Page 30 of Twisted Deceit
Was it a palace? It was unlike any other buildings she had seen before.
The road they were on led straight to what looked like a palace surrounded by thick greenery. “What is this place?” She felt a sudden shift in her mood. “It’s so beautiful.” She could not take her eyes off the sight in front of her.
She barely waited for the door to be opened before she flew out to look at intrinsic work outside the structure. Lost in taking in the details, she didn’t immediately notice the arm that circled her until she was gently nudged to walk with him.
Every time he came that close, she felt tiny and weak. To add to the gorgeous looks, he had a beautiful stature. She swallowed the sudden nervousness and walked with him, following one of the staff members. She did not fail to notice how many heads turned to look in their direction, and she felt a sting when she saw how many of the women were openly gawking at her husband.
Fake husband! Why do you care?
What annoyed her was the way she was scanned top down by everyone. What did that look mean? Before she could process any of it, she found her body plastering to his side as they walked to the elevator. She stepped ahead of him and turned to face the lobby, knowing all the women still had their eyes on him.
She didn’t know what got into her when she looked up at him as he stood with his back to the lobby. She smiled and caught the amusement in his eyes as she got up on her toes, and her hand made it up to his shoulder. She held his gaze as the doors closed behind him and tilted her face, pretending to kiss him. It was all a pretense, a show, but being so close to him always messed with her head. Her bodily reactions were unpredictable when he was around, but, in that moment, his proximity made her mind go haywire. Not only did she feel like the most beautiful woman, but she could kiss him to make their fake marriage look real.
What would it be like kissing such a beautiful man? Would he kiss her back if she kissed him?
Aadhya held the position until the doors closed and quickly stepped away. She avoided his eyes as they rode the elevator and steadied her breathing. She had no idea why she needed to show off to strangers. Was there a need to? Maybe not, but it was as if her mind and body made their own plans.
The soft chime from the elevator doors brought her out of the daze that was settling over her. Why did she get so worked up about strangers looking at the man next to her? She didn’t own him; she didn’t want to be married to him, so why did she care?
As the thoughts swirled in her mind, she wondered if he could tell how his presence toyed with her mind. Would he guess her reasons for such a behavior? She was glad he didn’t demand an explanation for her random move in the elevator.
She avoided his eyes even as he held one of the double doors open for her, but she lost all thoughts when she stepped into the space assigned to them. “Wow,” it was the only word she could think of saying when she took in the elegance of the multi-level space, they were in. It seemed bigger than the apartment she shared with her four friends in college.
She lowered her eyes to avoid his eyes and started admiring the patterned high-quality wooden floors. Next her focus shifted from furniture to the accent rugs in the seating area, and finally the delicate fabric that layered the glass wall to one side. The translucent material moved softly, and her eyes swept in the direction and noticed the lake right next to the structure.
“This is unbelievable.” She walked to the glass doors and saw they could be slid open to get a feel of the outdoors while they were inside. It reminded her of the restaurant she had her first date with Nakul. Although she was nervous about him agreeing to the contract, she enjoyed every bit of the space.
She took a deep breath, her lips pressing together as anger built up again at his deceit. But the calming wind from the lake relaxed her. She could tell the suite would have been a private, romantic sanctuary if a couple were indeed on a honeymoon.
She followed where her eyes took her, exploring the kitchenette, the cozy nook with a fireplace, before taking the curved wooden stairs to the upper level. The upper level was even more extravagant, with an open setting.
A loft area that overlooked the entrance and a bedroom with a massive bed and a glass wall for people to enjoy the same view downstairs. Her obsession with modern bathrooms cut short her bedroom tour, and she walked to yet another set of double doors and pushed them open.
She gasped in wonder, taking in the details of the luxurious space. Marble everything, beautiful lighting, and welcoming jacuzzi. She could spend days just in that bathroom.
Lost in her admiration of the modern yet, classy bathroom, she didn’t notice him until she picked up his sexy scent. Her back stiffened, her heart went on a rampage, and she had no explanation for the reaction. How could he instigate such a reaction from her every time?
“Aadhya, we need to attend an event this evening. Get some rest, and we can head out when you are ready.”
She had no idea what they would do and had only packed casual clothes. Nothing fancy, which is what she guessed people would wear to such an event. “I don’t have clothes—”
He didn’t let her finish. “You’ll have a team to help you. They will be here in a couple of hours. You can have them come to your suite when you are ready.”
“Okay,” it was all she could think of saying, and she didn’t even turn to look at him as he stood only a few feet from her.
“Good. When you are ready, join me for brunch on the deck. I’ll be waiting.” She was starving, and all she could think about was eating and exploring the place they were in.
“I want to explore the city.” She kept her tone abrupt. “I can go by myself if you need to be elsewhere.”
“Sure. Let’s discuss this during brunch.”
Aadhya couldn’t help but smile at the prospect of some fun in spite of the somewhat messy situation with her fake husband. Maybe this is how she could make the best out of the marriage of convenience. She had the contract for a year, and if it involved traveling to places she could not read the names, she was up for it.
Shortly after, she stepped out of the large dressing room adjacent to the massive bedroom that was big enough to fit a bed. She walked to the landing space on the upper level of the lavish suite and looked down into the dining space and to her surprise, there was no food or anyone around.
Confused, she walked toward his side of the dressing area that was on the other side of the bedroom. She couldn’t hear him and wondered if he changed his mind and left like he had the past couple of days when they were in Singoor.
A worry rooted in the pit of her stomach, the strange feeling of loneliness that hit her occasionally. A feeling that had become a part of her since the time her parents passed away. And the rest of the day would be hard to get by every time it sprouted. She started to hum by habit as it was the only way to calm herself down. s
