Page 15 of Modern Romance November 2024 5-8

She watched his lips as they spoke. ‘Your cheeks are very pink,’ he said.

‘Yes...’ Violet croaked, putting her hands up and feeling their heat as he removed his hand from the wall.

‘Can you calm them? So Grace doesn’t see you’ve been crying?’

‘Yes, yes...’ She went into her bag, pathetically pleased he’d blamed the sudden burning flush on her earlier boo-hoo.

She opened up her compact, but she was all fingers and thumbs. Without a word he took it, but first he offered again the use of the square of silk.

‘Blow your nose.’

She did so noisily, frantically trying to think of something to say so that he didn’t notice her sudden, almost violent attraction.

It was something she’d never encountered before, and she was flailing as he opened the compact and dabbed powder on her cheeks.

‘What’s your sister’s name?’ she asked.

‘Jasmine,’ he said, as he powdered the tip of her reddened nose. ‘She used to cry all the time.’

‘And now?’

Sahir said nothing in response.

‘Now?’

‘Now she’s tougher—or perhaps she cries to her husband rather than me.’

He offered the bottle of water for her to gulp and it really helped. Not just with the tears, but to snap her back to her normal senses. Yes, he was being nice, but if he was a good friend of Carter’s... Well, according to Violet’s research, he must be an utter bastard too.

She must not lose sight of that!

‘Why are you looking at me the same way you looked at the groom?’

‘What way was that?’

His gorgeous eyes narrowed, imitating hers.

‘Birds of a feather...?’ Violet said.

‘I don’t understand.’

‘Flock together,’ she added, but then felt guilty. After all, the same had long been said about her. Yet she at least had broken the cycle and flown the coop.

‘So, you are suspicious of this union?’

‘It’s not my place to say.’

Even if they both refused to say it outright, it would seem they were both in agreement—this marriage really was a farce.

Still, whether it was his emotional sister, or his hordes of previous women-friends, he knew about repair jobs with make-up, Violet decided as she peered into the mirror.

‘Wow, even I’d hardly know. Thank you, Sahid.’

‘Sahir,’ he corrected.

‘Oh, yes...’ She took a breath. ‘Sahir.’ She nodded, as if locking it in as they emerged around the side of the care home. ‘And thank you for not asking what that was all about.’

They parted ways as the doors opened and the couple emerged.

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