Fixation (Fatal Attraction #3)

Chapter 11

11

R estlessness buzzed inside Vedant. Even now, thinking of the events of last night and this morning made his chest constrict. Something new was unfurling within him, and he wanted to understand what it was. Unfortunately, the one person in whose presence he could decipher what this meant was deliberately absent. He kept looking at the wall clock, wondering what time she’d be coming to check on him. It was late afternoon now, and she had yet to make an appearance. He raked a hand through his hair. When was she going to come? Hadn’t she told him that she’d be taking off his cast today? Where was she then?

Seated in front of him, Dr. Laila Jones had tried her damn best to converse with him, but he hadn’t obliged. He never obliged her. She was too talkative and loud, while he preferred calm and quiet. Each time she was with him, he tried to sleep or read the paper, anything to avoid talking to her. If he were being honest, he didn’t quite like the way she studied him, like she was completely taken in by him. Her long stares, throaty laughs, and constant chatter grated on his nerves.

And today, of all days, his patience was at an all-time low. She wasn’t the one whose voice he wanted to hear. She wasn’t the one whose eyes he wanted to gaze into. She wasn’t the one whose defiant jaw and changing expressions he wanted to study. She wasn’t the one he was curious about.

Laila asked him another question, to which he once again replied in a monosyllable and focused on his newspaper instead. He preferred Stefan or Su Min over her. But most of all, he wanted Reina to return so he could affirm whether all that he had felt and experienced last night with her was real and not a figment of his overactive imagination.

The truth was that he hadn’t stopped thinking about her. Now he knew what she looked like minus her disguise. Now he knew that her hair was like the finest spun silk. So soft. So lush. It still amazed him that he had spent the whole night with his hand entangled in her hair. He had so many questions about Reina, the answers to which he could only get if she spent some time with him.

“Can I get you something?” Laila asked.

He lowered his newspaper, thinking.

“I believe you were on the team that operated on me, da ?”

Her eyes sparkled at his attempt to converse with her. She pulled her chair closer to him.

“Yes,” she replied, her eyes on him.

“I have no memory of that time. Can you tell me something about it? Were you there when I was brought in? Was Dr. Singh there?”

“I wasn’t. Reina was. What I heard is that you were losing a lot of blood and were going into cardiac arrest. Reina revived you. She was with you all throughout…”

Memories rushed through him.

“ Wait, he’s responding.”

“We can’t wait. We’re operating on him. Now.”

“I am not going to let him die, which he will if I don’t get him on a fucking operating table.”

“I know, but I’m choosing to save him instead.”

“He’s going to live. I’ll ensure it.”

It was her. That’s why her voice had always seemed familiar. He suddenly remembered capturing a wrist—surely her wrist—in that moment when hope had flickered in his chest. No wonder her touch was special. Her touch had given him hope then, and now it felt like the beginning of something explosive. A pressure built in his chest. He couldn’t explain what it was.

He tuned into what Laila was saying. “…she took you in for surgery despite…”

She slapped a palm on her mouth.

“Despite?” he queried.

“I’m not sure if I’m allowed to talk about it,” Laila said.

“About what?” Now, he really wanted to know what she was keeping silent about. He pocketed his glasses before gentling his tone. “Please tell me.”

She studied him for a long moment, her gaze raking over his face, going down his body and then up again. Her appraisal always made him uncomfortable. But he bore it, ensuring his expression remained unchanged.

“I’m waiting, doctor,” he finally said.

“I suppose there’s no harm. Who will you even repeat it to?” she sighed. “Reina was moved to the ER as a sort of punishment. There is a rumour in the hospital that she had a fallout with our senior most surgeon, Dr. Williams, and he ordered Reina to not step into the operation theatre, else she’d face dire consequences.”

His eyes rounded. “She disobeyed her senior to save me?”

“Yes.”

“And what would have happened to her if you all weren’t brought here?”

“She would have lost her job. Dr. Williams doesn’t like to be disobeyed. He probably wouldn’t even have given her a recommendation letter.”

His heart skipped. Fuck. She had saved his life at the cost to her own career. She truly was an angel.

Seeing her work with him for the last several days, he found Reina to be efficient and committed. To think that she had deliberately tossed her own career aside to save a person she had never known before was… it was admirable. His respect for her multiplied. The pressure in his chest coiled tighter.

He looked at Laila. “Do you know why Reina had a fallout with her senior?”

Laila shrugged. “I don’t, nor have I asked. You see, prior to being stuck here together, all of us weren’t really friends, more like acquaintances. Although Su Min may know the reason because Reina and she are sort of close. All I’ve heard is that Reina is very dedicated to her work. It’s her whole life. While the rest of us are also committed, we do go out and enjoy ourselves when we can. But Reina never joins us. She’s an introvert. She doesn’t talk much about herself, and hence, most of us don’t know her beyond the hospital walls. So, I don’t know what exactly happened between her and Dr. Williams.”

There was a knock on the door. His heart raced but then slowed the second he realised it wasn’t her but Tyrion.

“Hello, Sir,” Tyrion spoke in Russian. “Hope you’re feeling better this morning.”

“I am, thank you,” he replied in Russian as well.

“I have something for you, Sir.” Tyrion handed him his cell phone and iPad. “I spoke to Dr. Singh if it was okay for you to slowly get back in charge and she agreed.”

Vedant cracked a grin. “How did you manage to convince her?”

“To be honest, there are tons of decisions to be taken regarding the security of this house, and while your brothers have taken it upon themselves to look into everything, it would be easier for the team here if we didn’t have to wait on their approval for every little thing. The time difference also slows everything down. She agreed with me.”

Vedant quickly entered his passcode and unlocked his phone. There were hundreds of unread messages and emails. He’d need days to sift through everything. But at least he could begin returning to normal life now.

He addressed Tyrion. “What do I ought to know first?”

Tyrion handed him the iPad, on which there was a prioritised list of items regarding the security. He took him through the new protocols Mihir had put in place regarding the incoming and outgoing of vehicles from the house. Tyrion spoke to him about the various open-ended decisions, and Vedant told him how and what to do.

Finally, an hour later, Tyrion took the iPad back. “One more thing, Sir. Ms. Svensson called yesterday asking for you.”

He frowned. Why was Anita calling so much? They had met while discussing the new oil pipeline deal and had gone out on a couple of dates, during which they had discussed work for most of the time. She was intelligent and attractive and had made her intentions clear. She wanted a few no-string nights with him and he’d taken up on her offer. That’s all it had been—two adults consenting to a good time.

Now that he’d been out of action and out of touch for so long, perhaps, she wanted to discuss something regarding the deal with him. Had he missed something there? No, he couldn’t think of anything. Besides, Armaan had mentioned they had closed this out. What could she want now?

He dialled her number from his phone, but there was no response. “Thanks, Tyrion. I’ll look into it. Please come to me in case you need anything.”

Tyrion lowered his head and left. The door opened and Stefan entered.

“Good afternoon, Sir,” Stefan greeted him before addressing Laila. “I’ve come to relieve you.”

Laila stood. “Why? My shift has just begun.”

“Reina said she’ll be here soon. I need to help her with something and there’s no point in all of us being here. You can rest for an hour or so. I’ll come get you when we’re done.”

“Oh, but I can help too,” Laila insisted.

“Doctor,” Vedant called out. “Please take a break. You deserve it more than anyone since you’ve been constantly by my side each time I’ve woken up.”

She beamed and left.

Excitement surged through him. Reina was coming, finally. After hearing how selflessly she’d saved him, he felt even more drawn to her. He now had an insight into the kind of woman Reina Singh was, and he had to admit that he liked her even more. He couldn’t wait to see her again.

Stefan checked his charts once and then said, “If you don’t mind, Sir, Reina has asked me to take off your cast.”

His excitement dimmed. “I thought Dr. Singh said she’s going to remove it herself.”

“She’ll be here in a few minutes,” Stefan said. “I’ll just cut through it and clean your wound until then.”

Stefan worked on him quickly. Once he was done, Vedant could stretch his leg fully, finally free of the restriction. But there were twinges of pain in his leg as he tried to move it. He looked at his thigh. A long scar ran from the side of his thigh down to his knee. It felt stiff and hard.

The door opened and Reina walked in. Their eyes met in the distance and she paused. He gave her a tentative smile and her lips curved slightly. He studied her. The glasses and tight hairdo were back in place. He disliked it. He wanted to see the real her again.

Disinfecting her hands, she came straight to him to check his right leg. Stefan had rolled his cotton bottoms up his thigh. She studied his wound from afar for a moment. Her cool hands touched his knee, and a tremor went down his spine. He swallowed hard, unable to comprehend his reaction to her. How could such a simple touch affect him like that? It was unthinkable, yet it continued to happen as her hands skimmed over his leg.

She checked his wound properly. “It’s healing well.”

“Is it?”

“Yes,” she addressed Stefan. “I had requested Tyrion for some things. Please, can you bring them for me?”

With a smile, the younger man quickly exited the room.

Reina turned to Vedant. “How are you feeling?”

“Great, actually.”

“May I take a look at your chest?”

Nodding, he unbuttoned his shirt for her and slipped it down his shoulder. She rounded the bed and came to his other side. She studied the scar on his upper chest for a long moment. When her eyes once again roamed across his body, he was convinced that his doctor was indeed checking him out. Could it be that she too was attracted to him? How very interesting.

Emboldened by that knowledge, he plucked her glasses off her nose.

She gasped. “Why did you do that?”

“I prefer you without these.”

Eyes sparking in irritation, she held her hand out. “Give them to me.”

“No.” He tilted his head to study her face better. “ Tak krasivo. So beautiful. I suppose it will be too much to ask you to let down your hair and let me see you once again in all your stunning glory.”

Pink creeped up her cheeks. He liked knowing that he was affecting her so.

“You’re behaving very inappropriately,” she scolded.

“Nothing about our situation has been appropriate,” he said. “There’s something about you… and me.”

“There is nothing, and definitely no me and you ,” she stressed.

“Oh, deny it all you want,” he lowered his tone, “But I know you also feel something when we touch.”

“I do not feel anything.”

“Liar.”

She leaned forward to snatch her glasses from him. He shifted them to his other hand and held them further away.

She straightened and crossed her arms over her chest. “I want my glasses back, please.”

“So polite, so pretty,” he smiled. “You said you can see without them. I suppose you don’t need them then, da ?”

“Are you crazy? Mr. Oshnov, give me my glasses.”

“Alright,” he began, his eyes on her. “Take my name, and I’ll return them to you.”

Her eyes rounded. She clucked her tongue. “Mr. Oshnov?—”

“Vedant, my name is Vedant. Say it, Reina.”

Her lips parted and a rough exhale left her lips.

“It’s Dr. Singh,” she finally said. “I did not give you permission to use my name.”

“Still so stubborn.” He lifted his jaw. “Reina, take my name.”

She glared at him, and then she suddenly lunged for her specs. With a shriek, she fell, slipping and tumbling across his chest. He sucked in a harsh breath as sudden pain shot through his shoulder. Horror filled her eyes.

“Shit, I’m so sorry,” she whispered, leaning over him. She gently massaged his wounded shoulder and upper chest. Fire burned under his skin, taking away all hints of pain.

“Are you okay?” she asked, sounding worried.

He inhaled and her sharp scent washed over him, reminding him of how she was sprawled against him, her hands on his bare chest. She was so close now that he could see the lighter brown specs swirling in her dark eyes. More heat from her body filtered through to his, lighting him up, igniting a desperate need within him. His gaze fell on her mouth. His finger rose to trace the shape of her lips.

Her eyes met his, and a shiver rolled through her. He was delighted to know he wasn’t alone in this longing he felt. She too felt it. She too was attracted to him. She blinked as if coming to her senses and began to scramble away.

“ Nyet . Not so soon,” he whispered, wrapping an arm around her, pulling her closer. She stared at him, her lips parting as he continued to trace the outline of her mouth. His fingers moved to caress her soft cheek, which reddened further. How fascinating.

Swamped by a flood of want, he shifted her to his stronger arm, and then lowered his mouth to hers, slowly, giving her all the time she needed to stop him. When they were just a breath apart, he gazed into her eyes.

He opened his mouth to ask her one last time if this was what she truly wanted, but he never got the chance. She wound her hands around his neck and slammed her lips to his.

All his senses exploded as he allowed her to consume him. Her scent, her heat—all of it enveloped him as she pressed tiny kisses to his lips. Desire pulsed under his skin. His body hardened, and his heart began to roar in his chest to stake a claim and kiss her like he wanted to. But he allowed her to play with his mouth as she wanted. Allowed her to explore him at her will. She pushed into him, melting against him. She was soft where he was so hard. Perfect. She was perfect.

Reina tugged on his lower lip, and her tongue darted inside and licked the inner seam of his mouth, tasting him. That’s it, he couldn’t contain himself any more. His hand wrapped in her silky hair, and he laid siege to her mouth.

His lips parted hers, and he took control, kissing her like he’d been hungry for her. His tongue lashed against hers, commanding her to move to his demands, and she did. Her hands tightened around his neck, and she tilted her head, allowing him all the access he wanted.

Her tongue played with his, teasing, stroking, tasting, adding fuel to the fire that was already burning within him. Her delicious coffee and mint taste egged him on further. He kissed her mindlessly, getting lost in her. And it wasn’t enough. He wanted more, so much more.

His body had hardened to the point of pain. The urge to lay her bare and explore her fully was becoming rampant. As if attuned to his thoughts, her hands lowered down his skin, searching, tracing the contours of his shoulders, down over to the sharpness of his abs, and then back up the expanse of his chest, while her mouth continued to move under his. Need ravaged him. He wanted this woman like he’d never wanted another.

Muted laughter from somewhere outside his room brought him back to his senses. He stilled. Pressing a final kiss to her lips, he began to move away, but her lips followed, clinging to him. He kissed her again.

“Reina, we have to stop,” he said. “There’s someone outside the door.”

She blinked, and her eyes widened. She scrambled off from him.

“Oh. My. God,” Reina squeaked. “What was I thinking?”

“That you’re unable to resist me?” He straightened his shirt.

The red staining her cheeks deepened. She glared at him. “Be quiet.”

He chuckled. “It’s okay to admit you’re attracted to me.”

“I… that…” She exhaled. “That is not the case. That was a mistake. That never happened. That will never happen again and we are never talking about that again.”

He laughed. Here she was, all frazzled and agitated, while he felt like he’d never been better.

“This is not amusing,” she stormed.

His eyes ran over her, taking her in.

He pointed to her head. “You might want to fix your hair before Stefan returns.”

“Fuck.” She quickly untied her loosened hair and knotted it again.

“And your mouth…” He grinned. “Your lipstick has spread outside the corner of your lips.”

She began frantically dabbing at her mouth and then scowled. “I haven’t worn any lipstick.”

“I know,” he winked. “I was teasing you. You look cute all worked up.”

She shut her eyes and then opened them again, her expression severe. “I have crossed so many forbidden lines with you that I never should have. You will never do that again, you hear me.”

“Me? You were the one who kissed me.”

Her eyes flared, and she looked away in embarrassment. He caught her hand before she could move away. As usual, she tried to shrug it off. He held firm. “Stop overthinking. We are adults who are attracted to one another. Accept it, Reina.”

Her mouth tightened. “It’s Dr. Singh.”

There was a knock on his door. He released her hand, and she moved two steps away from him. Stefan entered with an ointment and a pair of crutches.

His mind went back to his injuries and disability. “I am not using those, ever.”

She frowned. “It’s only to help you, that too only if you need it.”

His throat choked with fear. His pulse spiked. Nyet . He didn’t need those crutches. He wasn’t an invalid.

“You are not an invalid,” she stressed.

Shit, he was once again speaking his thoughts aloud in her presence.

“Alright, the only way to do this is to check how well you can stand without support,” she said, her tone cool and detached.

“Don’t,” he said.

She raised a brow.

“Don’t behave distant, Reina,” he said quietly. “Not when I need you. I’m scared.”

Her face softened. She moved in front of him. Taking the remote, she lowered the bed and made it fully upright. She signalled Stefan who came to stand next to her.

“Take my hands,” she said. “Use them to stand.”

He stared at her hands, swamped with worry. What if he couldn’t stand again? What if he couldn’t be himself again? What if he actually became an invalid?

“You won’t know until you try,” she coerced gently. “Mr. Oshnov, take your time, but we are doing this right now.”

He took her hands, ignoring the familiar spark. Instead, he focused on moving his legs until they were dangling from the bed. He shifted further, letting his feet touch the ground. Gripping her hands tightly, he stood.

His head swam, and he fell forward. He shut his eyes. Stefan immediately caught his shoulder, straightening him.

“Give it a moment. You will be fine,” he heard her soft voice, “You’re standing after several days. It’s just a head rush.”

Gaining confidence from her assurance, he opened his eyes slowly. He stared at her beautiful face. She gave him an encouraging smile. Squeezing his hands, she backed a step. He followed. Pain shot through his leg. He winced but continued walking with her slowly despite the discomfort. Letting go of one hand of his, she turned and walked him back to the bed. God, how hard was it for him to even walk a few steps back to the bed!

“That’s enough for today,” she told him.

“You did well, Sir,” Stefan gave him a winning smile.

Vedant sat on the bed, his leg aching and shaking from all the effort. He pressed a hand to his trembling leg, feeling drained by this little movement also.

Seeing his discomfort, Reina said, “You will get better soon. We will start your physio sessions from tomorrow. You have already made good progress today, much better than my expectation.”

His chest soared. He was going to be fine. Today was just the first step. He would be fine. A yawn slipped out of his mouth. He felt exhausted.

She turned to Stefan. “You have the exercise chart I’ve given you, correct? We do the exercises thrice a day, morning, afternoon, and night. And the ointment needs to be applied on both his scars three times a day. Got it?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Stefan grinned. He helped Vedant settle on the bed and rubbed the ointment on his wounds. Once done, he said, “Shall I go fetch Laila now?”

“Yes.” When he turned to leave, she said, “Actually, no, I’ll take over from her.”

Once Stefan left the room, Reina rounded the bed, lifted her glasses from the floor where they’d fallen off earlier and put them back on her nose. He hated that she chose to hide behind them. One day, he hoped she’d tell him why. After hearing Laila mention that she had defied her senior’s orders for him, he was even more curious about her. He yawned, again. He wanted to ask her so many questions, but now was not the time.

She neared him. “Rest.”

“Thank you for allowing me access to my phone.”

She shrugged. “Tyrion requested me if I could, and it has been two weeks since your surgery. I think it’s safe for you to slowly get back into your earlier routine now. My only request is to not overdo anything.”

He smiled and then said, “Reina, I also have a request.

“It’s Dr. Singh.” She rolled her eyes.

“But I like your name. It’s pretty, just like you are.”

“Arguing with you gets me nowhere. Fine, call me Reina.”

He grinned. “Thank you, Reina .”

She threw him a hard look.

He sobered down. “I know you’ve been limiting spending time with me because you are attracted to me.”

“I am right here, and I have taken over the shift from Dr. Jones. I’d say there is a flaw in your logic.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Please credit me with some intelligence. You saw me yawning. You know I’ll fall asleep as soon as I shut my eyes. That’s the only reason you took over the shift. Just so you don’t have to spend time chatting with me. It’s your way of avoiding the inevitable.”

“Which is what?”

“That you are as attracted to me as I am to you.”

When she opened her mouth to argue, he held a hand out stopping her. “I was right here when you kissed me. You are attracted to me; don’t deny it. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that until I’m not properly back on my feet, can I request you to spend more time with me?”

She frowned. “Why? Are the others on the team not looking after you well?”

“They are, but I don’t feel as safe in their presence as I do with you. I cannot explain it, but you being around makes me feel stronger and calmer. I panic less about my condition when you’re in front of me.”

“And yet you gave me a hard time initially?”

He grinned. “Hey, I apologised for that and you accepted my apology. Besides, I was mad more at myself and not at you, which you correctly deduced. What I am trying to explain to you is that my mind settles when you’re around. It always has, even when we were on not-so-good terms. Maybe, it’s your vibe. Come closer so I can investigate better.”

She backed a step. He chuckled.

“Okay, I get what you are saying,” she said. “But I cannot change everyone’s schedules to suit me.”

“ Pozhaluysta . Please, Reina.”

She tugged on her lower lip, lost in thought for a moment, and then a cat-like smile curved her lips. He knew he wouldn’t like what she was going to say next.

“Alright, I will do as you say,” she began, “but you have to promise me that you won’t get physical with me again. No kissing, and no inappropriate touching.”

“I accept,” he held his hand out. “Do we have a deal?”

She took his hand. Electricity crackled between them. Fuck. Every single time. She stared at their joined hands in disbelief.

Vedant removed his hand from hers. “I’m happy to not repeat that kiss, one which I didn’t initiate, so as to get you to spend time with me. That is more important right now. Because once you spend time with me, you will touch me and kiss me of your own accord.”

She gave him a hard look. “Never.”

“Never say never, moya prekrasnaya, Reina.”

Her forehead creased. “What does that mean?”

“It means my beautiful, Reina…” He smiled. “Even you cannot deny that you felt exactly what I did when our hands touched right now.”

“Don’t make me regret agreeing to your request, Mr. Oshnov.”

“I promise you, Reina, that regret is not what you will be feeling in a few days from now.”

He quirked his brows at her. She stared at him for a long moment and then went to sit on the chair a little distance away from him.

“Oh, and, Reina,” he said aloud. “I also promise you that you will take my name one day soon.”

He saw the slight shake of her head before she removed her book from her coat’s pocket. He leaned back on his bed and shut his eyes, feeling excited. Today was a good day. He’d finally walked for the first time after the shooting. It was enough to excite him. He was going to call and tell his brothers immediately. They’d be thrilled for him. He was thrilled for himself. He grinned.

Adding to his delight was that the affirmation of what he suspected Reina felt for him. Now he knew for sure that Reina was attracted to him. Their kiss earlier returned to his mind—the softness of her mouth, the eagerness of her caresses. Yes, Dr. Reina Singh was most definitely attracted to him. And now that she had agreed to spend more time with him, he would have an opportunity to learn everything about her.

That was once he could actually keep his eyes open for long.