Harlequin Desire January 2021--Box Set 1 of 2 by Maisey Yates (inspirational books .TXT) 📗

sundress with a field of sunflowers behind her, she looked gorgeous. No wonder Ethan had fallen hard for her. Divya felt an unfamiliar twinge deep in her chest. She had no complaints about winning the genetic lottery in the looks department, so why did this woman’s beauty bother her?

She clicked on Pooja’s friends and began looking through their recent posts. In a few minutes, she found what she was looking for and turned the phone so Ethan could see. There was a shot of a smiling Pooja in a stunning bridal lehnga with the MGM Grand logo behind her.

He reversed the car and punched the accelerator. They tore through the streets of Vegas, though as much as he changed lanes, Ethan couldn’t escape the slow-moving traffic on the strip. The one-mile journey took them almost twenty minutes. He finally screeched to a stop at the front of the hotel, handed the valet a key and a hundred-dollar bill. “Keep it right here, ready to go, and I’ll give you a real tip when I leave.”

They asked where the wedding was and were directed to one of the large ballrooms. They went inside, and as soon as she caught sight of the bride, Divya grabbed Ethan’s arm. But he kept walking.

“You’re too late,” she said a little too loudly and cringed as a few of the guests looked in their direction. He stopped. “I’m sorry, Ethan. See how she’s throwing rice onto the cloth behind her? This is done after the wedding ceremony as the bride says goodbye to her family.”

Divya looked at Ethan’s face, expecting it to crumple, but he sighed, and she had a feeling it was in relief and not frustration.

“I should talk to her.” The way he said it, Divya wasn’t sure if he’d meant it as a question.

“I believe Vegas is very liberal with their marriage annulments. If you are serious about marrying her, you should make your case.”

They both studied Pooja. Like Divya, she was wearing the traditional red-and-white choora bangles worn by brides on their wedding day and for months to a year after, depending on the family’s traditions, to signify her newlywed status. Her lehnga was a pink bejeweled skirt with a royal blue border and a matching top that showed off a small section of her midriff. The groom whispered something in her ear, and she smiled stunningly. She whispered something back and he laughed, then leaned over and kissed her on the cheek to the general merriment of the gathered crowd.

“It doesn’t look like she wants me to save her,” Ethan muttered.

Divya had to agree. The bride looked excited and happy, not teary-eyed or forlorn in any way. Not the way she herself had looked earlier this morning. A pang of jealously hit Divya. She didn’t want to get married, but if she had to, she wanted to be as happy as Pooja looked with her groom.

Ethan stared at Pooja and Divya realized they were attracting a few looks. Pooja looked in their direction and Divya stepped away from Ethan.

Pooja’s eyes widened. She whispered to her groom, then stepped toward them. The eyes of two hundred people followed her. “What are you doing here?” she said in a low voice once she came closer. Her eyes flicked to Divya, then back to Ethan. He stood silent.

Divya stepped up to Pooja and hugged her, then whispered in her ear, “He crashed my wedding, looking for you.” She released Pooja and said in a loud voice, “We had to come congratulate you, even though it’s also my wedding day.”

Pooja caught on quick. She turned around. “I need just one minute with my friend, then I’ll be back.”

An older lady stepped forward. “Hurry up, Pooja. The car is ready.”

Pooja led the way and Divya took Ethan’s hand. He frowned, and she leaned over and stood on tiptoe to whisper, “She’s a married woman. Appearances are important.”

He didn’t argue but his lips thinned. Pooja led them through a set of doors and into a food-prep area. A waiter came toward them. “Please, just one minute,” Pooja said, and he nodded.

“I’ll wait outside,” Divya started, but Pooja shook her head. “I need you to stay here.”

Ethan shook his head. “I came here to break up your wedding and you’re still worried about appearances.”

Pooja glared at him. “How dare you show up here to ruin things for me? You had me, Ethan, and you let me go. If I wanted you here, I would’ve sent you an invitation. You’re doing what you always do, going for what you want without considering how it affects everyone around you.”

“If you didn’t want me here, why did you send me that email saying you loved me and would’ve married me?”

She sighed. “Past tense, Ethan. I sent you that email for closure. It was a goodbye, not an invitation.” She stepped closer and put her hand on his arm. “I said some really harsh things the last time we saw each other. I didn’t want to start my new life by leaving things like that with us. I wanted you to know that you were special to me.”

Ethan was silent and Divya resisted the urge to stand up for him. She looked at him, and though his eyes were focused on Pooja, he seemed to be a million miles away.

Finally he asked, “Do you want to be married to that guy?”

Pooja’s eyes softened. “Yes,” she said. “My parents set us up, but Anil and I fell in love.”

“So quickly?” he said skeptically.

“I know you think arranged marriages are forced, but that’s not the case. I was ready to settle down and so was he. We already got along with each other’s families. There was no bullshit between us, so Anil and I could focus on whether we wanted to be together. It doesn’t take long to fall in love once you’re ready.”

Pooja’s eyes flicked to the door. “I’m sorry, Ethan. What you and I had was something special, but you know