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Naina looked around the quiet, shady nook she’d chosen in the vast library, the rest of which was enveloped in darkness. “You think I was waiting here to meet Virat so that we could...for some secret...to have a private...” The longer she stumbled over her words, the more she blushed and the wider the dratted man’s smile grew.
“Virat is well known for his...adventurous exploits.”
“I’m not waiting here for your brother so that we can get it on in some kind of secret, silly seduction game.”
“No?”
“No. And stop smirking at me in that condescending way.”
His mouth straightened but the smile lingered in his eyes.Gorgeousdid not do the man justice. “I’m not smirking or condescending. I just find you adorable.”
“I’m no such thing and how...what?” Apparently, the night was full of surprises.
“You apologized for invading my personal space and for complimenting my perfect features. You’re trying very hard to sound all sophisticated about men and seduction yet it’s clear you’re not, and the effect is very endearing.”
“My ex did say I was far too old-fashioned.” Naina sighed. The temptation to pull off the mask was overwhelming but it meant whatever this camaraderie between them was...would disappear in a breath.
It was strange how life worked. She had covered her face with a mask because she wanted to be someone else for one night. And yet, even with the mask in place, she felt seen for the first time in a long time. By the very man she’d torn into not a few days ago for his insensitive portrayal of women.
If he realized who she was, there was no doubt he’d walk away without a backward glance. He might even think she’d...trickedhim. She couldn’t bear the thought of tonight ending like that, the thought of him thinking ill of her.
She wanted more from tonight. From him. From herself.
“Are you old-fashioned?”
Naina shrugged. “What does that even mean? Who decides what’s modern and what’s old-fashioned anyway? And why are all those stupid, arbitrary constructs only applied to women? You and Virat are praised as playboys whereas every move your sister Anya makes is held to some vague standards of behavior no one else in your family is held accountable to.”
“Ah...now I know how you became close to my brother.” His arm went around the chaise lounge. “Also, your ex sounds like a jackass who wanted to push you into things you were not ready for. And because he’s probably a mama’s boy used to getting what he wants, he attached a label to you to make you feel bad about it. You should be glad you dumped his ass.”
“I didn’t. He dumped me,” Naina replied automatically, stunned to her core at this seemingly arrogant man’s astute summary of Rohan. Hadn’t Jaya Ma always said the same? Why hadn’t Naina seen it? Why had she let him hurt her like that?
She looked at Vikram with new eyes.
“Then I’d suggest you be thankful for whatever brought that around.”
“He had started a new job in Delhi last year, and asked me to move in with him. First Papa got really sick, so I had to postpone it. Then after Papa died, we discovered we were up to our neck in debt. So my ex decided he didn’t want to be held back any longer by my dead weight. He had places to go, careers to achieve.”
Thankfully, he didn’t offer any meaningless platitudes to fill up the silence like Maya had or sayI told you solike Jaya Ma. He simply honored her feelings of grief and betrayal. Naina didn’t know how long they sat quietly like that. But she absolutely knew she liked being alone together with him.
“He’s not a bad guy really,” she finally said into the silence.
He snorted. She glared at him.
“So if you were not waiting for Virat for a secret seduction, what did you want with him?”
“Oh, he...he was only supposed to give me a lift back home, that’s all. I’d had enough of my wild crazy night. Did he really dump me onto you to take home?”
He shrugged. “Virat has a weird sense of humor. Was the party everything you imagined it might be?”
“I... I wanted excitement and drama. And I certainly got more than enough to last me for a decade.”
“I saw you dance earlier with that hot young actor. I tried to keep an eye on you but I got distracted. He didn’t act...inappropriately with you, did he?”
Naina colored at his direct question. “Oh, no, nothing like that. I got the impression that I was far too beneath his usual standards to be the object of his lust. The dance he indulged me with was, I believe, his charity act for the year. Maybe for the decade.”
Those beautiful brown eyes of his swept over her face as if taking inventory. Naina felt as if he had actually touched her. “Charity act?”
“Apparently, he doesn’t date anyone who’s not at least eight inches taller and twenty kilos lighter than me. Or alternately a few crores richer than I am.
