Jaina Lee Ortiz isn’t one to kiss and tell.
The actress, 37, spoke exclusively with PEOPLE about her romance with her Station 19 costar Jay Hayden at the La Cena Los Angeles event in Hollywood on Friday night, which celebrated Latino creatives in film and television in Hollywood.
“Well, you know what’s interesting? We’ve never posted a picture,” Ortiz said of herself and Hayden, 36. “Intimacy, I think, is really sacred, and I think I’ve posted very friendly-ish photos that give an idea, but sure. Use your imagination.”
Noting that she is someone who likes to keep her “personal life private,” Ortiz then said that she likes “keeping the PDA” to herself because “then what else do I have?”
But, when asked again about her recent social media posts with Hayden that hint at a romance, Ortiz played coy, telling PEOPLE, “I mean, you can infer, sure. It only makes it more spicy, and I’m down for that.” She added: “I love me some Jay.”
Last month, the Station 19 costars appeared to ring in the holiday season together, when Ortiz shared a set of Boomerangs on her Instagram, including one that featured Hayden popping into the frame in front of a Christmas tree.
“Merry Christmas ya filthy animals!” Ortiz captioned the shot, also tagging Hayden and actor Eddie Rivera.
The pair also appeared to vacation together over the summer at Lago Specchio di Venere, a lake on Pantellerìa Island off the coast of Italy.
In photos Hayden shared on Instagram at the time, the pair could be seen smiling on the shore with their bodies covered in natural mud.
Ortiz also posted a photo from the pair’s clay-filled excursion on her Instagram Story. In the photo, the two grinned widely at the camera while standing near the ocean.
She wrote over the snap that it was “probably one of the most amazing experiences of my life!”
Hayden and Ortiz have been rumored to be romantic off-screen for years now, but they have yet to confirm their relationship status.
The pair will be saying goodbye to Station 19 in 2024, as ABC announced in December that the Grey’s Anatomy spinoff would end after its upcoming seventh season.
“It came as a surprise and shock for everyone,” Ortiz told PEOPLE at the La Cena event of the show’s ending. “At the end of the day, it’s been such an amazing ride. Seven seasons. Wow. I didn’t even dream of that.”
“And the fact that we have the seven seasons, and we can make the last season the best yet, feels special and also bittersweet,” she added.
As for a momento she plans to keep with her from the series, Ortiz told PEOPLE, “The one thing I’m going to take from the set is my helmet. It’s going to say my character’s last name, Herrera, and then Captain on top.”
