“Mmm-hmm.” She swirled her whiskey, then took a sip, hoping that her nerves weren’t apparent. “I didn’t tell you where I was so you could interrupt my fun, Ajay. But since you’re here, what can I do for you?”

He shrugged out of his jacket, tossed it aside, and unbuttoned the cuffs of his sleeves. “I think the question is, what can I do for you tonight?”

Her breath caught. “Is that why you came? Because you couldn’t stand anyone else touching me, so you’ve come to offer yourself? You can’t stop me from sleeping with whoever I want. I thought we covered that.”

He swaggered toward her as he finished rolling up his sleeves. “No, I can’t.” He took the whiskey glass out of her hand and drank the rest of the contents. “But I can make you so fucking crazy that you only want to sleep with me.”

Ajay tossed the glass to the side where it shattered against the wall.

Oh my.

“Spread your legs, Raj.”

“I don’t know if you’re the type of man who can deliver on your promises,” she said, her voice steady even as she began to ache for him, her body humming. “I’m not your vanilla sex kind of girl. This Punjabi kudi prefers a certain . . . style.”

“Then style you shall have.”

She laughed, shaking her thick, loose hair back before she scooted forward so her hips rested at the edge of the seat. She wanted him, had been driven to the Fire Lounge because she couldn’t stop thinking about him. And honestly, she was grateful he was here. Raj just hoped she was doing the right thing for her heart if she broke her own rules and let him in.

“How about we make this a little more interesting?” she asked.

“What did you have in mind?”

“A simple wager.” She watched him as she parted her knees. Her black thong was on full display, and her bare pussy lips peeked out the sides of the fabric. “If you can truly give me an experience that no one ever has before, we’ll play this your way.”

“This?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Us. You and me. If you want to be lovers, I’ll try. If you want to be exclusive, I can promise you that. Or if you want to revert back to friendship, well, you know that’s where my preference is. But I’m willing to give you more if, and only if, you can prove you’re good enough for me,” she said. “But if you’re not, and baby, I’ve had truly exquisite sex before, then you accept friendship and we move on. Is that fair?”

He gracefully dropped to his knees between her legs. “Is there a time restriction?”

The question had her heart pounding. “I’ll be generous. How does an hour sound?”