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

She gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek. “I’ve got to go. Try not to get in the way of your own happiness.”

Ethan stood rigid with his back to the door as she left.

Divya touched his arm. “Are you okay?”

He shrugged. “Guess that’s that. Where do you want me to take you?”

Divya stared at him. How could he be so nonchalant about the woman he loved getting married to someone else? Divya had a ton of questions for him, but he turned away from her, and she sensed that he didn’t want to talk about it. Maybe he was embarrassed.

“What do you want to do next?” he asked.

Divya chewed on her lip. Do I dare? She’d come this far, might as well go all the way.

“There is someplace I’d like to go but…” As she said the words, the weight of what she’d done began to descend on her. She had wrestled with the decision for weeks, ever since her parents had announced her wedding to Vivek. She had protested and threatened and planned her escape, but ultimately, she’d lacked the courage to stand up to them. It wasn’t until she was sitting next to Vivek by the holy marital fire that the realization hit her that she would never get a chance to love a man or be free to chart the course of her life. Nor would she get a chance to do the one thing she had dreamed of. She wasn’t that religious, but in that moment, she’d prayed for an escape. And then Ethan had shown up.

“I don’t have any money with me.”

“You have enough jewelry on you to buy a house.”

Divya’s hand flew to the diamond choker around her neck. “This is my mother’s. You can’t sell family jewelry.”

Ethan smirked. “Spoken like someone who comes from money.”

Divya bristled. “You don’t seem hard up. A Tesla isn’t a poor man’s car.”

“I earn my money,” Ethan said wryly.

“Well, I work, too, and if I could, I would happily live on what I earn,” she said hotly, but his words burned into her. She’d been handed everything in life. While she knew how lucky and privileged she was, she had no sense of whether she was worth anything beyond her family’s wealth.

She took a breath. “We don’t have time to waste. I need to lay low for a few days. I don’t want to face my family when they’re so angry with me and while there’s still a chance for them to resume the wedding. I have a bag packed with some essentials. I could call my sister and see if she could deliver it somewhere.” Even as Divya said it, she knew her sister’s phones and movements would be monitored by her family.

“It’s probably not a good idea to contact your sister if you’re trying to avoid the rest of your family. Do you have your driver’s license?” He scanned her body slowly and deliberately as though he were examining her with X-ray vision.

“Hey, eyes up here.” She glared at him, though little sparks of excitement coursed through her at the obvious interest in his eyes. She reached into her tight-fitting blouse and pulled out a well-worn dark blue passport with Republic of India stamped on the front.

“You’re not American.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Do I sound like an American?”

“Why get married in Vegas?”

“Because my fiancé—ex-fiancé—is American.” She didn’t have time for small talk, though; it wouldn’t be long before her eldest brother Arjun mobilized his considerable influence to find her. “Listen, I really need to get out of Vegas. I was only able to fit this passport in my blouse. I don’t have any money, but I promise you that if you can pay for a bus ticket to New York, I’ll—”

He waved her off. “I’ll give you whatever money you need.”

“Thank you. I’ll pay you back as soon as I—”

“I have more money than I can spend in my lifetime. It’s meaningless to me.” The catch in his voice hit her in the chest.

“Is there anything I can do for you? Talk to Pooja?”

He looked at her, and she saw frustration and also a shadow of something darker in his eyes. “I think you and I both know that I’ve lost Pooja. Don’t worry. I’m used to it. How about we focus on getting you out of town.”

She wanted to know more. How could he let go of the love of his life as if he’d lost nothing more than money at a casino? He is not my problem. Right now she had a very short window to get away. She hadn’t come to America to get married. She’d come for a taste of freedom, to do the one thing she’d never be allowed to do: to take a chance on a dream and see if she could make it come true.

“Why New York City?”

“There is something I need to do there. I’ll explain later. Can you drop me at a bus stop?”

He smiled. “I have a better way to get you there. Let’s go. I’ll explain on the way.”

Excitement exploded through her. Can this really be happening? Am I really going to get to New York? The idea of being able to go without the shackles of her family was incredible. She began running through the list of things she needed to do as Ethan led her out of the hotel.

They retrieved the car, which the valet had kept front and center. He handed the key card back to Ethan, who peeled off several hundred-dollar bills and handed them to the wide-eyed man.

As Divya took her seat, it hit her. I must be mad. Ethan was a complete stranger and she was getting in a car with him not knowing where he was taking her. What if he was a psycho or axe murderer? Why was she so at ease around him? She knew nothing about the man.

“Can I borrow your phone