Secrets of a Bollywood Marriage(42)

                “No, Tina. I am the one who failed,” he admitted. “I should have been there for you and the baby. I wasn’t because I didn’t...I focused on the wrong thing. I was too busy providing for you and creating an empire for my son.”

                “You had to work,” she said. “I know how competitive this business is—”

                “That is no excuse,” he insisted. “And after the miscarriage, I overcompensated.”

                “There was nothing you could do to intervene,” Tina said. “Nothing could have saved our son.”

                “I couldn’t save the baby, but I could have saved you. You were so frail and lost. But you made it clear that it was too little, too late.”

                “I needed you,” she insisted. “I just wanted you there. That’s all you had to do.” She still needed him. She was always going to have that shadow of fear, wondering if the depression would return. Wondering if she would have to go through hell like she had for the past four months. She had already made the decision that she wouldn’t have children to avoid it happening again, but what if that wasn’t enough?

                Dev curled his finger under her chin and made her look at him. “Tina, you are not weak. You are a strong woman who struggled with depression. The struggle is part of who you are now, but the depression will never define you.”

                She wanted to believe that. She wanted to believe that Dev could look at her and not see the torment that had overwhelmed her. She didn’t want Dev to remember how she had been at her worst.

                Tina pulled her chin from his hold and bent her head. “I’m sorry I’ve been a burden. I know I’m not the wife you wanted. You should have someone who will improve your life and be a business asset.”

                “You are not a burden.” He sounded surprised that she would suggest it. “I know that if the roles had been reversed, you would have done the same.”

                She couldn’t imagine Dev sick or struggling. He could conquer anything. He had the inner strength that helped him meet challenges head-on.

                But she would have looked after him if needed. She would second-guess herself, but she would have done what was best for him. She also wouldn’t have walked away from him unless it was the only way he could be happy.

                He wasn’t happy now and he wasn’t going to be for the next six weeks. He was miserable and moody. She was, too. It was painful being next to Dev without touching him. Without connecting. “We should end this now.”

                “Enough,” he said gruffly. “Stop talking or I will make you shut up.”

                “We can divorce quietly and—”

                Dev bent his head and claimed her mouth with his. Her knees buckled as she clung onto his shoulders. His fierce kiss lit something deep inside her. A dangerous fire that she had tried so hard to ignore. It roared through her veins as she returned his kiss.

                Tina whimpered when Dev pulled away. Her stomach clenched with anticipation when she saw the lust flaring in his eyes. She didn’t protest when he lifted her up. Instead, she wrapped her legs around his waist and grabbed the back of his head. She kissed him hard as he carried her to the bed.





                                      CHAPTER EIGHT

                TINA TIGHTENED HER hold on Dev as he laid her down on the bed. She didn’t want to let go. She yearned for the feel of him under her hands. She skimmed her fingers down his strong back and bunched his tunic in her fist. She didn’t want anything to stand in the way of her skin touching his.