Page 28 of Ansel

I decided that humor would be a good way to break the mild tension between us during our date-not-date. “Did you bring me here to check if I still hate you in natural lighting outside the office?”

“I was hoping I might get upgraded tomildly toleratestatus.”

I huffed a laugh.

“I know you don’t hate me, Neha.”

“No, I don’t even though you deserve it,” I admitted. How could I hate him when I loved him so much?

“I know, and I’m sorry, so damn sorry.”

His words weren’t over-the-top apologetic—they were pure Ansel. Direct. Flat. Blunt. And, I had to admit,honest.

He wasn’t the type to give grand speeches or make some desperate attempt to remind me of the long hours we’d spent together in the office. But he was the type to lay things out as they were—to acknowledge the attraction between us and give us a chance to actually do something about it. And that was making him really damn hard to resist.

We reached the edge of the lake, which was reflecting the bright blue sky. A couple nearby was laughing as they attempted to row a boat. The man did all the work while the woman pretended to be helpless, giggling as she let him struggle.

I turned to Ansel, watching as he took in the scene. “You know this might be the first time we’re together, and we haven’t talked about work.”

He glanced at me. “Do you want me to?”

I tilted my head. “It would’ve been the easiest way to get me talking to you.”

“Maybe.” He exhaled, watching a few petals from a cherry tree nearby land on the water. “But I don’t want you in my life because I need you, Neha.” His gaze flicked to mine. “I want you in my life because Iwantyou.”

My stomach twisted—not with unease, but withlust.

I looked away, focusing on the tiny ripples in the lake. “That’s a big change fromshe’sjust an assistant.”

“I know,” he said quietly. “And I hate that I made you believe that’s all you were to me.”

I believed him. God, help me, but I did. But did I believe him because he was sincere or because I was so damn desperate for him?

13

DON’T BE FRIGHTENED

NEHA

The scent of garlic and cumin welcomed me as I let myself into my sister’s apartment.

I’d come straight from my new job.

I’d started two weeks ago, and I was already in love with my company, my colleagues, and my boss. The vibe at Carter Health was entirely different from Sterling. Here, people were relaxed. Suits were only worn when someone had a client meeting; the rest of the time, people wore what they felt like. The dress code was simple:Dress appropriately.

On the personal front, things wereheatingup but weren’t hittingboiling point.

Ansel and I talked every evening on the phone before we went to sleep, and on Sundays, we went for a walk in Central Park. We were dating, not dating.

I was getting to know Ansel, the man inside the suit. Like everyone else, he had fears and insecurities and made mistakes. I’d put him on a pedestal, and when he fell, he crashed big time in my eyes.

Now, I was going beyond my hero worship of him and accepting that he was human—a good one but still a human prone to making mistakes.

He was close to his family. His brother, a professor at NYU, and his retired parents lived in Santa Barbara.

The executive persona wasn’t separate from him. No, he was stillthatman, but that was notallhe was.

“Finally!” Sanya called from the kitchen, balancing my niece on one hip while stirring what looked likesambharon the stove. “I was starting to think you ditched us for your new fancy job.”

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