The polar opposite of her reaction to Raj.
Putting down her tea when her stomach twisted again, Nayna said, “Say good morning to Aji for me when she gets back from her stroll. I think I’ll go to the office early. I’m hoping to open up some time so I can take ísa to brunch for her birthday tomorrow.” If ísa’s divorced parents held true to form, they’d forget their daughter’s birthday.
“Eat some cereal or toast before you go,” her mother ordered. “Or at least take one of those bar things you like—I went to the shop and bought a new box for you yesterday. Raj is a big strong man. He won’t want a wife who can’t keep up with him.”
Groaning inwardly at the continued hope in her mother’s eyes—echoed by the slight smile on her father’s face—Nayna grabbed an apricot-flavored breakfast bar. She was about to escape to the sanctuary of her car when her mother called out, “I’ll make a cake for ísa, one of those small, flourless chocolate ones she likes. You two can share it over brunch.”
“Do you want a fancy box for it?” her father grumbled from behind his morning newspaper. “I’ll pick one up from John’s shop when I go to the office to get some papers.”
Love overwhelmed Nayna all over again. “Thank you,” she said, her throat thick. “I’m sure ísa would love that.”
Her mind was a whirl of confusion. She did not want to break their hearts. Madhuri had hurt them so much—first by running away with her boyfriend, then by staying out of touch for a long six months while they were all frantic. Part of Nayna would never forgive her sister for that selfishness. Their parents had even called the police, they’d been so frightened something had happened to her.
The police had told them that Madhuri was an adult who’d left of her own free will. There was nothing they could do. Nayna could still remember the deep grooves of strain and worry that had marked her father’s face, the extreme thinness of her mother. And Aji, who’d prayed night and day for her granddaughter’s safety.
No, Nayna couldn’t bear for them to be hurt that deeply ever again. She’d lived the life she had, made the choices she had, because of those memories of terrible pain. But more and more, she felt like she couldn’t breathe, as if her entire life was a cage. The only freedom she’d found had been that moonlit night in Raj’s arms.
She squeezed the steering wheel and thought of the passion and of the man who’d asked her if she liked rock climbing and Egypt. Maybe that could’ve been something, but she’d wrecked it with words spoken in panic. The chance was gone.
“It was only a fantasy,” she reminded herself softly. “For one night only.”
11
Uh-Oh… and Uh-Oh Again
Nayna was grateful for the work she had to clear if she wanted to take part of the morning off tomorrow. It kept her mind from wandering, and one particular project was so absorbing that she jumped when her cell phone vibrated with an incoming text message.
Taking a quick glance to make sure it wasn’t a client with an urgent request, she felt her heart kick.
We should go to lunch and have a proper talk. No point trying to make a decision about the rest of our lives based on two short meetings. That is, if you’re interested in my brain now. – Raj
Mouth dry and her blood roaring in her ears, Nayna stared at the phone for a long minute before carefully putting it aside and returning to work. She did not have the head space to deal with this. Also, how had he gotten her cell phone number anyway? Her parents? Tara?
When ísa called not long afterward, Nayna spilled all. She also found herself telling her best friend that she was going to accept the lunch offer, though in truth, she wasn’t sure. She had no idea what Raj was up to, no idea what she wanted, and no idea what this would cost her.
Putting her head down, she continued to work, well aware she was avoiding the issue.
The shrill ring of her desk phone not long after ten interrupted her in the middle of a complex piece of work factoring in exchange rates and payments made across two continents. She should’ve already finished this, but she kept glancing at her cell phone, her head tangled up in a chaos of thoughts.
She picked up the receiver while frowning at a spreadsheet laid out across her wide screen. “Nayna Sharma,” she said even as her brain attempted to reconcile two figures. The client’s bookkeeping staff must’ve—
“Hello, Nayna.”
Her brain froze, her hand clenching on the receiver. That voice… Dark water cascading over her senses. A husky roughness in her ear. A pointed oh at the mention of parties and Nayna being a good girl.
Raj didn’t balk at her silence. “How many teaspoons of sugar was it?”
“Seven,” she said, finding her voice. “Why are you messaging and calling me? It’s protocol for the families to touch base.” She didn’t actually know if that was true, but it sounded right.
“Don’t you want to know?” A rumbling question that sounded serious. “Whether we could be something?”
Nayna’s hand curled on her desk, the temptation fierce. In her mind rang the advice she’d given her best friend just last night, right at the end of their conversation, while Nayna was hyperventilating in the bathroom.
I’ve played it safe my whole life, and now I feel like I’m going to shatter if I don’t spread my wings. Take a chance. Make that mistake. Even if it hurts… At least you’ll have lived instead of being driven by fear.
Strong words. True words. But could she take a chance this big?
“I told my parents no more introductions,” Raj said when she remained silent, his voice holding the dark intensity she’d noticed from their first meeting. “I also told them no interference.”
Her cell phone buzzed with an incoming text message. It was from her mother:
Raj’s parents called. It’s very strange, beta, but they said Raj will talk to you himself. It’s not how this is done, but I suppose he’s more modern. I think maybe he wants to talk properly to you—I told your father it’s the way things are now. Okay, tell us when he calls.
Nayna read the hope between the lines, and her heart hitched again. But she knew she couldn’t let her parents influence any decision she made. It was her time to live, her time to stretch her wings and fly out of the cage.
A sudden rush of sound from the other end of the phone line, including a voice calling Raj’s name. “I have to go. Site manager needs to talk to me. What’s your answer?”
It was strange, but his brusque bluntness made her relax. This man wouldn’t play games with her. If he broke her heart into a million pieces, it wouldn’t be done in malice. With her and Raj, all the cards would always be on the table… and maybe, just maybe, she shouldn’t cut off her nose to spite her face.
After all, she’d chosen him first, before her parents and his got involved in the matter. “I’ll meet you at one,” she said, her heart a pounding drumbeat.
* * *
Raj had intended to change his T-shirt at least before he arrived to meet Nayna, but an entire wall had threatened to go wrong at the site when an apprentice used the wrong size nail, and he’d spent precious time fixing the error so his builders could complete another part of the job without delay. As a result, he arrived at the nice little café in sophisticated Mount Eden, sweaty and with dust on his T-shirt and jeans. He didn’t notice his work boots were edged with dirt until he stepped out of his utility truck.
He had washed his face and hands and arms, but he definitely wasn’t in any state to be meeting the sexy and beautiful woman who was crossing the road to the café just as he walked up from another direction. She wasn’t wearing her glasses, had her hair up. Her skirt suit was stoplight red and hugged her body in all the right places—and he wasn’t the only male who had noticed.