Chapter 14
Raj heard her question, but it was so far from what he’d been thinking about, the words didn’t make sense for a long moment. He had to replay her question in his head twice before he understood what she was asking of him.
“Take her away? Why would I do that?”
“Because…” Helen blinked back tears and the action was like a gut-punch to his solar plexus. Helen never cried. At least, not around him. And the sudden appearance of the tears made him turn to face her fully.
“You’re her mother, Helen,” he replied, gripping her upper arms tightly, locking eyes with her. “I would never take Angela away from you.”
“But…you live in a different country.” She looked pointedly around, taking in the presence of big, armed men surrounding them. “And there’s always the danger of Angela being kidnapped or hurt, isn’t there?”
Raj realized where her mind had gone. “Helen, we’re going to work this out, bit by bit, okay? I have no intention of separating you from Angela. Absolutely not. We’re going to figure out a way to make this work. Understood?”
She sniffed, but nodded her head. She tried surreptitiously to wipe her eyes, which made him want to pull her into his arms and cover her face in kisses, but he restrained himself. She’d pressed against him moments ago, but quickly pulled away. He didn’t understand why. When they’d been together in the past, she’d always leaned into him, pressing every part of herself against him. He’d loved it! Damn, he’d forgotten, until that moment, how much he’d liked feeling her against him. It was as if she were silently telling him that she trusted him, that she was putting her faith in his strength. It had made him feel powerful.
So, what did it mean when she’d pulled away so quickly?
This new Helen was a mystery. But one he was determined to figure out.
Ignoring his first reaction to keep her at a distance until they understood each other better, Raj pulled her into his arms, kissing the top of her head. He nearly groaned at the perfection of her body against his, but suppressed it.
“We’re going to be okay. This isn’t as difficult as it seems at the moment.” He didn’t know if that was true, but it sounded good in his mind.
It occurred to Raj that he felt a bit lost regarding Helen. He’d never had to work to get a woman before. Women came to him and he either accepted or rejected based on his feelings in that moment. So this was all new and, if he were honest with himself, far more stimulating. Trying to convince Helen to fall for him again was…?
Fall for him? Did he want Helen to fall in love with him or just…in lust?
No, he wanted love. And that was shocking enough that he nearly stumbled over a wooden beam that had fallen from the ceiling.
“Are you okay?” Helen asked, gripping his arm to help steady him.
Raj laughed, shaking his head at his stupidity. And he couldn’t help but pull her in closer. “I’m good,” he said, realizing that he genuinely wanted her love. He didn’t want just the temporary lust that they’d shared before. He wanted…all of her. He didn’t know how to accomplish it, but he was willing to try. Hell, he’d revived an entire country’s economy that had been in free fall until his oldest brother asked him to help. He could get a woman to fall in love with him.
Couldn’t he?
Raj looked down at Helen. Her beautiful blue eyes were filled with concern. That was a start, wasn’t it? She was startled by the possibility of him falling on his face, which meant that she cared for him. That was a start. It was more than just lust, he told himself.
He could work with that. Somehow, he was going to tamp down on this need to make love to Helen long enough to get to the real issue; falling in love. Raj realized that he wanted to become a committed, loving couple that raised a family and grew old together.