I raised an eyebrow. “Never, huh?”
Her blush returned.
Dev’s gaze darted between us. “Okaaaayy,” he said slowly. “So, uh, that means I can ask her out, right?”
“Sure.” I smiled. “But if you do, I’ll kill you.”
Maya’s eyes snapped back to mine. “You don’t get a say in who I go out with.”
“Then go out with him.” I leaned forward. “I dare you.”
“Fine.” She leaned forward too, matching my stance. Her glare could’ve burned through steel, but I was close enough to detect another kind of heat simmering beneath her anger. “Maybe I will.”
“Never mind. It’s okay,” Dev said. He looked like he deeply regretted his choice of boating companions. “You’re both kind of unhinged.”
We ignored him.
“I would’ve thought you’d had enough of pointless dates by now.”
“I would’ve thought you’d have learned how to mind your own business by now.”
“Your business is my business.”
“In what world?”
“Ineveryfucking world.”
We were so busy arguing we didn’t notice we’d half-risen from our seats or hear the oarsman’s urgent warnings. “Sir! Miss! Pleasesit properly, or we’ll—”
It was too late.
I caught a flash of alarm on Maya’s face right before the boat tipped over, and all six of us tumbled into the lake.
CHAPTER 26
Maya
“THIS IS YOUR FAULT.” I STORMED INTO THE HOTEL, MYwet shoes squeaking with every step. “I can’t believe you got me banned from my own cousin’s wedding.”
“The wedding is basically over, and we weren’t banned.” Sebastian kept pace with me. Of course,hisshoes didn’t squeak, even though he was equally drenched. “We’re on a temporary timeout.”
Like we were children. Lovely.
The boat rides had ground to a halt after our group was unceremoniously dumped into the water. Radhika had been sympathetic, but my furious aunt had sent us back to the hotel so Sebastian and I could change and “sort our issues out with minimal disruption to the party.”
I’d never been so chastened or mortified. Neither had my parents. I was going to get an earful from them once we were alone, but I’d deal with that later.
For now, I had to shower, change out of my clothes, and, oh,killSebastian Laurent.
I slanted a sideways glare at him. His shirt was soaked to transparency. Water droplets dotted his tanned skin and drippedfrom his dark, disheveled hair, but unlike me—who looked like a drowned rat—he looked like he’d stepped out of a beach-themedGQphotoshoot.
The injustice continued.
I averted my eyes before he caught me staring, but that landed my gaze on the nearby stairwell entrance—the same one where we’d kissed last night.
And more, a sneaky voice whispered in my head.
Blood rose to my neck and chest. I jabbed at the elevator call button, doing my best to tamp down the memory of Sebastian’s lips on my skin.
