A cloud of ashes burst into the air, covering Priya from head to toe with the remnants of someone long gone. Fine powder clung to her eyelashes, and she could taste the dust in her mouth.
Ethan stood in the doorway, momentarily frozen.
“Hello?” he called, his voice cutting through the ash hanging in the air.
Priya managed a hoarse reply before giving in to a sharp burst of coughing.
“Priya?” Ethan felt his way along the wall, searching for the light switch before turning it on. Seeing her, he asked, “What on earth are you doing here?”
“I…uh…” Priya sputtered as he helped her to her feet. Her eyes darted around, finally landing on the empty urn. “I came for this,” she said, snatching it up.
“At this time of the night?”
“It’s an emergency,” Priya blurted.
“An emergency ash retrieval?”
“Yes, actually.” Her eyes dropped to the label on the urn. “This person’s brother contacted us to claim the remains. He’s coming to pick them up first thing in the morning.”
Ethan took the container from her hands. “Babulal Gupta,” he read. “It says he passed away thirty years ago, aged eighty-nine. You’re telling me his brother is still alive?”
“Did I say brother?” Priya backtracked. “I meant his brother’s family. Specifically, his brother’s son. So, Babulal’s nephew. His younger brother’s eldest—”
“Priya.” Ethan pressed his finger against her lips. “Let’s get Babulal off you. And me,” he muttered, noticing the ash on his finger.
Equally eager to rid herself of Babulal, Priya followed Ethan out.
“That was quite the tumble,” Ethan said, glancing at her. “Are you okay? Why didn’t you just turn the light on?”
“I didn’t want to disturb you,” she lied.
“Oh, and all that noise didn’t disturb me?”
“What noise?”
“The banging and clanging. Christ, Pri, I thought an army of the undead was coming alive.”
“I didn’t hear anything,” she said innocently.
“How could you not? It was practically shaking the walls.”
“Maybe it’s somethinginthe walls?” Priya offered with a shrug. “I did warn you, didn’t I?”
“Well, I’m still waiting to meet this Bhooa masi of yours,” Ethan replied, letting her into the coach house.
As the door clicked shut behind them, Priya’s thoughts spun in a hundred directions.What now?Her attempt to spook Ethan had gone sideways. He didn’t look the least bit rattled. In fact, he seemed as calm and collected as ever. And then it hit her. This didn’t have to be a total loss. She was alone with Ethan Knight in the middle of the night. It was the perfect setup forherotherplan—a fun, thrilling, casual fling to hit the reset button in her life. This was her chance to be bold, spontaneous, and a little reckless.
“Do you mind if I hop in the shower?” Priya asked, her heart thudding in her chest. If she was going to take advantage of this moment, she needed to act fast.
“Oh, I insist,” Ethan replied, gesturing toward the trail of powdery prints her shoes had left behind.
Priya offered a small, sheepish smile, slipped off her shoes, and headed to the bathroom. Once inside, she shut the door and leaned against it, taking a deep breath.
Okay, step one complete, she thought, peeling off her dusty clothes. She’d found an excuse to hang around.
As Priya scrubbed her skin and worked shampoo through her hair, a pool of grime collected around her feet.Gross.She shuddered and rinsed out her mouth. If there was even the tiniest chance of a kiss, she wasn’t about to let Ethan taste Babulal on her lips. A mix of nerves and excitement coursed through her as she plotted her next move. She didn’t want to be obvious, but she couldn’t play it too safe either. The balance had to be perfect. Flirty but not desperate, confident but not over the top.
Turning off the water, Priya reached for the towel and froze. The rack was empty. A soft laugh escaped her as she realized that fate had already handed her the next move.
