"I like the way you think," I whispered, as his hands and mouth played me like an instrument. A well-used, much-practiced, finely tuned instrument that sang the more he played.

I sang-boy, did I sing. Beyonce, Pink, and Lady Gaga had nothing on me.

Drew had me coming back for encore after encore.

All night long.

chapter eleven.

Twenty-four hours later, I'd cooked my first Indian meal. From scratch.

Me, the takeout queen, the girl most likely to eat soup from a can rather than cook, the woman who adored eating but didn't go in for the preparation.

I could've asked Mom for recipes, but she would've wanted to know why the sky was falling in-translated: why I was cooking-and Rita would've ribbed me endlessly, so I settled for trusty Google instead. I'd spent the morning raiding a local spice mart and the afternoon slaving over a hot stove. If this didn't impress Drew, nothing would.

Interestingly, I'd enjoyed the methodical process: sourcing ingredients, preparing them, following a recipe, testing the end result. I'd hated the detail-oriented aspect of being a legal secretary, the mundane dotting of every i and crossing every t, and while I might have been good at it, now I'd had some time away (read: no one wanted to hire me) I could see I'd been going through the motions, paying the bills, funding my lifestyle, not deriving fulfillment.

Surveying the table and the results of my culinary efforts, maybe I should start job-searching for master chef positions. Not so far-fetched considering my other job yearnings. While scouring the publishing vacancies earlier I'd spied an ad for a new travel/food magazine columnist. Way out of my league, but it had seriously piqued my interest and I'd been crazy enough to email my resume before I changed my mind.

Somehow, I didn't think writing copy for legal newsletters was quite in the same league as a magazine column but hey, worth a try. Besides, they'd wanted an international flavor so I'd hammed up my Indian background, citing my recent trip to Mumbai and a long list of Indian dishes I'd written about. In emails to Mom. That was on a strict need-to-know basis.

The intercom buzzed and the bundle of nerves in my stomach bunched. Taking a deep breath and blowing it out, I hit the button to let Drew up. After whipping off my makeshift apron I smoothed my halter top down and checked my lipstick in the mirror. If cooking a feast hadn't been enough of an indication I was seriously into this guy, the fact I hadn't eaten a thing all day confirmed it. I had to eat. Low blood sugar. My excuse, I was sticking to it.

He knocked, I took a deep breath and counted to ten, before opening it and ruining my cool impression by gawking like a teenager. Faded taupe T-shirt, dark denim, stubble, come-get-me smile. Oh boy.

"Something smells great." He ducked his head to nuzzle my neck on the way in and I refrained from tearing his clothes off. Barely.

"You said you liked spicy and Indian."

He stopped in front of the dining table, dumbfounded. "You cooked all this?"

"Don't sound so surprised. I'm a woman of many talents."

His awe vindicated my chapped hands and sliced fingers-who knew stupid knives could be so sharp? "I can see that." He lifted the lid on the first dish and inhaled, eyes closed, blissed out. "Mmm... tamarind, cumin, coriander, peppercorns. I love mulligatawny."

"Rasam to you." I bumped him gently with my hip and he slid his arm around my waist, resting it there like the most natural thing in the world.

"Can I peek at the rest?" His fingers toyed with the edge of my top and I bit back my first retort. He could peek at any damn thing he pleased.

"Why don't we eat? I'll dish up the rice, you pour the wine."

He released me and I immediately regretted it. "Deal."

I bustled around the kitchen, piled pappadums on a platter, slid raita out of the fridge, and ladled steaming basmati rice into a serving dish, aiming for efficiency, but ending up hot and flustered.

"Let me help." He stepped into the kitchen and took dishes out of my hand, passing a glass of wine with the other. "You shouldn't have gone to all this trouble," he said, brushing a kiss across my lips, his adoration making me glad I did.

I could've replied with a trite "no trouble," but I didn't want lies to taint this relationship. "I wanted to impress you."

His expression softened. "It worked."

I followed him into the dining area, where we placed the dishes on the table before he raised his glass to mine.

"Though you didn't have to cook to impress me. You did that with your fake fiancee impersonation the moment we met."

I winced. "Don't remind me."

His mouth eased into a lazy grin. "Should've seen your face when I busted you."

"You were such an ass."

He laughed and clinked his glass to mine. "Here's to leaving Bollywood behind and moving on to a new script."

One involving less drama, more sex, I hoped.

He pulled out my seat and I preened at his manners, whipping the lids off dishes in an effort to disguise my growing need to devour him.

"Aloo gobi, avail, murgh masala, dhansak, and rasam."

"I'm in heaven." He clutched his stomach as he sat. "Want me to serve you?"

"Please, a little of everything." I sipped at my wine as he dished spicy potato, mixed vegetable curry made from coconut and yogurt, and chicken in a tomato, ginger, and spicy sauce. He added lamb cooked with dahl and a dollop of rice, spooning rasam over the rice. I could get used to being served. Serviced. Whatever.

"Here you go." He placed my plate in front of me before piling food on his own, his appetite for Indian food more than a match for his appetite in the bedroom if last night had been any indication.

Remembering last night-the decadence, the delight, the debauchery-made me want to skip dinner and head straight for Sexy Town. I forked morsels into my mouth, barely tasting the food I'd taken great pains to prepare, while he polished off his and went back for seconds.

"Not hungry?"

I mumbled a noncommittal answer, pushing my food around before surrendering and nudging the plate away. I couldn't pinpoint why I was so nervous about a repeat of our bedroom antics. Until I glanced across the table at his casually mussed hair, his too-blue-to-be-true eyes, his sensual lips perpetually quirked at the corners, and I knew. Knew a repeat of last night would solidify the relentless yearning hammering my common sense into submission, insisting it'd be okay to fall for him.

"That was amazing." He sat back and patted his stomach before reaching across the table and snagging my hand, his thumb brushing the back of it in slow, rhythmic circles. "I could get used to this."

Me too, but the serious glint in his eyes scared me as much as my growing feelings for a guy I hardly knew, a guy I had nothing to offer, a guy so far out of my league we were on different playing fields.

Drew was a keeper.

But what if I wasn't enough to keep him?

"What's up? You've hardly said a word."

I gestured toward the dishes. "I had no idea cooking would wear me out."

"Not too tired, I hope?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

I laughed. "Why? What did you have in mind?"

"Let me show you." He stood, held out his hand, and when I placed mine in his, he tugged me to my feet flush against him.

We swayed for what seemed like an eternity, savoring the contact, the heat, the growing tension.

I closed my eyes, laid my cheek on his chest, and breathed in a heady combination of Cool Water, freshly laundered cotton, and pure Drew.

We moved to an imaginary song, our feet gliding toward the bedroom.

Lucky I'd bought the kulfi and hadn't slaved over the ice cream.

We never made it to dessert.

Drew and I went for long walks jostling alongside frenetic New Yorkers with things to do and places to be, drank chai lattes at Starbucks, ordered in spicy Indian (I conserved my energy for more important activities), and had amazing sex whenever we could.

We curled up on the couch and watched Seinfeld and Friends reruns. We visited trendy jazz clubs and ate late-night deli suppers. We took decadently long baths and slept in most mornings and couldn't get enough of each other.

I existed in some weird fantasy-reality sphere, like being caught in the Matrix but better. Bolder, sexier, and scarier. The rotten thing about living a fantasy is you know it'll unravel eventually.

"Wow, you look amazing." Rita held me at arm's length. "That shade of fuchsia highlights your hair perfectly."

I twirled and struck a Vogue pose. "You like?"

"You're like a glam Indian babe. That salwar kameez looks fab on you."

"This old thing?" I smoothed the crystal-embroidered chiffon over my belly, enjoying the silky slide beneath my fingertips. If this was an extra's costume I'd love to slip into a star's outfit.

"You're going to knock 'em dead." She fussed around me, fluffing my hair, adjusting the neckline, fiddling with my earrings, and straightening my billowy sleeves straight out of a harem. "And if you don't, who cares? You've made an easy grand."

"This isn't about the money," I deadpanned for two seconds before joining in her raucous laughter.

Thankful the makeup artist on set prescribed to Maybelline's promise of waterproof mascara I dabbed under my eyes and checked my fingertips for telltale black. "Where's Rakesh? You two are inseparable."

"He had a business lunch with Drew and some corporate bigwigs. Said they'd swing by later."

A sliver of anticipation shimmied through me. "Drew's coming?"

Rita patted my cheek. "This is me you're talking to. Of course he'll be here for your auspicious debut."

"He didn't mention it."

Drew hadn't mentioned much of anything to me the last day or two, appearing distracted the few times we'd caught up. Or been caught up between the sheets, more to the point. As much as I loved the incredible sex, I knew this wouldn't last forever. But I couldn't help craving a little intimacy.

Late twenties, single, female. Do the math.

Flirty flings were fabulous until you hit the big three-O, all downhill from there. Biological clocks started ticking like time bombs waiting to detonate, gravity exerted more force on your life than your mom, and suddenly, the dog-ugliest creep looked like Jake Gyllenhaal.

I nibbled the cuticle of my thumbnail, putting my lipstick to a quick budge-proof test. If I hadn't been nervous about my acting debut before, thoughts of my impending thirties set me positively trembling.

"He probably wanted to surprise you and I've spoiled it," Rita said, averting her eyes but not before I glimpsed a flash of concern.

"Drew and I aren't serious so don't worry about it. If he shows up, he shows up. If not, no biggie." I could've almost believed my nonchalant act if I didn't feel so empty at the thought of him not being here today. He'd teased me about being Pravin's protegee, about using my looks to get ahead, making light of something that secretly meant a whole lot to me.

Pravin had seen something in me I rarely saw myself, my inner Indian.

Rita didn't push for answers on my relationship with Drew. She didn't have to, considering the man in question crept up on me and placed his hands over my eyes. "Guess who?"

Resisting the urge to swing around, jump into his arms, and wrap my legs around his waist, I paused. "By the feel of those strong, masterful hands, I'd say Amitabh Bachchan."

Rita rolled her eyes and made a beeline for Rakesh near the back entrance.

"Hey!" Drew dropped his hands and swung me around, resting them lightly on my shoulders. "You've met the great man already? And if so, how do you know his hands are strong and masterful?"

I bit back a grin. "Sadly, I haven't had the privilege. Pravin's been extolling his virtues."

"Pravin knows his stuff. A BBC poll recently voted him the biggest star of the millennium, surpassing guys like Tom Cruise. Now, tell me more about his hands."

I couldn't think straight with Drew's hands slipping from my shoulders and tracing my curves in delicious slowness, coming to rest on my hips.

"Just teasing. Can't a girl have a little fun?" I bit back a groan as his thumb stroked through the thin chiffon.

"Sure. I can think of plenty more ways." He dropped a soft, lingering kiss on my lips and I leaned into him, grateful for the privacy of the extras' tent, surprisingly empty at this time of day.

I guess the devoted extras were practicing stuff like posing and preening and looking suitably glamorous with the hope of being promoted to a walk-on role or, better yet, a speaking part.

Breaking the kiss with regret-ten minutes until showtime by the clock on the wall-I blinked to dispel the erotic fog that enveloped me whenever this guy got within a foot, and registered Rita and Rakesh were in a clinch of their own.

"Nervous?" Drew cuddled me close and I lapped up the attention, blissfully calm within the circle of his arms.

Until a horrendous, ear-splitting shriek pierced my ears and I glimpsed the horrified face of Mama Rama over Drew's right shoulder.

"What the-" Drew turned as three things happened simul-taneously: I shrugged out of his embrace, Rakesh nudged Rita behind him to shield her, and the incensed Mama Rama launched herself in my direction, landing a hard slap on my cheek before I could duck.

"Ow!"

"Bloody hell." Drew tucked me under the protection of his arm. "Enough."

"Take it easy, Mom." Rakesh grabbed the old cow and spun her around to face him while screening my stunned best friend.

Rita had the sense not to speak. No point alienating her future mother-in-law for a small case of mistaken identity, though she did mouth 'fuckity-fuck' over Rakesh's shoulder at me.

"Let me go." Mama Rama wrenched free of Rakesh's grasp and straightened like a cobra ready to strike-with the same amount of venom in her eyes, directed at me.