi hota kya?**" She pursed her lips in displeasure, glared at the remote, and threw it away in frustration. "Beghairat na ho toh!" She glared at the poor remote once more.

*(Don't beatings work on you anymore either, just like Indian kids? So shameless!)*

She sat there pondering what to do because her AC wouldn't be working until morning. She needed to sleep; tomorrow was Sunday. It was the only day of the week when she could rest peacefully, or else her demanding job always kept her on edge.

She couldn't go to her mother's room. Lubna, her younger sister, and Ayan, her 11-year-old brother, slept there with her mother.

Asma and Reshma, the devil twin cousins, slept together and were far too possessive to share their space, even if someone were dying.

Sarah, her sister-in-law, was the only option left. But unfortunately, tonight she was out of the question because she was sharing her room with her maternal cousin, Malaika. Malaika was Sarah's Mamu's daughter, who was a guest here for a few days—hopefully.

Or maybe not!

She still had one more option.

*Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock!*

"**Kise maut aa gayi is waqt?**"

*(Who is dying at this time of the night?)*

The door to the room pulled open roughly, followed by a thickly masculine and angry growl. The pitch wasn't too loud or too low; it was just perfect enough to turn a woman into a hazed mess.

Beenish palmed her fragile, racing heart and gulped audibly. He was shirtless! She started counting, eyeing him greedily and mumbling to herself. *1... 2... 3... 4... 5... 6... 7... 8...* Total: eight packs!

She was completely unaware that the man on the other side was doing the exact same thing to her. He stared at her in utter disbelief. He gulped, witnessing the always-innocent Beenish in the skimpiest piece of clothing he had ever seen on her; it left **little to the imagination**.

That scandalous piece of satin carved the beautiful pair of her fuller mounds, taut and standing at attention. The low-hanging neckline of the top teased a breathtaking amount of cleavage. The incredibly short shorts hung low on the curve of her waist, leaving her never-ending legs completely exposed. The deep red color of the satin against her fair skin, combined with the glistening beads of sweat, looked ravishing. She looked like a siren standing at his doorstep, begging him to commit a sin.

The only thing keeping him sane was the long satin robe she was wearing. He inhaled a deep breath to cool down the sudden heat of desire roaring inside him. He cleared his throat before fixing his onyx eyes—filled with hidden hunger—strictly onto her face, making sure not to look even an inch below her jawline.

"What are you doing here? And what kind of clothes are you wearing?" he asked sternly, looking right into the pools of her beautiful green eyes.

He mentally groaned. He was caught between a rock and a hard place—a literal situation of *kuan aur khai* (a well and a cliff). If he avoided her body, her hypnotizing eyes trapped him; if he moved his eyes a little lower, her tempting lips beckoned. Right now, her eyes were his only safe option. There was something truly dangerous about her: a intoxicating combination of purity and desire.

*Uski hari aankhein ghane jungle si thi,*

*Jahan bhatka koi toh phir wapas na aaya.*

*(Her green eyes were like a dense jungle; anyone who lost their way there never returned.)*

She absently stared at his rough, tempting lips that held the promise of countless sleepless nights of passion, craving to taste the heaven she had to offer.

"Bini!" She was snapped out of her trance by his harsh yell. She gulped, wiping the sweat from her forehead, trying to ignore the swirling desire pooling below her stomach.

**Oof!** Too much sexual tension! She mentally fanned herself to cool down before standing confidently.

"My AC isn't working!" she replied arrogantly, looking away from his sinful face. "And this is my summer nightwear!" she snapped. "**Mujhe bohot garmi lagti hai...**" she answered nonchalantly before crossing her arms over her chest. A loud, warning growl rumbled from his chest in response, and she immediately dropped her hands back down, looking momentarily embarrassed.

*(I feel very hot!)*

"**Toh tum aise huliye mein kisi ke bhi kamre mein chali jaogi aadhi raat ko?**" He was furious. His tone was angry but maintained a harsh whisper so as not to wake up the rest of the house. "And do I look like a mechanic to you?" He raised his brows in question, pointing to himself arrogantly.

*(So you will just walk into anyone's room looking like this in the middle of the night?)*

She eyed him up and down, checking him out shamelessly. Indeed, he looked like a freaking cover model. It would be a crime to call such a hot specimen a mechanic.

"Bini!" She was snapped out of her thoughts again.

"Oh... oh, yeah... yeah..." She cleared her throat.

"Well, for your kind information, **yeh kisi ka nahi... mere shohar ka kamra hai!**" she told him confidently, putting heavy emphasis on *shohar* (husband) and *kisi ka* (anyone's).

*(This isn't just anyone's room... it's my husband's room!)*

"And I am sleeping here tonight!" She walked inside with her head held high, acting as if she owned the place, leaving him completely dumbstruck at the threshold.

"No, you can't!" he immediately protested, following her inside. But she had already laid down on the bed, ignoring him completely while plumping and fixing the pillow under her head.

"I told you, my AC isn't working!" she protested, yelling back when he grabbed her arms to drag her out of bed.

"I don't fucking care! Go find someone else's room to crash in!" he stubbornly retorted, refusing to give in.

He could not let this temptress sleep on his bed and risk his resolve breaking. He convinced himself he hated her, and he wanted to keep it that way. He wouldn't let his temporary lust ruin his control.

"Where do you want me to go, Zaman?" she asked exasperatedly.

*Oh, why is everything so incredibly sexy about this woman?* His brain started flooding with images of them together that would put even Himeros to shame, all triggered just by hearing his name roll off her sultry voice.

"I don't know, but not here!" he answered, turning his back to her to block out the image. Tonight, he was definitely going to need an ice-cold shower.

"Well, all the ladies are sharing their rooms with one person or another. If you want me to sleep in Kaif's or Hamza's room tonight, just say the word," she mocked sarcastically, intentionally ruffling his feathers.

He flew into a rage; a fire of raw possession danced in his dark eyes. He wouldn't even tolerate her standing near Kaif or Hamza at this time of night, and here she was talking about sleeping in their rooms.

He rubbed the pulsing nerve on his forehead to rein in his temper, finally deciding to give in because he truly had no other choice.

"On one condition..." he conceded defeat.

"What?"

"You need to change into something more appropriate," he declared, pointing a strict finger at her nightwear.

"Why?" She frowned, looking down at herself. "What's the problem with it?" she asked innocently, entirely unaware of the chaos she was causing in his cold heart.

"I seriously don't understand you..." he gasped in disbelief, while Beenish scowled back at him. "**Pehle toh mujhe dekhte hi apne sir par dupatta le liya karti thi... aur ab...**" He narrowed his eyes at her in annoyance, reminding her of her past behavior.

*(Before this, you used to cover your head with a dupatta the moment you saw me... and now...)*

"**Haan, par tab humara nikaah nahi hua tha na...**" she replied, glaring right back at him.

*(Yes, but back then our Nikkah hadn't happened yet...)*

She had changed a lot. She had never been this bold in front of him before. She used to never even raise her voice around him, constantly behaving shyly and nervously. But that was the story before their Nikkah. Now, things were different.

"**Toh nikaah hone ke baad aisa kya badal gaya?**" he questioned sarcastically.

*(So what exactly changed after the Nikkah?)*

"Offo!" She rolled her eyes at his density—and to think people called him an intelligent businessman! "**Tab aap humare cousin they aur ab shohar hain...**" She gestured animatedly with her hands. "**Dupatta rakhne na rakhne ka kya fayda jab aapne ek din sab kuch dekh hi lena hai...**" she clicked her tongue, defeatedly mumbling the last part to herself.

*(Then you were just my cousin, and now you are my husband... What's the point of keeping a dupatta when you are going to see everything one day anyway...)*

He heard her loud and clear. Whatever filter she lacked left him completely speechless and frozen. His jaw nearly hit the floor, his eyes wide with shock.

"**Bas... bas... bas... isi... isi liye...** I... I don't want you here," he fumbled, gritting his teeth as he leaned his tall frame closer to her. She started backing away in slight fear, sensing the dark intensity in his eyes.

*(Enough... that is exactly why...)*

"**Yeh... yeh jo tumhari zabaan hai na...** kiske saamne kya bolna chahiye, kuch nahi pata." He was thoroughly pissed off. She had no idea that her unedited words could unleash the merciless beast he was having such a hard time taming since she stepped inside.

*(This... this tongue of yours... you have absolutely no filter on what to say in front of whom.)*

Innocent green met desirous black, locking together instantly. Coming this close to her—just an inch away—stirred something entirely uncontrollable inside him. The sweet, citrusy scent of her skin clogged his brain cells, completely engulfing his senses.

She was just as paralyzed as he was, feeling the raw heat radiating from his bare chest. His scent awakened a sleeping passion deep inside her. She leaned a fraction closer to the edge, desperately rubbing her delicate, tiny palms against his bare shoulders. Her lips parted slightly, her breath hitching as his rough thumb brushed against her soft lips.

With a sudden movement, he pulled her tightly against his waist before sitting back on the bed. She gasped as she suddenly found herself straddling him, her slim arms instinctively wrapping around his neck for balance.

"Bini..." he whispered hoarsely.

"Zaman..." she breathed it out like a prayer.

"If you don't watch your unapologetic mouth around me..." He roughly pressed his thumb against her lips and clenched her waist firmly. "...then you won't walk out of this room like the Virgin Mary you are. You'll be wobbling on your feet for days." The warning was loud, clear, and dripping with his deep, sultry voice. His fingers trailed a lazy path from her lips down to the swell of her breasts. "And I swear, it won't be out of love. It will be pure lust and hunger." He flipped down her robe, exposing her sharp collarbones.

She shivered in pleasure like a leaf in autumn, panting heavily, craving his touch in the most intimate ways.

"As long as you promise a little love, I will welcome all the lust and hunger with open arms," she confessed heavily, blinking her eyelashes in a hazed daze. His muscular frame felt massive and warm against her tiny one, bringing with it an overwhelming feeling of home.

"Bini! Don't tempt me!" he warned, his voice a low growl.

"Why?" she asked, her hands ruffling through his hair, making him let out a low groan of pleasure. "It's a fair deal. You give me your heart and a place in this room, and I will offer you the world." Her eyes shone brightly.

"Aah!" she yelped gently when he suddenly nipped at the skin of her nape to silence her.

"**Chup kar ke so jao ab...**" he groaned.

*(Be quiet and sleep now...)*

Finally, they both fell asleep in each other's arms—him hovering protectively over her, and her not complaining in the slightest.

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