She gave him a wide berth as she went over to the dining table and started gathering her things. That distance only angered him more. He knew that he was spoiling for a fight. He felt it bubbling inside of him.

Let her go. Let her go so that you can breathe. Then talk to Hem.

He didn’t need the complication of a woman in his life, even though that woman was better than anyone he’d ever been with before.

She gave him a serene smile. “It’s been an enlightening weekend, darling.”

He ground his teeth at the endearment.

“So that’s it? You’re going to leave when something gets a little uncomfortable? I thought you stopped being so afraid of us, Raj.”

He saw the flicker in her eyes. The brief flash of guilt that told him more than he wanted to know. “It’s a family matter, Ajay. You have a lot of family. I don’t want to get in the way . . .”

“Too late.”

She looked up from where she was sliding her laptop and files back into her bag. “Excuse me?”

“Too late. Zail found out about your family’s poppy farms and their connection to drug trafficking in Punjab.”

“What? How?”

“I had asked Sri to look into your background. He told Zail.”

“You had that son-of-a-bitch do recon on me? Who else is he going to tell? I told you that he’s a problem!”

“Yeah, well, he’s not my only one. Zail is pulling his support for my CEO nomination, which will cost me the seat because he thinks I should not acquire your company and I definitely shouldn’t be involved with you. I think that means you’re very involved. Instead of standing your ground, defending yourself by my side, you’re leaving.”

“It’s just business, Ajay.”

“It’s not just business to me. It’s family. It’s my goddamn life. It’s our life.”

Raj swung her bag over one shoulder and gave him that same infuriatingly serene look. “I didn’t realize when we started sleeping together that my obligations included making your brothers happy, too. Was that in the fine print?”

“No one is asking you to make my brothers happy,” Ajay said, crossing his arms over his chest. “But I did ask for your support.”

“And what am I supposed to do to support you? Talk to Zail and say, Listen to your brother. I’m actually a nice person. Yes, that’s going to work really well.”

“Well that’s sure as hell better than escaping and leaving me holding the bag.”

Her fingers clenched the strap of her bag. “I understand that you’re mad at your brother. I don’t appreciate that you’re taking it out on me.”