She flushed an unattractive shade of red, her nose crinkling like she’d smelled something bad.
“How did Ashish and you meet?” he asked, feeling pressured to say something to stop the eruption he sensed coming his way.
“We met at a business networking conference,” she muttered, her eyes still sparking dangerously.
“Sounds exciting,” he said blandly, taking another large gulp of beer. He should have gone with something stronger. This was going to be a long night. Very, very long.
“Why animals?” She forked up some leaves as she spoke.
“Why Ashish?” he countered, the devil on his shoulder riding him hard.
For a moment, he thought she’d stab him with her fork. He speared a prawn in self-defense and watched her debate whether to answer him. Her gaze went to the couple who now had their arms around each other and were swaying to music only they could hear. Something churned in those large, expressive eyes of hers, something sad, something dangerous.
“He helped me feel safe again,” she said, finally.
Daksh raised his bottle to his lips, his gaze meeting hers. There were secrets swimming in the depths of her gaze, secrets he couldn’t even begin to guess at.
“Why animals?” she asked again.
He saw the challenge in her gaze as she watched him. He didn’t want to meet it. He didn’t want her seeing past the shields he’d erected a lifetime ago to protect himself.
He helped me feel safe.
The words told him more than she wished him to know, more thanhewished to know about her. She just hadn’t realised that yet. And yet, her honesty demanded his own.
“Why animals?” he repeated the question, letting it settle in his gut. He looked away from her to the waves, the harmony in their sound washing through him. “They helped me feel again.”
CHAPTER 9
VEDIKA
Vedika’s stomachrumbled as she watched the couple swaying in each other’s arms. They looked happy, blissfully so. She pressed a hand to her stomach as a slight cramp hit. Was that her stomach or was it envy?
He helped me feel safe again.
Why had she told him that? She was always so guarded with her thoughts and words. How had she slipped up like that? She bet he was sitting across from her wondering about her words, trying to figure out what she’d meant. Or maybe he was just wondering if –
Her rambling thoughts were cut off as the server returned to clear the empty plates.
“Sir, would you like to order the main course?”
Daksh moved his gaze from the waves in the distance to the man hovering by the table. He glanced over at Vedika, a question in his eyes.
“I’ll have the grilled chicken please, with the sauce on the side.”
“Steamed vegetables or French fries Madam?”
“Neither.” She smiled up at him, acutely conscious of Daksh’s intent gaze on the side of her face. “Thank you.”
“And for you Sir?”
For a moment, Daksh did nothing but stare at her. Vedika shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Then he cleared his throat and muttered, “I’m fine, thanks.”
Vedika’s stomach clenched, a familiar knowing. She’d made him uncomfortable. She always made people uncomfortable.
“You’re not going to make me eat on my own, are you?” she asked, the words bursting out of her.
“I’m –“
