He removed his T-shirt and walked toward her, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off his bare chest even through her sweater. He grazed a kiss on her neck. He took a step back, and achingly slowly pulled her sweater up and off. “I was looking for home, I think. I wasn’t finding it, though.” He turned her around and nudged her forward, positioning her so her arms were outstretched above her head and resting on the wall. He kissed the back of her neck as his hand trailed down her spine. “My soul knows when I’m home,” he murmured.
His hand trailed lower to unhook her bra strap, guiding her arms down to let her bra fall to the floor.
She shivered as the cool air kissed her naked chest. He finally turned her around and engulfed her body in his, sharing his warmth, and kissing with what felt like every muscle in his body.
The sex felt different that night. Slower. Agonizingly tender. She lost herself in the sensations. The smells, the sounds, the feel of his body around her, under her, in her. Just him. This man, who had been dropped into her life at the wrong time in the wrong way, but who ended up being everything she needed.
It wasn’t until afterward, when they still lay clutched together, still joined and floating back to the world, that she untangled her thoughts and emotions enough to see the truth. Thiswas real. No matter what he said. And shewasin love with him.
And it was high time to figure out if he felt the same way.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Reena was feeling weirdly optimistic on the drive back to the apartment Sunday morning. It was early—she hadn’t been able to get out of Sunday brunch with her family, but she and Nadim planned to make dinner together later. She was ready to talk to him. To tell him she was in this relationship deep and she didn’t want there to be secrets between them anymore. And she wanted to go fully public with it, even bring him to brunch next weekend. It was time to fight past her instinct to deflect and distract, and live her life.
After dropping him back at the building, she drove straight to her parents’ house, where she was surprised to see an extra car in the driveway. Strange. Before she made it into the house, the door opened and her sister rushed out in her stocking feet, pulling a confused Ashraf behind her.
“Saira, what’s wrong?”
Saira beamed. “Nothing’s wrong. Everything is good. Better than good, in fact. Ashraf proposed! I’m getting married, Reena!”
Saira tackle-hugged her, while Reena stood frozen in shock. Saira, engaged? And hugging her?
After a few seconds Reena smiled and hugged her sister back. “You’re happy?” she asked in Saira’s ear.
“Yes. Very. This is what I want.”
Reena grinned, letting go of her sister and hugging Ashraf. “Welcome to the insanity.”
“I am happy to be here,” he said awkwardly.
Saira beamed and put her arm around his waist. “He asked me last night. Mum was so excited she screamed when we told her.”
Reena took her sister’s hand to look closer at the ring, a standard white-gold solitaire that looked perfect on Saira’s long fingers. After squeezing her hand, she looked into her sister’s eyes, surprised to see them glassy with tears. “I’m happy you’re happy,” Reena assured her.
“So…” Saira’s gaze shifted down to their locked hands. “Then we’re good, right? I want you to be my maid of honor.”
Wow. Could she do that? She wanted things to be good with her sister. Wanted to let go of the resentment she’d felt for the last year—longer, if she was honest. But could she just take all that bitterness and resentment and boil it off, leaving nothing behind but the sweet sisterly bond she always wanted? Maybe, with work. Doing this for her sister could be the first step. She could face it, instead of deflecting. She squeezed her sister’s hands again before letting it go. “I’d be honored to stand with you. What did Dad say?”
“Not much.” Saira shrugged. “He’s in a pissy mood about something to do with his project. As usual, business first, family later.” She turned toward Ashraf, who was standing quietly behind her. “Don’t ever be like that.”
He shook his head. “You know I wouldn’t.”
Saira smiled widely, pulled him back into the house. “Let’s go face the wolves.”
They went inside to find Mum and Dad at the table.
“Reena! Did you hear your sister’s news! Ashraf, sit…” Mum motioned to the seat near hers.
Mum’s and Saira’s happiness were infectious, and Reena couldn’t help but soak it in as Saira told the story of Ashraf surprising her in her favorite sushi restaurant.
Dad sat quietly while the three women in the family gushed over Saira’s ring, talked about wedding clothes, and made plans for bridal sari shopping. Finally, Reena looked at her father. She would have thought he would at least be a little happy his youngest daughter was engaged, and to a good Muslim man this time. A nice, sensible, management-type. Really everything Dad wanted in a son-in-law.
“What’s going on, Dad?” Reena asked him. “Saira said you have a work issue?”
“Yes. A disaster, really.” He sighed. “We can’t trust anyone these days. I hate being lied to.”
Shit. Had someone swindled Dad again? “Who lied to you?”
