Harlequin Desire January 2021--Box Set 1 of 2 Maisey Yates (sad books to read .txt) 📖

propose to Pooja because she and I didn’t have that instant understanding and connection, but then I realized that maybe that comes with time.”

Or maybe it’s something I can’t have with a woman. Nearly all the women he’d ever had a serious relationship with had married other men. Perhaps they could intuit something in Ethan that he couldn’t figure out for himself. Perhaps they smelled his desperation and didn’t like its stench.

Divya leaned forward and placed a hand on his. Her touch was soft and warm, and when he looked into her dark brown eyes, a slow burn flamed its way through his body.

“Maybe you’ve never opened yourself up to a woman so she can really get to know you. We women can tell when men put up barriers, and we don’t like being with men we don’t know and understand.”

He pulled his hand back from hers. “I’m an open book. I’m talking to you, aren’t I?” His tone was harsher than he meant it to be. He smiled. “Maybe it’s easier to talk to you because we don’t know each other.”

She smiled back at him. “I have a talent for getting people to talk. It’s the lawyer in me. If I’d gone into criminal law, I would’ve gotten confessions like this.” She clicked her fingers.

He smiled. Divya really did have a way about her that made him feel at ease.

“Look, I’ve known you for all of two minutes and I can tell you didn’t really want to marry Pooja. You wanted to know if she was willing to marry you.”

Her words made his stomach churn. Divya was wrong. He was no longer the little boy who wanted his mother’s new husband to love him, or the teenager desperate to be cool enough to get noticed by the popular girl.

Kathy knocked on the door, then entered with a tray of hors d’oeuvres and their drinks. They both sat in silence, Divya staring out the window, sipping her wine, while he moved himself to the couch and opened his laptop. He had an excellent management team who handled the day-to-day operations of his company. He’d let them know that he was taking ten days off, but he knew they’d call him if something needed his attention. Checking in on things was a comforting ritual to make himself feel useful. He also issued some instructions to his assistant in the New York office.

He looked at Divya, and as if feeling his gaze, she turned her head to look at him and gave him a smile that tightened his chest. What was it about her? The last thing he needed was to get involved with another woman. This one had declared from the outset that she wasn’t available, yet he couldn’t help but be attracted to her. Why had he taken it upon himself to fly her to New York? He could’ve satisfied his save-the-day complex by giving her the jet and a credit card.

She plopped herself on the seat beside him. He moved over so their knees weren’t touching.

“Look, I’m sorry if I was a shit to you. You’ve been really nice to me. I can’t stop my mouth sometimes. My brothers always tell me that I’m entirely too blunt and I need to temper my remarks.”

“When do you get to the part where you sincerely apologize?”

She gave him an affronted look. “That wasn’t sincere?”

“That was you telling me that you wished you’d sugarcoated what you had to say.”

A smile twitched at her lips. “See what I mean? I can’t stop my mouth.”

Oh boy. Try as he might, he wasn’t annoyed at her. As painful as it might be, she was honest and it was refreshing. But she was sitting too close to him. That intoxicating smell of vanilla and cinnamon was teasing his sensibilities. Her eyes searched his, and he voiced the words that were rolling around in his head but he didn’t want to admit, even to himself.

“I didn’t propose to Pooja because I held our relationship to the same standards as my parents’ and my brother’s and it didn’t measure up. Yesterday I realized that I can wait my whole life for something that may never happen or I can seize the little bit of happiness that’s right in front of me. When we got to the wedding, it was clear that Pooja had found with Anil what I’d been seeking with her.” He’d seen the glittering adoration in Pooja’s eyes and the shining smile on her face. She’d never looked that happy with him.

Divya shifted on the sofa, so her body was angled toward him, her knees now touching his. “I have no right casting stones on you. I had plenty of opportunities to stall my wedding. I did not have to do it in quite so dramatic a fashion. I clearly have my demons too.” Her voice was soft and contrite.

“What demons do you have, Divya?”

She shrugged. “You talked about seizing the little bit of happiness that you can. My whole life has been about letting go of the happiness I want, in order to hold on to the joy I have.” She looked away from him, and the shine in her eyes tugged at his heart.

“Aside from singing at Café Underground, what do you want to do? What’s on your bucket list?”

She shrugged. “I’ve never made a bucket list. What’s the point in wanting something you know you can’t have?”

Her words struck a chord in his heart.

“Well, for the next few days, consider me your magical genie. Make a wish and I’ll try to make it happen.” He grinned. Divya was easy to talk to and maybe she could be the distraction he needed.

She smiled. “You’re serious?”

He nodded.

“I guess I could really use a friend right now. Especially one with a private jet.” She held out her hand.

“And I could use a friend who gives it to me straight.” He smiled and took her hand in his. It was meant to be a handshake, but he