by Sara Desai
“Daisy told me all about your distillery problem, your fake engagement, and your dating plan.” Fully recovered from his emotional outburst, Mr. Patel wasted no time as soon as he was seated at the table with a fresh cup of coffee.
“I’m sorry.” Liam’s hand tightened around his cup. “I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. I shouldn’t have asked her to—”
Mr. Patel cut him off with an abrupt wave of his hand. “The time for that is past. The question is, what are your intentions?”
“I love her,” Liam said quietly, grateful for the opportunity to discuss Daisy without having to bring it up himself. “I always have. I want to marry her, if she’ll have me. I want to spend my life trying to make her happy.” He caught his breath when Mr. Patel frowned. “If you approve . . .”
“Hmm.” Mr. Patel’s lips quivered at the corners. “You would have to meet the family.”
“Of course.”
“Lucky for you, I asked them all to get together at the house this evening.” He finished his coffee in one swallow and pushed out his chair. “Let’s see what they have to say.”
Friday, 6:16 P.M.
LIAM: Confirming Impromptu Date #7. Patel residence. Objectives: Beg Daisy’s forgiveness, meet Daisy’s family, eat delicious food.
Liam’s palms began to sweat as soon as Mr. Patel pushed open the front door. He needed to get a grip. He’d sat through meetings with some of the biggest venture capitalists and CEOs in the business. How bad could one family dinner be?
“I just got your text. What are you doing here?” Daisy accosted him in the hallway between piles of shoes. If she hadn’t been wearing a curve-hugging gray minidress printed with Marvel superheroes and a pair of naughty schoolgirl knee socks, he might have been able to give her a coherent response, but all he could do was stare. One week seemed like a lifetime, and he drank her down like he was dying of thirst.
“Answer me,” she demanded, her forehead creasing in a frown.
“Beta, no need to shout.” Her father kissed her cheek. “Liam asked to meet me to explain what happened in the past. And since you’re engaged, I thought it would be a good time for him to meet the family. He’s as surprised as you are.”
“We’re not engaged,” she said, dropping her voice low. “I explained that to you. It wasn’t real.”
“Your aunties and uncles think it’s real. And Liam has just declared his intentions.”
Daisy’s eyes narrowed. “What intentions? Our arrangement is over.” She turned on Liam. “You said so yourself just before YOU LEFT.”
Heart drumming in his chest, Liam looked to Mr. Patel for help, but Daisy’s father just smiled.
“I’ll get everyone together in the living room and let you know when we’re ready.” He walked away, humming along to the music that was blasting through the house.
“Why are you doing this?” Daisy asked, leaning against the wall. “I thought we were done. Is it the distillery? I thought you’d decided to give it up when you moved to New York.”
There was too much to say, and this wasn’t the place for a heartfelt talk, especially after he’d just been set up for an interrogation by ambush. Maybe if he appealed to her logical side. “I like to finish what I start. Seeing a plan through to the end, even a dating plan, is just good business.”
“Business?” She glared at him. “You think this is business? I love you, Liam. That’s not business. That has to do with my heart. And you broke it. Again.”
She loved him. She loved him still.
“We’re all ready.” Mr. Patel waved them into the living room and gestured Liam to one of the kitchen chairs that had been placed in the center of the room.
Liam’s mouth went dry as he took in the overwhelming number of people crammed into the small space. The furniture had been pushed against the walls, and it was standing room only for all but the elderly.
“He’s very pale,” someone said when he settled in his seat. “Maybe he’s hungry.”
Taara pushed her way forward and handed Liam a plastic container and a fork, a smile on her face. “This one is new, but I made your favorite. Five containers. I put them in the fridge.”
Mehar groaned. “What are you doing, Taara? We need him alive to answer questions.”
“Why are you always making fun of my food?” Taara blocked Mehar from snatching the container out of Liam’s hand. “It’s my new fusion dish, spaghetti fish pickle masala oat surprise. My boys loved it.”
“I thought one of them had to go to the hospital to get his stomach pumped.”
“It was a virus.” Taara patted Liam’s arm. “And Liam likes my food. We saw him and Daisy at the hockey game, and he ate a whole container of Shark Stew.”
A murmur of awe whispered through the crowd.
“He also ate an entire dish of extra hot pork vindaloo at the restaurant.” Amina gave Liam a shy smile. “He finished every bite.”
Nods. Smiles. So far so good. He could always kill it when it came to food.
A lean man in a blue pullover cleared his throat. “I heard you were Sanjay’s friend. Are you a doctor, too?”
“I’m in venture capital.”
“Business.” The man sniffed, and Liam’s confidence slipped a few notches. No. He wasn’t going down that road again. He’d worked hard to pull himself out of the hole he’d dug in high school, and he was proud of his accomplishments. Daisy loved him even though he was just a businessman.
“What about a house?” An elderly man asked. “Do you own a house?”
“No, I rent.”
“Renter?” The man looked at Salena, standing beside him. “No house. Where will the children live?”
“Maybe he doesn’t want children.” Salena cocked her head to the side. “Do you want children?”
Liam had never thought about children, but as he sat in the midst of Daisy’s warm, loving family, he realized he desperately wanted a family of his own. “Yes. Very much.”
“Very good.” The elderly man smiled, and hope swelled in Liam’s chest. Daisy should have warned him that meeting her family would be an emotional roller coaster ride.
“What about a car?” A boy of around fourteen shouted to be heard. “What do you drive?”
“I had a motorcycle . . .” His breath caught, and suddenly he was back on the road, the truck bearing down on him and nowhere to go. His pulse kicked up a notch. Sweat beaded on his brow.
“Liam?” Daisy knelt by his side, her face creased with concern. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.” He shook himself, pushed the memory away. He’d been so busy blaming himself he clearly hadn’t fully processed the trauma, and this wasn’t the time. “Any other questions?”
Wrong thing to say. The questions flew thick and fast.
Liam shared his views on politics and religion, his passing familiarity with baseball, and his predictions for the Stanley Cup. He was lauded for visiting Daisy at the vet clinic, buying an expensive sherwani from Nira’s store—he didn’t even haggle!—and for sitting outside Daisy’s hospital room for three whole days. But he was also grilled on his ten-year absence from the city, his lack of college education, and his distant family.
Finally, they were allowed to eat. Daisy laughed when she saw his plate. “You’ll get brownie points for having a good appetite.”
“I’m trying to drown my sorrows in food. I kept hearing Roshan’s name every time I turned around. I’m not sure if that means I failed the test.”
“He’s your competition and every desi father’s dream.” She scooped some butter chicken with a piece of naan. “They gave him the two thumbs-up of approval.”
Liam felt a stab of jealousy at the thought that a man, pre-vetted by the family, was waiting in the wings to snatch Daisy away. No doubt, he had an acceptable degree, a house and car, and all the things a family could want in a husb
and for Daisy.
But Roshan didn’t love her.
And she didn’t love him.
“Why are you here?” She asked after they’d finished their meal. “I thought you were moving back to New York. What about the partnership?” She fiddled with the belt around her waist, the soft gray tassels flicking through her fingers.
“They gave me a week to decide, but I don’t need the time.” He balanced his plate on his knees and reached for her hand. “What I want is right here. I love you. I wanted to tell you the day of our motorcycle ride, and then the accident happened, and I couldn’t forgive myself for hurting you again.”
“Just like before,” she murmured.
“This time was different.” He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. “I’d told you all my secrets, opened myself up, and instead of rejecting me, you told me you loved me. It changed everything for me. It made me realize what was important in my life. It gave me the strength to reconcile with Brendan and to discover the truth about my father. I don’t need the partnership to be worthy. It comes from in here.” He brought her hand to his heart. “I didn’t need fake dates and a spreadsheet to fall in love with you because I’ve always loved you. I just needed to believe in myself, before I could accept that you loved me, too.”
Friday, 11:00 P.M.
LIAM: Re: Date #7. Were objectives achieved?
DAISY: Forgiveness objective still under consideration.
LIAM: What are you doing right now?
DAISY: Sleeping.
LIAM: Your light is on.
DAISY: How do you know?
LIAM: Still waiting outside for an Uber.
DAISY: It’s cold. Maybe you should wait inside.
LIAM: On my way. Make room in the bed.
DAISY: Very presumptuous. You have not been forgiven.
LIAM: Will do whatever you want. Walk on bed of hot coals. Whip self with cat o’ nine tails. Eat five containers of Shark Stew. Fly to India to buy you Kurkure Masala Munch. Grovel and kiss your pretty feet.
DAISY: Come to me.
LIAM: Front or back door?
DAISY: Sanjay’s window.
* * *
• • •
DAISY sat by Sanjay’s window and watched Liam try, for the fifth time, to climb the tree beside the house. He was definitely not as spry as he used to be. Back when they were teenagers, he and Sanjay had made the climb with practiced ease, gaining momentum by running across the lawn and jumping to grab hold of the thick branch that brushed up against the porch. From there, they had swung to a higher branch and then crawled onto the roof. So far, Liam had fallen from the lower branch three times, missed it twice, and once, he had run right into the trunk of the tree. He was covered in cuts and bruises, but he still hadn’t given up.
This time he started farther back, ran faster, hit the garden, then leaped into the air. The crash was spectacular. His landing audible. Only the thickness of the rosebush saved him from serious injury. But oh, those thorns.
He was fading by the time he finally managed to get on the first branch. There were no swings or acrobatics. No grins or funny antics. He climbed slowly and steadily to the second branch, then shimmied onto the roof. Sweating and bleeding, his shirt torn, thick hair now a tangled mop, he crawled up the steep incline until he reached the window.
He knocked.
She lifted the window the tiniest bit. “Yes?”
Puzzled, he frowned. “You asked me to come.”
“Oh.” She shook her head, feigning confusion. “That was ages ago. I’m about to go to sleep.”
“Daisy.” His head dropped back and he groaned. “Please.”
Taking pity on him, she opened the window and let him in. “You can clean up in the washroom,” she whispered. “But be very quiet.”
By the time he returned, she’d positioned herself on her mattress wearing only a Marvel Universe T-shirt featuring all her favorite Avengers. Liam collapsed on the bed beside her, seemingly oblivious to the fact that she had nothing on underneath.
“What’s wrong?” She snuggled against him, head on his chest, listening to the pounding of his heart.
“I can’t move.” He groaned again as he pulled her into his side. “Everything hurts. My hands are covered in cuts. I have thorns in places thorns shouldn’t be, and bruises in places I don’t want to think about.”
“That’s too bad.” Daisy took his hand and placed it on her bare bottom. “No Avengers protectors down here today. I guess you won’t be able to take advantage.”
He squeezed her ass, a low, contented rumble vibrating in his chest. “I’m starting to feel better.”
“What if I do this?” She tipped her head to nibble kisses along his jaw, rough with a five-o’clock shadow.
“Why aren’t you whispering?” Hard hands pulled her over his body, sliding under her shirt until his thumbs skimmed the sides of her breasts.
“Why would I?” She turned her face into his throat, drawing in the scent of him.
“We don’t want to wake your dad and Priya.” He parted his legs, forcing hers to follow, leaving her vulnerable to the exquisite sensation of his hard shaft pressing against her beneath his fly.
“They aren’t here.” Her breath was already coming too fast, her body going liquid. She’d wanted to control this encounter, but the minute he touched her she couldn’t think.
Liam froze, his hands mere inches away from her breasts. “Then why didn’t I come in the door?”
“Because you left me and broke my heart,” Daisy said. “And I liked watching you climb more than I would like to see you grovel or eat five containers of Shark Stew.”
“Wicked woman.” With one hand fisted in her hair, he pulled her down for a kiss. His tongue met hers, lighting a fire inside her. Pushing herself to sit she tugged his shirt over his head. Her mouth watered at the sight of his chest, firm and lean, taut with muscles. Running her fingers down the trail of soft hair to his belly, she reached for his belt.
“Christ, Daisy.” He gently pushed her hand away. “It’s been so long and I’ve missed you so much. You can’t imagine how much I want you, but if you undo my belt, I’ll finish before we even start.” He slid his hands under her shirt and pushed it up. She helped him pull it over her head and he cupped her breasts, thumbs rubbing over her nipples.
Her blood turned to lava in her veins and she moaned in desperation.
“You’re killing me, sweetheart,” he murmured. “I love to hear how much you need me.”
His arms wrapped around her and he pulled her down to kiss her again, deeper and harder, forging an unbreakable connection between them. Without warning, he rolled, pinning her to the bed with the weight of his body. Once settled between her legs, he kissed his way down her neck to her breasts. She threaded her hands through his hair as he closed his mouth around her nipple, her back arching at the sheer pleasure of his warm, wet mouth.
“Take off your clothes,” she demanded. She could feel his hard length beneath his jeans, the rough fabric a delicious burn against the sensitive skin of her inner thighs. But she didn’t want to wait anymore.
Liam pushed up in one fluid movement and peeled his jeans off, stealing the breath from her lungs. Even with all the cuts and bruises, he had a beautiful body, a dark sensuality that called to her soul.
When he returned to the bed, she drew his mouth to her breast, holding him to her as he electrified every inch of her skin with gentle nips and deep sucking pressure. Her body melted into the bed, as he kissed her all the way down, parting her legs with his broad shoulders to bare her to the magic of his tongue. He knew just where to touch, where to lick, and what she needed to send her over the edge, shattering her world into heat and light and wrenching pleasure.
“I want to be inside you.” His low, gravelly whisper sent erotic tingles over her skin.
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Languid with release, yet desperate for more, she answered him with a kiss. He rifled in his pocket for a condom and deftly rolled it on.
“Are you hot for me?” He pushed a thick finger inside her and the delicious sensation made her arch off the bed.
“Yes.” Her words came in a breathless rush. “Now. I want you now.”
“Say the magic words.”
Her desire raged, fuzzed her brain with lust. “Please?”
“No.”
Daisy groaned. “No games.”
“Say my name.”
This time there were no secrets between them. This time she wanted him for who he was.
“Liam,” she murmured. “My Liam.”
His heated gaze never left her as he drew up her legs and thrust deep. Molten heat streamed through her veins, threatening to incinerate her. She cupped his neck, pulling him forward. “Don’t stop.”
“Never.” With long, powerful strokes he drove into her, stoking her passion. When her legs began to shake, he took her mouth in a hot, wet kiss, and then he hammered into her, arms corded, hips rocking, sweat beading on his brow. She grabbed his shoulders, caught his rhythm, tension spiraling inside her until she was swept away in a tidal wave of sensation, her insides clenching in a deep, pulsing rush of pleasure. Liam threw his head back, his body going rock hard as he joined her in release.
He collapsed over her, pressed his face into her neck as she panted her breaths beneath him. His hand found hers, and he brought their twined fingers to his rapidly pounding heart.
“Feel what you do to me, sweetheart.”
She felt him, knew him, opened herself to the love he offered, and gave her love in return.
• 32 •
HAMISH had closed for lunch. The shades were down and the store was quiet when Liam walked in. A vast array of unhealthy foods littered the counter, takeout boxes open to reveal almost everything the doctor had told him not to eat.
“Are you trying to kill yourself?” Liam had come for a distraction. Two days of not hearing from Daisy was killing him. Had he been accepted or not? Did her family approve or had they decided Roshan with the two-thumbs-up five-star rating was the better option?