The Indian Tycoon's Marriage Deal (20 page)

She took a trembling breath. ‘What's done is done. You don't have to apologise for what KD did. Nor do you have to feel guilty for his actions. We can put that whole sorry episode behind us.' She clenched her fists tightly, waited for him to take the cue and raise the issue about ending their sham marriage. But his words didn't come. Instead she felt his warm breath on her back as he gripped her shoulders and turned her around to face him.

He put his fingers under her chin and looked deep into her eyes. ‘Yes, we can put that behind us. But before that there's one thing I need to ask you.'

There was something unspeakably soft and compassionate in his eyes. She couldn't take his pity. It was best to get it over and done with—or else she'd shame herself even more by collapsing in a heap of tears in front of him. ‘Yes, I know what you want to ask. And of course I will sign the divorce papers.'

Krish went still and his voice betrayed his devastation. ‘You want a divorce? Do you really hate me so much that you want to break all ties with me?'

Maya gulped hard. ‘Isn't that what you want? You never wanted to be tied down. And now that you know the truth about me…the deceit, the lies, the—' Her voice broke and the tears that she had held back gushed forth.

He folded her into his arms with a soft moan, ‘Oh Maya, please don't cry. I can't bear to see you cry.'

His frantic words and his warm embrace only made her sob her heart out. ‘I don't hate you. I love you so much it hurts. If you divorce me, I don't know how I'll spend the rest of my life—' She couldn't bear to go on.

He cupped her face in his palms and looked deep into her tear-washed eyes. ‘Did you say you love me?'

She nodded, her heart breaking into a thousand pieces. ‘I wanted to tell you but you would never have believed me.'

He groaned. ‘Oh, sweetie. How did we get ourselves into such a mess? It's my fault—I was too wrapped up in myself, my priorities, my paranoia, and even when I knew I was falling in love with you I resisted it with everything I had. I thought I could just turn you out and carry on with my life. But I was so wrong. So horribly wrong.'

He saw her shell-shocked look and bent to gently kiss her face. ‘I love you, my sweet Maya. I never knew it was possible to love anyone so much. And there's only one way to make you believe me.'

His lips touched hers softly in a kiss that was as sweet as it was poignant. As fierce as it was gentle. As hungry as it was satisfying. She kissed him back and felt the ice in her heart thaw and melt at his magical touch. She felt alive once again.

After a long while, resting her head against his broad shoulder, she murmured, ‘Are you sure what you feel for me is love…not pity, or guilt or whatever?'

His eyes twinkled. ‘I know I must come across as a blathering idiot, but…'

She put her finger on his lips. ‘No…it's just that when we were in Deovan…One minute you were so warm and wonderful and then the next it was almost as if…as if you even regretted the fact that we'd made love.'

Maya revelled at the love that she saw in his eyes as he spoke. ‘You'd spun my world off its axis, Maya. Made me feel something so new, so deep, so amazingly wonderful, I didn't know what had hit me. And, frankly, I was running scared. So when Rohan called to tell me that KD wanted me back in Delhi to do the deal, I grabbed the opportunity…and ran. And you know what, it didn't work. I couldn't think of life without you. You're my life force, Maya. Without you, I may as well be dead.'

She caught his look that was a combination of fierce, passionate and loving and his lips crushed hers in a scorching kiss that vaporised every thought in her mind.

He dragged his mouth away from hers even though every cell of his body rebelled against it. ‘When I was coming here, I thought of something that never quite made sense to me. It was something that my mother would say: when you love someone deeply, you take a leap of faith. The person you love may or may not love you back. But that's the risk you take. For the first time in my life I understood what she meant. Because I felt that way about you. And when I knocked on your door—it was with the knowledge that, no matter what, I'd always love you. Even if you hated me. Even if you turned me away. Even if you told me that there could never be anything between us. Even if I never saw you again for the rest of my life, I'd love you. Eternally.'

All her doubts blew away like the remnants of mist chased by bright relentless sunshine. ‘For ever mine.'

He pulled a small velvet box from his pocket and she watched him take out the ring that he'd given her so many moons ago. ‘Will you be my wife, Maya?'

‘But I already am.'

His warm, loving gaze took her breath away as he said huskily, ‘Yes, indulge me, my precious
jaaneman.
This is about starting again with a clean slate. No rituals. No contracts. No terms and conditions. Only love.'

She felt as if her heart would burst with love and happiness. ‘Yes, Krish, I will be your wife. To love and cherish you. For eternity.'

He slipped the ring on her finger and sealed the vow with a kiss. ‘For eternity.'

She threw her arms around him as her heart soared—she had finally come home to her soulmate.

EPILOGUE

Two years later…

K
RISH SURVEYED THE
Suvarna Hill Valley Resort grounds from the window of their personal suite. The resort was finally ready to open its doors to guests. And, going by reviews in the media and critiques by some of the most celebrated experts in the hospitality industry, there was no doubt that it was an achievement to be proud of. It was so fitting that his dream should come true just as his and Maya's wedding anniversary was coming up. He longed to savour this moment with his wife, his partner, his soulmate.

And there she was—in the garden with Baloo at her heels, enjoying the dew-fresh morning ambience. The lavender roses were in full bloom and in all their brilliant glory gave the resort its unique and stylistic signature. A landscaping marvel like none other. And a creation as beautiful as its creator…His very own Maya.

As if sensing his gaze on her, Maya looked up at the window and blew him a kiss. His heart still tripped at the sight of his lovely wife, wondering in amazement if it was possible to love anyone so much and have that love grow ever more intense with each passing day.

The last two years had been hectic as he had sorted out the DGE corporate mess, had brought it back from the brink of disaster and restored its credibility, with the help of Rohan and an incredibly talented team of youngsters. As a board member of the group, he still had to keep a watchful eye on DGE, but he knew that it was in safe hands. With Maya by his side, he had gone about setting up the SHVP project. Kumar had come on board as one of the angel investors and so had a host of others. Everything had gone through without a hitch. It was almost as if the cosmos had conspired to make his—no, their—dream come true.

But, most of all, he had been amazed by the change in his father. Neither KD, nor he, had ever anticipated that it would be Maya who would make the first step towards reconciliation. He would never forget how she'd gone up to him and said, ‘I have come to your house as your son's bride. But I hope you will love me like a daughter.' KD had hugged her and Krish hadn't missed the sheen of tears in his father's eyes.

That was the moment when everything had changed. When KD had decided to let go. Let go of his control and his drive to rule over everybody. He was at peace with himself now. And with everyone else around him.

The whiff of jasmine alerted him to Maya's presence even as her arms snaked around his waist and she hugged him to her. ‘A rupee for your thoughts, my dear husband?'

He turned around and wrapped his arms around her. ‘I can't tell you…it's a surprise gift for our wedding anniversary.'

Her eyes twinkled mischievously. ‘I bet it can't be better than the surprise gift I have for you. Can you guess?'

He was totally lost and looked at her enquiringly. She tousled his hair lovingly and laughed. ‘Oh my brilliant, stupid husband! How did you miss all the signs? We're going to have a baby!'

The shock of love and joy that seared through him found an echo in his whoop of joy as he lifted her in his arms and twirled her around the room.

* * * * *

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Adite Banerjie
discovered Mills & Boon® romances and their amazing assortment of drool-worthy TDH heroes in her teens. Around the same time she fell in love with song-and-dance Bollywood romances. She grew up in a home with a filmmaker dad who worked in the world's largest film industry (yes, Bollywood!) and a voracious reader for a mom, so it was inevitable that she would come to love both films and books.

During her exciting and fulfilling fifteen-year career as a business journalist she found the time to indulge her passion for both Bollywood and Mills & Boon. But after years of reporting and writing about the real world she chose to return to her love for fiction and turned screenwriter. When she penned her first romantic short story she won the 2012 Passions Aspiring Authors Contest.

Living in Greater Noida, near New Delhi, with her writer husband, her mother and the most adorable Irish setter, she can't think of anything more fun than creating feisty heroines and uberhot heroes and plotting their happily-ever-after stories. She dreams that someday one of her romance novels will be made into a Bollywood film, complete with song, dance and all that jazz!

She would be delighted to hear from readers at her website:
www.aditebanerjie.com
.

eISBN-13: 978-1-4603-3300-6

THE INDIAN TYCOON'S MARRIAGE DEAL

Copyright © 2014 by Adite Banerjie

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

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