Ajay leaned in until his lips were a breath away from the shell of her ear. “Who am I to turn down sound advice? I need all of the help I can get.”

Her breath hitched, and when Ajay pulled back, he could tell that there was heat in her eyes. Her desire only fueled his own.

“Now that,” she said slowly, “was a damn good line.”

Before he could pull her closer and screw both of their reputations, the song ended and Raj slipped out of his arms. She gave a regal nod and turned to the opposite end of the ballroom.

“I think my table is over on that side,” she said.

“I’ll escort you.”

“No need. People will talk.”

“They’ll talk anyway.”

Ajay tucked her hand under his arm and walked with her in silence. They shared one last look before Ajay turned and crossed the expanse of the ballroom to his family.

His parents eyed him with interest, even as Ajay pulled out a chair and sat down.

Ajay’s father leaned over and said, “I like her.”

“She’s definitely an interesting woman.”

“What’s the deal?” he asked. “The business deal, I mean.”

His father had a twinkle in his eyes. The old man was up to something, but Ajay relented and answered the question, starting with the type of services she provided and ending with the meeting that took place earlier in the week.

“What are you thinking, puttar?”

“Papa, I haven’t decided.” He lowered his voice. Even though his brothers and mother were distracted by the waitstaff delivering food, he wanted to make sure they couldn’t hear him. “I want the family to be aligned on this but Zail is . . . not.”

“Being aligned is not always going to be possible and you know it.” His father picked up a triangle of naan. “But for what it’s worth, I think it’s a solid business investment.”

“Really?”

“Yes,” he said, and then switched to Punjabi. “Bharat didn’t grow to its current size because I made safe decisions. Your gut is telling you this is a good risk, and you should listen.”

Ajay nodded. “You’re not matchmaking, are you?”

His father grinned, and the smile was a carefree, beautiful sight to see. It had been way too long since Deepak Singh smiled.

“Papa,” he said after a moment. “She’s still married. And now we’re looking to buy her company.”

His father’s response was a shrug. “I really like her. Possibilities aren’t just for technology and science. They’re for people, too. Raj Hothi is a smart possibility for you. Just because she has a past doesn’t make her any less qualified.”

“You’re getting way ahead of yourself,” Ajay said.

“No, you’re just not keeping up.”

He leaned into his wife’s side to take her naan. They shared a familiar look filled with love.