Chapter 13
13
A week later, Navya stopped her car at the exit of Armaan’s house, waiting for the large metal gate to roll open. She couldn’t wipe the smile from her face. She’d been smiling nonstop the whole week. Ever since she’d started meeting Armaan daily, she found herself to be happier, healthier, and stronger. These daily training sessions with Armaan, followed by the intimate breakfast they shared, had become the highlight of her day. She waited expectantly each night for morning to come. She had to accept that she was enjoying herself thoroughly.
Her lips widened. Today, for the first time, Armaan had taught her hand-to-hand combat and it had been fun. She preferred it so much more than the boring boxing techniques he’d been making her do for the whole of last week. Armaan was a tough task master when it came to training her. However, he, too, seemed to enjoy the time he spent with her. Post their sessions, she liked that he insisted on eating breakfast with her daily.
That time in the morning, when it was just the two of them talking about everything under the sun, had become important. Armaan told her about his work and his vision for his company. He told her about incidents from his childhood at the orphanage, about the many scrapes and brawls he’d gotten into. And she enjoyed listening to him. He, in turn, ensured he asked about her clients, her work, and her family.
She was actually enjoying her time with him a lot. She’d never dated anyone before him. She’d always assumed it would be complicated to date a guy, to give him her time and to be forced to spend time with him as well. But now she knew it wasn’t so. It was easy, simple, and she had to accept that perhaps it was him who made it so enjoyable. They bantered and bickered and laughed, and the whole thing repeated like a loop. Their time together was entertaining, interesting, and amusing. She loved it.
Armaan was warm and kind, and she was beginning to realize that he genuinely cared for her.
Her heart clenched. This between them was not real, yet it felt real when she was with him, and that… that was scary. She was getting too damn used to their morning sessions. She was getting too damn used to him . A few months back, if someone had told her that she’d be spending her mornings with Armaan Oshnov, she would have balked at the prospect. But now it felt normal. Like this was her life now.
The urge to turn around her car and return to him thrummed inside her. In a short span of time, Armaan Oshnov had become an intrinsic part of her life. She pressed a hand to her stomach. God. What was happening to her? She squinted into the morning sunlight. She had to leave before she actually put her thoughts into action and returned to him like a fool. Fuck. She pressed the horn. Why was the gate not opening?
A sudden knock on her window made her look sideways. Vasily was leaning against her car, Arlo beside him, motioning her to open her window. She pressed a button, and the glass pane retreated.
“Hi, guys,” she greeted.
Arlo gave her a quick nod.
“Hi, Navya.” Vasily removed his dark glasses. “Just wanted to talk to you about something.”
She frowned. This was the first time in a week that Armaan’s security guards had tried to speak with her. She’d seen them several times during her daily breakfasts with Armaan, walking the perimeter of the property or instructing the guards on something. And while they’d always acknowledged her with a cool nod, they’d never spoken to her. But now, both his guards were here together.
“Sure,” she replied, feeling a tad bit confused. “What’s up?”
Vasily’s throat bobbed. “Look, it’s not my place to intrude, but I have to warn you about Armaan.”
The furrow in her brow deepened. “Excuse me?”
“Sorry…” he placated. “Like I said, it’s not my place. But since Su Min and your sister are such good friends, I couldn’t stay quiet any longer, especially considering that you also have a thing for the boss.”
His words were confusing. They were also annoying her. She already didn’t like the direction this conversation was heading in.
“What are you trying to tell me?” she asked. “Can you please be direct?”
His lips tightened. “The Oshnovs are dangerous men, Navya. Armaan, more so. They are ruthless and cunning, and don’t give second chances to anyone. Neither do they forgive nor do they forget.”
This was the same guy who’d told Reina that the Oshnovs were only bad to their enemies and that they weren’t bad people in general. So, she didn’t understand why was he telling her all this.
She splayed a hand out. “And how does that concern me? He’s not a danger to me, is it?”
“No. He won’t harm you physically,” Vasily said. “But he will break your heart. He’s a womaniser and is out only for a good time. I’ve seen him over the years, and he’s never been with one woman long enough. For your sake, I hope you are smart enough to end this thing with him before you get hurt.”
Her anger rose swiftly. She didn’t like him talking about Armaan this way. Her relationship with Armaan was hers, and she felt possessive about it, and him . Why she felt this way and so quickly was not important right now. All she knew was that no one else had a right to judge them.
“Has he brought any of his women home?” she queried, her tone sharp.
“No,” Vasily said. From beside him, Arlo’s mouth tightened.
“Has he spent more than a night with any of these women?”
“No, but?—.”
She cut Vasily off. “I suppose then I don’t need to be concerned about anything. He may have been a womaniser before meeting me, but he’s with me right now. And as you well know, I already have been coming to his home for more than a week. I appreciate your concern, but I know what I’m doing.”
Arlo gave her a nod.
Vasily shrugged. “Well, I did warn you.”
His haughty tone annoyed her.
“Warning taken. Now, can you ask someone to open the bloody gate?”
Arlo raised his hand, and the gate began to slide open. She moved her car forward. She saw the two bodyguards arguing from her rear-view mirror. Ignoring them, she focused ahead. Thanks to them, her happy mood from earlier had been spoilt.
An hour later, she sat in her office, going through her emails when Lavina entered.
“Rehana’s here with her entourage, and she seems to be in a tizzy.”
“Do you know what’s up with her?”
“Oh no, I’m not getting involved in that. I’ve heard she’s mean when she’s in a foul mood,” Lavina said. “You anyway have a meeting with her now. You see to her.”
Navya rolled her eyes, already annoyed by the situation. Her foul mood hadn’t dissipated since her chat with Vasily. Leaving her cabin, she walked into the conference room, Lavina following her. Rehana was sitting at the head of the conference table, yelling at someone on her phone in rapid Arabic. Her two assistants were fidgeting as they stood behind her, looking nervous.
Navya took the chair to Rehana’s left, opened her iPad, and began scanning through it. Ten minutes passed, then fifteen, but Rehana continued to speak on the phone.
Navya stood, addressing the two girls behind Rehana. “I have another meeting soon. Perhaps, we can reschedule this to another time next week. Which means that for the upcoming Tiffany event, she won’t have a choice in what she has to wear.” Navya looked at Rehana, who had stopped talking. “I suppose that’s okay, habibiti . You seem so busy on your phone today. I will see you in a few days. I’m sure we can fit in a time when we both are free to focus only on you, or else we can continue with the outfits I suggested for the rest of this week’s engagements.”
Navya turned to the door.
“Wait,” Rehana said.
Lavina winked at Navya. Having worked with models for too long, Navya knew that Rehana would never leave the whole selection of her wardrobe to Navya. She would definitely want an input. Hence, Navya had said what she had. Sure enough, her monologue had gotten the model’s attention.
“Let’s do this,” Rehana said and disconnected her phone. A second later, she pressed a hand to her cheeks. “I’m so upset today. I need to be hydrated. Girls, where is my water?”
One of the assistants handed her a bottle of black water. Alkaline water, as Navya understood it to be.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Navya asked.
Rehana barked out some instructions in Arabic, and one of her assistants dropped a magazine in her hand. Rehana held it aloft.
It was the latest copy of Noir Fashion, the magazine owned and edited by Ananya. Navya hadn’t had a chance to read it yet. Ananya had just got it home last night.
Navya looked from the magazine to Rehana. “Sorry, what am I looking at?”
Rehana tossed the magazine on the table angrily. “There is an article here on the top models of the world, and they haven’t even mentioned my name.” Her voice rose in decibels with every word that came out of her mouth. “How could they have missed my name? This is such an insult. How can they do this to me? Don’t they know that I am the reigning model in the Arab world? And this…” she opened a page, “This editor, Ananya M, who does she think she is? My PR team has been trying to reach her since morning, but she refuses to speak to them. Such a bitch. I will ruin her.”
Navya shared an amused look with Lavina. Rehana was dreaming if she thought she could even touch Ananya. Although not many people knew it, Noir Fashion was under the umbrella of the Poseidon group. Rehana was talking out of her hat.
The only reason Ananya didn’t use her full name in the magazine was due to a silly bet between her and Rajiv. Ananya had told him she would be successful despite her Mehra name, and Rajiv had told her that she’d be successful faster by using it. As usual, Ananya loved proving people wrong, including their brother, and hence, she’d worked hard and made a mark for herself as Ananya M. Her sister was truly a badass.
“I’m sure it’s a misunderstanding,” Navya said, trying to appease her. “Besides, you are beyond these articles. Everyone in the modelling industry knows you.”
She needed the model in her good graces. It was thanks to Rehana that two other top models and a celebrity influencer had also signed up with Navya.
Rehana stood. “No, no… my life is a mess. My life sucks. First this magazine article and now this man…”
“Sorry, what man?” Navya queried.
“My boyfriend… He’s playing hard to get.”
Navya laughed. “Are you serious? He’s playing hard to get? With you?”
“Can you believe that?” Rehana stared at Navya and then sat down again. “You tell me what should I do. Help me.”
Navya blinked.
“Wait, you want her to tell you what to do?” Lavina butted into the conversation, sounding genuinely amused.
Lavina’s amusement and disbelief weren’t misplaced though. Navya had very little experience when it came to romantically dealing with men. She stared blankly at the model, not knowing what to say.
“Of course, she can help me,” Rehana said. “She managed to snag the Armaan Oshnov. Every woman who’s met him, wants him. And those who only know of him, want him even more. He’s like a… what do they call it in English?” She turned to her assistants, speaking in Arabic to them.
One of the girls giggled. “She wants to say he’s a God in between the sheets.”
“Yes, that!” Rehana clicked her fingers. “Exactly that!”
Wait, what? Navya’s brows hit her hairline. In front of her, Lavina chuckled.
“But he never showed interest in me…” Rehana’s gaze latched on Navya. “He looks besotted with you, though, so you must know how to get and keep a man’s attention on you. Tell me, how can I get my man to focus on me?”
Oh God. So many thoughts were flying in Navya’s brain. The loudest one was: He’s a God in between the sheets.
Fuck. A shiver rolled down her. Images of him and her on a bed, naked, their bodies entwined, moving, thrusting, swamped her brain. Lust slammed her. She forced the images to the back of her brain. She was in the middle of a meeting and thinking lewd thoughts of Armaan, who she realized angrily hadn’t made a single move to touch her in the last whole week other than to correct her form when he was training her. Even though they ate breakfast together, he made it a point to avoid physical contact with her. Why though? Why was he resisting her? And how stupid was she that she figured that out only right now? She’d been so busy enjoying her time with him that being physical with him hadn’t even crossed her mind. But now that the thought had occurred, it stuck.
Navya looked up and found all the women in the room watching her closely.
“So, what is your advice?” Rehana probed.
Navya tried to make her throat work, but no sound came out. Oh God, what was she to reply to that? She had no idea what she’d done to snag Armaan’s attention. Zero clue. But how could she explain her situation with him to Rehana, who was looking at her expectantly?
Navya finally cleared her throat and said, “Uh, you should… seduce him?”
She sounded unsure to her own ears. From her side, Lavina snorted. At Navya’s glare, she pressed her lips together, but Navya could see her trying to control her laughter. To be fair, Navya didn’t blame her. Her assistant was well aware of the irony of the situation. Navya had zero experience in seduction, and here she was advising someone else on it.
“Yes,” Navya said more confidently. “Seduce him. I’m sure for someone as hot and sexy as you, it will be easy to do.”
God, please let her not ask for details. Because there was nothing more Navya could add here.
Perhaps, she ought to take her own advice and try to seduce Armaan. But how? She chewed her lip. Google, yes! She could do her research on this. Google had an answer to everything.
“Hmm. Seduce him?” Rehana’s brow creased. Then she clicked her fingers in excitement. “I can do that. Good idea, Navya. I think I’ll wear something sexy tonight… And then, I’ll…”
“Let’s discuss your outfit for the Tiffany brunch next week first,” Navya cut in. The last thing she needed was to know this woman’s plans to seduce her boyfriend. No, thank you. Her experience with celebrities already gave her way too much useless information about them. But the worst was listening to their sexual escapades. That was something she avoided listening to as much as she could. And this situation was definitely one that could be avoided. She turned her iPad to Rehana to show her the outfits she had chosen. The faster Navya finished with Rehana, the quicker she could get to researching her own seduction plan.
Excitement bubbled inside her. Yes, she was going to seduce Armaan Oshnov. And the man considered to be a God in between the sheets wouldn’t know what had hit him once she was done seducing him.
Oh, she was so ready for this.