Page 13 of His Smile
Ignoring the cinching feeling around her heart, she lookedup and almost gave her own evil smile. Pushing the button on the screen, shechanged the phone’s camera to the back camera. She watched his face closely ashis narrow gray eyes took in the details of the video.
Dev had made his move. Singling her out, Rubina and thedangerous man watched as Dev gestured for the door. A few moments of exchangepassed, and they both watched Dev lead the tall dancer out of the room alone.Mischievous satisfaction wrapped around Rubina’s heart, dissipating theconstricted feeling he had caused as she watched the glimmer of malepossessiveness settle on to the man’s face. He wasn’t completely unaffected byher sister, she noted.
With the camera switched back, she was about to give him asmug retort when he cut her off. The satisfaction she felt evaporated at thesomehow larger chaotic grin.
“Where are you?”
~*~
Following Dev into a much smaller private room, Rahinawalked past him with a smirk noticing the way he glanced at her shoes. She waseasily four inches taller than him.
Pulling out her chair at the empty table, he gave her asmall laugh. “You wore the heels on purpose, didn’t you?”
She had known Dev for a few years now, and he was well awareof her rebellious nature.
Tilting her chin up, she gave him a smug smile. “You know Idid.”
“Your height doesn’t intimidate me,” he commented, pullingout his own chair across from her.
Leaning her elbows against the table’s cool surface, Rahinarested her chin on her palm and gave him an honest look. “What are we doinghere, Dev? We have known each other for years now and not once have you lookedmy way and now all of a sudden here we are,” she waved one hand in a gesture totheir private room. “You’re just letting your mother pressure you,” she accusedsoftly.
Pride flared in his eyes, and his shoulders stiffened.“You’re wrong,” he said. Inwardly, she noted that when he frowned that somehowmade him even more handsome, like a pouty model walking down the runway. “Ihave looked your way, it’s you who haven’t looked my way.”
“What?!” She automatically replied in amused outrage butconsidered his words for a moment. It was true, she supposed, Dev was neverreally an option in her mind.
Seeing that realization was sinking in, Dev seized it. “Youknow I’m right too. Last year you were dating that basketball player, and nowyou’re always so busy that…”
Leaning back in her chair, she fixed him with astraightforward look. “And I will always be busy Dev Gorshal,” she ignored hissubtle flinch at her tone. The man certainly wasn’t used to women cutting himoff, much less arguing with him. There was just nothing good about a man whoskated through life with good looks such as his, it made them far too spoiled.“Look,” her tone softened a bit as she gave him a sympathetic smile. “I am nota suitable candidate for you. What you need is a good, traditional Desi girlthat will make you and your mother happy by being your perfect overeducated, childbearinghomemaker.”
Laughing, he stood up and leaned in close, with both handsagainst the table. “These are all assumptions Rahina, stereotypical assumptionsat that.”
Refusing to let him have the upper hand, she stood up aswell. “Dev, you don’t want me, you want someone…”
“How do you know?” He cut her off, the challenge in hisvoice and posture was clear. “You haven’t even given me a chance.” Stepping aroundthe table, he stood a few feet in front of her, and his voice lowered softly.“That isn’t fair Rahina, how will we know if we never give this a chance?”
Damn that was a good line, she thought, she would have touse it on Roman.
Rahina didn’t get a chance to respond to Dev before a knocksounded at the door and the door opened. Stepping in partly, Dev’s fatherlooked at his son, his face serious.
“There is a call saying that the alarm went off at youroffice.”
Frowning, Dev pulled out his phone and looked at it, hisfrown deepening. “I… I have to go,” he said distractedly, barely looking upfrom his phone. “Don’t go, this shouldn’t take but a few minutes.”
Following his dad out, he left her alone.
Patting her inside skirt pocket, she realized her own phonewas absent. Wait for him, Rahina nearly laughed at that. Stepping out of theroom, she paused in the hallway. If she went back into the private room withher family, she would be pounced upon by her mother, but if she somehow gotahold of her sister, she could have her bring her phone to her.
Walking forward, Rahina was passing by a door to anotherprivate room when it suddenly opened. She was in the middle of jumping backwhen a hand shot out from the dark room and hauled her in with a lightning fastjerk.
Landing against a warm body, she heard the door shut behindher and the lights click on. Blinking, she looked up to see Roman. Shocked, shestepped back, immediately regretting leaving his solid, warmth especially sincehis touches were few and far between.
“What are you doing here?” Looking towards the door, Rahinawondered how he even got inside the restaurant unnoticed.
Tilting his head slightly to the side, his narrow gray eyesslowly glided down her figure and back up again. Noises from beyond the doorworried her.
“Roman,” she gave him an urgent hiss. “You can’t be in hereif my dad or brothers sees…”
Unbuttoning his dark gray suit jacket, Roman revealed moreof the royal blue shirt beneath as he put his hands in each of his pants’pockets. He was completely unfazed by the sense of urgency she was trying toconvey.
