ROSE GARDEN INTERNATIONAL, the 2nd book in The Bansal Legacy trilogy, is an interracial romance.
It is the story of Rhea Bansal and Jamie Scott. So, it is J for Jamie Scott this tenth day of April for the blogging challenge 2024.
Jamie hails from Australia. He’s curious to visit Ooty, a hill station in South India, mainly because his grandmother had spoken to him a lot about it.
His grandparents had fallen in love with Ooty and set up house there during the British Raj, and had later moved to Australia when India became independent in 1947. In fact, his own father had been born in Ooty. His grandmother had left all her memories of the Indian hill station in the form of her diaries.
Jamie makes a sudden decision to check his roots in India and catches a flight. Was it his destiny calling out to him? Read this romance novel about Jamie and Rhea to know more. The book is available on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited and as a Paperback.
Sample Chapter from my book:
Rhea didn’t realise she had been looking out for him. But her heart picked up tempo when Jamie entered the reception from a side door. Dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans and a jade green full-sleeved t-shirt, the same shade as his eyes, he was truly a sight for sore eyes. She had put in too many hours at work and had been sorry to cancel their dinner plans. It was almost 9 pm and she needed to eat. She wondered if he had had his dinner. Well, the only way to find out was to ask.
She walked forward to meet him halfway, giving him a soft smile. “Hey!” His hair was damp, probably from a shower, she thought. His eyes were red-rimmed. Would he be too tired to spend an hour or so with her?
Jamie looked at Rhea. Though beautiful, she looked beat. “Hey,” he grinned, “Are you still working?”
She shook her head. “Just got done. Have you had your dinner?”
“Nope. And you?”
Rhea grinned now. “Not yet. I know it’s rather late. But would you mind sharing a meal with me?”
Jamie laughed. “I ne’er stopped hoping. Do you want to go out? Any specific place in mind?”
Rhea shook her head. “The local joints will be closing as we talk. Actually, if you don’t mind, shall we order a meal over at my place? We’ll order whatever you want to have,” she tempted him.
Would he mind?! Jamie jumped at the chance. “I’m game. Lead me.”
Rhea laughed, thrilled at his response. “Come along then.” She took his hand to walk to the other end of the reception and stepped out into the cold air. “Are you okay? It’s so cold.”
Jamie shrugged, holding on to her hand, liking the feel of it. “I just had a swim in the hot pool. I must say it was a fabulous experience.”
No wonder his hair was still damp. “I’m glad you’re enjoying the hotel’s facilities. So, where did you go for the day?”
They had reached the wicket gate by now. Jamie opened the latch and let her walk ahead of him, following right behind her. “I took the toy train and went all the way down the mountains.”
Rhea opened the double door with a brass key. “Welcome to my home,” she said, walking in.
Jamie stared, his jaw dropping. From the outside, the building had appeared like a small cottage with a tiled roof. But they had entered a living room which seemed to go on forever. “This is lovely,” he said, turning to look at her.
“Make yourself at home, Jamie,” she said, pointing him to a comfortable couch. “What would you like to drink?”
“Some brandy, if you have it.”
“Brandy it is. Soda?” asked Rhea, turning to a well-stocked bar to remove a glass from a shelf.
Jamie walked up to her, wondering how many people lived in the house. The bar seemed to have a large collection of liquor. Seeing his gaze on them, Rhea laughed. “I have two brothers who love their drinks, just like our father. It was Ritvik who insisted on adding all that stuff.”
“Do they live here?”
Rhea turned around from the fridge from where she had been getting some ice cubes. “No. It’s only me.”
She managed the hotel, she had said. Jamie brushed away his curiosity about the size of her abode. He took the bottle of soda from her hand and opened it before pouring it over the brandy and ice in his glass. “Aren’t you having anything?”
“I plan to. But I desperately need a shower before that. Let me light the fire before going to have one. Just give me ten minutes.” While there was central heating, Rhea had always thought a fire was way more fun.
“Why don’t you go and have your shower? I’ll light the fire,” offered Jamie.
“Are you sure?”
Jamie grinned. “Of course! And I’ll keep your drink ready for you. What’s your poison?”
“Hmm... I’m wondering. I prefer cocktails. Maybe I’ll order something from the hotel.”
“Allow me. I’ll make a cocktail for you. Something sweet or you prefer tangy?”
“A bit of both? With lots of ice. That’d be awesome. I’ll see you soon,” she said, walking to the left side and disappearing through a doorway.
Jamie took a sip of his brandy before going to the grate. Logs were neatly piled and ready to be lit. He took some kindling and set it going in no time. No, he wasn’t going to think of a nude Rhea standing under the shower. Shaking his head, Jamie went to the bar and removed a tall glass and filled half of it with crushed ice. Adding some vodka, raspberry liqueur and amaretto liqueur, he squeezed the juice of half a lemon into it. He topped it with lemon-lime soda and stirred the drink, all set for Rhea.
Taking his own glass, Jamie walked to the floor-length window overlooking the hotel which seemed like something out of a fairy tale. He gazed at it unseeingly, sipping from his glass. He couldn’t wait for Rhea to join him.
He turned around when he felt her presence and stared unblinking at the sveltely-clad woman who had walked back into the living room in exactly ten minutes as promised. The length of her graceful legs was enhanced by white stilettos. Her chiffon dress of deep red with a swirling white pattern fell a few inches short of her knees. Her curly hair tumbled down her shoulders all the way to her waist. Jamie lifted her cocktail glass and walked over to her, his eyes never leaving her face.
Rhea’s breath was coming in soft gasps. She had made an effort to dress up after a long, long time; it had been a while since she had felt the urge to. A sizzle went up her arm when her fingers brushed against his as she took the drink from him. “Cheers!” Her voice hoarse, she raised the glass in a toast, touching it to his.
“Cheers!”
