Page 9 of Twisted Deceit
“Good morning!” He smirked as she walked toward her balcony, making her look down at him. “I hope I didn’t wake you up today.” She shook her head, fighting the heat that crept up her cheeks. “Anytime I’m staying at the resort, no one else is assigned the lower suite, and I didn’t realize I was feeding all my information to you.”
She shrugged. “Well, it worked. At least you and I have something to work with.”
He only nodded.
Feeling bold and not wanting to waste any time getting to know the guy and, in a way, to get him to agree sooner to the fake marriage, she asked, “Would you like to join me for coffee?”
A moment of hesitation, but he nodded. “I’ll see you in fifteen.”
“Okay.” She stood on the balcony, casually waving at him as he approached the private elevator. When he was out of sight, she rushed into the bathroom to get dressed for coffee. Everything she did from then on was crucial for the plan.
She had set aside a pale-yellow maxi dress to wear to theHaldiceremony later that morning. She quickly dressed up, ready to go any minute. She wanted to show him that she was quick to dress up, which was a pet peeve with most guys about girls taking a long time to get dressed. She quickly applied lipstick and eyeliner and squeezed out the water from her wet hair when she heard the gentle knock.
Her heart thudded with anticipation. One was because of the charade. The other was because she had never spent alone time with a guy, especially a handsome man. She paused and took a deep breath before opening the door with a wide smile. “Hi, come on in.”
She took in his gorgeous presence and how his scent filled the air as she led him to the suite's living room. “What kind of coffee do you like?”
“Black.” He stepped toward the coffee machine, and she gestured for him to be seated.
She turned on the coffee machine. “Aren’t you going to ask me what I like?” She held his gaze as if in a challenge.
His brow furrowed, but he didn’t say anything.
“You know for when we will be pretending to be married.” She picked up his mug of coffee and gave it to him. He nodded thanks but did not respond to her question. “Do you agree that we should share basic information?”
Yet another nod. “You’re nothing like the other women I’ve dated, so I’m unsure how it will work out.”
She was suddenly tensed, worried he might back off. She took a low breath, took her coffee to the couch, and sat across from him. “Well, I still don’t see you continuing to date any of those girls. Doesn’t that mean you need someone different for things to work out longer?”
He tipped his coffee mug just a little. “Fair enough.”
“You don’t need to decide until much later,” she said before sipping her hot drink. “Enjoy your coffee while I enjoy my Cappuccino.” She dropped an educational hint about herself.
He smirked. “Noted,” he said and added, “Have you decided to move forward if I have no objection?”
“Yes,” she said, gulping down her sip of coffee. “I told you; I do not want to get into the arranged marriage situation.”
“Aren’t arranged marriages common in India? Why are you trying to avoid it? You can still have a long-distance relationship while you finish your education.” She was encouraged by his curiosity but didn’t want to reveal anything about the clan rivalry or the unrest in Singoor.
“I-I’ve always wanted to live and work in another country. Women in my region don’t have much choice for travel. I want a career of my own and have an urban lifestyle.” She hoped her voice didn’t shake when she spoke. Singoor also brought back much sadness; she could not imagine spending more than a few weeks each year.
“Okay.” He pressed his lips together. “I have a large family. Will you be comfortable around them?”
“Yes,” her response was instantaneous and genuine. She loved the idea of a large family as she didn’t have one. Her aunt and uncle were all she had, and she lost all ties to her mother’s side of the family after her parents passed away.
Just don’t get attached to his family or him.
A warning rang in her mind. It was much needed as she had caught herself gawking a few times, admiring him, not just his striking features.
After moments of silence and Aadhya focusing on steadying her heartbeat, she raised her eyes to find him looking at her, his eyes unreadable. Her heart somersaulted and went on a rampage as he kept looking at her, and the heat crept up her cheeks. Her chest heaved, but she could not avert her eyes. He held her captive in his gaze, and the air around them was heating up, and she knew it had to be just from the proximity.
His eyes narrowed even so lightly before a grin appeared on his handsome face. “Not bad.”
She was taken aback. “What?” Was he referring to how she reacted to his gaze? Was that good? It must be; he looked pleased.
He stood up and, without another word, placed his empty mug on the counter. “I’m ready to go whenever you are.”
She nodded, putting her mug away. “Let’s go.” She didn’t want to waste any time. She had to convince him she could do the job.
