G/M SS: 24 hours.Thread 2.Chapter 8 The End, Pg 64 - Page 5

This Chapter is dedicated to 2 special ones Rachana and Madhu, that had taken time to give me the best comments ever. In return here is the next part, hope it's up to the mark and I know it won't be enough for the greedy souls for now take this as my token of appreciation to you all my readers.

PS: I have not done my homework around the areas I just randomly picked, so please excuse me, I didn't mean to be ignorant.

Chapter Five.

Maan's voice rubbed against her like warm velvet. Geet had to deliberately hold in a shiver, while she attempted a cool, sophisticated expression.

"I'm who I've always been," she told him.

His dark gaze never left her face. "Funny, I didn't notice."

Hardly news. "I'm like one of those multifunctional printers. Except I do more than print, copy and scan." Sad but true.

He chuckled. "If you're trying to make me forget work, you're doing a great job. All right, Geet, now that you have me here, what do you plan to do with me?"

She hated that her mind instantly flashed to the large master suite she'd seen when she'd toured the yacht on internet while planning the day. The bed was large, and the amenities impressive enough to dazzle a prince'or a tycoon. "Shut up Geet, what is wrong with you?" Her ears burned with embarrassment thanks to her long hair it were hidden.

But she'd never been one to make the first move, and buying Maan for the day had used up all her moxy.

"I plan to show you a good time."

"What does that involve?"

"A few hours here on the water and around. You told me once you used to crew on sailboats in the summer and that you missed it." As she pulled in the parking lot of The World Cruise Center at the Port of Los Angeles

He frowned. "How could you remember that?"

Because she remembered everything he said, everything he did. He was her world. Either she evened the score and became his world, too, or she had to make a clean break and start her life over. That was the other reason she'd carefully planned their time together. If it wasn't going to work with Maan, then this was goodbye. They walked to the port and there ride was ready by then.

"You painted such a vivid description of racing on those boats," she said instead, by the time they were already in the Yacht leaning against the railing. "So that's our afternoon. Tonight we're having dinner at a very exclusive restaurant in Malibu. We have reservations for a surf-side table, followed by dancing at a club in Santa Monica. Tomorrow'"
He threw her off by moving close and resting his free hand on top of hers. There was the cool brass railing beneath her fingers and his warm skin on top.

"What about after dinner and dancing?" he asked. "Where will I spend the night?"
Her mind chose that moment to seize up. Fortunately, fate was smiling, and was saved from answering by the appearance of a pod of gray whales directly in front of the boat.

"Aren't they beautiful?" She murmured as one whale blew water into the air.

Maan leaned close. "If you're not going to tell me, you're going to have to show me eventually."

They settled on chairs on the warm deck. Maan stretched out his legs and studied Geet. What kind of a woman arranged for an afternoon like this, then blushed when he asked where he would spend the night? Two days ago, if someone had asked him what he knew about his assistant, he would have claimed complete knowledge of every part of her. Now he realized he knew nothing.

"Tell me about your family," he said.

She sighed. "There's not much to tell. I have an older sister, Neha. My parents died when I was sixteen."

He frowned. "I'm sorry. I didn't know that. What happened afterwards? Did you go to live with your sister?"

"My aunt. Her children were already grown. She used to say she and my uncle rattled around in their big house, and that having me around kept them young." Her mouth softened into a tender smile. "She's the best."

"What about your sister?"

"She was already in college. She graduated with an Accounting degree, then got married. Now she has twin girls and another baby on the way."

"Everyone close?"

She looked surprised by the question. "Of course."

No doubt in her world, families stayed together, cared about one another. His world was very different.

"How old are you?" he asked.

"Twenty-seven."

"Why aren't you married?"

Humor darkened her eyes. "Perversity. The one I wanted to ask didn't, and the one I didn't want to ask did."

Which made him want to know who had been refused and who had been foolish enough not to inquire.

She heard his, drifting voice. "What did you say?" "Oh nothing, I know sometimes that's the case." Maan ended the topic.

She was looking at his face intently then turned to look straight across the coast. "You know Geet, I was not born with the silver spoon in my mouth. Not many knew this. Do you know why I agreed to be part of the auction?" He turned then to face her, she was listening curiosity was written all over her face. "I was one of the under privileged child myself. I'm not born as Khurana Geet, I'm an adopted son of late Maanjit Singh Khurana and Santosh Singh Khurana."

Had it not in thousand worlds Geet would have known that Maan was orphan as her. "They were my foster parents and then they adopted me and hence I become the sole heir of Khurana Empire. My parents were not stable enough to raise me; my father was alcoholic and always beat up my mother. She was the sole bread earner and once she was tortured to death. Our neighbours called the authority he was arrested and then I was taken away by the authority." It manifested as if he went into time and present to witness the tragic. He blinked back the tears.

"How old were you then Maan?" Geet asked with tears in her eyes. "I was seven then, and had seen that from very early and can't forget the day Geet." He sighed heavily. She reached for his resting hands on the armrest of the chair. He stared at her palm and squeezed it gently with his thump. "I'm sorry to hear that." They stayed that way for few minutes in silence.

They ate light lunch on the boat and sailed along the coast to enjoy the scenery. They had stopped in the middle to tour the small village that was set around the beach. They stroll through the beach and visited the ancient church. Maan never thought he would be doing this today, this pretty woman has outdone herself and not sure what is more that he will come to know about her. She surely touched him today in different way.

He was puzzled on his own behaviour. He had shared the most dreaded past with her without any second thought. He turned to see her; she was intrigued in the sculpture on the wall. He studied her then; he never noticed this side of hers before, bubbly, gentle and natural beauty. At office, she seems to wear a mask over her and now something else. "Miss Geet Handa I need to know you more." He smiled then. He turned to the idol of Christ and gave a thumps up.

The boat docked at five-thirty. The afternoon turned out great Geet thought as she unlocked the sporty convertible, she glanced at him across the low cloth top.

"I had asked Nakool to keep your suit ready," she said. "It's hanging in your closet."

"Will I need it for the restaurant?" With a raised brow and twinkle eyes.

"Yes. Dinner will be formal."

"What will you be wearing?"

"A dress."

"Long?"

She nodded.

"What style?"

She swallowed, then shrugged her shoulders and said "You will see soon."

He couldn't wait.

She'd said dinner followed by dancing. He had a feeling there was going to be a change in plans. After dinner he would take her for a walk along the beach. It would be quiet, romantic and private. There under the stars, he would get to know the very intriguing young woman who had suddenly appeared in his world. Or had she been there all along, and had he simply not noticed?
She slide onto the driver's seat, then inserted the key. But before she started the engine, her cell phone rang. She reached for her bag.

"Hello?"

Maan watched the play of emotions on her face. Before today he'd never taken the time to notice the creamy perfection of her skin, or the wild locks playing across her face. He liked the tiny line that formed between her eyebrows as she spoke and the fullness of her lips. How had he never seen any of this before? How had'

He realized Geet had tensed as she spoke. Her eyes widened with what he would have sworn was panic.

"Are you all right?" she asked, her voice low and strained. She listened before responding. "Of course. No, don't worry about it. I'll be right there."

She hung up and turned to him. "My sister has gone into labor about four weeks early. My aunt and uncle are out of town on vacation, and she doesn't have anyone else to look after her two girls. I'm sorry, but I need to take you home right away, then get to her house so they can leave for the hospital."

He took in her pinched mouth and the white knuckles where she gripped the steering wheel.

"Don't worry about me," he said. "Drive to your sister's. I'll find my own way home from there."