The Indian Tycoon's Marriage Deal

by Adite Banerjie

  But with Krish she had no such reservations; she knew instinctively that he would hear her out and even if he didn’t like her idea he would not just dismiss it but would give her a reason. She cringed when she recalled her own behaviour—how she had been so quick to stand in judgement and accuse him of using his father’s connections to get ahead. How her casual comment must have hurt him when he was intent on doing just the opposite. SHVP was a tribute to his mother and he wouldn’t wish KD to influence it in any way.

  Krish emerged from the kitchen with two mugs of steaming coffee and placed one before her. ‘I think we’ll make a great team. To us.’ He clinked his mug with hers. ‘When we get back to Delhi, I will set up a meeting with the architect. He can integrate your ideas into the overall plans.’

  ‘Krish…I’d like to say something.’

  He settled down comfortably on the couch, barely inches away from her. ‘Sure, go ahead.’

  She glanced at him briefly before looking intently into her coffee mug. ‘I owe you an apology for what I said earlier…in the car. That was totally uncalled for. It was wrong on my part to make such a sweeping judgement about you and I’m really sorry.’

  ‘Maya, Maya, Maya…’ His husky incantation of her name sent a thrill through her.

  He leaned forward and held her chin with his fingers. ‘Don’t think about it, jaaneman.’

  The soft look in his eyes made her want to wrap her arms around his neck and the mug nearly slipped from her hands, splashing coffee on her skirt. As she brushed off the scalding-hot liquid from her skirt, trying not to wince at the pain, Krish grabbed the mug from her hand and placed it on the table. His voice was full of concern. ‘That must hurt. Let me take a look.’

  She was burning up from embarrassment at her monumental clumsiness. ‘I’m all right.’

  He knelt on the floor and lifted her skirt to expose her thigh. The skin where the hot liquid had dropped was already turning a dark shade of pink. His fingers skimmed the flesh gently, making her break out in goosebumps.

  ‘Stay here,’ he commanded. ‘I’ll get some ice.’

  She hastily pulled down her skirt and tried to get a grip on her madly racing heart. Gosh, Maya, you’re such an idiot! He was back in a flash. As he bent down to gently apply the ice cubes wrapped in a hanky on her hot skin, she clenched her palms, trying desperately to quell the urge to run her fingers through his thick hair. ‘Does that feel better?’

  She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. He blew on her tender skin as he applied the ice pack, then placed a soft kiss there. Her hands unclenched and she clutched at his shoulders, trying not to sink into the couch and give into the pleasure that was coursing through her.

  He looked up and saw her eyes cloud over with passion that she couldn’t hide any more. Raising himself on to the couch, he pulled her on to his lap as his lips found the side of her neck. She felt herself almost swoon as he finally covered her mouth with his and his fingers found their way to the soft swell of her breasts.

  Her eyes closed involuntarily and she felt her mind go numb with the sweet longing that she felt deep within her. His kisses were gentle, soft, almost as if she’d imagined them. She opened her eyes and the look in his passion-shot eyes took her breath away. Her tongue flicked over her lower lip and she heard him groan against her as she responded by moving closer to him.

  Lifting her off the couch in one sweeping action, he cradled her in his arms. In a few strides he had carried her into the bedroom as his lips continued to roam her face and neck, his tongue flicking over an earlobe, nipping at it before dipping into the valley between her breasts. An involuntary moan of pleasure escaped her as his lips found hers in a crushing, intense kiss. She felt the world tilt, she wound her arms around his neck as if she would never let go.

  He laid her gently on the bed, ripping his shirt off in one fluid motion. She couldn’t take her eyes away from his muscled torso, as she longed to run her hands over its hard planes. But, before she could put her thoughts into action, he had claimed her lips again, sending her thoughts careening away into the cosmos. Sensations took over and adrenaline pumped. Her back arched and she craved to wrap herself around him. His hands pushed away her blouse as his eyes feasted on the twin peaks of her breasts in their lacy lingerie. Suppressing a groan, his mouth found one of the hard nubs and pulled gently. Pleasure ripped through her, like streaked lightning and she heard him take a deep, sharp breath as he continued to kiss her all over. Waves of pleasure roiled through her making her clutch at him, seeking what she had never sought before from any man—to be possessed, body and soul.

  ‘God, Maya,’ he mumbled against her breast. ‘You’re the most exquisitely responsive woman.’ Her body trembled with a deliciously sweet ache as he continued to caress her all over. ‘My sweet, sexy Maya.’ His voice was thick and rasping. ‘I want you so much.’

  Her body quivered with a deep, violent need as he breathed her name. He knew instinctively what she needed, touching her at pulse points in ways that messed with her sanity, driving her deeper, harder, faster into a vortex of shimmering sensations. Her body craved for release and she moaned, ‘Krish, please…’ He entered her, at first gentle with her, and then, as her body responded to his thrusts, his pace and rhythm increased, taking her to heights of ecstasy that was beyond anything that she could have dreamt of. As they went spinning into an orbit of sensation and pleasure, she felt every cell of her body fuse into nothingness and then explode in a starburst of colour, leaving her breathless, spent, satiated.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  EVEN BEFORE SHE opened her eyes, Maya felt a whisper-soft kiss on her brow. She revelled in the strange new feelings that wrapped her insides in a cosy, downy quilt. She was enervated by the languorous warmth that seeped right through into her bones. What was this wispy, undefinable emotion that fluttered like a butterfly that had just emerged from its chrysalis? Her mind spooled back to last night and to the sheer depth of her feelings as she’d scaled the heights of pleasure in Krish’s arms. Krish! He’d rocked her world and she would never be the same again.

  Was that his breath she felt on her brow? Her eyes flew open as the full impact of what had happened last night hit home. She clutched at the quilt that covered her body and found herself staring into warm, delicious dark eyes.

  ‘Hello there.’ Her heart convulsed as he whispered fervently, ‘You are even more beautiful in the morning. And you’re making me lose my sanity all over again.’ Colour rushed to her face at the thought of how she had let go of all her inhibitions and danced to the tune of her own desire and his artful love-making. He groaned and propped himself up on one elbow while reaching out to play with a silky strand of her hair. ‘If you blush like that, I won’t be responsible for my actions.’ She looked away, trying to keep her heart from running away—and failed. Miserably.

  As she struggled up, trying not to lose the quilt and her fast-scrambling dignity, her head bumped up against his chin. His arm shot out from under him and pulled her on top of him. His lips captured hers in a fiery kiss, lighting the spark of passion deep within her. She came up for breath, resisting the urge to be consumed by the heat that was spreading through her. She pressed hard against his chest, scrambled off the bed and held on to the quilt for dear life. Her voice sounded hopelessly breathless to her own ears. ‘I’d better get ready. You did say we should head off to the site early.’

  Maya forced herself to look at his face even as she found her eyes straying to his washboard abs. Krish’s eyes gave her an all-knowing look as he replied, ‘There’s no rush, jaaneman. What say we skip the site visit for today and just spend the day here?’

  She shook her head vigorously, not wanting to give into that irresistible invitation in his eyes. She waddled away, with as much dignity as she could, to the bathroom. ‘You promised and you’re not getting out of it so easily. I’ll be ready in ten minutes.’

  Krish flopped back against the pillow and his disappointment was more than evident in his
reply. ‘If that’s what you wish!’

  She closed the door and looked at herself in the mirror. She was amazed at the happy face that stared back at her. Sparkling eyes, flushed cheeks and lips pink and swollen, fresh from that heart-stopping kiss. Krish made her feel special—like some beautiful, fragile flower that needed careful handling. She could never have imagined that her first time with a man could be so…She was lost for words to describe what had been simply phenomenal. But even more amazing was the connection that she felt with Krish. It was so right, so inevitable, so karmic! She felt as if she had been swept away on a tidal wave of emotion.

  Within minutes she had showered and dressed. As she applied kohl to her eyes and touched her lips with gloss, she gazed at her image in the mirror. Look at you. You’re prettying yourself for him! Before she could get into an argument with herself, her stomach rumbled as the rich aroma of alu parathas wafted through. She followed her nose into the living room. Krish winked at her as she approached the dining table as the caretaker served piping-hot parathas. ‘These are delicious. Come on, or there won’t be any left for you!’

  This as he attacked the parathas on his plate with gusto. She reached out for the chilli pickle as the caretaker put a plate of parathas in front of her. Krish gave her an anxious look ‘Those are pretty deadly. Eat at your own risk!’

  She laughed self-consciously and bit into a pickled green chilli with great relish. Krish grinned wickedly. ‘You really do like it hot!’

  She nearly choked at that and gave him a mock threatening look as she continued to devour her paratha. Trying to hide her awkwardness, she mumbled, ‘So, when do we leave for the site? I would like to check out the kitchen garden first, if that’s okay?’

  Krish signalled Ramu for another paratha. ‘Of course, no problem. Ramu is the expert here. Feel free to look around and ask him any questions you have. I have to make a call to Rohan. We can leave after that.’

  That should give her some time to compose her thoughts, to analyse this surge of new emotions that burbled up within her at the sight of Krish. And yet that was the last thing she wanted to do. What if she just gave in to the irresistible urge to ‘go with the flow’, discover what lay ahead, take it in her stride? She quickly finished her breakfast and sought refuge outdoors, away from the hypnotic thrall that Krish had her in.

  Krish couldn’t take his eyes off her. She looked both incredibly sexy and uber-feminine in her hip-hugging jeans and jacket ensemble, the purple T-shirt beneath adding a splash of vibrant colour. Since last night’s cosmic sex, all he wanted to do was to drag her back into bed, rip off her clothes and make slow, sensuous, sensational love to her. He felt an unfamiliar emotion squeeze his chest as he thought of how beautiful she had looked this morning, her hair spread across the pillow in a dark halo around her angelic face, her petal-soft lips partly open as she slept and her eyelashes forming thick veils on her smooth skin. She aroused in him a tenderness that he had never felt before. It bowled him over. It had always been about his desires, about instant gratification. No complications. Zero stress. And his dates were smart, sophisticated women, out for a good time, with whom he continued to be good friends after the affair had ended. That was the only kind of happy-ever-after he liked. Never before had he felt the desire to break his own rules. Until now. What was it about this woman that made him want to possess her and protect her, both at the same time?

  His BlackBerry buzzed. ‘Hey, Rohan, I was just about to call you.’

  It was only when Rohan wished him a happy birthday that he remembered he had turned thirty today. ‘Thanks, buddy. Have you heard from Singhal about the changes that we proposed to the JV contract?’

  ‘Mr Singhal has approved them and I have emailed the new draft to Mr Rushmore’s office in Sydney.’

  ‘Great. You can take care of the clients for another couple of days. We should be back tomorrow or the day after at the latest. Okay?’

  ‘Krish, it’s KD…He wants you to come back to Delhi ASAP.’

  ‘No can do. Tell him you can’t reach me.’

  ‘There is a delegation of executives coming in from London tonight and he has already informed them that you will be representing the Dev Group.’

  Krish sprang up from the chair. ‘What? Who are these guys? Why wasn’t I told about this earlier?’

  ‘Krish…I…KD said I should call you only after we reach Doon.’

  ‘You are in Dehradun? And who’s with you?’

  ‘Yeah…the pilot and me.’

  Krish was incredulous. ‘The pilot? KD has sent his precious G6?’

  ‘I’m sorry, Chief. KD threatened to fire me on the spot unless I told him where you were.’

  Rohan’s apology did little to pacify him. He was being bamboozled by KD and he hated it. But he also knew he had no choice in the matter if he was to stay true to his mother’s memory. He barked into the phone, ‘Okay, we will be there soon.’

  Krish snapped the BlackBerry shut. He should have known that KD would want his pound of flesh. After all, his mother had promised that Krish would meet his demands once he turned thirty. Trust KD not to waste a minute! He’d better get used to being at his father’s beck and call like a dog on a leash. The only difference was that this dog had the luxury of travelling in KD’s newest private jet—the Gulfstream G650. He picked up his laptop from the table and cased it as he called out to Ramu.

  * * *

  Maya breathed in the cool air and wrapped her arms around herself. Last night had been magical. She had been blown away by the chemistry that they shared. And it wasn’t just about the amazing sex. It was about being on the same wavelength at every level—intellectual, emotional, sensual. The kind of connection that she had always dreamt of sharing with someone special. The kind of bond her parents had shared with each other—and, even as a child, she knew that such rapport was rare. And, wonder of wonders, last night she had felt that connection with Krish. She knew that if there was one person she could fall completely and irrevocably in love with, it would be Krish.

  Oh my God! How was that possible? Not when he knew nothing about the real reason she’d married him. Not when she’d hidden the truth from him, let him believe that all she wanted from him was an easy life. A hot pang of guilt squeezed her heart at the thought. She braced herself as her happy thoughts scattered like leaves blowing in the wind. If she really believed that they shared a karmic connection, shouldn’t she just walk up to him and tell him the truth? Was she actually contemplating sharing her deepest secrets and sorrows with Krish? Did she really think that opening her heart to him could end in anything but disaster?

  Yet she couldn’t help but feel a sense of loss at what could have been. Last night, she had found something magical, only to realise that it was as ephemeral as the mist wrapping itself around the hills. A sudden chill settled in her heart and she turned back to the cottage and spotted Ramu rushing towards her. ‘Sahib is ready to leave.’

  As she approached the driveway, she noticed Krish piling his suitcase into the boot of the car.

  ‘Aren’t we coming back here tonight?’

  ‘Change of plan,’ he said curtly. ‘Go get your bags. We’ll be late.’

  He seemed preoccupied and remote. The sunny start to the day had already begun to fade away, as the overhanging clouds threatened to dampen the mood even more. She quickly packed her bag and rolled it out to the porch. Maybe they would stay over at a hotel tonight—Krish would tell her soon enough.

  She felt another pang of loss at leaving the cottage that would forever hold some of the most wondrous memories for her. Was it only yesterday that she had come to Deovan? But, within the span of a few hours, she knew that her life had somehow shifted gears. Something had changed for ever—things could never be the same again.

  As they drove past the rain-washed landscape she spotted some of the landmarks they had crossed the previous day and was surprised. She turned to Krish. ‘Aren’t we going to visit the resort sites?’

 
His eyes were hidden behind the designer shades he wore and his voice had an edge to it. ‘We are going back to Delhi.’

  She swallowed back the disappointment that choked her throat. ‘Oh, really? And you didn’t think I needed to know?’

  ‘Some urgent work has come up…You now have a pretty good idea of the terrain and the local flora. That should be more than enough for you to work on.’

  The hot words that rose to her lips dried up when a chilling thought flashed through her mind. What if this was what he’d had in mind all along? What if he’d never intended to visit the resort sites after he’d got what he wanted from her? Her mind tracked back to the conversation that they had in bed this morning. Of course! He had even suggested that they skip their visit altogether. Clearly, it wasn’t work that was on his mind, but what else—sex! And she, like the first class idiot that she was, had attached all kinds of meaning to it—fantasising about some kind of magical, karmic connection between them! The only connection that he wanted with her was of the sexual kind. Her hands clenched around her handbag as a sick feeling made her stomach churn.

  Krish glanced at her quizzically. ‘Is everything okay?’

  She bit back the bile that rose to her throat. ‘I’m fine. I was just thinking about the working arrangements in Delhi.’

  ‘You can use Sheetal’s office. She is the manager of the horticulture division.’

  ‘And where would that be—in the DGE office in Connaught Place?’

  ‘No, KD’s office within the farmhouse complex.

  Sheetal can also show you around the greenhouses if you would like that.’

  The implications of the working arrangements hit home. She would have access to KD’s office. The horticulture division was where she would find whatever she was looking for.

  She tried to collect her thoughts as she replied. ‘Great…but won’t KD mind if I…you know…just land up in his office?’

  Krish’s patience ran out, already stretched very thin by KD’s machinations. ‘Stop behaving like some overanxious intern on her first day at work. It will be fine.’