Page 134 of No Boss
She stepped out, aware of the distance he kept as he matched her pace. Yet close enough that she felt him.
They walked toward the main gate. Eyes followed them. Staff slowed, looked, then turned away the moment his gaze lifted.
At the gate, a two-seater Mercedes waited. He moved ahead and opened the passenger door, one hand firm on the handle.
She hesitated.
As she turned to get in, her hair slipped forward, brushing his arm.
Her bangles chimed as her hand rose to tuck her hair back. Her jhumkis swayed, catching the light of the setting sun.
He drew in a breath.
She looked up and found his eyes at her ear. They moved lower, lingering at the space just beneath it. The focus there pressed against her skin.
He blinked, grounding himself.
The door closed. He walked around and took his seat.
Inside, a different silence waited.
His hands settled on the wheel. She folded hers in her lap, turning toward the window as the Haveli receded.
Jaipur passed through the golden hour. Shadows stretched. Her earrings moved with the motion, catching light in small flashes.
“Do you have a list?”
She turned. “A list.”
“Of questions. Things you want to ask me.” He glanced at her, then back to the road. “I prepared answers. It would be efficient to go through them before we arrive.”
She stared at him. “You prepared answers.”
“I prepared for several versions of this conversation.”
“How many?”
“Four.” His grip adjusted on the wheel. “Five if you cry.”
She blinked at him. He kept his focus ahead. The corner of his mouth lifted.
A laugh escaped her. Soft at first, then brighter.
His shoulders eased.
She studied him for a second. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
“That is not an answer.”
“It is. Just not the one you prefer.”
She turned back to the window, the city passing in blur.
“Tell me something,” his voice entered the silence again.
She looked at him.
