He switched on lights as he moved through the kitchen but paused when he saw the small swatch of black panties hooked over the arm of one of his dining chairs. He took the underwear, walked over to a small side table in his living area, and shoved them inside a drawer.

He’d deal with his feelings about why he wanted to keep them later.

The rest of the kitchen was in decent shape. That surprised him since they’d gone at each other like animals. He knew that he needed time to figure out how he felt about her, but he couldn’t stop himself from wanting her and wanting to be with her. He had to practically beg her to stay the night so he could have this morning moment when she was unguarded and curled next to him.

And wasn’t their timing so damn complicated? He began to load water and beans into his coffee machine for a freshly ground brew. He thought about chai, but that would have to wait.

Ajay leaned against the counter, head bent as he untangled his night with Raj from the call he’d had with his brothers and his executive team the day before. Zail had reacted to the news just as Ajay’d imagined he would.

“I told you, brother. I told all of you! Sahar didn’t do this!”

Luckily people like Tushar supported his decision. “By purchasing Ms. Hothi’s company, we automatically have stronger cybersecurity measures. Her service area is a natural extension of ours, and she has a reputation for being one of the best.”

Zail disagreed, fighting bitterly with everyone until finally Ajay had to end the call. He still remembered the way his brother Hem had tried to comfort him.

“Brother, you’re putting too much pressure on yourself.”

“How does it look to our board and our shareholders if my own brother doesn’t support me? I’m already failing, and I haven’t even gotten the CEO title yet,” he’d said.

“You can’t compare your situation to Dad’s and mine. Dad literally had no one else that challenged his decisions. And when I was in charge of operations, Bharat hadn’t gone public yet. The company was still a midsize, privately owned family business. You have to have faith that this is going to work.”

The coffee machine beeped and he poured himself a cup. Walking to his windows, he watched the promise of a fall sunrise struggle to come to light.

“I hope you’re right, Hem,” he murmured to himself. He’d have to have faith and convince Zail that this was for the best.