She pulled away, face wet. “I’m so sorry. I . . . Oh God . . . I don’t know why.”

“Hey. It’s okay. This is a pretty big deal.” He dragged his thumb over her cheek, wiping at the wetness, and felt her velvet-soft skin push up in a lopsided smile under his fingers.

“It’s been a lot.” The gangster had caused so much havoc before Naman stepped in, threatening local doctors and activists who supported the project. The caseworker who had been badly hurt was recovering well, thank God, but it was entirely unfair that she’d had to go through that. Naina had been rock solid through it all, determined to not back down, but terrified of what it might cost.

Now she smiled. “This is going to change everything. It’s going to happen, Vansh. The first clinic is going to go up, then the next. Then the next. No more roadblocks.” Another sob filled with hope and relief escaped her. Another stroke of her cheek escaped him.

Tenderness wrapped around them. Their first victory, one they’d achieved together.

“Thank you,” she said.

“No, don’t thank me. You did this. You built up to this. I just knew a guy.”

Her eyes softened. Her gaze caressed his face, dropping to his lips. Then, before he could absorb what that felt like, she went up on her toes and dropped a kiss on his lips.

A quick press, softer than anything. Fiercer than anything. Awareness flared through Vansh, fast and furious. On a sharp intake of breath, he cupped the back of her head and soaked her up. Everything he’d been waiting for.

Every inch of him waiting.

Every bit of him pressed into it now.

They stood there like that, time suspended around them. Soaking and reaching. Bathing in the feelings that held them in place, arousal tugging from every corner of his being.

Then a knock on the door to the conference room sounded. A boom in the silence. Naina jumped back like she’d been shot.

She dropped into a chair, chest heaving. “Come on in.” She pushed her shaking hands under her, sitting on them.

The door flew open.

“What happened?” Makayla walked in, Hari close on her heels.

“What do you mean?” Naina sounded breathless, her eyes still dilated, as aroused as him.

“We heard squealing.” Makayla looked between the two of them. Hari followed suit, head turning from Vansh to Naina. “You look like you jumped out of a plane.”

Naina cleared her throat. “You’re not going to believe this.”

Vansh was still frozen in place.

“Naman Thapa just gave us an open channel into his office. He said he’d take care of all our paperwork. That’s miles of red tape gone!” Saying those words erased everything else from her face but pure excited joy. She jumped out of her chair.