Page 38 of Curious Hearts (The Healing Hearts #2)

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Jessica pulled into the driveway of the Victorian house just as twilight was settling over Denver. She’d spent the day driving aimlessly through the mountains, seeking clarity in the winding roads and expansive vistas, only to return with the same tangle of thoughts she’d left with that morning.

Her mother’s words still rang in her ears, their barbs finding purchase despite Jessica’s attempts to shake them off. London beckoned with professional promise while Denver held... something else. Something she’d given up hope of ever finding.

As she switched off the engine, she noticed a figure sitting on the porch steps—Vikram, elegant even in casual attire, his familiar silhouette a surprising comfort after the day’s emotional turmoil.

“Vik?” she called, climbing out of the car. “What are you doing here?”

He stood, hands in the pockets of his linen trousers. “Your assistant told me you were working from home today. When you weren’t answering your phone, I thought I’d take a chance and wait. I’m heading back to London tomorrow morning.”

Jessica approached the porch, noticing his rental car parked on the street. “How long have you been sitting here?”

“Only about an hour.” He shrugged. “It’s a pleasant evening. And your neighborhood is... interesting. Quite different from downtown.”

“It grows on you,” Jessica said, unlocking the front door. The cats would be hungry, their internal clocks more reliable than any feeding schedule she’d created. “Come in. I should feed the cats, but then we can talk.”

Inside, Jessica moved through the familiar routine of filling food dishes while Vikram explored the living room, studying the cat shelves with amused interest.

“Your mother must love this,” he commented, running his fingers along the edge of an antique side table. “You, surrounded by cat hair and Victorian furniture.”

Jessica snorted. “She doesn’t know the half of it yet, though we had quite the conversation this morning.” She set down the last food dish, watching Ernest approach. “Your parents must be pleased you’re in Denver.”

“Ecstatic,” Vikram replied, settling onto the sofa. “Even more so when I mentioned I might see you. My mother immediately asked if you were still single.”

Jessica rolled her eyes as she joined him in the living room. “How are they?”

“The same. Father’s practice is thriving. Mother’s social calendar is full. They’re delighted I’m back from London, if only for the weekend.” He hesitated, fingers tapping a restless rhythm on his knee.

“I thought you were staying longer?”

“Mm, it’s complicated.”

“As in the same complicated as you mentioned on the phone earlier this week?”

Vikram’s smile turned rueful. “The very one. My parents would have a collective coronary if they knew the full story.”

“Which is?”

“I’ve met someone. She’s married. Fifteen years older than me, with adult children and a husband who’s been ill for years.” Vikram’s voice softened. “I’ve been in love with her since I first joined the London office three years ago. She was my mentor, then my colleague, then... more.”

Jessica studied her old friend, seeing the genuine emotion beneath his usually composed exterior. “That does sound complicated.”

“It’s impossible, really,” he admitted. “She won’t leave her husband—not that I’d ask her to. She cares for him, and despite their marriage being effectively over in the romantic sense, they have a life together, a history, and he depends on her.”

“And you’re okay with that arrangement?”

Vikram shrugged. “What choice do I have? I love her. I can’t imagine being with anyone else.” He looked up, meeting Jessica’s gaze. “But I also want children someday. A family. Things Kate can’t give me.”

Something in his expression made Jessica wary. “Why are you telling me this, Vik?”

“Because I have a proposition for you,” he said, leaning forward. “One that might solve both our problems.”

“I wasn’t aware I had a problem that needed solving.” Jessica sat down next to him, a little wary of where this conversation was headed.

“Don’t you?” Vikram’s smile was knowing. “You’re torn between the career opportunity of a lifetime and a relationship with a woman your parents would never approve of. I’d say that qualifies as a problem.”

Jessica stiffened. “I’m not talking about the intricacies of my relationship.”

“Of course not,” Vikram conceded. “But hear me out. What if there was a way for you to have both? The London career and the relationship with Ali, without the constant pressure from your parents?”

“I’m listening,” Jessica said, though every instinct warned her against whatever was coming next.

“Marry me,” Vikram said simply.

Jessica blinked. “Excuse me?”

“It makes perfect sense,” he continued. “We marry. Move to London. Present a united front to our families. You take the position at Hamilton Trust or Meridian—whichever you prefer. I continue with Kate. You continue with Ali whenever she visits, which could be as often as you both want. We’d have separate lives but a shared public image. ”

“You can’t be serious.”

“I’m entirely serious. Think about it, Jess.

Our parents would finally leave us alone.

You’d have the international career you’ve worked toward without sacrificing your relationship with Ali.

I’d have the family I want—we could even have a child if you were amenable. The perfect cover for both of us.”

Jessica stared at him, momentarily speechless. “Let me get this straight. You want us to enter into a marriage of convenience, move to London together, maintain our separate relationships, and potentially have a child while doing so?”

“Essentially, yes.”

“That’s...” Jessica struggled to find the right word. “Insane.”

“Is it?” Vikram challenged. “More insane than turning down the career opportunity you’ve worked toward your entire life?

More insane than facing your mother’s disappointment for the next decade?

More insane than trying to maintain a long-distance relationship with a woman who’s built her entire life in Denver? ”

Jessica’s mind whirled with the implications of his suggestion. “Even if I were to consider this completely absurd idea—which I’m not—do you honestly think Ali would agree to being my... what? My mistress?”

“I wouldn’t phrase it quite like that,” Vikram said. “More like, your partner who understands the realities of your family situation.”

“The reality of my family situation is that I’m an adult who doesn’t need to create elaborate fictions to live my life,” Jessica replied, her voice rising. “What you’re suggesting is?—”

“Pragmatic,” Vikram interrupted. “We both know the world we come from, Jess. The expectations, the traditions, the pressure. This would be a practical solution to?—”

“I’m sorry, could you repeat what you just said?” Jessica interrupted, certain she’d misheard something in his elaborate scheme. The entire proposition was so outlandish that she found herself wondering if this was Vikram’s idea of a joke.

“I said, marry me.”

The clatter of key’s hitting the hardwood floor made them both turn around sharply towards the hallway. There, framed in the doorway, her figure picked out in the remnants of the day’s sunshine, was Ali.