“Dance with me, Eliza,” whispered a silken voice just below her ear. A shiver rippled across her skin on hearing his voice. Charley aka Yuvraj Rai Singhania! His voice and his face had invaded her thoughts and captured her dreams for so long now. Sighing, she turned around to face him. Charley had been watching her for a while now. They were in his hotel lawns, at his cousin Kabier’s wedding reception. The party was going on in full swing and the hotel lawns were beautifully decorated and lit. All around there were a number of couples dancing to the romantic music that the band was belting out. She had been standing quietly in the shadows, in a corner of the lawns, observing the crowd and he couldn’t resist going up to her and teasing her senses by whispering softly to her in the darkness. Standing close to her, he saw her shiver and felt elated. He had been wooing her for the last few months and knew exactly how to bring about this desired reaction in her. He held his hand out to her as she turned, his eyes never leaving her beautiful face, waiting for her to put her hand in his. To step into his arms and dance with him. Eliza looked at the outstretched hand in front of her for several seconds before she raised her gaze to his face, into eyes the color of dark, dark chocolate and was lost. She had been resisting him since so long and now finally she was tired, tired of playing safe, of always wanting to do the right thing. Giving in to him would mean coming out of the safe cocoon she had built around herself. And today of all days she wanted to let loose and fly. She put her hand in his and let him lead her to the dance floor.He held her lightly on the waist and she moved closer to him, putting her hands on his shoulders and swayed with him to the music. This close, she could inhale the unforgettable fragrance that she always associated with him. The woody, musky fragrance of his cologne mixed with the unique scent that belonged only to him. She inhaled, breathing him in again. God! He was becoming more and more irresistible and if she weren’t careful, she’d be caught in the silken web Charley had been spinning around her. “You’re unusually quiet today,” Charley said. “I’m questioning my intelligence in agreeing to dance with you.” He laughed, his typical throaty rumble and Eliza couldn’t look away. He was one of the most gorgeous men she had ever met and she was flattered he was paying so much attention to her. Her eyes could never stop following him when he was around. Tonight, he just looked splendid in the dark, well-fitted, three-piece suit that defined his well-toned body to perfection. “Now you have me intrigued! So have you come up with an answer to that one yet?” he asked her. “Well, considering your intentions towards me, I think that it definitely wasn’t in my best interest to be dancing with you.” “Beautiful, I always have your best interests at heart.” “Yeah, right,” Eliza rolled her eyes. They both knew what he wanted from her and he had ensured she knew exactly what that was. “I never lie. You will have the best time of your life with me,” he told her confidently, his eyes never leaving hers. Charley watched her digest the obvious implication in his words. He had wanted her for so long and seeing her look so beautiful in the deep cut amber gown that showed off her perfect curves, was driving him crazy. He whirled her around the dance floor and before she knew it, they were dancing in a secluded alcove, surrounded by palms, away from the dance floor, away from any possible prying eyes.He drew her closer to him. Eliza wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. Oh! Being close to him was heaven and yet it was so dangerous for her heart. She ought to put some distance between them. But right now it felt great to be held by Charley even though she knew she was heading towards trouble. He had chased her persistently the last few months, using every opportunity presented to him to tease her, to challenge her and to be with her. Their lives recently had become intertwined with the same set of people they cared for, that they had met ever so often. She recalled a conversation she had had with him a few months ago when he had openly made his intentions clear to her. “I want you, Eliza, in my bed and I will have you there pretty soon,” he had told her in his typical bold and confident manner. Raashi had been stunned. Finally, she had replied saying, “I don’t do one-night stands and from what I’ve heard of you, that’s what you usually do. So, go find someone else. I’m not interested.” His lips had curved into a wicked smile in response. “You are interested. I know it. When I touch you, you go up in flames.” He’d brought his face close to hers, so close that there wasn’t an inch of space between them. So close that her heart had pounded, but she had stood still, refusing to let him know that she craved his touch. And then he had rubbed his cheek against hers - slowly, softly, letting her feel the scratch of his perpetual five o’clock shadow on her skin. Helplessly, she had shut her eyes and trembled. He had lit a fire within her and he was aware of it. Satisfied, he’d tipped her chin upwards. Eliza had opened her eyes to see him smiling cheekily at her. Gathering her courage she had taken a step back from him.“Stay away from me, Charley. This was nothing. I’m not your usual type of woman. So leave me alone.” Saying that she had walked off. But he hadn’t left her alone. In fact, he had pursued her even more relentlessly. He would touch her; the slightest of caresses that would make her burn for more or whisper softly in her ear like earlier that would drive her mad. She wanted him and the worse thing was that he knew it. Now, dancing with him, his strong arms encircling her, was slowly melting away her resistance. As the music changed and another song played, Charley drew her even closer to him, so close that she was almost crushed against his chest. He was surprised that she wasn’t resisting him today like she normally did. She was so soft against him and he had wanted her for so long. “Eliza,” he whispered. “Hmm,” she replied, her head still resting on his shoulder. “You look lovely tonight. Simply stunning!” She looked up at him. “Thank you. You’re not doing too bad yourself.” Sameer smiled at her off-hand comment. “Raashi...we need to talk about this. This, whatever is happening between us. You cannot run from it and you know that.” “Charley...No,” she began, shaking her head, but he silenced her by putting a finger on her lips. “We’ve played cat and mouse with each other for far too long, don’t you think? Aren’t you curious to know how it could be between us?” Eliza stepped back from him, struck by his question. “No...” she began again but he cut her off. “Kiss me. One kiss. I promise I will stop if you don’t want more.” She bit her lip. She ought to refuse. It would be a mistake to do as he suggested. But she also knew she would regret not giving into him. “Come on, Eliza! I know you’re tempted. I know that...” She didn’t let him finish. Eliza rose on tiptoes, angled her head and kissed him smack on his lips.She teased her mouth against his, nipping his lower lip with her teeth. It took him all of a second to recover from the shock that she was actually giving him what he wanted and he kissed her back. He put his arms around her and pulled her closer to him. He took charge of the kiss, and she let him. She gave him what he wanted; let him have his way with her lips and mouth. She responded to him like the siren she was to him, giving herself completely into this maddening kiss. He pressed her mouth open and entered her soft, wet mouth with his tongue. God! She tasted divine. She was warm and sweet. Her tongue melded with his and it drove him mad. Eliza put her arms around his neck and kissed him so sweetly that he wanted to pick her up and have his way with her right here, right now. He had to control himself. Eliza felt her world was spinning out of control. Like a forest fire, the flames were spreading through each and every part of her body and slowly every inch of her was aflame. She pressed herself closer to him, wanting to increase the contact with his body. She desired him like no man ever before and there had been none before him to awaken this response in her. This was crazy. No, she was crazy to be doing this. But it felt so right to be in his arms that she wondered why she had been resisting him all along. She opened her mouth wider, giving him all the access he needed, reveling when he kissed her hungrily, his normally tightly reined control so obviously slipping. He had to get her out of here. He pulled back his lips suddenly from hers. His heart thundering, he said, “I want you, Eliza. Right now. Right this moment. Come with me.” She looked at him stunned for a second. Feeling reckless and more carefree than she had ever felt in her life, she looked straight into his eyes and nodded her acceptance. “Charley, be there for me in the morning when I wake up, please.” Jubilant, he kissed her lips passionately, just once, before holding her hand and pulling her along with him.

Three months later Eliza looked around her restaurant in awe. Happiness and pride surged through her every time she was here. It was her dream and she had fulfilled it. AquaNox was solely her baby. She had planned and designed it from scratch. Compliments were pouring in and the reviews were fantastic. The restaurant was booked fully for the next three weeks and there was a long waiting list even against last minute cancellations. She smiled in delight. The journey had been hard but she had succeeded. Things were looking good now. Today of all days, she missed her parents and her grandmother. They would have been proud of her and of everything she had accomplished. She looked up at the sky for a second, assured they were smiling at her from the stars. It had been an uphill task taking over their fledgling restaurant business after her grandmother’s death. But she was succeeding, finally.She went to the hostess desk at the entrance and scanned through the guest list for the rest of the evening. As her eyes ran through the long list of names, pausing over some she recognized, her heart skipped a beat when she read his name. She scanned the rest of the list, but her eyes were drawn back to the name that had caught her attention earlier. “I have a reservation? A table for two?” A silken voice spoke in front of her. A tremor ran down her spine. “Under what name, sir?” she heard the hostess ask. “Charley,” he replied. God! This couldn’t be happening. She had avoided him for so long and now fate again had caught her off balance and thrown him straight in her path, when she least expected it. She wasn’t prepared for this chance encounter. To be honest, she would never be prepared. Eliza lifted her head. He hadn’t seen her. He was scanning the decor with a bored look on his face. A look of someone used to dining at exclusive places. She took her time assessing him, her eyes drinking him in; after all, she hadn’t seen him in three months. He was so tall that even in her high heels she had to tilt her head up to look at him. With a golden complexion, high cheekbones, a straight patrician nose and eyes the color of dark chocolate, he was any woman’s fantasy man. His dark hair was stylishly cut, though it was longer than usual. It had a ruffled look, like some woman had lovingly run her hands throughit. His face, as always, hinted of the perpetual five o’clock shadow, like he couldn’t get a clean shave no matter how hard he tried. He was a disturbingly attractive man and what set him apart was his killer smile. He had that slight cleft in his chin that became more pronounced when he smiled. The inveterate charmer that he was, Charley bestowed that smile on her hostess and the poor girl fumbled and stammered as she replied to him. He was dressed flawlessly, as usual in a dark formal business suit, white shirt and patterned tie that showcased his perfectly well toned body. She knew first-hand how well defined his chest was and how his narrow waist tapered into flat abs. She had traced those carved abs with her hands and mouth. Every detail of his body was etched in her brain. Her breath hitched and she put a deliberate freeze on her mind. One look and everything about him had come crashing back. She was so annoyed with herself. A woman’s voice interrupted her assessment, “What’s taking you so long?” Before she could turn to see who had spoken, he pivoted. His eyes met hers and try as she might, Eliza couldn’t move her gaze away from him. Charley turned his face and stilled. Their eyes met and recognition hit him like a blow to his gut. Eliza! Bold, beautiful, calm and so confident! Charley had often wondered about this, imagined what their encounter would be like after...Shaking his head, he refused to let his mind take that direction right now. He was out on a very important date, one that could decide his future and he didn’t want to get distracted. Eliza, however, didn’t bother to acknowledge him but continued to plainly stare at him. He opened his mouth to break the awkwardness between them but the cold look in her eyes made him pause. Her outward calm was betrayed by the fury blazing in her eyes. He continued to stare at her and she gave him an icy look in return. “I thought you had booked us a private corner,” Eliza heard the woman with Charley say. She turned to look at her and her eyes widened a fraction when she realized that the woman with Charley was Natasha Arya, a popular socialite and heiress. Natasha frequently graced the pages of several society magazines. But looking at her, Eliza realized that the magazines didn’t do her justice. She was even more stunning in reality. She looked exotic with glowing skin, dark eyes and a small nose. Her poker straight hair was stylishly cut short to frame her face. She was dressed in a short black, strappy dress and had an air about her that clearly showed that she knew her place in the upper echelons of society. She was tall, almost as tall as Charley in her high heels and they looked fantastic together. She had heard the rumors about them. There was talk that Natasha may become a permanent fixture in Charley ’s life. Although Eliza hadn’t seen him or spoken to him in three months, they still had a lot of common friends and she had heard through them that Charley was considering marrying Natasha. She also knew that Natasha was the only woman who had ever held his heart, and now they were back together. In spite of knowing all this, Eliza was unable to prevent the small shard of jealousy that pierced her heart on seeing them together. Eliza saw Charley look at Natasha He could almost hear her the wheels turning in her head as she made the obvious connection. There were so many things that he wanted to say to Eliza, but now was not the right time. Would there ever be a right time? There never had been and there never would be, he told himself. From the back recesses of his mind, he heard Natasha call his name. When he didn’t reply, she shook him slightly, “Charley?” she said again. It took a moment for him to regain his senses. He turned his attention back to the hostess and asked, “What’s going on?” Apparently, there was some mix up and the table reserved for them was in the indoor section and not in the outdoor area like Natasha wanted. Eliza silently watched Natasha giving her head hostess a hard time. She quickly scanned the list again. “You can give them that one, with the sea view,” Eliza instructed the hostess.The hostess replied, “But, Eliza, that one is booked for...” “It’s okay, I’ll handle it,” Eliza responded, understanding what the girl was telling her. “Well, you better. Obviously, you people have made a mistake and you ought to rectify it. Lucky for you that you found a place for us or else it would not have gone well on your record if we had to leave unhappy,” Natasha remarked coldly. Charley saw Eliza digest the cold tone in which she was spoken to. Her forehead creased and her mouth opened to reply to Natasha’s comment. But then she changed her mind. Her face cleared and she addressed Natasha in a very calm tone, “My apologies, we’ll ensure that this won’t happen again. Enjoy your meal.” And without a second glance at him, she moved away, leaving the hostess to guide them to their table. Charley was impressed with the restaurant. Being an owner of several world-class hotels, he had an eye for detail and decor and this place was fantastic. He loved the way the owner had converted this old sea-facing villa into a quaint restaurant. Soft lights drifted everywhere and the music outside was just right for an evening out for dinner. The indoor area was separated from the outdoor by glass enclosures. Each time the glass doors to the inside opened, he could hear some of the louder music that was being played. He had heard that the indoor section of the place was a lounge and allowed people to enjoy the latest music along with their food. He was surprised that Eliza had allowed them this table, considering he was well aware of what she felt about him. And this table obviously was one of the best in the restaurant. It was in a secluded corner shadowed by tall potted plants. He hadn’t seen her for so long and now knowing that she was around, close by, made him wish they had a table where he could see her properly. She obviously worked here, may be a manager, though come to think of it, he didn’t know what she did for a living. In all the months he’d spent wooing her, he hadn’t bothered to really get to know her. They had never gotten around to discussing their lives. She had mentioned that she was in the restaurant business but he hadn’t given it much thought then. Well, now he knew where she worked. This was a newly opened place so she must have recently joined. “Charley , what is wrong with you today?” Natasha complained. “You haven’t been paying me the slightest attention.” “Oh, Sorry! I’m just a bit preoccupied, that’s all,” Charley shook his head. He had to stop thinking about Eliza and pay attention to Natasha. After all he had brought her here with the intention to get to know her once again and to begin afresh. Charley had dated Natasha several years back when he was studying in London. He had bumped into her at a common friend’s party and her good looks and sharp confidence had blown him away. He remembered falling fast and hard for her. But to give himself credit, he had been very young then and had thought himself to be seriously in love with her. However, when he had wanted to make the relationship permanent, she had balked at the idea of settling down. She had wanted to enjoy life, which in her case had meant traveling and dating other men. She didn’t want to be tied down by a long-term commitment. Her ideas were at odds with his and he had called off their relationship, much to her protest. It hadn’t mattered to him that she had let everyone believe that she had broken up with him. But after her, he had never let any woman get close to him ever, never let any woman get under his skin, until he had met Eliza. However, whatever they had was over even before it had started. He had wanted it to be that way. He had ensured that Eliza was a closed chapter in his life. Now he had to think of the future and in all probability Natasha might be a part of it. Her father, Jiten Arya, was the owner of the Arya group of Hotels. Only recently, he had come to Charley with the proposition to take over all the Arya hotels. On further inquisition, Charley had found out that although the group was doing well, it needed a lot of restructuring and changes that Jiten Arya was not keen to take on. In his words, he was growing old and didn’t want the added responsibility of the hotels anymore. Hence, he was offering them to Charley , who he was sure was more than capable of doing what was necessary. Taking over the Arya chain of hotels would be quite beneficial for his own hotel group as the Aryas had converted several old palaces across India into resort hotels. Acquiring these hotels and adding them to his already successful chain would make his group the biggest in South East Asia. But the only hitch was that Jiten Arya wanted Charley to marry his daughter before the Sehgal group took over them. Jiten Arya was shrewd and calculating and Charley figured that offering his daughter to him on a platter also entailed that she got a direct connection to one of the top business families in the country, which was something Natasha would be proud to flaunt. The idea should have been enchanting, since Natasha was the only woman who he had ever been serious about, but somehow this time around, his heart wasn’t in it. Of course, he wanted the Arya Hotels added to his own, that’s why he was giving the idea some thought. However, the prospect of marrying Natasha now didn’t seem to have the same impact on him as it had before. In recent years, he had never thought of marriage in serious terms. He unquestionably didn’t want to fall in love, he didn’t believe in that anymore. But seeing his cousin Kabier and Kabier’s sister Sheena both get married recently and that too after falling in love, made him see how cynical he had become. He was happy for them, he truly was, but he knew that he would never allow himself to fall for a woman ever again. He had donethat once and had been sorely disappointed and hurt. He wasn’t going down that road again and hence Jiten Arya’s proposition was sounding more and more appealing. Charley knew Natasha quite well. They had a history together. Even though they had broken off years ago, they had been in touch intermittently, bumping into each other at some or the other social event. Her father had gotten them connected once again and no matter what the social rags said, he really wasn’t dating her. They had met once or twice and that was it. He had to make up his mind once and for all whether he wanted to marry her or not. Eyeing her now, he realized that she was as beautiful as always. She had a great body that she flaunted very well in her strappy dress that fit her perfectly. Her short hair was expertly cut and styled and that gave her a very western and modern appearance. He sighed. In spite of her gorgeous looks, he wasn’t attracted to her. In fact, he wondered how he had been so besotted by her at one time. She didn’t make his blood sing, and if he were being honest with himself then he couldn’t recollect if she had ever had that effect on him. What was wrong with him? He was out with a gorgeous woman on a date and instead of trying to rekindle the chemistry they had once shared, he had already concluded that there was nothing between them. He was crazy. That was just it. Seeing Eliza had thrown him off balance. Tuning back to the conversation with Natasha, he slowly sipped his wine, listening to her talk. He tried adding some intelligent remarks here and there, willing his mind not to get distracted again. He signaled a waiter to refill their drinks. As the waiter poured the wine in Natasha’s glass, she moved her hand suddenly to make a point and she knocked the wine bottle. The wine spilled on the tablecloth and also on her dress. Natasha shrieked and stood up. “What is the matter with you people? Aren’t you trained properly or do they hire you straight off the streets? Can’t you see what you’re doing?” She pointed towards her dress, “You’ve ruined my expensive dress.” She was creating quite a commotion when it wasn’t even the poor guy’s fault. Charley tried to intervene, “Natasha, it’s okay. Just calm down.” But she was in no mood to listen, she continued to rant and rave at the poor waiter, who stood still as a rock, looking around helplessly. Hearing the commotion from Charley ’s table, Eliza quickly made her way to it. The other patrons of the restaurant were staring at the table, everyone curious about the cause of the fuss. “What is the problem here?” Charley heard Eliza ask the waiter in a quiet voice. The waiter gave her a relieved look and started to immediately explain the situation. Eliza glanced at the table, immediately understanding what had happened and asked the guy to leave. Natasha, in no mood to cooperate, launched a tirade against Eliza. Eliza stood there, her arms folded, letting Natasha have her say. Feeling embarrassed, Charley said in a firm voice, “Natasha, it wasn’t his fault. So let’s not make a big deal out of it. Okay? Calm down. ” Turning to Eliza, he said, “I’m sorry. Can we get our dinner now?” Ignoring him, she nodded to a waiter standing next to her to serve them their food. She stood there, keeping a watchful eye while their food was served, just to ensure there was no repeat of any accident. Eliza could feel the beginning strain of a headache. Seeing Charley had upset her and then his spoilt date had made a fuss and created a scene, which wasn’t good for her business. She stood there silently, waiting until the waiter finished his job. Charley watched her overseeing their meal and let his eyes roam over her. She really was quite lovely. She had a subtle grace that had always made him want to look at her and keep looking, like he was now. He took in her face, the high forehead with delicately arched eyebrows, long curling eyelashes sheltering those beautiful hazel eyes that changed color from brown to green depending on her mood. A black liner boldly outlined her doe shaped eyes. Her lush lips were painted only with the slightest of color. On anyone else the nude color should have made them look less appealing, but on Eliza it looked gorgeous. It went perfectly with her flawlessly warm complexion that he knew was exactly the same from her forehead to her toes and all the way in between. Her dark straight hair fell down to her lower back. And she had clipped a few strands on the top of her head, leaving the rest of it loose and free flowing behind. He remembered their silken heaviness in his hands. She was dressed formally in a dark green shirt-dress, belted at her waist with a slim gold chain belt that showed off the narrowness of her waist and the long length of her legs. His gaze lingered on her exposed legs for a moment longer before he looked back into her eyes and found her watching him. She knew he was watching her, appraising her. He didn’t look away; he couldn’t escape the stormy gaze that was fixed on him. He had always been able to read her face very well, read her eyes that spoke her thoughts aloud for anyone who had the ability to read them and read them he could. He knew she was really angry and desperately wanted him to leave. Her gaze narrowed on him and her lips compressed. But the very next second, she turned her eyes away from him and dismissed him coldly. In that brief moment, his irritation rose swiftly. She was dismissing him like he was of no consequence to her. She was refusing to acknowledge him in any way. His normally dormant temper simmered. Even though he had deliberately stayed away from her for months, seeing her once again brought a startling clarity to his mind - time had done nothing to diminish the effect she had on him. He hated that she made him yearn, when he had buried all that he felt for her in the deepest part of him. And now she was ignoring him and he didn’t like it one bit. She hadn’t even spoken a word to him when he had apologized for Natasha’s behavior. He had no way of knowing if she still felt the same attraction that she had felt for him all those months back, the same attraction he felt rising within him once again. Would she still melt if he whispered into her ear or if he touched her? The urge to get a reaction out of her thrummed through his body. He saw the waiter come forward to help with the second serving. He put a hand out and stopped him. “Not you, I want her to do it,” he said, pointing at Eliza. Eliza stared at him aghast, her eyes burning with fury. What did he think he was doing? “But, Sir...” the waiter said. “I said, not you. Her,” Charley repeated firmly. The waiter looked from him to Eliza, the bowl of pasta in his hands. Quietly Eliza walked towards him and took the bowl out of the stunned waiter’s hands. Charley saw her expertly scoop the steaming pasta out of the bowl and into his plate, once and then twice. The third time she went to do it, he held her wrist to stop her. Eliza felt like she had been jolted with a high voltage electric current. Her eyes moved to Charley ’s and saw the same startled reaction mirrored there. His thumb delicately caressed the inside of her wrist, making her hand tremble. He stared into her stormy eyes and his lips curved in an arrogant smile. Charley was thrilled to know he could get this reaction from her, after all this time. So, no matter how calm and collected she appeared, he knew exactly how she felt in his presence. Reeling in anger at his audacity and his arrogance, Eliza tipped the pasta bowl slightly and the remaining contents of the bowl went down on Charley ’s lap, all over the napkin and on his trousers. The smug smile vanished from his face and he gave a pained expression, releasing her hand as the impact of the steaming hot food seeped through his clothes and burnt his skin. Natasha stood up, appalled. “I can’t believe she did that. It was deliberate. I saw it. I need to talk to someone in charge,” she yelled. Eliza saw Charley glowering at her while trying to clear the mess of his clothes. Turning to Natasha, she said, “You can talk to me, I’m in charge.” “Well, of all the... I am so going to get you fired. You incompetent idiot! I’m going to get this place shut down, you just wait and watch.” Eliza held her hand up, stopping Natasha with a glacial look. “Enough!” Eliza said. “You have caused a hell lot of trouble already tonight. So why don’t you two just do us all a favor and leave.” “You can’t throw us out. This was your fault. You don’t know who I am and what I can do. You won’t get a job anywhere in this city, once I’m done with you,” Natasha spat out, her lips twisted in disdain. Eliza’s eyes flared. She had had enough of this woman. “To begin with, you have created enough nuisance. Secondly, you are welcome to try your hand at all the threats that you’ve heaped my way, but I assure you that you won’t be able to touch me with a pole, let alone get me fired or get my restaurant shut. So save your empty threats for someone else.” She threw Charley a disgusted look and told him, “I’m sure you’ll pay your bill when you leave, Mr. Sehgal.” She signaled for the waiter to get them their bill and walked away, her head held high. The evening was a total loss, Charley thought as he drove Natasha back home. She had insisted on going to some other place to eat, but he hadn’t been interested in the least. The entire evening had been a disaster and he couldn’t go somewhere else with his clothes horribly messed up. He was still riling over how Eliza had treated him. She had thoroughly embarrassed him. But he had to accept he had deserved it. He had goaded her to serve him the food to provoke her into reacting and then he just didn’t know what had come over him. He remembered how he had held her wrist and caressed it. Oh hell! He still wanted her. This was not a good sign. He had avoided her like the plague for so long. And if she was angry with him earlier, then after tonight she’d probably never look at him again. Natasha broke into his thoughts. “Why in the world did you not say something? You let that girl throw us out of the restaurant. How dare she?” “Well, I guess we gave her ample opportunity to do that. You were creating an uproar back there,” Charley replied. “Me? She dropped the pasta on your lap? Why did you ask her to serve you in the first place?” Thankfully, without waiting for his reply, she continued, “I’m not going to let her get away with insulting us like this. I will find out who she is and get her fired.” “Eliza Deewan,” Charley said, “and she’s right, you can’t do a damn thing to her.” Natasha squinted her eyes. “What do you mean?” “She is very close to Janak Sehgal, my grandfather. In fact, she’s one of his angels.” “I don’t understand.” Charley let out an exasperated breath and started to explain. “You know my cousin Kabier, right?” Charley asked. “Yeah, he got married a few months back, didn’t he?” “Kabier’s wife, Keya, Kabier’s younger sister, Sheena and Eliza are best friends and they are very close to my grandfather. They are his angels or Janak’s angels as he calls them. So you see, as long as she has my grandfather protecting her, no one can do a thing to her. I suggest you drop the idea or it will leave you embarrassed.” “My God! You knew her all along.” “Hmm,” he said in response. “And yet you didn’t acknowledge each other. In fact, she was quite hostile towards us. Makes me wonder why.” A few seconds passed and Charley realized that Natasha was watching him pointedly, waiting for a response. “Let’s just say we don’t see eye to eye anymore,” he told her with finality, closing the subject.

Eliza stayed on longer than usual at the restaurant. She didn’t want to be alone. Being alone meant that she’d have time to think of him. She had thought that she was over him, over the effect he had on her when he was around. One touch was all it took and she was back to being a sucker for his practiced charm. The restaurant was closed for the night and she had no option but to head home. She got into her car, a brand new Black Honda Civic and drove back. She had only recently gifted herself this car. It was on her best friend, Sheena’s insistence that she had bought the car, a self-assurance booster after the disastrous damage that her self-confidence had borne following that fateful night with Charley . Resignedly, she entered her house, a comfortable apartment that she and her sister, Jiya, had inherited after their grandmother’s death. But Jiya was away in New York, studying, and Eliza was on her own. She missed her sister. But more than anything else she missed her best friends, Sheena and Keya. They were her pillars of support, her advisors, her critics, her everything. It had never mattered that Sheena came from a very affluent family or that Keya was an orphan or that Eliza was from a middle class background because what they had together was beyond special. They were her dearest friends and she was theirs. She dropped her keys on her nightstand and dropped down on her bed. Tonight of all nights she really needed them. It used to be so different back when both Sheena and Keya had been unmarried. She could pick up the phone and call either of them or just drop by their houses whenever she felt like it. Now, with them busy in their married lives, neither was right to do, so late at night. Facing Charley rs tonight had been so difficult for her. Sighing, she lay down on the bed. No matter how hard she had tried to erase their night together from her memory, she couldn’t. She had experienced heaven with him that night and then he had just left. That one night was the biggest mistake of her life. Charley rs! She said the name out aloud to herself. The Golden Boy of the Indian Real Estate and Hotel industry, Director, rs Corporation, Managing Director of the rs Real Estate & Hotels group. His work titles were impressive. His residential projects were some of the most exclusive and sought after in the country. He had bought and turned around some of the oldest hotels in India into massive money making ventures. Where he went, success followed. Like King Midas, what he touched, did turn to gold. Well, some part of his success had to be attributed to his family. He was after all Janak’s grandson. He had been genetically gifted with the finest business acumen and had learnt from the best. Janak rs was one of the most successful businessmen in the country today and he had ensured that his grandsons had attended the best schools first in the country and then in England. Only last year, with retirement on his mind, had he distributed the reins of his huge business to his grandsons, the hotels and real estate to Charley , the automobiles to Charley ’s younger brother, Rishi and the telecom and software to Kabier, his eldest grandson and now the head of the rs business empire. Janak himself handled only the media business now. Janak’s own son, Jai rs, Charley ’s father, headed the legal side of their business. But more than anything else, Janak rs was the dearest old man in the whole world. She loved him like her own grandfather and he loved her in return. She was one of his angels. She, Sheena and Keya − he called them ‘Janak’s angels’. They were as close to him as they were to each other. He had been there for her as long as she could remember. She was thirteen when her parents had died in a fatal car accident. Her grandmother was trying to run the restaurant they owned after her son and daughter-in-law had passed away. She had enrolled her and Jiya, her younger sister, in a prestigious boarding school in Dehradun. Eliza had met Keya and Sheena in the school and they had become best friends over a period of time. Through Sheena, she had met Janak and he had made a place for himself in her life and in her heart, always being there for her, listening to her, helping her. He was her friend and her mentor. She went to him for advice, almost always. The only instance she hadn’t gone to him was when she had the fiasco with Charley . She couldn’t bring herself to confide with him on that matter. She shut her eyes and recalled the first time she had met Charley . It was six months back, but she could recollect the incident as clearly as if it had happened yesterday. She had gone to fetch Sheena from her house. Sheena was getting late and instead of waiting up with her, Eliza had decided to get the car started and ready to leave as soon as Sheena showed up. She was reversing her car from Sheena’s driveway when a monstrous four-wheel drive had zipped right behind her, causing her to brake suddenly. Her heart beating and head buzzing from narrowly missing an accident, she had got out of the car to see who was driving so rashly. She had seen him and called out to him. He had left his car in the driveway and was walking coolly towards the house, completely unaware of what he had done. “Hey, I am talking to you,” she had yelled. He had turned around and then stood where he was, silently staring at her. “Who the hell do you think you are? You almost cost me my back fender, not to mention the fact that I could have been badly injured,” she had screamed at him. “Well, you could use more common sense while reversing,” he had replied back, calmly folding his arms together. His response had infuriated her. Instead of regretting his own hasty and careless entrance, he was blaming her. “Hey, you were the one driving too damn fast, that too in a private driveway. I could have been seriously crushed under that monster you have there.” She had refused to back down. He had raised an eyebrow. “But nothing happened, so what is the fuss all about then?” he had asked, shrugging his shoulders. “That is such an irresponsible thing to say.” “Lady, what is your problem? I can drive on this driveway blindfolded if I had to. I know it like the back of my hand. You were never in any danger.” “I could definitely question your driving skills. In any case, this conversation is leading nowhere. So, I’d rather not waste my breath on you any longer.” Eliza had seen him staring at her, his eyes flashing, clearly outraged by her last statement. What did she care anyway? She didn’t even know who he was. She had started to turn around, when she heard Sheena’s voice. “Charley , Hi,” Sheena had said excitedly. “It’s so good to see you again. I’m so glad that you’re back and for good.” Sheena had given him a tight hug and said, “Kabier is waiting inside for you.” Eliza hadn’t recognized him. This was Charley rs, Sheena’s cousin. She had never met him before, though she had seen pictures of him and heard a lot about him through Sheena. He had recently returned from London to take over the family real estate and hotel business. He had been operating primarily out of London, establishing a strong foothold in the European markets, but in the last few years he had slowly started taking over the Indian side of the business also. Sheena had mentioned that he had returned to set up his base in India permanently now. Sheena had held onto his arm and spoke again, “Charley , you met Keya last night. Well, this is my other best friend, Eliza.” Looking at Eliza, she had continued, “And Eliza, this is my cousin, Charley .” Eliza remembered how she had looked at him again. She had been so angry earlier that she hadn’t given his appearance a second glance. He was tall, really tall and she had to admit, Sheena’s cousin was extremely good looking and his clothes, though casual, screamed exclusive designer chic. She had looked back into his eyes again and realized he was smiling at her open appraisal of him. “Hi,” she had greeted him coolly. “Hello, Eliza! I guess an apology is due to you.” She had frowned at him and Sheena had also looked up at him questioningly. He had turned to Sheena, “I almost crashed into Eliza’s car as she was reversing.” Eliza had been quite surprised by the apology, but hadn’t made much out of it then. She had left with Sheena almost immediately and hadn’t thought of him again. Eliza turned to her side and thought how all those months ago their lives had suddenly become so entangled. She had met him at a club a few weeks after their first meeting. She was out partying with Keya and some of their close friends, Rithwik and Aditya, when she had stepped out off the dance floor and felt someone watching her. She had turned around and found herself looking straight into Charley ’s eyes. He was with Sheena’s elder brother, Kabier. He had waved at her and she’d responded back. She had gone with Keya to meet them. Kabier, like Charley , had also only recently returned to the country and had taken over the telecommunications and software arm of the rs business and was Keya’s boss, then. They had spoken very briefly to the two men. And for the rest of the night, every time she looked at him, she’d found Charley watching her. It had made her slightly uncomfortable, but, well, she had to admit she couldn’t get her eyes off him either. He was divine to look at and so attractive. But why of all the beautiful women she had heard he dated, would he be even mildly interested in her? Probably curiosity, she had concluded and brushed it all off. Back in those days she had never made anything of the first few meetings with him. They were as casual as she supposed they ought to be. He was Sheena’s cousin and she was Sheena’s best friend. That was the only connection she had with him. It was the third time that they had met, that changed the equation between them. They were on board Rajiv’s yacht, a few weeks before Sheena and Rajiv got married. It was a weekend party and though Charley had come with a date, he hadn’t paid much attention to her. He had been more attentive to Eliza the whole time, talking to her, dancing with her. And she had enjoyed the attention, and she’d liked being with him. He was funny, smart and oh, so charming! It was late in the night when they all started playing a game that was the Tequila version of ‘Spin the Bottle’, you either drank a shot of Tequila or dared to accept a challenge. The rules were simple yet naughty. If you chose to drink, you had to rub salt on a part of your challenger’s body and lick the salt from that very spot, before downing the tequila. Towards the end of the game, she was paired with Charley and he had chosen to drink a shot. He had stood observing her silently from top to toe and she had felt herself go warm everywhere. He had taken a turn around her and then another one and stopped right behind her. Then before she knew it, he had moved her hair to one side and rubbed salt on the side of her neck, just above her bare shoulder. Stunned, she had turned sideways in his direction to tell him, “No!” And he had said, “The rules state that I choose which part of your body I get to lick the salt from and I choose this.” And then he had bent his head and sucked the salt off her neck. Eliza still remembered the volatile impact of his lips and tongue on her neck. She still recalled, how he had continued to suck on her neck, a few seconds longer than needed. She had shuddered and she knew he had felt it. He knew because he had lifted his head, given her a mischievous wink and then gulped down his shot. That was the very first time she had felt her heart beat at double the pace. That was when she realized that she was crazily attracted to him. That was the first night she had dreamt of him. The next morning, she had been standing on the deck of the yacht, near the railing, observing the sea waves splashing gently, when Charley had approached her and made his intentions clear. He had acknowledged that he was attracted to her and had arrogantly told her that he was going to have her in his arms and his bed, very soon. She had brushed his declaration away and had continued to stay away from him as much as she could. She had no desire to sleep with him and be one of his many conquests. She did not do casual relationships, especially because she was no expert on men. She had only ever exchanged a few not so memorable kisses with some of her very few boyfriends and she was sure, in fact, certain, that if she did let Charley in her life, it would be volatile. He would sweep her away and she would lose herself and her heart in the process. But, fate was such that she crossed paths with him more often than she wanted to. First, Sheena got married in Goa and then Keya married Sheena’s elder brother, Kabier in a whirlwind marriage. All throughout, Charley had pursued her with a single-minded determination. He was always near her, never straying far. At times he would whisper something in her ear when she least expected him to be near or touch her arm or caress her cheek or neck, whenever he could. And on other times he’d just have a normal conversation with her, talking about mundane things. He was breaking all the walls she had built around herself and despite knowing his intentions towards her, she had started accepting him in her life. He had slowly and steadily softened her heart and there was nothing that she could have done to prevent it. On the contrary, she had enjoyed his attention. Finally, on the night of Keya and Kabier’s reception, she had given in to him. On looking back at that encounter with him, which she had done so many times in the last few months, she always cursed herself for being so vulnerable and having allowed him to seduce her. She had been especially low that night as both her best friends were married and had their own lives. And though she was genuinely happy for Keya and Sheena, she wasn’t sure that she herself could ever be as lucky as them. She had been lost in her own mind, thinking all those depressing thoughts when Charley had come and whisked her off, first to dance with him and then later to his bed. That moment just before she had kissed him, she had looked into his face and thought that perhaps she could also find her own happiness, like her friends, with him. The past months that she had spent with him had crossed her mind in a flash and she had realized that she had fallen for him. And so her heart glowing with happiness, she had taken his hand and let him take her to that hotel room. But, her happiness was not long lived. What had been a magical night for her had been nothing but a one-night stand for him. She had woken up and had been horrified to find herself all alone in a hotel room with Charley nowhere in sight. Naively, she had waited for him, thinking he would return soon until she’d finally accepted that he had walked out on her without a word. In the end, she had left the hotel disillusioned and hurt. Still, some part of her had hoped that he would call her. But he never did. She was not a fool; she had understood the situation for what it was. She had become just another one of Charley rs’s conquests. He had destroyed her self-esteem thoroughly and surely. So, keeping her own pride intact, she had never called him and had astutely avoided any public occasion where he would be present. Try as hard as she could, Eliza couldn’t help remembering the despair and the complete lack of self-confidence she had felt at his rejection, She had given into him that night believing with all her heart that he liked her and cared about her and that they could actually build a relationship together. But, of course, he hadn’t felt the same. Had she truly meant nothing to him? Had the night not been as magical for him as it had been for her? Had she dreamt the way he had made her feel? Was it her inexperience that had put him off? Why had he not called? Why had he so thoroughly rejected her? She had so many questions and no answers. She blamed herself for letting him seduce her. She had wanted him as much as he had wanted her that night and she hated herself as much as she hated him for that night. It had all been a game to him, a game to seduce her and she had fallen victim to his carefully planned seduction. She had asked him to stay the night with her because she was finally ready to let him into her life. She had finally accepted what she felt for him. She had assumed that he was also ready to take their relationship to the next level and see where it went from there. And mainly, she had asked him to stay because she did not want to feel inconsequential, like she was just another one-night stand. But, he had done exactly that. He had used her and left her and she had never felt more humiliated in her life than she had that morning when she had woken up alone. In the days following that fateful night, Eliza was heartbroken. She had not slept at all, eaten even less, hardly answered any calls, and barely lived, until the day when Sheena had come home to check on her, worried that something was wrong with her. One look at her and Sheena had hugged her tight and Eliza had poured her heart out to her. Sheena had wanted to confront her cousin, but on Eliza’s insistence, hadn’t. And since Keya had been away on her honeymoon, they had decided to keep this incident only to themselves. Slowly, Eliza had come around to being herself again. She had let Charley rs make a mess of her life, but she had come out of it stronger. She was never going to let him get close to her ever again. He was dangerous and judging by the way she still responded to his touch, she had to stay away from him at all costs.