Jaya turned to him, unaware of his clamoring thoughts. “Grey,” she said, glancing down for a moment. “I shouldn’t. I can’t talk about this with you.”

He swallowed. “Two weeks ago you were kissing me, Jaya. And from what I could tell, you were really into it.”

She flushed and cupped her neck with a small hand, looking away.

“Well, weren’t you?” he pressed when she didn’t respond.

“Yes,” she said quietly. “Yes, I was.”

Grey loomed over her, his hand clamped around the icy metal railing so he wouldn’t be tempted to grab her wrist and pull her to his chest. “So if that wasn’t an act and you still care, then… then why can’t we be together? That’s all that matters, Jaya, that we feel the same way about each other.”

She looked at him, a desperate fire in her eyes. “But it’s not all that matters, Grey. Not for me. Family and dynasty have to come first. I have a duty toward my—toward the Rao name. And right now it’s imperative that I fulfill that duty.”

“And it’s that easy for you,” Grey murmured, leaning even closer. She blinked but didn’t move back. Her breathing was faster, coming in short, shallow gasps. His eyes searched her face. “It’s that easy for you to walk away from me.”

Jaya

If he kissed her, she wouldn’t turn away. It was madness, it was thoughtless, it would be the most brazen act to do it here, on a yacht that belonged to Caterina. Caterina, who was Kiran’s friend and just happened to hold a grudge against Jaya. But if Grey kissed her, Jaya would lean in and kiss him too, hungrily, desperately, like the world was ending. Looking into his searing blue eyes, Jaya wanted to do nothing more than wrap her arms around him, to press her body against his.

And then Caterina would see, and she’d tell Kiran, and Kiran would call off the engagement. That would finish off the Raos; there would be no coming back from it. There was only one ending to this story of her and Grey together, and it involved the complete destruction of her world.

Jaya stepped back from him as if she’d been shocked. What was she thinking? What was she even doing here?

“Jaya!”

Jaya spun from the railing, guilt and fear flaring through her, expecting to see Caterina. Instead, she saw Daphne Elizabeth clomping her way across the deck in the high-heeled button-boots, unsteady on her feet.

“H-hello, Daph,” Jaya said, stealing a glance at Grey, who was glowering at the girl.

Daph looked from her to Grey. “So you guys are talking again?”

Jaya opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came. Grey was silent beside her, no help at all.