A2Z April Challenge 2019: L for LEO’S DESIRE

Leo’s Desire is the second book in my Written in the Stars series. This novel follows the romance between Nishaan (Leo) and Chaahat (Aries), another star combo that I found fascinating when I read Linda Goodman’s book, Love Signs.

  

There’s also another reason for the title I gave this book. Chaahat in Hindi means Desire. And that’s how my book became Leo’s Desire. 

A Leo, especially a man, insists on being a know-it-all. And believe me when I say that Nishaan (AKA Shaan, a character I introduced in my book Finding Anya) truly believes he knows best (well, he could be right too). So much so that the Aries heroine gets thoroughly pissed off by his attitude. Throw into this mix a long-distance relationship and a lot of interference from their respective mothers, and you have an explosive romance with a lot of steamy sex.

Another thing I brought into this book is an Ayurvedic Health Farm. I generally let my protags have different careers (other than the doctors and engineers of our world) and I also try to bring to light real life solutions for health issues where possible. 

In this book, Chaahat has an issue with weight reduction and becomes a starving chain smoker to lose excess weight in a rush, unaware of the repercussions on her health. I will let you read my book to know more, of course.

For research, I visited KARE Ayurveda and Yoga Retreat, Mulshi, Maharashtra and spent a day there to understand the benefits of this alternate therapy for a healthy lifestyle that will also help one maintain one’s ideal weight. 

A glimpse into my protags…

“Aren’t you going to offer me a smoke?” Shaan asked, a mischievous smile on his face. He had smoked for a few months while in college, had decided that it wasn’t to his taste and had given up the habit for good. 

Chaahat covered her packet protectively and said, “Nope.”

Laughing, he took the cigarette from her hand and puffed on it, looking deeply into her eyes, keen to provoke her.

“You bastard! I...”

Shaan placed the cigarette between her lips, effectively stopping her words. “That’s the second time you have called me that,” he said mildly, “I don’t think my parents will take kindly to it.”

“Screw you!” Chaahat declared vehemently, taking the cigarette from her mouth. 

“Now that’s an offer I truly appreciate. I’m game.” There was laughter in Shaan’s voice as he continued to look into Chaahat’s eyes boldly. 

It took Chaahat a couple of seconds to grasp what he meant before colour flared up on her thin cheeks. “I think you’re going to die at my hands,” she swore, flinging the cigarette butt out of the window, her whole body taut with violence. 

“What a way to die!” He reached with both hands on her shoulders, pulling her resisting body relentlessly towards his chest. “Chaahat...” he whispered in her ear, “you are as desirable as your name.” He pressed his mouth to the wildly beating pulse at her neck, running the tip of his tongue back and forth against it as he breathed in deeply of her unique perfume.