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

think I’ll run away, like I did from Pooja?” She didn’t answer, but the fear in her eyes told him that was exactly what she was thinking. He cupped her face. “We’re going to meet your parents, and I’m going to convince them that I’m the best catch they can ever hope to get for their wayward daughter, and if they don’t agree, I’m going to grab your hand like I did at your wedding and fly you away to a place where they’ll never find you.”

She cracked a smile. “You’re not really going to do that.”

He lifted his brows. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, Divya. I don’t have any doubts. I’m not afraid. I love you and I’m going to be there for you.”

They ate breakfast and dressed quickly. Divya wore black pants and a blue silk blouse. Her hair was styled and her face painted with almost as much makeup as the day they’d first met. She looked stunningly beautiful but not at all like his Divya.

It was early in the morning, but it took them nearly two hours to get to the airport in rush hour traffic. Once they were seated on the plane, Divya texted him a number.

“What’s this?”

“It’s my father’s number. You’re going to call him and tell him that you’re bringing me back.”

“Like you’re a runaway teen?”

“Like you’re the hero who finally talked some sense into his rebellious daughter.”

“I don’t need to lie to your parents to win their approval.”

“Oh yes, you do. Things with my family have to be done the proper way. Right now, you are the asshole who crashed the wrong wedding and fled with the bride. My family will say that you’re the kind of man who changes women like he changes clothes.”

His stomach turned at the way she said this.

“Step one is to reverse your bad image. Our story is that you were helping me get away from what you thought was a forced marriage, because I lied to you. Once you understood that I just wanted to run away, you felt duty bound to return me.”

“Have you considered writing screenplays for Bollywood movies?”

“Shut up. We don’t have a lot of time to get our story right.” She took a sip of the coffee she’d ordered from the flight attendant. “My family will thank you profusely and expect you to be on your way. Next, you’re going to say that you have business in Vegas and ask my brother for a hotel recommendation.”

“Doesn’t he own the Vegas hotel?”

She slapped her hand on her forehead. “Of course he does. That’s why he’s going to feel obliged to offer you a room. He has an apartment there, where he stays and where my parents and siblings are also staying. This will give you an excuse to stay close to me, and their Indian hospitality will require them to offer to take care of you while you’re in Vegas, as a thank-you for returning me safe and sound.”

“But I haven’t returned you safe and sound. I’m pretty sure I’ve marked my territory.” He wiggled his eyebrows and reached for her, but she slapped him away.

“Pay attention. You’re going to spend time with my family and get them to like you. Then I’m going to tell them that I’ve fallen in love with you. They are going to freak out and try to convince me that you are totally unsuitable. They will spend all their time trying to prove that you are a player, and they’ll bring up the whole Pooja situation. It’ll get ugly. Under no circumstances will you be rude to them. If you are, there’s no turning back.”

“Yes, ma’am!” He gave her a mock salute. “So how do I convince them I’m not just some ass taking advantage of their daughter?”

“You are going to go and buy the biggest, most outrageous engagement ring you can find in Vegas.” She put the black American Express card he’d given her on the table. “Use this if you have to,” she winked at him. “Money should be no object.”

“I get it. This is a con, isn’t it? You’ve been with me to get me to buy you an expensive ring that you’ll hawk later. I bet your family isn’t even rich. I bet they’re drowning in debt, and you’re going to sell the ring and save the family business.”

“Ethan!” She was trying to give him the stern look again, but he noticed her lips twitching. He had absolutely no doubt in his mind that even if he followed her plan to a T, it was all going to go to hell.

“Are you really ready to get married?” He tried to keep his voice light. He wasn’t sure which part of her plan was real versus a joke.

“It’s not a serious proposal! In my family, showing up with an engagement ring is like asking permission to date me. You need to show my parents that I’m not just some hot piece of ass that you’re after. The ring shows how serious you are.”

“And this is the part where they’ll tell me that I’m not worthy of their daughter and to go back to the trailer park I came from.”

She shook her head. “My parents would not know the trailer-park reference.”

It was his turn to roll his eyes. “I’ve seen this movie, Divya, and it’s not going to end well. This is where the parents drug the daughter and fly her back to India, where they lock her in the house and marry her off to a bald guy who is twenty years older than her.”

Divya laughed. “First of all, I’m quite a catch. My parents would not have to stoop to getting a guy twenty years older than me. Second, if my parents tried doing that, my brothers and sisters would make sure I escaped and reunited with you. Bollywood romances always have a happy ending.”

“Do they also have hot sex in the heroine’s brother’s hotel?” he asked hopefully.

She crossed her arms.