Dev’s dark brown eyes narrowed into slits. “That’s impossible,” he said in a growl.
Was it? Dev said he hadn’t had an affair with Shreya, but what if he had shared his thoughts, dreams and problems with the other woman? What if he had talked to her about things he hid from his wife? “I don’t know what she’s going to do with the information.” Tina’s voice shook.
“What are you trying to say?” His fingers tightened against her bare arms. “Do you still think I’m having an affair with Shreya?”
“No, but I think you confided in another woman about something private, something just between us.”
Tina couldn’t take it anymore. She leaned forward and rested her head against his shoulder. She felt Dev’s muscles tense with surprise before he gathered her in his arms and held her close. She sighed when he cupped the back of her head with his large hand. For a moment, she felt safe.
“Let’s go home, Dev,” she pleaded softly.
“Not yet,” he said as she stroked her hair. “I need to do something first. We do.”
She lifted her head. “What are you planning?”
“Follow my lead.” He encircled his fingers around her wrist and guided her to the dance floor.
Tina didn’t trust the urgency in his tone. “No, no, no.” She dragged her heels. “Not until you tell me what you want to do.”
He looked over his shoulder. “For once, we are going to face this as a team. A united front. That was our mistake in the past.”
United. They hadn’t been partners, hadn’t shared a life together, since they got married. “What are you talking about?”
“We are husband and wife but we lead separate lives. We didn’t grieve together and we didn’t help each other after the miscarriage. That stops now. We are going to start by attacking these rumors together.” He squeezed her hand. “Are you with me?”
It meant giving him total control and allowing him to lead. It meant trusting him. Believing he wouldn’t throw her to the wolves. It meant taking a leap of faith and ignoring every instinct that screamed for her to run and hide.
Tina gave a sharp nod. “Let’s do this,” she said and was rewarded with Dev’s bold smile.
Dev led her through the dance floor. She watched as the crowd parted for him. Tina’s shoulders tightened as her husband approached the DJ’s platform. She couldn’t predict what he was going to do. Call out Shreya and her friends? Tina clenched Dev’s hand in warning. She felt too vulnerable.
Her heart banged against her ribs when Dev held out his hand to the DJ and silently motioned for the microphone. The DJ didn’t question the request and immediately handed it to him. Tina knew nothing good could come out of this. She wanted to drift into the crowd but she had promised Dev that she would follow his lead. She had no idea it would be this difficult.
“DJ, I would like to dedicate a song to my wife.”
Tina went very still as the crowd roared their approval for the romantic gesture. If only it were genuine, Tina thought. She tried to relax under the spotlight as Dev gathered her close. He gave her a look of pure adoration that took her breath away.
“This woman said yes to me almost a year ago. She gave me the pleasure—no, the honor—of becoming her husband. I don’t know what I would have done without her.”
Tina ducked her head as a blush crawled up her neck and flooded her face. Did Dev know that this counterattack was the most precious gift he had given her? Wearing the Arjun jewels had been a stroke of genius. It gave the illusion that he considered her worthy of the family name. But this...this declaration from a Bollywood megastar meant something more. Dev was demanding high society respect his wife, making them believe she had power and influence over the mighty megastar. That he was wonder-struck by her.
“I realized I haven’t said it enough. I didn’t show this special woman how I feel about her every day.” His voice was rough with regret and sincerity. “But I’m going to correct that mistake now.”
Tina heard a few women in the crowd sigh at his words. She would have sighed, too, but this was pretend. Part of the fantasy. A ruse to stop the rumors.
“My wife is everything I want. Everything I need. I’m grateful that Tina is willing to share her life with me. So, DJ, I feel like celebrating. Play us a slow song.”
The guests clapped and whistled as Dev returned the microphone. The lights in the nightclub dimmed as the first notes of a saxophone played. Dev drew her to the middle of the dance floor and gathered her gently in his arms.