Page 129 of The Ex Factor

“Nothing that might interest you,” I said, promptly pushing the laptop screen down. “I got you some water, thought you might be thirsty after…you know…”

I placed the glass in his hand, and he downed it in under five seconds.

“Gosh, you were thirsty!” I remarked.

He grazed a finger along my jaw. “I’m hungry too. But let me freshen up first.”

As I collected the glass from him, a pleasant thought hit me. Iwascapable of the little things! I had always suspected I was all about larger-than-life gestures, that’s what I was good at. But being here with this kind, brilliant, ridiculously gorgeous man, I found versions of me I had never noticed before. My father was right. Sujit made me kinder, better, stronger. He made me feel cherished.

Sujit returned with his face fresh and dewy, hair slightly damp, and full-frontal nudity that created ripples in my stomach. He snuggled against me and pulled the duvet over us.

He gazed at my face with a desire so powerful, I bit my lip and my eyes lowered on instinct. He smelled of mint and herbs. The spicy scent of his body danced around me as he moved closer to my face. But instead of touching my lips, he reached for my cheek and placed a gentle, adoring kiss.

“You are the best thing that could have happened to me,” he whispered in my ear. “I’ve never felt like this before. I feel alive, full of hope. I look forward to waking up each morning because I have you in my life.”

He paused, then grinned. “I can’t resist thinking, I’m grateful Sameer broke your heart, and I’m glad Tara broke mine.”

AARTI

My eyes glazed in thought, and I fiddled with my ring. He read my signals with ease.

“Tell me,” he urged.

“Will you be upset if I told you I spoke to Tara when I was in Dallas?”

He kissed my cheek again. “I’ll never be upset about anything you do, Aarti. That’s one thing you can be assured of in this relationship. If anything bothers me, I’ll talk to you about it, but I won’t resent you for anything you say or do.”

I rolled my eyes right into my head. “God!” I cried with exasperation. “This was a simple question, and you turned it into a mini-lecture on expectations in our relationship.”

The thunderous sound of his laughter rumbled against my skin as he hugged me tight. “All right, sassy girl. What did you two talk about?”

“Well, you know her better than I do. She just asked me right there at the party, with all eyes watching us, if I wanted to have a drink with her.”

He smiled. “That sounds like her.”

“She apologized for having betrayed my trust. I told her she wasn’t the one who should be apologizing to me.”

I turned in his embrace to face him. “She said you two had a chance at closure that I never did, and she regretted it.”

“Did you get to talk to Sameer, then?”

I shook my head. “I realized I didn’t need to. He wasn’t the one I was seeking closure with. I was seeking it within myself. Talking to Tara helped me with that. And you helped me see it that first night I cried in your arms. When you encouraged me to spell out that my grief was my own doing.”

“Did I do that?” he asked with every bit of sincerity as if he had no idea what that first night meant to me.

His support made me into a person I trusted again. He made me fall in love with my life again.

“Then I told Tara about you,” I said with downcast eyes.

“About me as in aboutus?” His voice inflected.

“I thought she would be the perfect person to confide in. And I’m glad I did.” I blushed with another coy smile, then looked up at him. “I like her, Sujit. I’d love to have her in my life. Will you be good with that?”

He returned a smile. “I like her too. I am actually happy she found what she wanted.”

“She said hurting you was something she’ll have to live with, but she was happy for me. Asked me to keep you happy.”

“You already make me very happy. Just by being you.”

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