Gauri touched her arm. “I’m just saying think about things carefully. Your parents will forgive you. Vivek still wants to marry you. The story came out that Ethan was dating some other Indian girl, so they know you didn’t really run away with him. They all know it was cold feet and will forgive you. Take it from me. I couldn’t wait to get away from my parents. Now I miss them every day. We only get to go to India once or twice a year and I savor every visit with them. You don’t know what you’re missing until you don’t have it anymore.”
Divya murmured a platitude, gave her friend a hug and said goodbye. Gauri hadn’t said anything that Divya hadn’t thought herself, but now every fiber of her being wanted to disagree with her friend, to prove her wrong.
When she returned to the room, Ethan was sitting on the couch with his feet up and his laptop open. She went and sat in a chair across from him. She owed him an explanation. To his credit, he didn’t ask.
“I didn’t want to tell them about the singing.”
“It’s something that’s yours. You don’t have to share it until you’re ready.”
And just like that, he struck a chord in her heart and she wanted to run back down and tell Gauri that this American, the one who didn’t know her culture or speak her language and had known her for all of two minutes, understood her better than anybody else.
“Gauri didn’t mean to offend you. She was just being blunt.” Divya kept her voice light.
“She wasn’t blunt enough. What she meant to tell you is that you’re ruining your life by running around with me.”
“You were a little forceful too.”
“How did you expect me to react?”
“With some patience. If my brother finds out that Rajiv lied to him, it’ll jeopardize their lifelong friendship. He’s stuck his neck out for me. You could have been a little more polite.”
“So it’s okay for them to be rude to me?”
“They weren’t being rude. They were asking a genuine question.”
“Which was what exactly?”
“Why you’re still here. You aren’t romantically interested in me, and yet you’re buying me guitars and making wishes come true. Why?”
He looked away from her, but she wasn’t going to let him off the hook. She stepped to him, bent down and kissed him hard on the lips. He opened his mouth and kissed her back with the same hot intensity. This time, she broke the kiss.
“You’re lying to me and yourself if you still think there isn’t something between us,” she said, then walked into the bedroom and closed the door.
Seven
Divya dressed for dinner in an off-the-shoulder black dress she had bought that morning and comfortable flats. It wasn’t the look for a fashionista, but with her hair curled in stylish waves and her eyes rimmed with dark eyeliner, she knew she looked good. As she stepped into the common area of their shared hotel room, Ethan gazed at her with darkened eyes. “How many looks do you have, woman?”
Divya had avoided him for the rest of the afternoon. She’d heard him moving around but had kept her bedroom door firmly shut, spending the time tuning her new guitar and practicing her songs. She’d made her move, now it was his turn.
He offered his arm and she took it, noticing the clean scent of his soap and aftershave. She resisted the urge to lean into him so she could breathe him in. They took a pedicab, and she was somewhat surprised when they pulled up to a food stand outside Madison Square Garden. The city was alive with the sounds of honking cars and people bustling everywhere. The air was thick with the smell of exhaust fumes and cooking food.
“This is our big dinner out?” she quipped, tucking her hand into his arm.
“This place has the best hot dogs ever. And then I have a surprise for you.”
They ate the hot dogs, standing on the sidewalk, watching the crowds flow out of Penn Station and stream into Madison Square Garden. There was a show on tonight and the headliner was a popular hip-hop artist.
“Have you ever been to a show here?”
Divya shook her head. Ethan pulled two tickets from his jeans and Divya’s eyes widened. They made their way into the arena. Ethan’s tickets were on the floor, toward the middle. When the opening act was introduced, Divya realized why Ethan had brought her here.
“Tina Roy. She’s an Indian artist who mixes Indian and Western music,” Ethan whispered to Divya.
The music was fantastic, and the crowd ate it up. Divya watched Tina dance around onstage, wearing a short fringed skirt and a tube top. She pictured her parents sitting in the audience, watching this woman grind with the male backup dancers and thrust her hips to the beat of the music. Her family wouldn’t be proud; they’d be embarrassed. Her mother didn’t even like Divya wearing skirts around the house. Appearances are important, Divya. What will the staff think of you parading around with bare legs?
Her mother would have a coronary if Divya ever wore an outfit like Tina Roy’s, let alone performed onstage in it. Her cheeks reddened at the thought of her dad seeing her in such skimpy clothes.
Tina started her second number. The music, the clothes, the special effects were all designed to rile people up and Divya could feel the crowd practically vibrating. She closed her eyes and pictured herself on the stage at Café Underground, the energy that had pulsed through her as the audience appreciated her singing. She’d never felt that kind of power surge through her body. A crowd like the one at Madison Square Garden right now would be addictive.
Tina Roy’s performance was amazing, but she wasn’t a fan of the main act when he came onstage. “Do you mind if we leave?”
Ethan smirked. “This guy is no Tina Roy. Let’s get out of here.”
Ethan asked the taxi driver to take them back to the hotel. Divya laid her head back on the seat. Her heart raced. Life is too short not to live it on your terms. After Sameer had gotten out of the hospital, she’d spent all her free time working on her music. But as time went on, she’d slipped back into her mother’s society life and the family business.
She looked out the window. “Can you pull up to the curb?” she asked the taxi driver. They were at Fifth Avenue and East Seventy-Second Street. Central Park stretched out on the right-hand side of the cab. “Can we go for a walk?”
Ethan paid the driver and exited behind her. They walked in silence, her hand tucked into his arm. Even at that time of night, the city was bustling. Birds chirped in trees, joggers pounded the trail, dogs walked with their owners, occasionally stopping to sniff something interesting.
“When I was growing up, my dad fulfilled my every wish. At the age of eight, I wanted a horse. I’d just read about Jhansi ki Rani, who’s like the Indian equivalent of Joan of Arc, and I thought I would be great at horseback riding because I could feel the spirit of Jhansi ki Rani. My mother, who is always the realist in the house, told my father that it was a fad and not to go overboard. But of course, he didn’t listen to her. He bought me a magnificent horse and hired a professional trainer to teach me how to ride. He even began renovating the ancient stables on our property. At first, I loved riding, but then as the lessons wore on, it wasn’t fun anymore. It became a matter of working hard to learn how to ride. Each lesson left me sore and aching.”
They walked toward the lake, which shimmered darkly against the soft lights of the street lamps on the trail. Her hand remained tucked in the crook of his arm.
“I continued with the lessons for years because I wanted to prove to my mother that I could do it. I never became a good rider. When my horse was too old to ride and retired, I was so happy. My father offered to buy me a new horse, and my mother simply turned to me and said, ‘Tell him.’”
They walked alongside the lake. The night was rapidly cooling. Ethan put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. She didn’t resist, grateful for the warmth and the feel of his solid body against hers.
“My mo
m knew all along that I hated riding, but she didn’t say a word for ten years.” She stopped walking and turned to stare at the lake. There was just enough light to see the reflection of the trees. Ethan remained quiet beside her.
“It’s a lesson I’ll never forget. There’s a word in Hindi, ghamand. It doesn’t have an English equivalent. It means pride, arrogance, vanity. It’s being so stubborn that you cut your nose to spite your face.”
Ethan turned to face her, and her heart raced. He kept a hand on her arm and stood so close that all she had to do was stand on tiptoe and she could kiss him. His hand moved up and down her arm and she felt the goose bumps, but her body was far from cold.
“Divya, I can’t even begin to tell you how many times people discouraged me from moving forward with Deal Catcher. Amazon already existed and the market was flooded with apps. You have to believe in yourself. You can easily be Tina Roy one day.”
She put a finger on his lips and felt him suck in a breath. Then she brushed her finger across his lips before retracting her hand.
“I’m not giving up on my singing. I loved being onstage. But that’s precisely why I don’t want to ruin it for me. I don’t want to be like Tina Roy. I remember listening to some of her early works and they were nothing like what she performed today. I don’t want to write songs that appeal onstage and end up hating music.”
“It doesn’t have to be that way—”
“Ethan! I have a law degree, a career, a family. I have a lot going for me. Music will remain my hobby, something I enjoy.”
“But you’re so talented you can do anything you want.”
Was it her imagination or had he stepped closer to her? She could almost feel the rise and fall of his chest. She put her arms around him and he closed the distance between their lips.
This time, he didn’t hold back when he kissed her. He pulled her close and she gave as good as she got. Their lips were in perfect harmony as they explored and tasted each other. She pressed her body to his and fire licked deep in her core. She molded herself to him, and felt his attraction, hard against her belly.
He stepped back from her, his breath heavy.
“There is one thing I really want to do that I’m not sure I can.”
His lips twitched. “What’s that?”
“I want to seduce you.”
Eight
Do not kiss her again. Ethan wanted to tell the inner voice ringing alarm bells in his head to shut up. She lifted her chin, her eyes challenging him to take another taste of her wet lips. He could handle an affair with her, couldn’t he? He knew where she stood on the topic of marriage; there’d be no expectations between them, just a physical relationship. He looked into her eyes and his heart jolted.
“It’s getting late. Let’s go back to the hotel.”
She raised a brow but didn’t say anything. They retraced their steps back to Fifth Avenue and caught a taxi back to the hotel. They were at the lobby elevators when one of the front desk clerks came rushing up to them. “Miss Singh!”
“Yes?”
“Mr. Mehra needs to speak to you urgently. He’s on his way. Please wait right here.”
Rajiv appeared a few minutes later, his suit still perfectly pressed, despite the late hour. “Divya! I didn’t know how to reach you.” He sounded frantic.
“What’s happened?”
“The show you were at tonight, someone recognized Ethan.” His gaze flicked to Ethan. “Arjun is tracking all mentions of Ethan on social media. He and Vivek are on a plane from Vegas.”
“Vivek? Why is he coming?”
Rajiv shrugged. “Arjun didn’t get into the details, but I think Vivek wants to talk to you. Maybe he feels he can convince you to get married.”
Divya sighed. Rajiv gave Ethan a pointed look, then lowered his voice, as if doing so would exclude Ethan from the conversation. “I think you should be honest with your brother. Running away is not the way to handle things.”
Divya glanced at Ethan. He should nod, tell her Rajiv was right, because he was. She needed to confront her family, not hide from them. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to do more than blink at her.
“I can’t, Rajiv. I’m not ready to face my family yet.”
Rajiv pressed his fingers to his lips. “Then, I need you not to be here when Arjun arrives.”
Divya placed a hand on Rajiv’s arm. “I’m so sorry. Of course we’ll get out right away.”
“I’ve arranged a limo for you. A friend of mine has a house in the Hamptons where you can hang out until you’re ready to go home. I’ll arrange whatever you need.” Rajiv gave her a pointed look and it wasn’t hard to understand the subtext of his words. Divya didn’t need to rely on Ethan. There was no reason for him to hang around anymore.
Once again, Divya looked at Ethan. It was probably best that they parted ways. The more time he spent with her, the greater the chance that he would lose his heart to this girl who was very much unavailable.
“Thank you, Rajiv, but I don’t want to involve you more than you already are. I know your friendship with my brother is important.”
“Divya...”
Ethan took a step forward. “Don’t worry, Rajiv. I’ll take good care of her. I can have my jet ready to go in an hour.”
Rajiv looked between Divya and Ethan, then spread his hands. “Good luck to you.” Then he turned and said something to Divya in Hindi. Her eyes widened and Ethan could’ve sworn he saw her blush. She responded in Hindi, then hugged Rajiv. Without a glance at Ethan, she pressed the elevator button.
Ethan didn’t ask what Rajiv had said and Divya didn’t volunteer. They didn’t have a lot of stuff, so it didn’t take long to pack. Ethan made arrangements for the jet and called the valet to bring the Mercedes.
“Are you sure you want to keep running? I’d be happy to wait and take you wherever you want to go after you sort things out with your brother.”
Divya began shaking her head before he even finished the sentence. “I’m not ready for this to end yet. I’m enjoying my freedom.”
“Why does it have to be an all-or-nothing deal, Divya? Why can’t you tell your brother that you’re ready to be your own independent woman?”
“Because that’s not how things are done in my family.”
The valet brought the Mercedes, and he loaded the luggage and opened the door for her. The night was cold, so Ethan didn’t drop the top on the convertible. As he eased out of the hotel driveway, he turned toward her. “What’re you so afraid of?”
“I’m afraid of how much I love my family. Arjun has a way of convincing me that he’ll work something out to get me what I want. But it’s never exactly what I want.”
“What do you mean?”
“After I finished law school, I wanted a job. I was even offered this great position with a law firm, but my parents didn’t want me to take it. They didn’t understand why I wanted to work, given that we have plenty of money. My mom wanted me to be a socialite like her so I could find a nice husband. Arjun brokered a deal with my parents where I could work, but for the family firm. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate it was a big battle for him to get me that concession, but the whole reason I wanted a job is to have some independence from the family.”
“I still don’t understand why you didn’t just take the law firm position. It’s not as if your family would’ve locked you at home.”
She blew out a breath, but Ethan wasn’t going to let her off the hook. Divya didn’t seem like the type of woman who had been cloistered all her life. She was confident and self-assured enough to get what she wanted. Including me. There was something she wasn’t telling him.
“No, of course not. We’re not that type of family. It’s more that they worry and care about me, and once I see my brother again, he’ll remind me of all the reasons why I should come home.” She looked out the passenger-side window
, clearly hiding her face from him.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“It’s complicated, and now’s not the time. Let’s discuss where we’re going.”
He wanted to know more, but clearly, she didn’t trust him enough to share what was really going on.
“I have something you should add to your bucket list.”
She grinned at him. “What do you have in mind?”
“Trust me?”
She leaned back in the car seat. “I’m all yours.”
If only that was true.
Nine
It was past midnight when they arrived at Teterboro, but Roda was waiting there. She handed Ethan several shopping bags and took the keys of the Mercedes.
Kathy greeted them warmly when they got on the plane. They ordered coffee and dinner.
He took a seat in one of the reclining chairs that faced the back of the plane and Divya sat opposite him. They were quiet until Kathy returned with their food. “We’re waiting for clearance from the tower. It might be a while before we’re ready to take off. The pilot is expecting a bumpy ride because of a weather system coming in from the south. I’ll be in the jump seat. Ring the call button if you need anything.”
They dug into their food, both of them famished. The hot dog at Madison Square Garden had been hours ago.
“You want to tell me where we’re going?” Divya finally asked.
He smiled. “Let’s just say we’re going to go do something that’ll help you face your fears.”
“Please, don’t tell me we’ll be in a tank full of sharks.”
He laughed. “Now, why didn’t I think of that?”
She leaned over until her face was inches from him. Her breath smelled of coffee and her vanilla lip gloss, and all he could think about was pulling her onto his lap and kissing her until he didn’t have any air left in his chest.
Running Away with the Bride--An opposites attract romance with a twist Page 7
