She sensed the other guests finding dance partners and swaying to the music, but she was only aware of Dev. How her soft breasts pressed against his hard chest and how his large hands spanned across her hips. They moved in unison effortlessly.
Tina couldn’t look at Dev. He was a good actor. Better than her. If he captured her gaze, he would see how much she wanted those words to be true. How much she wished he had included words like love in his speech.
Tina pressed her head against his chest and closed her eyes. A sigh shuddered through her body when Dev cupped her head with his hand. The tenderness made her weak in the knees. When he placed a kiss against her hair, Tina wanted to hold on to this moment. Make believe it was real, just a little while longer.
When the music stopped, Tina reluctantly pulled away. She was an emotional wreck. She felt raw and exposed. “Let’s go home now,” she suggested.
Dev wrapped his arm around her as he guided her off the dance floor and through the club. He didn’t say a word as they exited the lobby. He cradled her close while he called for the car and fell silent again. Was he regretting his speech?
She didn’t object as he bundled her into the backseat as if she was a delicate treasure. She didn’t say anything until she noticed he wasn’t getting into the car with her. “What’s going on?” Her eyes widened as she realized he was staying at the party. “You’re not coming with me?”
“I saw Shreya at the party and I’m going to find out how she got this information,” he said. His voice was calm but she saw the anger in his eyes. “She needs to learn that you are my wife and I will protect your reputation.”
“But—”
“Take her straight home,” he told the driver before he closed the door.
“Damn it, Dev,” she said through the thick glass. But he had already turned away and entered the nightclub like a warrior heading in for battle.
When was he going to realize that the rumors would persist, Tina wondered as the car pulled away from the curb. Nothing they said or did would change that. Their hasty marriage and her brand image made her a burden. The only way to minimize the damage was if Dev distanced himself from her. He needed to cut her loose.
* * *
He needed a drink.
He needed more than that, Dev decided as he swung open the front door of his home and headed straight to his bedroom. What he really needed was Tina. He needed her to believe—really believe—that he wouldn’t do this to her.
The house was dark and quiet. Empty. The silence tore at him. It was the last thing he wanted to feel as the fury still rushed through his blood. He had walked into an eerily quiet house like this for the past four months and he wasn’t willing to do it again.
He climbed up the steps two at a time. Dev was going to make Tina listen to him. He was going to convince her once and for all that he didn’t want Shreya. He didn’t want anyone but his wife.
Dev strode into the bedroom and stopped abruptly when he discovered Tina wasn’t there. His anger flashed white-hot at the thought that she had moved into one of the guest rooms. He swung around and marched to the nearest guest room. If Tina was trying to make a statement by leaving his bed, she had picked the wrong night.
The bedroom was undisturbed. Something close to panic mixed with his anger and it was a volatile combination. He slammed open the door to the next guest room and he found it empty. He systematically checked every room on the top floor as the urgency pulsed through his veins.
Had she left? Fear, cold and hard, twisted in his stomach as he hurried down the stairs. Was this one truth too hard for her to swallow? He had to admit that the evidence was building up against him.
As he hurried through the drawing room and the massive dining room that had held so many parties, he heard a strain of music. Dev lurched to a stop, listening. The song was familiar. It was from one of Tina’s favorite romantic movies.
He pivoted on his heel and walked straight to the kitchen. He faltered to a stop when he saw Tina. The relief crashed through him so hard that he slumped against the door frame.
She was barefoot but still wearing her silver beaded dress. She leaned against the granite counter as she watched Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge on the TV mounted on the other side of the wall. Shahrukh Khan and Kajol were embracing while standing in a field of yellow flowers. It took him a moment to notice the small coral-colored pot on the stove. He inhaled the scent of khichri, the simple comfort food of rice and legumes.
Tina had cooked? This was the first time he had seen her cook since she had returned. It had been something she had enjoyed but she’d lost interest after the miscarriage. He wasn’t sure what it meant now. He wanted to see it as a positive sign but he knew to tread lightly.