Maya didn’t turn around, but her shoulders visibly tensed.
“Is this group two?” I held up my card. When Priya nodded, I smiled. “Looks like we’re spending the morning together then. I can’t wait.”
“No, we’re not,” Maya said, still not looking at me. “This boat is for extended family only.”
“That’s not what he told me.”
“That’s not what he told me either,” the unknown guy butted in. “I’m also in group two. Dev.” He held out his hand. “My dad works with Radhika’s dad.”
He shook everyone’s hand, but he held Maya’s for a little too long.
I scowled. I hated him already.
With Dev’s unintended backup and the coordinator hurrying us along so we didn’t run behind schedule, Maya had no choice but to allow me to join her.
Each boat had its own oarsman. Once our group was settled in, he set off.
The lake was almost big enough to rival the one in Central Park. It was dotted with picturesque arched bridges and miniature waterfalls, and sunlight rippled across the serene surface with each oar stroke.
I’d tried sitting next to Maya, but she’d maneuvered herself in between Dev and Priya. However, her new position put herdirectly across from me, which meant we had a perfect view of each other’s faces for the next hour.
Unfortunately, it meant I also had a perfect view of Dev trying to flirt with her.
“You live in New York, right?” he asked her. “I love that place. I’m in Berlin now, but I was thinking about moving there next year.”
I suppressed a scoff.
What a lame-ass pickup line. I should push him off the boat and save us all the misery.
My eyes lingered on Maya’s profile as she gave him a polite answer. It was exquisitely delicate for someone so tough, but I liked that about her. People always underestimated her until she kicked their ass, figuratively speaking. I’d made that mistake once and never again.
Priya and Ben were too busy cooing at each other to make conversation, so I was forced to listen to Dev prattle on. This was supposed to be apeacefulactivity, and he was ruining it.
“Last night was fun.” I interrupted his painful attempts to find out whether Maya was single by dropping questions about her ‘boyfriend.’ “What was your favorite part?”
He blinked, clearly caught off guard. “Uh, the cake was good.”
“Yeah, great.” I couldn’t care less. “And you, Sal?” I asked, my tone deceptively casual. “What was your favorite part?”
Her cheeks flushed. I wondered if she was reliving our time in the stairwell as vividly as I was.
I could still taste her sweetness on my tongue and feel the way her body fit perfectly against mine. If I’d had any doubt about my feelings toward her, they were erased the minute she touched me.
Our first kiss had been a revelation, but our second kiss? That’d been confirmation.
There was no one else who could undo me the way she did.
“I liked spending time with my cousins,” Maya said. “It was nice to see everyone together again.”
“What a lovely sentiment,” I drawled. “I saw you and Priya go out into the gardens. They’re quite beautiful, don’t you think?”
Her blush darkened, but her eyes sparked with warning. “They’re okay. I’ve seen better.”
“Have you?”
“Yes.”
“Give me an example.”
