Incense and Sensibility (The Rajes #3) - Sonali Dev Page 0,103
froze as though unable to unlock her limbs.
“Hi,” he said to Ellie, who threw a look from him to India and then to her mother.
Brandy waved her daughter over. “Ready to leave?”
He barely noticed as Ellie gathered her things, and they left.
India and he stood there, gazes locking and unlocking, bodies suspended in time. Complete and utter rightness braided through his being in electric bursts.
How did he keep forgetting how beautiful the sight of her was? Hair thick and shiny as spun obsidian, skin luminous, mouth lush and wide with that distinctive scar, eyes he had missed more than he’d ever missed anything in his life.
Finally she spoke. “Why are you here?” Her voice was soft the way it always was. That soft strong thing she had going on. Silk and steel, that pulled at him like a damn magnet.
“Yash?” Her eyes held his for just another second, then her gaze moved away to a point behind his head. His name on her lips, a sizzle on a hot pan.
“I don’t know. I’m here to see Chutney.”
“Okay, she’s upstairs.”
“I miss her.” God, he was pathetic.
She looked like she was going to cry, or burst with frustration. She might have done a groan-sob, as though she wanted to shake him. He wanted her to. Just so she would touch him. He’d never wanted a woman to touch him. When Naina had, he’d had to brace himself, had to breathe through the coldness.
He followed India up the stairs, familiar smells engulfing him, incense and whole spices and aged wood and dog slobber. Chutney’s tail went off in a spin when she saw him. With ecstatic yips she rolled over, then let out a long high-pitched whine.
“I feel exactly the same way, sweetheart,” he said, rubbing her belly like a man starved for this unconditional love.
India tried to act like she didn’t hear him, didn’t see him.
“Brandy said China’s gone to South Korea,” he said, still rubbing.
“She left last week.”
“Is she liking it?”
Worry tightened her mouth. “I hope so.”
“Haven’t you spoken to her?”
“I have.”
Okay. He knew he had earned the short answers. He deserved them. He should leave. “How’s Tara?”
She glared at him. “She’s going to be fine.”
“Were you able to figure out her health care bills?”
“Why are you here, Yash?”
Because I need to be.
“I wanted to know how you were, how Tara’s doing. I’ve been worried about her.”
“I’ve already told you. You don’t need to worry. I’ve got it.” But her voice wobbled and all his senses zeroed in on it.
“India, please tell me what’s wrong. Please tell me you weren’t serious about selling the studio.”
“I told you I don’t want to talk to you about it. I don’t need your help.”
“Why? Why won’t you let someone help? Your universe is not going to save your home. You shouldn’t have to lose it. This place is . . . it’s you. Let me help.”
“No. Help when you win the election, by changing things.”
He strode to her, finally, losing the battle against this magnet. “I want to help now.”
She didn’t move, didn’t back away. “No.”
He was close enough that her smell engulfed him. Her warmth stroked his senses. “Why not?”
Her body was tight as a bow. “Because I’m not yours to help.”
His hand went to his chest, because, man, that hurt. You are. He’d finally turned her into a liar, because that was a lie. “You’re my friend. I can help a friend if I want to.” His tone came out too harsh. Too filled with the things he couldn’t say.
Instead of stepping back, she stuck out her jaw. “If being my friend was the only reason you wanted to help, I’d let you.”
He leaned into her breath, letting his own mingle with it. Her body softened. His need to sink into her warmth came out in a sound that laid him bare.
That made her step back, put distance between them. “You have a girlfriend, Yash!” The fierceness of her tone didn’t cover her sob.
No, I don’t! But how could he say that without offering her more. Offering her everything. When he wasn’t at liberty to risk everything. Too many people were counting on him.
“A girlfriend you chose over me,” she whispered.
It was his turn to groan-sob. He was not someone who did that.
The back of her hand pressed into her mouth, like she wanted to stuff the words back inside.
“I’m sorry I said that,” she said. “Can you ignore that I said that? Can you just see Chutney and leave? I have