She paled, then shot to her feet. “I think your feelings are hurt and you’re reading into things a bit to save your poor ego.”

“And I still think you’re a coward.” He stood, as well, nose to nose with her. “We’ve wanted each other from the first moment that we met. And now you’re backpedaling. Is it too much to share both your body and your mind with me?”

She grabbed her tote, her hands fumbling as she looped it over her shoulder. “I think we’re done here. Thank you for dinner. Send my questions to Legal, will you, darling?”

He followed her to the door, close behind. “Dammit, what did you think was going to happen between us? We’d just casually fuck, I’d buy you out, eat you out, and we’d go on our merry way?”

She whirled on her heel to face him, anger in her eyes. “If that’s what I wanted, then yes, that’s all that would happen. You don’t get to push me, to bully me into more than what I’m willing to offer.”

“And you don’t get to run scared from something that could be great for both of us, or assume I’ll fall in line like that puppy you’ve always wanted.”

She yanked open the door, shoes and bag in hand. “Ajay Singh, you’ll fucking roll over like I expect you to or you could kiss anything between us goodbye,” she said, and slammed the door behind her.

Chapter Nine
Ajay

Ajay knew it wasn’t a good look for him to be leaving the gym at eleven on a Friday night. He was practically the only one in the facility in his building, and when he returned to his penthouse, his plans were to get back to work. He’d been going to lift weights and run every day since his fight with Raj on Monday. If he didn’t burn off the anger somehow, it would spill over to his employees, and that couldn’t happen.

How much she affected him was irritating, he thought, as he dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt. He quickly made himself a cup of chai and sat at the dining room table with his laptop. What was more important for him to remember was that Raj might have family connections that could hurt everyone, not just his uncle.

He checked his watch. He’d put off his conversation with Sri for way too long.

AJAY: I know it’s late, but I need to ask you a few questions. If you’re not available, please schedule time with Rafael on my calendar for tomorrow.

SRI: I can talk now, sir.

Ajay put in a video call in response. Sri’s bald head glistened under recessed lighting. His deep-set brown eyes were shadowed behind thick lenses.

“Sir,” Sri said. “How can I help?”