“Always knew you were a smart kid,” Voigt said, sounding gruff. “See you soon, Son.”
Jarryd hung up and broke into a sprint for his car. He may be confident in his manhood but he’d met Nik Shah and the guy was good-looking, charismatic and goddamn royalty. Which woman could resist that combination?
He picked up speed.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Desiree sat on Voigt’s faded suede sofa, her legs curled beneath her, spooning a second serve of payasam into her mouth.
She adored the dessert made from vermicelli, coconut, cardamom and jaggery, a particularly sweet sugar, and now that Nik Shah had left, Voigt had gone to bed and Prita had retired to her flat attached to the back of the house, she didn’t feel so guilty scoffing a second helping.
It had been a hell of an evening and she needed a sugar hit. Though she knew her comfort eating had more to do with the last few weeks than the astounding news that a maharaja had invited her to stay at his palace with a view to designing the interior of his proposed hotel.
When she came here to apologize to Voigt and put the past behind her once and for all, she never could’ve anticipated that she would’ve met the man who could propel her career into the stratosphere; without having to agree to some dumbass scheme to do it.
It hadn’t hurt that Nik had been attentive and flirtatious and gorgeous. Movie-star gorgeous. The type of guy to make a woman forget her name.
But while Desiree had enjoyed talking with him, she hadn’t felt a zing. Nothing compared to the zing she got from Jarryd.
She spooned the payasam into her mouth faster.
While she’d take great satisfaction in proving to him she didn’t need his help in accessing a big client like Nik Shah, she couldn’t help but wonder what it would’ve been like to prolong their ‘engagement’ for the sake of her business.
“Idiot,” she muttered, chastising herself for being a wuss. She’d ended the faux engagement because she didn’t want to be used and end up with a broken heart.
Considering how her chest ached at the thought of not seeing Jarryd anymore, she guessed one out of two wasn’t bad.
A loud rapping at the door made her jump and she set down her empty bowl and padded toward it, hoping it wasn’t Nik returning to bombard her with more potent stares from his mesmerizing green eyes.
There was only so much meaningful eye contact a girl could take in one night.
Smiling to herself, she opened the door. And staggered back a little.
“What are you doing here?” Open-mouthed, she stared at a disheveled Jarryd, whose crazy-eyed stare fixed on her as if she were a mirage.
His skin glistened with sweat, his hair spiked in all directions, his tie knot hung loose and his crumpled shirt looked like he’d slept in it.
“Is Nik Shah still here?”
Her mouth closed. So that’s what this was about. He’d hoped to score an impromptu business meeting to solidify his push to build Nik’s new hotel at the palace.
“No, and your father’s asleep, so keep your voice down.”
She had no right to scold him, not really, but it gave her pleasure to stare him down as she opened the door wider. “You may as well come in.”
“Gee, thanks,” he muttered, brushing past her and stomping into the living room.
“How did you know Nik was here?”
“Dad rang me,” he said, eyeballing her with a healthy dose of crazy. “So did the maharaja sweep you off your feet?”
In a more delusional moment, Desiree could’ve almost heard jealousy in Jarryd’s tone. But that would mean he cared and he’d proved repeatedly that he didn’t care for anything but his precious hotel.
“He’s an amazing man,” she said, throwing in a coy smile for good measure. “And you’ll be pleased to know he’s invited me to stay at the palace to check out his design needs.”
Jarryd’s cheeks flushed and she bit back the urge to laugh.
“You should stay away from men like that. They’re only after one thing,” he said, his voice tight with repressed anger.
“My design skills, you mean? Like you were?”
She scored a direct hit with her comeback as he gritted his teeth so hard a vein in his temple pulsed.
“Is that why you ended the engagement after a day? Because you already had this meeting with Nik lined up and knew you wouldn’t need me?” He took a step toward her then thought better of it. “Or did you want to see me making a fool of myself by announcing it and having to retract it a day or two later?”
“You don’t need me to make a fool of you. You’re doing a fine job of that on your own,” she said, wanting to slug him. “And for your information, I came to visit your dad to set some wrongs from the past right. He invited me to stay and meet Nik, who was already coming for dinner.”
Her eyes narrowed as her ire built. “Besides, I wouldn’t use anyone that way. I’m not you.”
He gaped momentarily before his jaw snapped shut with an audible click. She could see the storm of emotions in his tortured gaze but had no idea what they meant.
“Look, the redesign at the hotel is ahead of schedule. You approve of what I’ve done. Let’s just try to be civil for whatever time we have to work together and then you don’t have to ever see me again.”
“What happens if Nik wants me to develop his palace hotel?”
Her heart sank at the prospect but she waved away his concern. “We’re professionals and can keep things civilized while we work together for the duration.”
“Just work?”
He threw it out there like a hand grenade and she stared at him in growing horror, waiting for the detonation.
“You’re a shitty person,” she said, jabbing a finger in his direction. “After all this, you still expect me to sleep with you?”
“You weren’t averse to it before.”
She flinched as if he’d hit her. “We acted on a mutual attraction. But you put paid to anything developing between us when you offered yet another incentive for me to agree to your stupid false engagement.”
He grimaced, swiped a hand over his face. “I admit, not one of my finer moments. But I was hoping we could put all that behind us and move forward.”
“Move forward?” She mimicked, her voice rising along with her temper. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
She didn’t buy his little boy wounded look for a second.
“Why did you really come here, Jarryd?”
He floundered, his expression that of a man who’d been asked for the elixir to eternal youth.
She tapped her foot, impatience making her want to hurry this along so she could go curl up in bed and have a good old-fashioned cry. “An answer some time this century might be nice—”
“I care about you, dammit!” He dragged a hand through his messy hair. “Way too much to be good for me.”
He took a few steps away, then spun back toward her, his gaze confused but focused. “I didn’t want to care. I don’t do well with emotions. And I certainly don’t like trusting my heart to a woman.” He held his hands out in supplication. “But I’m crazy about you, Desee. And I want to put all the madness of the last week behind us and move forward.”
He crossed the room to stand in front of her. “What do you say? Are you willing to take a chance on an emotionally-stunted guy with major trust issues but who adores you regardless and will do his utmost to love you for as long as you’ll let me?”
Hope unfurled in Desiree’s heart as she tried to absorb the enormity of Jarryd’s declaration.
“You love me?”
He nodded, a glimmer of a smile breaking through the tension bracketing his mouth. “I think I fell for you a little six years ago, but talked myself out of it when all the crap went down with your mom and my dad.”
He reached for her and she let him snag her hands. “But during the whole, crazy fake relationship stuff over the last week, I kept thinking how much I wanted you and me to be real. Then when Dad rang tonight and
I thought I might lose you…”
He shook his head. “My day had been crap enough, with me thinking I’d pushed you away for good with that stupid engagement and your email confirmed it. Then when Dad said Nik and you hit it off—”
“You have nothing to be jealous about. Nik’s a good guy but he’s not my type.” She tried to hide her burgeoning smile and lost.
“Oh? And who is?”
“Uptight, loony property developers who try to coerce women to spend time with them by proposing outlandish schemes rather than being honest from the start.”
He grinned and tugged on her hands, pulling her closer. “So you like me back?”
“Yeah, go figure?” She flung herself into his arms and crushed her mouth to his to prove it.
After a long, hot kiss that went on forever, they eased apart, staring at each other in wonder.
“Guess that means you love me back,” he said, his arms clasped so tight around her waist like he’d never let go.
“Guess it does.”
She heard a voice clearing from behind her back and they turned to see Voigt in the doorway, grinning at the proof of his matchmaking skills.
“You look way too smug, old man,” Jarryd said, his arm around her waist. “But I have to thank you for giving me the kick in the ass that I needed.”
Desiree mouthed, “thank you,” and Voigt’s grin widened.
“If you two think that you’ll be staying in the same room tonight, think again.” Voigt clutched his chest. “An old man has old-fashioned values.”
“Go to bed, Dad. See you in the morning,” Jarryd said, chuckling.
“I know when I’m not wanted.” Voigt’s mock huff made them laugh. “‘Night, kids. You’ve made me very happy.”
“Me too,” Jarryd murmured, wrapping his arms around her and hugging tight. “This time, I intend to never let you go.”
Desiree liked the sound of that.
EPILOGUE
“I never should’ve let you honeymoon at my palace.” Nik Shah glared at Jarryd with mock outrage. “You’re not scoping out the potential for my new hotel, you’re too busy scoping out each other.”
Jarryd laughed and plucked another pakora from the silver platter between them. “That’s what honeymoons are for, my friend. You should try it some time.”
The amusement in Nik’s eyes faded and Jarryd inwardly cursed for being so insensitive. “My father had my bride picked out but when he died three months ago, her family rescinded.”
Jarryd’s tempestuous relationship with Desiree had been hard enough to figure out to get them to this point—happily married for a month since he’d convinced her to take a chance on a schmuck like him—he couldn’t imagine having a bride chosen for him.
“So who will arrange your marriage now?”
“Me,” Nik said, his tone ominous and a worried frown furrowing his brow. “I need a wife. Investors are getting angsty. A bachelor maharaja doesn’t convey confidence or stability in the region, apparently. So I must marry soon.”
“Any candidates?”
In the week Jarryd had been staying at the palace, he hadn’t seen Nik socialize. In fact, he hadn’t seen him leave the palace, with the maharaja citing work to keep him hidden away in his wing.
“Yes, there’s a woman. The only daughter of a Bollywood billionaire. I’m meeting her next week.” Nik’s shoulders slumped, like it was the last thing he wanted to do. “She comes from an excellent background and the economic repercussions of joining two powerful families will be advantageous to us both.”
By Nik’s expression, he’d rather hand-clean the entire palace walls than meet this woman, let alone marry her.
So Jarryd decided to lighten the mood. “Make sure when you propose, you repeat that romantic declaration.”
Nik managed a rueful chuckle. “I can’t expect a love-struck fool to understand the practicalities of a royal marriage.”
“You’ve got me there.” Jarryd popped the pakora in his mouth and chewed, savoring the spicy blend of chickpea flour, onion, spinach and turmeric. “As long as I get an invite to this momentous occasion, I’m happy.”
Nik nodded. “I’ve come to appreciate our friendship so of course you and Desiree will be here. Along with your father, of course. And Rory.”
Jarryd rolled his eyes. “You know your obsession with Bollywood films is ridiculous, right?”
Nik sniggered. “Just because Rory said I could walk the red carpet with him at his next premier, don’t go getting snooty.”
“Like I care.” Jarryd refrained from pointing out he and Voigt had both accompanied Rory at his first premier in Hollywood years ago. “And be careful, because if your prospective bride takes one look at my too-smug brother, she’s likely to run off with Rory instead.”
“Leave my bride to me,” Nik said, the lightheartedness fading from his voice again.
“You’re getting married, Nik?” Desiree appeared from behind a marble column and Jarryd’s heart gave a familiar thump that this gorgeous, intelligent woman had agreed to be his wife. “Who’s the lucky lady?”
“You’ll know soon enough.” Nik tempered his terse response with a smile as he stood and gestured at his chair. “Now come sit and talk to your husband while I attend to business.”
“You work too much,” Desiree said, thanking him with a smile. “Don’t forget we’re having dinner on the beach tonight.”
“You sure you want me tagging along?” Nik shifted his feet, as if uncomfortable. “Wouldn’t you two rather have a romantic dinner for two?”
Desiree waved away his concern and shot Jarryd a coy glance. “We’ve got the rest of our lives to be romantic. Please come.”
“Fine.” Nik nodded and waited until she sat before pushing in her chair. “I’ll see you both around seven.”
Desiree waited until Nik’s footfalls had faded into silence before eyeballing Jarryd with a look he’d learned meant business.
“Is Nik even dating anyone?” She glanced over her shoulder, as if expecting the maharaja to appear at any moment. “He’s always stuck inside on conference calls. Never goes out. Who is she?”
“Whoa, slow down.” Jarryd held up his hands and chuckled. “He’s meeting his bride next week.”
Desiree’s eyebrows shot skyward. “It’s an arranged marriage?”
Jarryd nodded. “He’s arranging it himself.”
Desiree puffed up in outrage. “But he’s so gorgeous and charismatic, he could have any woman he wants.”
Jarryd clutched his heart. “Ouch. Guess I should be glad you picked me and not your gorgeous, charismatic Nik.”
“Don’t be an idiot,” she said, blowing him a kiss. “I thought someone like him wouldn’t need to enter into an arranged marriage.”
“I’d say it’s something his family have been doing for centuries and he wants to continue the tradition.” Jarryd reached across a tucked a strand of hair behind his wife’s ear. “On the upside, we’re invited.”
Interest sparked Desiree’s eyes. “Imagine the hoopla a royal wedding will entail.”
He smiled. “Do you wish we’d had a big wedding, rather than the simple ceremony on Saravan beach?”
Desiree’s expression softened in the same way it did before he kissed her and damn if his heart didn’t kathump again. “Our wedding was perfect. Voigt and Rory are the only family we needed there.”
Her expression shifted to contemplative. “Besides, we both know a big wedding would’ve had the press hounding us for months and this way, we get our privacy back and silence all the naysayers who thought I’d ditch you at the altar anyway.”
“True.” He reached across the table and captured her hand, brushing the back of it with his thumb. “And just think, if you’d ditched me, you would’ve missed out on a lifetime of happiness.”
“Modest, much?” She smiled and eased her hand out of his. “Now move your chair back so your wife can sit on your lap and kiss you.”
“Best offer I’ve
had all day.” He pushed his chair away from the table, unable to tear his eyes away from his elegant wife as she stood.
Even in a simple white maxi dress that ended above her ankles, her hair in a ponytail and no make-up, she was breathtaking.
“You’ve got that look,” she said, sitting on his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck.
“What look?”
She leaned down to whisper in his ear. “The look that says we need to adjourn to the bedroom.”
“A mind reader as well as beautiful,” he murmured, brushing a kiss against the corner of her mouth. “How did I get so lucky?”
“You could get luckier,” she said, standing in a fluid movement and tugging him to his feet. “Shall we?”
Jarryd didn’t have to be asked twice.
He’d follow this amazing, incredible woman anywhere she wanted to go.
The bedroom was a good start.
Keen to read Nik Shah’s story?
BRAZEN IN BOLLYWOOD is releasing January 2017, available for pre-order now!
Nik Shah, ruler of Munnipar, needs a wife. The province on India’s glamorous Riviera is in disarray. To restore stability and boost financial coffers, he must marry the daughter of a Bollywood billionaire. However, a case of mistaken identity means his new bride is not what he expects!
Elena Cook is the heiress to Australia’s largest PR firm and determined to prove her worth to her tyrannical father.
She’ll do anything, including marrying a maharaja.
But what will she do when their cool business dealings during the day morph into hot brazen nights?
Missed Shari and Drew’s hilarious romance?
BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD, out now, from all retailers.
Chapter One
Look up stupid in the dictionary and you’ll find my picture.
Along with revealing stats: Shari Jones, twenty-nine, five-seven, black hair, hazel eyes, New Yorker. Addicted to toxic men like my ex, cheesecake, and mojitos (not necessarily in that order), and willing to do anything for a friend, including travel to India and impersonate aforementioned friend in an outlandish plot to ditch her fiancé.
Breathless in Bollywood Page 10