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

business suit greeted them as they exited the plane. Ethan introduced her as his executive assistant Roda. Roda handed Ethan two rollerboard suitcases, a small box and the keys to a Mercedes roadster.

When they were seated in the car, he handed Divya the small box. “That’s for you.”

She opened it to find the latest smartphone and a black American Express card in her name. “Thank you. I promise to pay you back for everything.”

He waved his hand. “Please, don’t worry about it. Like I said, the last thing I need is more money.”

The catch in his voice reverberated through her. She knew well that money couldn’t buy what anyone really wanted, but Ethan seemed to resent his fortune.

The early September air was cool but the temperature was warm. “Do you mind if we go top down?” he asked. She stared at him, open-mouthed, then he pointed toward the top of the car. “It’s a convertible.”

Yet another thing she’d never done in her life: ride in a convertible. “Seems like fun. Let’s do it.”

He grinned. “I’ll warn you, it’ll mess up your hair. Most women hate it.”

She shrugged and twisted her hair into a messy bun. He pressed a button, and she looked up at the beautiful sky and took a deep breath. This is what freedom feels like.

“I have a condo in the city we can stay at,” he said as he put the car in drive.

Um, no. Given what had almost happened on the plane, she didn’t want to stay someplace on his terms.

“My brother is bound to check for us at any properties you own in the city. I can call in a favor.” She made a call on the new phone Ethan had given her, then instructed him to drive to one of the most luxurious hotels in New York.

It took them nearly two hours to navigate city traffic, but Divya barely noticed. She took in the sights and sounds of the chaotic city and savored the feel of the warm sun and cool air over her skin. She had been to New York before, but today she could really taste the smog in the air and feel the rhythm of the cars, people and bicycles.

She sent a WhatsApp message to her contact at Café Underground and crossed her fingers that he still remembered her.

It was night by the time Ethan pulled into the hotel driveway and handed his keys to the valet. Divya strode up to the check-in counter and asked them to call Rajiv Mehra. The clerk eyed her but delivered the message.

They didn’t have to wait long before an Indian man, impeccably dressed in a custom-tailored suit and French-cuffed shirt, appeared. He hugged Divya. “It is so good to see you. I called Gauri as soon as you contacted me. She insisted we have dinner tonight.” Rajiv sounded genuinely pleased to see her. She caught the look of surprise in his eyes at her clothing. “And I insist you buy what you need from the lobby shops and charge it to me.”

Divya hugged him. “You are such a good friend. I owe you big time.” She knew he’d be insulted if she offered to pay him back with money.

Her phone pinged and she looked down to see a message from Café Underground.

“I definitely want to see Gauri and catch up with you two, but could we get together tomorrow? There’s something I must do tonight.”

If Rajiv was annoyed, he was too gracious to show it. “Of course. How about lunch tomorrow?”

“That would be great. Thank you so much for putting us up and keeping it secret. You know how my parents can be.”

“How can I forget? You’re safe here.” He looked over Divya’s shoulder to Ethan. “Is this your friend?” He arched his brows and switched to Hindi. “Now I understand why I wasn’t your type.”

She smiled and shook her head. “It’s not like that.” She quickly explained everything that had happened at the wedding.

Ethan cleared his throat and Divya realized she’d been rude in carrying on in Hindi with Rajiv. She introduced the two men. “Rajiv owns the hotel.”

Ethan was duly impressed and said so without letting on that his own net worth was exponentially bigger than Rajiv’s. Divya liked that Ethan didn’t feel the need to advertise his success. On the plane, he’d changed into faded jeans and a plain T-shirt. No one would guess that he’d just flown in on his own private jet.

Rajiv handed them over to a staff member and invited Ethan to lunch the next day. Then they were led to a suite of rooms that made Ethan whistle.

“I’ve stayed in some pretty fancy hotels, but this is something else.” They entered a great room that included floor-to-ceiling windows with a bird’s-eye view of the city. A baby grand piano sat in the center of the room. There were two different seating areas, a small dining table, a bar and a kitchen. There were two bedrooms, each with its own sumptuous bathroom. It was all done in a warm, modern style with boxy furniture, wood accents and white linens.

“Rajiv is some friend to put you up here.”

Divya nodded distractedly as she responded to a message on her phone.

“Friend of your family?”

She nodded. “Yes, our parents are close. My brother helped him get started with this hotel.”

“And yet he’s doing you a favor.”

“He owes me,” she said, smiling. “I’ll tell you about it later. Right now I need to go down to the shops and buy something to wear.” She grinned. “The stage manager at Café Underground remembers me and said he’d put me on the list to sing tonight.” Her heart raced with excitement.

Ethan grinned and pointed to one of the suitcases they’d brought. “There should be a variety of things in there you can use.”

Her eyes widened.

“My New York assistant, Roda, did some shopping while we were in the air. I guessed your size but hopefully they fit.”

“That was very thoughtful of you. Thank you. I’ll…”

He shook