Page 43 of The Rules of Playing with Fire

“Mihir,” Aunty said. “Can you make coffee for Sona and Grant? I’ll be back in a minute.”

With graceful steps, Aunty walked away from the kitchen. Mihir got up and went to the coffee machine while Grant and I settled around the breakfast table.

“Sona. That’s a lovely name. It means gold, right?”

I smiled. “Wow, I’m impressed!”

“Don’t be,” he replied, leaning back in his chair. “I’ve caught a few Hindi words from Mir and his parents over the years. Are you from around here?”

“I’m visiting from New York.”

“Hm, that’s too bad.”

I threw a quick glance at Mihir, who was busy giving him a dirty look. “I loved the lake house. Thank you for letting us use it,” I said while resisting the urge to glance at Mihir.

“It’s my pleasure. I’m glad you enjoyed it,” he drawled in his sophisticated Texas accent, and I decided to play.

“I love that accent. I’ve always heard very bad caricatures of it, but when I hear native Texans, it sounds…”

“Sexy?” Grant said with a wink, and I allowed myself a shy smile and a warm blush.

“I especially loved the pool,” I said, and he returned a wicked, sweet smile.

“I’m glad, Sona. I rarely get to use it anymore. I’m glad the house had a guest as special as you.” He grabbed my hand and placed a kiss on it. Oh!

If Mihir was a seducer, Grant was his guru.

Across the kitchen, Mihir cleared his throat loudly, but neither Grant nor I paid him any heed.

“Can we get coffee sometime?” Grant asked me instead but before I could respond, Aunty walked back in.

“Mihir, can you help me get the bags from the car? Arvind needs his medicine,” she said.

Mihir had no choice but to follow her out and leave us alone in the kitchen, but he did shoot Grant a pointed look as he strode away.

Grant was busy studying me when his phone buzzed in his hand. He glanced at the screen and gave me a slick smile. “Did you get a chance to explore all of the lake house, Sona?”

My heart thumped to learn that he suspected what we had done there, but I looked into his eyes with confidence. “Indeed. The mirrors worked magic.”

“Did they now?” He laughed. “So how serious is this thing with Mir?”

“It’s not. We’re not looking for serious.”

He glanced at the phone, then back up at me. “Well then. Here’s some well-meaning advice. Don’t get too comfortable in that thought. I know what he sees in you.”

He swiped his phone open to show me Mihir’s text. Hands off her.

“Nicely done, you two,” I said and burst out laughing. “Coordinating your play so well. So, what’s your assessment?”

“Assessment?”

“That’s what this was, wasn’t it? Trying to figure out if I was worthy of taking on your precious friend?”

“Here’s the thing, Sona,” he said as he slipped the phone into the pocket of his leather jacket. “I’m not sure my friend is worthy of taking you on.”

“That I’ll agree with.”

He took my hand in his remarkably soft one and kissed it again. It was only fortuitous that Mihir came back at that exact moment with Aunty right behind him. Like Mama’s good boy, he went straight to the counter and poured us the freshly brewed coffee while Aunty joined us at the table.

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