The awe in Rajesh eyes was a fragile thing, a sudden, unexpected tremor in the solid bedrock of his possessiveness. Durga stared back, her own breath still coming in soft, shuddering waves, the echo of her climax still a warm, throbbing hum deep within her. His thumb stroked her jaw, a gesture so tender it felt foreign on his calloused skin. She was in for a sliver of a heartbeat, she saw a man, not just a master.

The chamber door crashed open.