Page 34 of Tiger's Voyage

“I see.” He walked along the bed and sat back against the headboard, patting the space next to him. “So sit here and talk.”

“Uh, I don’t think we should be so close.”

“We’ll kill two birds with one stone. I need to test my endurance.” Ren patted the bed again. “Closer, mysubhaga jadugarni.”

I folded my arms across my chest. “I’m not especially fond of that nickname.”

“Then tell me what else I used to call you.”

“You called mepriya, rajkumari, iadala, priyatama, kamana, sundari, and most recently,hridaya patni.”

Ren stared at me with an unreadable expression. “I … called you all of those names?”

“Yes, and probably a few more that I can’t remember.”

He watched me thoughtfully. Then in a quiet voice said, “Come here.Please.”

I obediently walked closer to him. He wrapped his hands around my waist, careful not to touch my bare skin, and lifted me over his body onto the other side of the bed.

“Perhaps I should come up with a new nickname,” Ren suggested.

“Like what? And nosirenorwitchy womankind of name.”

He laughed. “How aboutstrimani? It means ‘the best of women’ or ‘a jewel of a woman.’ Is that alright with you?”

“How did you come up with that one?”

“I was recently inspired. So what did you want to talk about?”

“I wanted to get things out in the open, so we are more comfortable around each other. That way we can work together, and things will go smoother.”

“You want to get things out in the open? Like what kinds of things?” Ren studied me intently with his gorgeous blue eyes. Involuntarily, I leaned toward him but caught myself and snapped back, banging my head lightly on the headboard.

“Umm … maybe this isn’t a good idea. It worked with Kishan, but something tells me it’s not going to go so well with you.”

His amused expression quickly faded, and he clenched his jaw. “Whatworked with Kishan?”

“We … talked about our feelings.”

“And?What did he say?”

“I’m not sure I should share that with you.”

He growled softly and mumbled something in Hindi. “Okay, Kelsey, you wanted to talk, so talk.”

I sighed and shifted down on the bed, tucking a pillow under my head. It smelled like him: waterfalls and sandalwood trees. I inhaled deeply, smiled involuntarily, and then blushed when I noticed he was watching me curiously.

“What are you doing?”

I stuttered, embarrassed. “If you must know, the pillow smells like you. And I happen to like the way you smell.”

“Really?” He grinned.

“Yes. See? Everything is all out in the open.”

“Everything isn’t out yet. I’ll make you a deal. Tell me what Kishan said, and you can share everything we talk about with him. No secrets.”

I thought about what Kishan’s reaction might be. He’d probably agree with Ren.