by Sara Desai
LIAM: If no, will steal you away so we can elope.
LIAM: Max can come, too.
Saturday, 12:25 P.M.
LIAM: Paging Humraaz. Where are you? What about the plan?
LIAM: Joking about Max. Dogs not allowed in chapel.
LIAM: I chose an Elvis song: “Can’t Help Falling in Love.”
Saturday, 12:36 P.M.
LIAM: Talked to your neighbor. You’re getting married. All Shook Up.
Bile rose in Daisy’s throat when she read the last message, and she stared at her brother, aghast. “Oh God, Sanjay. Liam went to the house to see me, and our neighbor told him this was my wedding! He thinks I’m marrying someone else.” Her heart pounded so hard she thought it might explode. She called and messaged, but Liam didn’t answer his phone. “What if he goes back to New York?” Her voice shook as panic took hold. “I have to find him.”
• 33 •
DAISY checked her phone again as she ran down the road to her car. Liam hadn’t responded to her messages. Where was he? She had his work address, but she had never been to his apartment. Would he have gone straight to the airport? Would he have stopped at Brendan’s place to say goodbye? She knew all about his plans to fix up the distillery with Brendan and his dream of starting his own venture capital company after he turned down the Evolution partnership. Snuggled together in the dark after he’d climbed over the roof to be with her, they’d shared their hopes for the future and their regrets about the past. Would he give up his dreams to go back to New York? Maybe he’d just gone for a drink at the Rose & Thorn . . .
She reached the corner of Sheridan and Montgomery just as the heavens opened. Across from an open field, with only the grand Presidio buildings behind her, she was totally exposed. Her salwar kameez, a lavender faux georgette pantsuit with jewel-tone beadwork and an embroidered floral pattern, provided little protection from the downpour. With no umbrella and a ten-minute walk ahead of her, she wrapped her dupatta around her and raced for the nearest bus shelter to wait out the storm.
Fists clenched, fingernails biting into her palms, she paced in short spans, willing the rain to stop before it was too late. An engine rumbled in the distance. She poked her head around the glass and saw the silhouette of a motorcycle inching slowly through the rain.
Unlike Liam’s sleek and sporty XDiavel, this motorcycle was a monster, slow and steady, the mechanics encased in shiny blue, black, and chrome.
The motorcycle rumbled to an unsteady stop at the curb in front of her. She recognized Liam even before he pulled the helmet off his head. Who else would find her at a bus stop in the rain?
Her heart lifted in her chest, filling her with light, her voice with wonder. “You came.”
Liam parked the bike and joined her in the shelter, pulling her into his arms. Her light clothes were instantly soaked, but she didn’t feel anything but the warmth in Liam’s eyes.
“I hope you’re not married to Roshan because I’m going to kiss you.” His voice was rough and tender at once. “And then I’m going to challenge him to a fight. No one can beat an Irishman in a brawl.”
She drank in the slightly mussed dark hair, the clear blue eyes, the cocky smile. “I’m not married.”
“Thank God.” He let out a shuddering breath. “I’m still bruised from climbing onto your roof.” He framed her face between his warm palms and met her gaze. Everything inside her clicked into place. She was exactly where she needed to be.
“I thought I lost you once,” he said softly. “I’m not going to lose you again.”
She melted against him, her lips yielding to his passionate kiss.
“Tell me this is real,” Liam murmured, nuzzling her neck. “Did your dad say yes?”
“I don’t need anyone to tell me what I know in my heart.” She slid her hand around his nape and pulled him close. “I love you. I want you and only you. So, yes, Liam. This is real.”
Liam dropped down to one knee and clasped her hand. “From the first day we first met, I knew I needed you in my life. You took the chaos and made it calm. You lifted my heart with your smile and awed me with your brilliant mind. I kept every secret valentine, every scribbled note, your stuffed rabbit, and the answer to every math question I gave you. I hoped one day to be the kind of man you could love, a man who would hold and cherish you, a man worthy of you, and who would protect you with the sword you are going to allow him to have at our wedding.” He fumbled in his pocket. “I didn’t really plan this . . .”
Daisy laughed. “Of course not.”
“I did try, but it wasn’t me, and if I had, I would have missed this incredible opportunity to turn the ultimate cinematic symbol of uncontrollable passion upside down and make the fantasy of a love so intense that nothing else matters into something real.”
Her face softened. “You remembered all that?”
“I remember every moment I spend with you.” He pulled out a silver ring with a Sharks logo on top. “I keep my fan gear in Hamish’s warehouse. I grabbed it when I left with the bike, just in case.” He slipped the ring on her finger. “Daisy Patel, my humraaz, love of my life, will you marry me?”
Her happiness bubbled over and she punched her fist in the air. “Go Sharks!”
“Is that a yes?” He looked up, frowning. “It’s a little less romantic than I had anticipated . . .”
“Of course it’s a yes.” She pulled him up and kissed him, her body pressed against his, their hearts beating as one.
“So . . .” Liam pulled back. “Date #8. Wedding. If we want to finish the dating plan in the allotted time, we’ll need to pick up my sherwani and sword and book our flights to Vegas.”
“Is that what you want?” Plans and lists and schedules were the furthest thing from her mind now that her heart was so full.
“I want you to be happy, and if finishing the plan the way we wrote it makes you happy, then that’s what I want to do.”
“Plans can be changed.” Daisy shrugged. “Rules can be broken.”
“I think I might have proposed to the wrong woman.” His lips whispered over hers, and he followed the touch with a long, soft kiss that scrambled her brain.
“It would be a terrible waste if you only wore your expensive sherwani for a ten-minute wedding.” She ran a finger along the edge of his jaw. “And that sword. No one would see it but me and Elvis. Not even Sam.”
Liam sighed. “That would be a terrible tragedy.”
“What if we amended the plan to change the date?” She feathered kisses along his jaw. “And maybe instead of Vegas, we could have it here, and invite your family, and my family, and there would be music and dancing and lots of food.”
Liam twisted his lips to the side as if considering. “Pork vindaloo?”
“Extra hot.”
“Jalebis?”
“Of course.”
“I want all the food we had at your dad’s house the other night and at the Dosa Palace, plus Priya’s cake.”
“Done.”
“And no Shark Stew.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“What about the crunchy treats?”
“Kurkure Masala Munch? You’d be the groom. You could have as much as you could eat.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “I can eat a lot.”
“You won’t be disappointed.”
He rubbed his lips with his finger. “I suppose just this once I can agree. I’ll expect the amended spreadsheet by the end of the day.”
Daisy pressed up against him, sliding her fingers through his damp hair. “How about we go to your place and amend it together? Our fake wedding day starts at midnight, and I want you naked in a bed that isn’t broken to celebrate the end of the plan.”
“Spreadsheet birthday sexy times.” He gave a satisfied growl. “I’m in.” He turned, gesturing to his bike. “Whenever you
’re ready to ride again, your chariot awaits. It has the highest pillion seat safety rating and I’ve bought you head-to-toe body armor to go with it.”
Daisy laughed. “Seriously? Is that your new bike?”
“It will be as soon as I sign the paperwork. I finally understood something Hamish told me.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s not about the ride. It’s about who is in the pillion seat.”
• 34 •
“LIAM!” Daisy’s eyes widened when she saw him in the mirror behind her. She’d slipped out of the tech conference to smooth down her hair before her pitch session. “What are you doing in the ladies’ restroom?”
“I have to show you something, and I thought I’d get arrested if I pulled it out in public.”
Her gaze dropped below his belt, and he laughed. “I always knew you had a dirty mind.” He opened his sports bag and pulled out a sword. “I’m talking about this.”
“Oh my God.” Daisy groaned. “You picked up your sherwani, didn’t you? Our wedding is six months away.”
“Deepa called to say it was ready, and Sanjay wanted to see it. I couldn’t wait.” He beamed, and Daisy knew it wasn’t just about the sword. After a long conversation, Sanjay and Liam were as tight as they’d ever been. When they were all together at her father’s house, joking around and throwing snark, it was like time had stood still.
Liam held the sword up to the light. “The outfit is in my new SUV, but I was afraid to leave the sword in case someone stole it.” He lunged forward, thrusting at the menstrual pad dispenser. “En garde. I will protect my lady’s honor with my life.”
“If you keep that up, you’ll get a sword full of pads.”
“Don’t you need them for your pitch? A few strokes and I can fell the evil machine and you can have all the pads you want.” He lifted an admonishing eyebrow. “Or do you prefer to steal them?”
“I did not steal them,” she huffed. “And I’m not Tyler. I had all my product samples packed and ready for the pitch three days ago. I have backups and backups for the backups as well as three copies of all the documents, and I’ve practiced my pitch so many times I could do it in my sleep.” When she hadn’t heard back from Tanya, she’d assumed the worst, and had arranged to attend the Vizio Tech Con to try and find investors for the new, streamlined Organicare, with its cutting-edge branding.
“I would expect no less.” Liam slashed with the sword. “And if you get rejected, I’ll pay them a little visit in the middle of the night.”
Her lips quivered as she fought back an amused smile. “Your lady has a pitch to give, so how about you put the sword away and give her a kiss for luck?”
With a soft growl, Liam grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into his chest, grinding his hips against her black suit skirt. “How about we exchange this sword for another?”
“You also have work to do at the conference today,” she said, trying to maintain the dignity and professionalism of a CEO while her very hot, very sexy, very real fiancé stoked the heat of her desire. “There are a dozen excited young entrepreneurs waiting to pitch to your new company and I think they might be put off if you showed up with any kind of sword.”
He gave a satisfied rumbled of pleasure. “Brendan and Jaxon are going to love it. I’m going to take it out to the distillery tomorrow and show them some moves after we check the new wash back tanks. Are you sure you can’t come?”
“Layla’s wedding is only a few weeks away, but I’m sure you could convince Sam to join you for a sword fight.” Sam and Liam had, of course, become sword-toting besties, while alternately sneaking into Krishna Fashions every week to slip Deepa a few dollars to ensure she knew who to call if she found a bigger sword.
Liam’s shoulders slumped, and he tucked his sword back in his sports bag. “How about I take off your fancy new suit and sheath my non-lethal sword somewhere that will make you scream my name in pleasure?”
Biting back a laugh, Daisy tried to put on a stern face. “Because I might have all the Avengers protecting me today.”
His face brightened with interest. “Let me see. I have a surprise that would make the imminent destruction of the Avengers worthwhile.”
“A surprise in your pants?”
“No, a surprise in the mail.” He laughed when she gave him a puzzled frown. “Aunt Roisin sent us an early wedding gift before she left for her ayurveda retreat in Sri Lanka. She gave us my grandfather’s house. It was part of her inheritance, but she said she doesn’t need it. She’s decided to live a life free of worldly goods, so she transferred the title to us.”
Daisy’s hand flew to her mouth. “A house! Oh my God, Liam. We’re going to have a house!”
“Which means I’ll pass the last two Patel tests: house and car.” He licked his lips. “Now can I see under your skirt?”
“No way.” She turned to face him, licking her lips. She’d already made her decision, but she didn’t want him to think it was that easy. “The minute I lift my skirt, you’ll do that thing you do, and suddenly it will be 12:50 P.M. and I’ll be running down the hallway to my pitch session with my hair mussed and my clothes half off, and no one will believe I’m the CEO of Organicare.”
“I’ll believe it.” His hand stroked over her hair, and she felt his touch as a throb at the juncture of her thighs. It was always like this with Liam. She couldn’t get enough.
After her father’s wedding, and knowing Priya would take good care of her dad, she’d decided to move out and start living her own life. She’d found a dog-friendly apartment near work and they’d furnished it together, starting with a king size bed with a solid wood frame and an even more solid headboard. They’d also bought a large dining table to entertain their families. Her dearest wish was to help bring Liam’s family together. For appearance’s sake—her father was still a traditional man—Liam kept his small apartment, but they spent all their time at her place, rarely in their clothes, christening each piece of new furniture they purchased.
“Tanya believes it, too,” he continued. “I just bumped into her at one of the VC sessions and she told me the good news.”
Daisy’s ears perked with interest. “What good news?”
“You got your Series B funding!” His blue eyes sparkled. “She was going to let you know after your pitch sessions. A second investor would make things a lot easier so she didn’t want to tell you until you were done.”
“Oh my God!” She jumped up and down in his arms. “I have to tell Mia, Josh, and Zoe. They’ll be thrilled. Organicare is saved.”
“Because of you. My fiercely determined, superintelligent, hot CEO.”
A smile touched her lips. She still couldn’t believe it. Even without a business background, she’d managed to run the company for the last month without any hitches. Hopefully, when their funding finally came through and a proper board was appointed, they would vote for her to stay permanently in the job.
“You think I’m hot?” She gave him a slow, sensual smile.
His hand dropped to her hip and he tugged her skirt up. “So hot, I think I need to do you over the sink.”
When he looked at her that way, with heat and desire in his eyes, she couldn’t deny him anything. “Did you lock the door?”
“Of course.”
“Condoms?”
Liam sniffed. “I knew you were going to be at the conference. Did you think I’d come unprepared to service your needs?”
“We’ll have eleven minutes for the good stuff. Three to clean up. Two to fix our clothes. Ten to get to our respective conference rooms. Does that work for you?”
Liam spun her around and yanked up her skirt. “I love it when you schedule our sexy times. It turns me on.”
“That’s good because I planned for this in advance and left the Avengers at home.”
* * *
• • �
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“DAISY! I’ve been looking all over for you.” Madison caught Daisy as she exited the restroom, one minute later than scheduled, giving her only nine minutes to get to her pitch.
“I’m actually just on my way to a—”
“Oh. Liam.” Madison cut her off, smirking when Liam walked out of the restroom behind her, still adjusting his tie. “Nice to see you again.”
Totally nonplussed, Liam smiled. “Madison.”
“Men’s room closed?”
“Not at all.” He put an arm around Daisy’s shoulder and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Just needed a little alone time with my fiancée.”
Madison’s smile faded. “You’re still engaged?”
“Yes, we are.” He held up Daisy’s hand to show off the diamond ring he’d bought her to replace the Sharks ring he’d given her at the bus stop. “When you meet the woman you want to spend the rest of your life with, you don’t let her go.”
Daisy slipped an arm through Liam’s. “How’s Orson?”
“Orson?” Madison frowned as if she had no idea who Daisy was talking about. “Oh. He’s gone. Maybe New York?”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“I was sorry to hear that Organicare was going under.” Madison’s smirk returned. “I was wondering if you were interested in coming back to work for me. I need a senior software engineer and—”
“Organicare isn’t going under,” Daisy said. “We’ve given the company a total overhaul and we’ve just secured our Series B funding. I’ve had interest from other investors and I’m here to meet some of them right now. So, if you’ll excuse me . . .”
“She’s the CEO,” Liam said, beaming. “She saved the company and now she’s running the whole show.”
“Congratulations.” Madison’s voice was flat as she checked her watch. “You’re right about the time. I’ve got a meeting in five minutes. I’d better go.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” Daisy said to Liam. “It was a little bit petty.”