Aanya woke up wrapped in warmth — and him.
Riaan's arms were around her, chest pressed to her back, breath slow against her neck. For the first time, he wasn't running. He wasn't hiding behind suits, silence, or guilt.
He was just there. Still. Bare. Human.
She turned slowly in his arms.
His eyes opened instantly — trained, alert — but when he saw her, they softened.
She offered a small smile.He didn't say anything.
But his fingers brushed a strand of hair from her face.And somehow, that meant more than any apology.
"I should go," she whispered.
He shook his head.
"Stay," he said. Just one word. Raw. Unpolished.
She hesitated. "You're not scared what they'll say? The office. The board. Sanya?"
He exhaled. "Let them talk. I'm done living like I owe anyone an explanation for how I feel."
"How you feel?" she echoed, surprised.
He sat up, the sheet slipping down his back. Muscles taut, jaw clenched.
"I've never wanted anyone the way I want you," he said. "But that scares the hell out of me."
Aanya swallowed.
"I don't want to be your weakness," she said quietly.
"You're not," he replied, gaze fierce. "You're the only thing keeping me from falling apart."
She looked at him. Really looked.
The powerful CEO everyone feared…
Looked like a man terrified of love.
And maybe, just maybe… she was too.
But when he kissed her again — this time soft, lingering, without fire but full of feeling —She realized something.
They weren't just burning anymore.
They were starting to heal.