Page 106 of The Rules of Playing with Fire

I quickly hid the book behind me. “Nothing.”

“Nothing?” He frowned. “What are you hiding?”

I was hiding a steamy romance novel. I’d always been a murder mystery buff, but since I’d had my heart broken, the happily-ever-after in these books gave me solace and some much-needed erotic imagery.

“It’s for research,” I said and sat upright. “Do you want coffee? I’m afraid we don’t have the American style, but Appa has a fancy espresso machine and several interesting pods,” I said with a smile.

“No, I’m good.” A beat of uncomfortable silence passed before he looked down at his hands. “Thank you for today, Sona.”

“I’m doing this for your parents,” I said and got off the chair with sass, forgetting what book I was hiding behind me. The moment I left the chair to walk away, it plopped to the seat, exposing my sweet secret.

“Really!” he said, reaching for the book like a ninja. “For research, huh?”

I gasped and yanked it back. We stood there for a moment, the space between us crackling with unspoken words and unresolved feelings. Slowly, he reached out and touched my hand, the warmth of his caress sending a shiver down my spine. The vein in my neck throbbed as I remained caught between desire and the fear that one of my parents was going to walk in on us right now.

“What?” he asked, his voice a husky whisper. “No scathing retort? No cutting comeback? What happened to the Sona I knew?”

My eyes burned. “She died a slow death after you heartlessly dumped her over the phone.”

SONA

Iretired for the night, trying to fend off the conflicting feelings of want and anger.

Mihir had completely beguiled my parents. My father thought he was god’s gift to the world of business, and I made a face at him every time Appa complimented him. As if his ego needed any more padding. Still, he behaved. He didn’t try to flirt or suggest in any way that we were more than friends. I should’ve been grateful, but that annoyed me too. He was being too decent for a man who had crushed my heart. And that made me miss him more. It was a ridiculous paradox, but then, love is ridiculous. Love sounded good only in fiction, like the sexy book I held in my hand right now. Sliding down my bed, I tried to direct my attention off Mihir and onto the book when a gentle knock on the door roused me.

“Are you up, mol?” Appa asked from the other side.

“Adhe. Come in, Appa,” I said and sat up.

He entered with a smile. “Reading?”

“Yes.” I quickly slipped the book under the pillow. “Is Aai asleep?”

“Yes, she had a long day.” He sat at the foot of the bed. “I thought we could talk.”

“Sure. We haven’t had a chance to catch up properly. How’s work? Are they planning to extend your appointment?” He was turning sixty in a year, but the company had promised to renew his appointment for another two years.

“I don’t know what the board is thinking, but I’ll be happy either way.”

“I know. You’re the definition of content.”

A humble smile illuminated his gentle visage. “How is America? Tell me about this new job.”

I gave him a quick, bullet-point version. “Tara has promised to help me settle in. I’m glad I’ll be closer to her.”

“Why did you decide to move, mol? You were happy in New York, weren’t you?”

My mind raced to find plausible excuses as I stared into his face. “I was, but it was time to make a change,” I managed to explain.

“Was this about Ajay?”

“In a way, Appa. But there were other considerations.”

“Is it a better job?”

“Yes, it’s a research university with a much lighter teaching load.”

“Were you looking to change?”

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