Page 52 of Don't Date Your Nemesis

I should leave her alone and maintain distance because whatever we had was temporary.

Instead, I walked toward her.

The balcony was quieter, separated from the main party by glass doors that muffled the noise to a dull hum. Deepika stood at the railing, arms wrapped around herself, staring at the LA skyline turning gold and pink.

She didn’t turn when I approached.

“Shouldn’t you be out there being the Golden Boy?” she asked, her voice dropping into that low and husky tone that usually meant she was five minutes away from either a nap or a felony.

“I’m officially off the clock,” I said, stepping into her personal space until the scent of her jasmine-and-sin perfume clouded my head. “What about you, Sharma?”

Do you wanna leave and fuck in the car?

I held myself back from blurting that out.

“I’m done. My social battery is in the negatives, my fake smile is starting to twitch, and I am currently navigating a room while completely commando.” She finally cut her dark eyes toward me, a tired but sharp challenge in her gaze. “I’ve officially met my quota for high-risk behavior today.”

I let my gaze drop, tracing the curve of her hip where I knew that there was nothing but skin and silk. I licked my lips, the taste of her still a ghost on my tongue.

“Is that a challenge, Sharma?” I leaned in, my voice a rough murmur against her ear. “Because I’m an Olympian. And personally? I think you’ve got room for at least one more career-ending mistake before the sun comes up.”

She snorted, a genuine, unscripted sound that made my chest tighten and making me smile.

After a second, I stopped smiling. Because why was I doing that?

I moved to stand beside her, both of us facing the city. Surprisingly, the silence wasn’t uncomfortable between us as the wind brushed our naked skin.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “For being a dick. A jealous and insecure dick.”

She turned to look at me, surprise flickering across her face.

“Why were you jealous?”

The truth sat heavy on my tongue, but I let it out anyway.

“Because you saw through me. You saw I was in love with someone I couldn’t have. And instead of being vulnerable, I lashed out.”

Her expression softened. “I’m sorry I teased you about Kiara.”

“I’m sorry I made you feel like your body was something to be ashamed of,” I said, holding her gaze. “For the record, you’re stunning. You always have been.”

Her lips parted slightly, her brown eyes bright and golden.

The air between us shifted.

She looked away first, back to the skyline, but soft color had slashed her cheeks.

“You know,” she said, voice lighter but with an edge. “If you really want to apologize properly…”

I turned to face her fully. “Yeah?”

She bit her lip. “You could use that smart mouth of yours somewhere more... productive.”

Every drop of blood in my body headed south.

My eyes darkened. “Is that an invitation?”

Her eyes went wide. “I—no. Maybe. I don’t know. Forget I said anything.”