Harlequin Desire January 2021--Box Set 1 of 2 Read online

  Then he went to collect Divya.

  “Let’s have lunch at your mother’s diner,” Divya suggested.

  “You know what? It’s a great idea.” He’d never brought anyone he was dating to the diner; he usually took them to the fancier restaurants in Minneapolis.

  The look in his mother’s eyes when he sat down in her section with Divya made his heart burst. She didn’t have to say it. She’d been waiting for him to make this move for years. His mother introduced him with pride to the regular customers, who had no idea who he was. This was the working class of Stillwater, not the people who lived in the mansions. He shook hands, listened to advice about how to be a good son and admonishments that his mother was too old to work at the diner and he should help out more. He smiled and nodded, and his mother beamed with pride.

  “What should we do with the kids this afternoon?” Divya asked when they were done with lunch.

  “Let’s not plan anything. We can ask them what they want to do.”

  They picked up the kids from school and Jake asked if they could go to Teddy Bear Park. Allie rolled her eyes, but once they got to the park, Ethan noticed her climbing the giant teddy bear while he and Divya chased Jake around the obstacle course. They all climbed on the bear when it was time to leave and had someone take a picture of them.

  After dinner, they bought giant ice-cream cones and made a mess trying to finish them before they melted. Ethan savored every second of the day.

  When they dropped off the kids, they hugged Divya for a long time. “You’ll come back, won’t you, Divya? You won’t be like that Poo lady?” Jake asked in a voice so sweet that Ethan’s heart lurched.

  Divya got on her knees so she was eye to eye with Jake. “I’m going to do my best, little man, but I can’t make any promises. Remember, I live in India, that country far away.”

  Tears sprung to Jake’s eyes. “So this is the last time we’ll see each other?” He put his little arms around Divya and buried his face in her neck.

  She looked at Ethan helplessly. The kids had fallen in love with Divya, just as he had. “Jake, how about I promise that we will video chat? And I can’t promise when, but one day, I’ll come see you.”

  He held out his hand and she shook it. “It’s a deal,” Jake said, nodding importantly.

  Ethan’s throat closed. When she didn’t come back, it wouldn’t be just his heart that was broken.

  When they got back to his brother’s house, Ethan asked to have a private word with Matt and Heather. Divya volunteered to tuck the kids into bed. He sat with his brother and sister-in-law for a long time, and Divya waited patiently. Once he was done, he drove Divya to the riverfront and they walked along the bank, enjoying the cool air. He held her hand. “Thank you, Divya,” he said.

  She turned to him surprised. “What for?”

  “For showing me what I’m really looking for in a woman. All my life, I’ve been chasing women who do things the way I do, who think the way I do, who want the things I want. But that’s not what I need. I need someone who tells me what I’m doing wrong. Who shows me a better way.”

  She leaned over and kissed him. “Is your plane available tomorrow?”

  He smiled. “At your service. Where do you want to go? What’s next on your bucket list?”

  “No more bucket list. It’s time for me to return to my family.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  His face crumpled. Should I let him suffer? She leaned over and whispered in his ear. “I want you to come with me. I think you should meet my family.”

  “Did I hear you correctly?” he asked breathlessly.

  She’d made the decision to go home last night. She’d been afraid of what she’d be facing when she returned, of going back to a life she didn’t want. But then she thought about jumping out of the plane. Of the raw fear she’d experienced standing on the edge. If she could do that, couldn’t she tell her parents that she didn’t want the life that they’d chosen for her?

  She’d fallen asleep thinking about how to tell Ethan that she was ready to return. And extract a promise from him that they’d continue seeing each other. Not as friends but as lovers. But then she’d spent the whole night imagining herself in her bed at home, alone. It wasn’t fair to him, or to her. If she wasn’t willing to give him up, then she had to go all in. She had to see whether their love could withstand the ultimate test: her parents.

  She bit his ear playfully. “Yes, Ethan Connors. Look, I’m not saying I’m ready for a permanent commitment.”

  “Then, what are you saying?”

  “I’m saying that I am willing to admit to my parents that I’ve fallen in love with a most unsuitable boy. I’m willing to see where things go with us. But I’m not ready to move into a redbrick house and have three-point-five kids. Can you accept that?”

  His eyes shone and her chest constricted. “We can negotiate the number. I’d be happy with two-point-two-five kids.”

  She slapped his chest playfully and he caught her hand. “There’s a lot that I’m willing to do for you, Divya. All those women I chased… I wasn’t going to give up what I wanted for them. I didn’t love them enough.”

  She’d come to the same conclusion, but she wasn’t sure if he was really willing to give up his dreams for her, either.

  “I took your advice and asked Matt if there was anything the kids needed,” he continued, seeming to change the subject as he brushed an errant hair out of her face. “Heather is pregnant. She’s still early and they haven’t told my parents. It wasn’t planned and they’re freaking out.” A small note of pride crept into his voice at the notion that he’d been trusted with something so personal. “They admitted that their house is getting really small for them. They only have one bathroom upstairs, and it’s getting hard for them to share it with the kids. There’s no bedroom for another child. With the school pick-up and drop-off schedules and after-school activities, and now a baby, Matt can’t go back to work. They’d pay so much in babysitters that it’s not worth it for him. Heather has these massive student loans from college and medical school, and it’ll be a while before she starts making real money. They can’t afford to buy a bigger house right now.”

  “I think it’s great that your brother takes on the parenting responsibilities.”

  Ethan pulled her closer. “I would do that for you in a heartbeat.” She had no doubt he would.

  “So will they take money from you?”

  “I’m not giving them money.”

  She raised her brows.

  “I gave them the redbrick house.”

  She gasped. “Your house?”

  Ethan took both her hands in his. “It was never my house. It was a dream. It’s not a house you want. It’s not the life you want. And I want you.”

  Tears stung her eyes. “I love you, Ethan.” Her voice was thick and her heart swelled in her chest. She didn’t know when or how she’d fallen in love with the most improbable man, but she knew it was true.

  He cupped her face. “I love you, Divya. More than anything else in this world.”

  The kiss they shared was sweet and salty. She didn’t know if the tears were hers or his.

  “Before we go back to your family, can you give me a day?”

  She narrowed her eyes. “Only if you tell me what we’re doing. I don’t want to go mountain climbing or helicopter skiing or some other crazy sport.”

  “You didn’t enjoy the skydiving?”

  She raised her chin. “I didn’t say that.”

  He leaned down. “Then, trust me.”

  She smirked at him but felt her nerves ignite at the prospect of whatever he had planned and another uncomplicated day with him.

  They left early the next morning. Marilyn and Bill both gave Divya a long hug and extracted a promise that she would stay in touch. Ethan slowed down as he passed by the redbrick hou
se but resolutely refused to look at it. Divya’s heart squeezed painfully.

  He took them to Los Angeles and her curiosity was peaked. Yet another assistant met them, this time with a limo and driver. “LA traffic can be horrendous, and I want to make the most of our time together.”

  Why was he talking as if it was their last day together? He still wouldn’t tell her where they were going, but according to the GPS, the ride would take over an hour, so they chatted about her family.

  “Karishma is my partner in crime. She and I are only two years apart, so we’ve always gotten into trouble together. Naina is a little younger, so we usually con her into covering for us, but she’s been getting smarter about wanting to be part of the fun.”

  “Did they know you were planning to run?”

  “Karishma did. She even tried talking to Vivek for me, but he dismissed her concerns just as he’d ignored mine. She and Naina have both emailed me begging me to come back. Even Hema, who supported this plan all along, said it’s time to return.”

  “Who’s Hema?”

  “She’s like an adopted sister. Her parents and mine were close friends. When they died, we took her in. She was actually arranged to be married to Arjun, but he fell in love with Rani and bailed.”

  “So running away from an arranged marriage is a family tradition, then?”

  She laughed. “I guess it is.”

  They finally pulled up to a building with a large fountain in front and an enormous rotating record on the roof. Divya turned to Ethan, wide-eyed. “What did you do?”

  “I called in a favor and bought some studio time so you can cut a demo.”

  “Ethan!”

  “You have a résumé for your career, don’t you? Artists have portfolios. If you decide not to do anything with what you produce, consider it a souvenir of our time together.” Once again, her heart skipped. Why did she get the feeling he was preparing to say goodbye to her? Had he really fallen in love with her or was this like his love for Pooja? Now that things were getting real, was he getting ready to bolt? Was it all about the chase for him?

  He hadn’t just bought studio time, he’d also hired one of the best producers in the field, several technicians and background musicians. Ethan had booked her for twelve hours, which seemed ridiculous for recording the two songs she had written. But when they started, she better understood what it really took. It wasn’t just about singing her songs; it was mixing in the music, fine-tuning how background music would be used against her vocals, even touching up her lyrics. The team Ethan had hired were professionals, and they worked hard without a break. Ethan went on food and coffee runs and watched her patiently the whole day. She should’ve been exhausted at the end of the session, but she was on top of the world. The finished masters were her songs, but they now sounded polished and sophisticated. Her voice had been amplified in the right places and the background music added the depth and symphony her guitar alone couldn’t.

  “You’re like no woman I’ve ever met. And you can be like no other artist that’s out there. You don’t have to be like Tina Roy. You don’t even have to tour if you don’t want to. This right here—” he waved at the studio and the musicians packing up “—this is what making music is all about.” He handed her a card and it took her several minutes to recognize it as the one that the man at Café Underground had given them. “The record label is small, but it’s legitimate. I had them checked out.” He pressed the card into her hand.

  She hugged him, unable to find the words to say thank-you. How did he know what she needed when she herself didn’t? How was she possibly falling even further in love with him?

  They spent the night at his condo. Her family was camped at Arjun’s hotel. Vegas was a quick flight, and they would leave in the morning. Ethan offered to take her out to dinner, but she wanted room service. They ordered hamburgers with fries and milkshakes and demolished their plates. She took a shower and wrapped herself in a hotel robe. When she emerged from the bathroom, Ethan whistled.

  “Now, this is exactly how I want to see you dressed.” He stood and kissed her, then untied the flimsy belt holding the robe together. He slipped his arms around her waist, and she savored the feel of his warm hands across her cool, damp back as he kissed the sensitive spot between her neck and shoulder. He moved his right hand down her back and across her stomach, then reached to touch her between the legs. “You’re already wet.”

  Oh yes I am. “I started without you,” she whispered into his ear, kissing him just underneath the earlobe, knowing it drove him crazy. “I want you inside me now.” Even through his jeans, she could feel how hard he was.

  “Divya,” he murmured, moving his hands to her back. She unbuttoned his jeans and pushed them down along with his boxers. He took off his shirt. She pushed him toward the bed then slipped off her robe and straddled him. She rubbed her sensitive nub against him and he moaned, but she didn’t hear it. Her slickness against his hardness was driving her mad. Her heart thundered in her chest and her body quivered, desperate for him.

  She adjusted her position so he could sheath himself. Then she reached between her legs and pushed him inside her with a roughness that surprised them both. He tensed and stopped, his eyes checking with her to make sure she was okay. Even in the height of passion, he wanted to make sure he wasn’t hurting her. Her heart burst inside her chest. For this night with him, she didn’t want a parachute. She wanted to free fall for as long as they could. She moved on top of him, up and down, up and down, until she couldn’t take it anymore and exploded, screaming his name as she did. She collapsed on top of him, totally spent physically and emotionally.

  “Ethan…”

  He put his finger on her lips, slipped an arm underneath her and pulled her close. The feel of his breath made her exhale whatever she had pent up inside her.

  She’d needed the release to prepare for what was coming tomorrow.

  “Ethan, meeting my parents is not like it was for me to come to your house. It’ll change my life forever. It’ll change my family. It will irreparably fracture the relationship I have with them. If we do this tomorrow, there’s no turning back. You understand that, right?”

  She couldn’t remember his reply because she was so exhausted and comfortable that she fell asleep listening to the beat of his heart.

  When she woke the next morning, he was gone.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  He nearly dropped the breakfast tray he was carrying when he walked into the bedroom and saw Divya sitting on the bed with her knees pulled into her chest and her head down. She looked up when she heard him, her face streaked with tears. He set the tray on the bed and went to her. She wrapped her arms around him hard, nearly choking him.

  “What’s going on?”

  She shook her head. “Nothing.”

  “Did you think I left?” The way she tightened her hold told him she had. He pulled her naked body onto his lap, trying to suppress his instant reaction. He rubbed her back. “How could you think I’d leave you like that?”

  She kept her face buried in his shoulder, but he pushed her back so he could look at her. “You think I’ll run away, like I did from Pooja?” She didn’t answer, but the fear in her eyes told him that was exactly what she was thinking. He cupped her face. “We’re going to meet your parents, and I’m going to convince them that I’m the best catch they can ever hope to get for their wayward daughter, and if they don’t agree, I’m going to grab your hand like I did at your wedding and fly you away to a place where they’ll never find you.”

  She cracked a smile. “You’re not really going to do that.”

  He lifted his brows. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, Divya. I don’t have any doubts. I’m not afraid. I love you and I’m going to be there for you.”

  They ate breakfast and dressed quickly. Divya wore black pants and a blue silk blouse. Her hair was styled and her
face painted with almost as much makeup as the day they’d first met. She looked stunningly beautiful but not at all like his Divya.

  It was early in the morning, but it took them nearly two hours to get to the airport in rush hour traffic. Once they were seated on the plane, Divya texted him a number.

  “What’s this?”

  “It’s my father’s number. You’re going to call him and tell him that you’re bringing me back.”

  “Like you’re a runaway teen?”

  “Like you’re the hero who finally talked some sense into his rebellious daughter.”

  “I don’t need to lie to your parents to win their approval.”

  “Oh yes, you do. Things with my family have to be done the proper way. Right now, you are the asshole who crashed the wrong wedding and fled with the bride. My family will say that you’re the kind of man who changes women like he changes clothes.”

  His stomach turned at the way she said this.

  “Step one is to reverse your bad image. Our story is that you were helping me get away from what you thought was a forced marriage, because I lied to you. Once you understood that I just wanted to run away, you felt duty bound to return me.”

  “Have you considered writing screenplays for Bollywood movies?”

  “Shut up. We don’t have a lot of time to get our story right.” She took a sip of the coffee she’d ordered from the flight attendant. “My family will thank you profusely and expect you to be on your way. Next, you’re going to say that you have business in Vegas and ask my brother for a hotel recommendation.”

  “Doesn’t he own the Vegas hotel?”

  She slapped her hand on her forehead. “Of course he does. That’s why he’s going to feel obliged to offer you a room. He has an apartment there, where he stays and where my parents and siblings are also staying. This will give you an excuse to stay close to me, and their Indian hospitality will require them to offer to take care of you while you’re in Vegas, as a thank-you for returning me safe and sound.”