Chapter 16

I told Roy everything, from the very first meeting at Sam's party to the day he felt deceived and that he didn't get the "love" he deserved. When I finished, he slumped on the floor, covering his mouth.

"It was all because I kept giving you five stars. God, what a fool I am!" He apologized.

He opened his mouth again to speak, but the door opened and the waiter froze upon seeing us on the floor with glasses shattered and spilled champagne. We got up hastily and almost bumped into each other.

"Oh my god, are you two okay?" He asked, approaching.

"Yes, yes, we are fine. Just get us the bill." Roy said.

"No, wait, can you give us some more time?" I asked the waiter, who looked at Roy for confirmation. Confused, he nodded, and the waiter went away.

"You haven't eaten yet." I said.

"Scarlet, I am in no mood—" he began.

"Sh."

He held my hand when we returned back.

We reached Roy's room and found Rosa standing outside with Singh.

"Where were you two?" She demanded.

"Didn't Singh tell you?" Roy asked, looking at Singh. He opened his mouth to speak, but Rosa interrupted.

"He did. But all he said was you are going out. Where? Till when? Nothing! I even called you Scarlet, but you left your cell in the room."

"You didn't kick his ass for more information?" I teased.

"Yes, I did! But the guy genuinely knew nothing about your whereabouts." She shrugged, and we watched Singh wipe the sweat off his head.

We returned to our rooms.

"Did you know Roy worked at Garnet Ebony? The dress company, which is way out of our league!" I exclaimed.

"Sweety, he doesn't work in Garnet Ebony. He owns Garnet Ebony." Rosa replied.

"What seriously?" I couldn't believe my ears.

"You are wearing Garnet Ebony right now." She said, motioning to my dress. "Do you seriously think the amount he has spent on you can be afforded by some employee? He also owns Red Page publication."

"Oh my god! Isn't that third from top?"

"Yes. And recently he bought Gupta publications to merge it with Red Page." She finished.

"Wow, you know a lot about him." I commented.

"And you just went on a date with him." She replied softly.

Guilt engulfed my heart.

"Rosa, I—" I didn't know what to say.

"I thought we had this rule. Not hitting on your sister's crush."

"Rosa, I am sorry. I seriously didn't know he means that much to you." I apologized.

"Yeah right!" She snapped sitting on the bed.

"And seriously you have a crush on him? After he asked you to be his sex buddy and use you like a toy whenever he wanted to?" I asked unbelievably.

"Yeah, Scarlet, I do have a crush on him after what he asked, and I can't help it. And you can't either clearly." She said getting up.

"But I am sorry to break this to you, Rosa, but he is not that interested anymore. In you….in that deal." I apologized.

She looked at me as if I just betrayed her, which I think I sort of did.

She stormed out and asked Singh to get her things into her room since it seemed to her that I was more than okay. And I let her go because I knew Rosa was being Rosa and getting her to stay here would only make things worse.

*****

The next day, Roy informed us that we were going out sight-seeing. We never went out of Mumbai, and being in Delhi, gave us great hopes of tourism.

First, we went to the symbol of love, the pride of India, the Taj Mahal. Rosa made sure she talked to me as little as she could, and I caught Singh more than thrice gazing at Rosa. Well, I don't blame him.

I gasped when I stood in front of the white building, which seemed to be radiating peace and love. I had seen the Taj Mahal in pictures hundreds of times, but nothing could compare to the real thing. The crimson, orange, and lemon hues of the setting sun behind the Taj made the entire scene worth capturing.

Two gardens to either side of the monument were filled with the sweet and pungent smell of grass and flowers. Among the two, laid a waterfront guarded by trees. And beyond it laid the epitome of beauty. There are mosques on either side of the monument. The Taj has engraved with scripture Quran.

Roy approached me from behind and held my hand. I looked around for Rosa, who was happily talking to Singh and the tour guide away from us. Relaxing, I rested my head on his shoulder.

"So Mr. Rusty Scar, any words for this beauty?" I asked, nodding towards the Taj.

"A white beauty with scars

And the sky and its hues a Cape,

I wonder why it's called an epitome of love,

And not a piece of paradise,

That God himself created."

He finished, and his eyes seemed lost in the thought. Then he looked at me, and I tiptoed to kiss him.

An 'ahem ahem' by Rosa broke us from our beautiful reverie, and I looked at her red cheeks.

I swore under my breath.

Next, we went to the red fort, to appreciate its red stone and beautiful structure. But since everyone was starving, we left early.

*****

We returned home by 9, and my empty room suddenly haunted me. I felt something weird being alone, which I didn't feel the day before.

And then suddenly the lights went out.

My heart began throbbing against my chest, and I could see silhouettes of monsters that had come for me. Earlier they had ineffable haunting shapes and faces, but now they were in the shape of a human, with muscles, very much like Stamp Men. And standing among them, their king, Rover.

I shrieked at the top of my lungs, and the door flew open. I almost jumped at the sight of Singh's face lit with the torch.

"Don't worry, ma'am, the lights will be on soon." He mumbled as if from a distance. But those figures were still there, teasing me to the nerve with their creepy smiles and lip-licking. I couldn't take this anymore, they would attack me at any moment, and they were three against just me and Singh. We were outnumbered. I ran for the door and heard Singh call my name. But there wasn't time to stop and look for him. They'd be on us any minute.

I ran and ran straight into someone's arms, and the light came to life, reflecting Roy's worried face into my eyes. I hugged him, curling into the safest place I had known till now. I dug my head in his shoulders and cried, letting the momentary horrors of dark flow out through my eyes.

He hugged me back, tightly, the way I needed, and kept humming in my ears. "It's okay. It's okay. I am here. It's alright."

We stood in the middle of the lobby for a long time, and then Roy spoke again, making sure that my need for peace was fulfilled enough.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Yes, but there…" I started.

"You don't have to go to that room again. We can get you another room."

I shook my head.

"You can—" he hesitated a little. "You can go to Rosa's room. And if you don't wanna trouble her, you can come to mine."

"Thank you," I said with watery eyes.

We went to his room, and he straightened the crease-less mattress and helped me get in bed.

"You'll be sleeping with me, right?" I asked.

He smiled before replying. "Yes."

Then taking his slippers off, he too slithered in bed beside me, and resting his head on his hand, turned to look at me. For some strange reason, I couldn't make myself not look at him too.

He touched my cheek, and the space was almost unbearable, so I shifted closer to kiss him. He kissed me back.

And before we knew, he was on top of me, kissing me as if his life depended on it.

He grabbed my waist, and I wrapped my hands around me, pulling him as close as I could. I let my hands wander over his neck and his hair, and I pulled him close to me to eradicate every inch of air between us.

He then broke apart and looked me in the eye.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Never better." I replied, and our lips united as if they had been parched for a long time and only the other could moisten it up enough.

Then he slid his fingers inside my shirt and slowly lifted it up, grazing his fingers against every inch of my body. He kissed my throat and neck, feeling them with his tongue, and I couldn't help but moan.

I unbuttoned his shirt and got it off, and he did the same with my top. Now, all we had among us was my bra.

He kissed me on the collar bone, kissing his way to my shoulder, and pulled my bra strap down from his teeth. Then, very swiftly, he unhooked the bra and threw them away.

He then kissed me and went down to pull off my shorts. Getting rid of one more layer from between us, he kissed inside of my thigh, going all the way up to me, down there.

I moaned as the orgasm tickled my breasts and inside my panties. My body was filled with tension, and only his hands could incite such tension within me. Only his hands and tongue and lips and body could release it too.

I wanted him. I wanted him so much. I don't think I ever wanted anyone that much.

Hastily I unbuckled his belt and threw away his pants.

What started with a slow beautiful romance, was turning wild, and both of us were getting eager, now desperate, to unite, to touch the stars.

He kissed me again, but this time I pulled apart.

"I might not be good enough." I breathed closing my eyes.

"Open your eyes." He ordered and I followed. "All you have to do to please me is be mine." He said then trailed his finger down my midriff into my panties. I gasped.

He tickled my clitoris, and I grabbed his shoulders for support, digging my fingers deep into his skin.

"Look at me." He commanded, and I looked into his golden eyes. His eyes were on mine, steady, confident, and proud, and I decided I want him more.

Then he put one finger inside me, and I moaned louder, digging my fingers into him. My insides were exploding with orgasms, and I prayed that he would never stop.

Then he retreated his finger and put two of them inside, and I exploded.

"Look at me." He commanded again, and it was impossible to not keep my head back and get lost in this beautiful feeling.

With effort, I looked at him, still moaning, and saw his eyes spark with pleasure.

"I am yours. I am yours. I am forever yours." I begged in that sweet feeling, and he smiled before he kissed me. His fingers were still doing wonders inside my body, and… oh... oh... oh!

He then bent to kiss my breasts and taunted the nipple with his lips.

He was killing me, and I wanted to experience these deaths because they made me feel more alive than I ever felt in all these living years.

And then he ah! Bit one.

I smacked him on his bum, and he gave the sexiest smile ever.

"You are feisty." He said and kissing me, I felt him go inside me, and the world was lost to me, Scarlet was lost to me, and all I could think of or speak of was Roy... Roy...Roy.

"Come to me," he breathed. "Come to me, baby, come to me."

At first, he went steady, slow, filling the void, filling me with ecstasy, and then he got faster, harder, wilder.

He exhaled, and I moaned as his body moved. That melody had become my favorite, and I never wanted to stop listening, never wanted to stop moving my body as I did under him. I never wanted to stop calling his name.

And we spent all night loving. No part of our bodies left untouched, no curve left unkissed, no minute left without our hands on each other.

*****

Ahhh. Aaahhhhh. Aaahhhh.

I dropped to my side from above him when the sun's rays sliced my eyes.

"We have to leave today." He said.

"You should have said that before you got me weak to my knees," I mumbled, resting my head on his chest.

"We still have some time." He said, tracing his finger in circles on my shoulders.

"Good," I mumbled and dozed off to sleep.

*****

Later, we got dressed, and as we emerged from the room, Rosa looked at me with betrayal.

I avoided her gaze and walked away.

We sat in the car and tried to doze off again as I was already feeling exhausted.

"Miss Scarlet Gill, do check out the view, it's a worthy sight." Roy teased with a goofy smile, and I made a pretentious angry face before I turned away to hide my blush.

I hated this good thing that happened to me after what seemed like a decade, was hurting Rosa, and I wish I could find a way to be with Roy and not hurt her.

I'd be lying if I totally enjoyed everything. However ecstatic everything was, I still bore fear of betrayal and abandonment.

I guess I have to take my chances. And I was happy to take them with Roy.

Roy sat with me in the plane, Rosa a seat before and across from us, and Singh two seats before her.

"You getting bored?" Roy asked playfully.

"Not really," I replied.

The view down the window was quite amusing.

"Okay, else I thought we could play a game." He said by pulling his lips up at one side.

I frowned.

"What game?" I asked.

"It has two rules. One, you'll have to agree to play the game before knowing about it or learning the second rule." He whispered in my ear and then kissed my throat twice, deeply.

"I am on," I replied softly.

"Clever choice."

Yes, because I knew the game's going to be not just fun but extremely pleasurable.

He turned to check on Singh, who was lost in his thoughts, and Rosa, who had her earplugs on.

Then he got off his seat and knelt before me.

I was wearing a halter dress that ended on my knees.

Gracefully he lifted the skirt, smiled a sexy smile, and said softly, "You'll find out the second rule."

My eyes widened, and without warning, his hands were sliding up my thigh. I jumped and he grabbed them.

"Shh. Steady."

I felt my panties dropping and I clutched the armrest.

Then I watched his head go inside my skirt, and oh! I almost yelped when I covered my mouth and groaned.

His tongue was grazing my clitoris and his hands caressed my calf.

And then my insides were bursting with orgasms.

I dug myself into my seat, exposing more of my bottom to him, and flew in that sweet euphoria.

Then I opened my eyes a little and watched Rosa pull out the earplugs and turn.

I got straight and tried to look normal, despite Roy loving each part of my bottom, stabbing me with pleasure.

She looked at me and frowned. My chest was still rising and falling wildly.

"Are you okay?" She asked and I nodded.

"Where's Roy?" She asked and I felt Roy giggle down there.

"Um, he's..." between my legs? "He's in the washroom." My voice squeaked and he laughed again.

Then he bit the inside of my thigh and I jumped, clutching him.

"Oh my god, are you sure you're okay?" She asked, getting up.

"Yes, yes. I'm fine, I'm fine." I said and watched her collapse to her seat shrugging.

My heart relaxed a little, but everything else was in turmoil. Then he retreated with a naughty smile, wiping his mouth, and took his seat.

******

"You had sex with Roy, didn't you?" Rosa asked, coming to my room.

"Rosa I—" I began, but she cut me off.

"I can't believe you, Scarlet! Seriously?" She asked angrily.

But I was done feeling guilty for something that was not my fault entirely. Because I liked Roy too. And he didn't even want her anymore.

"Why? It's okay for you to go around having sex with guys and it's not okay for me?" I asked.

"You know that's not what I mean." She shrieked.

"Listen, I—"

"I don't wanna listen to anything. I just came here to inform you that I am leaving." Saying she stormed out of the room.

"Leaving to go where?" I followed her.

"Leaving to go away from you." She called back and left with a bag.

I never thought we would ever fight over a guy. And it seemed like Rosa had more than just a stupid crush on Roy, or else she never would have behaved that way.

Was I doing things, right?

I didn't wanna regret being with Roy.

And that night, he made sure I didn't. Thrice.

*****

The next day, the morning birds woke me and I got up grinning. This was one of the most beautiful mornings of my life.

I got up wearing Roy's t-shirt and walked out to look for him. I was halfway down the stairs when I heard a voice that froze me to the core.

I leaned on the banister to watch the people at the dining table.

There were three of them. Roy, a lady in her mid-fifties, who seemed like his mother, and him. Rover.

"It's been long since I sat with both of my boys." She cheered.