Chapter Thirteen
Arya
Remember when I called myself a bad judge of character? Yeah, it’s no longer a theory, but a fact.
Nathan fooled me yet again with his sincerity about cooperating with me as soon as the contract was signed. The second the ink dried on the papers, the man ghosted me.
Flew into the wind.
Literally in his private jet for a whole week.
Without bothering to mention it to me.
How did I hear after several unanswered calls, texts, and emails? From his assistant, who seems to be his partner in crime because she refuses to share his calendar with me.
I thought after our meeting, which shockingly ended on a positive note, we could embark on an amazing professional relationship rather than the disaster that was our one-night stand. I was willing to put it all behind us, but I forgot that Nathan is as infuriating as he is handsome.
The con artist of the century.
The liar of all liars.
It’s been two weeks of roadblocks. It’s almost as if he doesn’t care about the scandal affecting his career. I’ve met all sorts of laid-back clients, but Nathan takes the cake.
He’s getting on my nerves and we’ve barely started.
Whether or not a lot is riding on the line for me, I’m not one to give up so easily. Hence, the second I heard he landed in the city this morning from the receptionist at his company’s headquarters, I decided to ambush him at work.
“Rani, hi, I’m Arya,” I greet the receptionist. “We talked on the phone. Would you please guide me to Mr. Singhania’s office?”
“Hello, nice to meet you,” she replies, reaching for the phone. “Absolutely, I will. Mr. Singhania is yet to arrive, but I’ll inform Erika you’re on your way up.”
“Oh, not necessary.” I wave her off, lying, “She knows I was coming.”
“Perfect.” Dropping the phone, she gives me the directions to Nathan’s office.
Taking the elevators to the thirtieth floor, I step out. Instead of going straight to his office to avoid his assistant, I head for the couch in the lobby and wait for him there. I’m not taking any chances of him avoiding me for any reason.
An hour passes. Nathan still hasn’t shown up.
I get antsy, wondering if he’s genuinely late or somehow got wind of my presence. Should I leave a message with Erika? Or perhaps the receptionist? Damn it, she’ll figure out I was lying before and will likely never help again.
Ugh, what do I d─
The elevator dings open.
I whip my head around just in time to watch Nathan step out.
I jump from my seat, ignoring the frisson of attraction at the handsome sight of his profile.
His lean yet powerful body is testing the confines of the dark blue pinstripe suit he’s wearing.
He swaggers past the executives who pause to admire him like I involuntarily am, paying them no mind.
A gut feeling screams that it’s the only reason I’m able to sneak up on him.
“You’re avoiding me,” I accuse from behind, when it’s just us in the hallway to his office.
He twists around so fast without warning that I smack right into his brick-like chest.
The impact sends me flying backward. One hand locks around my elbow, the other curves around my waist, hauling me against him and saving me from falling on my ass. My gasp gets swallowed up in the tight space between us.
I peer up at him, becoming transfixed by the intensity on his face.
Instead of letting me go, he arches one arrogant eyebrow. In a deep whiskey voice, he drawls, “Resorted to stalking me?”
“I’d prefer chasing,” I huff in annoyance. “Since you left me no other option.”
“Your tone was more of a wounded lover.”
“As if I’ll ever let you in my body again after last time.”
“Why?” His other hand joins the one on my waist, molding to my flesh tightly. “Have you let another man in?”
It takes my distracted brain from his touch a second for his question to sink in. Pushing away from his embrace, I narrow my gaze. “It’s none of your business, Nathan.”
“Fair enough.” Amusement mixes with the curiosity shining on his face. He shifts, causing his suit jacket to part and reveal a dark and damp stain in the center of his lower abs.
“What happened?” I ask, frowning.
“Someone decided to spill their morning coffee on me.”
“You sure?” I taunt sweetly. “Maybe they were throwing it at you.”
“I’m beginning to think you mouthing off to clients isn’t a one-time thing.” Turning around as abruptly as he had faced me, he resumes walking. “Why are you here, Arya? Being ambushed isn’t a trait I fancy in anyone, especially people I work with.”
I take a calming breath and bite my tongue from cursing at him.
Why am I letting him get to me so much? He’s just another haughty client.
“I wanted to go over my plan with you to manage the crisis. I understand you’re a busy person, but─
“Then make an appointment through my assistant,” he shoots back. “I believe I’ve given you her number and email.”
“I’ve tried, but she keeps roadblocking me for some reason.”
“Not everyone has a nefarious motive. I have important meetings scheduled months prior that take priority over you.”
We round the corner, coming face to face with the said assistant. She looks up from her desk, eyes sparkling as they fix on her boss. As soon as she notices me trailing after him, she squints her gaze to recognize me. We’ve only talked over the phone, so she has no clue what I look like.
Rising from her perch, she scampers to meet us halfway. Is it me or is her blouse too tight to be appropriate for the office? Upon closer inspection, I notice the top three buttons are also undone.
I’m too busy examining Erika that I miss that Nathan has stopped and walk right into his broad back. The tip of my nose stings, turning red as he slowly turns, regarding me with disbelief.
Not my fault… I convey with my expression.
Shaking his head, he brings me to his side with a hand on the small of my back. As he does, in a low voice meant only for me, he taunts, “If you drive half as bad you walk, I’m seriously worried about the population of our city.”
Before I can retort, Erika chirps, “Mr. Singhania, is there a problem? I don’t believe you have time for an impromptu meet with…”
I glance at her when she trails off, finding her surveying me like I’m a bug that needs to be squashed under her pointy heels. Lifting my chin, I introduce myself, “I’m Arya, his publicist. Remember when we chatted yesterday and you said Mr. Singhania won’t be back for another week?”
Twin red splotches appear on her cheeks that are overdone with blush. She opens her mouth to probably make an excuse or deny it, but Nathan speaks up in his commanding voice.
“Go into my office, Arya,” he urges with the hand still resting on my back. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
Smirking at an incensed Erika, I strut past her and into Nathan’s office. The heavy door clicks shut behind me. Thick silence descends. My stomach dips at the skyline from the two floor-to-ceiling glass walls, giving the illusion you’re floating in the air.
The interior is decorated with understated colors and plants, designed to be inviting and soothing. The wide, dark gray desk and chair in the center dominate the space as I walk toward it. On my right, there’s another locked door.
As I approach Nathan’s desk, my face reflects off the shiny surface. From the stack of papers and stationery to his laptop, everything is neatly organized. It belies his unruffled nature. As if he wouldn’t care if the content were slightly off.
I’m running my fingertip along the edge when I hear him come in.
A low gust of wind teases my bare calves. A shiver raises the small hairs on my neck at the confident sound of his footsteps coming closer.
“We have fifteen minutes before I have to be in a meeting,” he announces.
His seemingly casual words cause my treacherous mind to conjure a filthy image of us utilizing the minutes naked and inappropriately. The brazen thought pops up out of nowhere, sending my pulse racing.
I blame it on him asking if I slept with someone else earlier.
Being around him is a reminder of my sex-starved state. I hate that every prediction Anaya made about him came true. In those few measly minutes before he had shown his true colors, I had almost begged him for a repeat.
“Make what you wish to discuss fast.”
His voice cracks like a whip on my back, jolting me out of my musings.
At a clicking noise, I turn in time to catch him slipping into the locked room. He leaves it ajar, so naturally I follow him in there.
“I need more than fif─” The word gets trapped in my throat as I gape at him.
The room is a walk-in closet that further leads into an adjoined luxurious restroom.
In front of the mirror over the vanity, Nathan has his suit jacket off and is working on the buttons of his ruined silk dress shirt.
The golden-brown skin stretched over muscular pecs and flat nipples to the slope of his six─no, eight-pack abs is revealed as he parts and untucks the material from his pants.
Oh fuck! The way the slabs of muscles ripple and shift in his abdomen.
I swallow the ball of lust that threatens to choke me.
Lord, what a crime to have missed seeing him gloriously half-naked the last time. I had been so high on deranged lust that the thought of begging him to remove his shirt never crossed my mind.
Nonetheless, I had felt the hard muscles he was packing underneath his clothes, but my imagination didn’t even come close to the real thing a few feet from me.
He lifts his head, sensing the heat of my stare.
I freeze like a lost lamb, unable to avert my eyes. Though I dare not move it from his face, which isn’t a safer option either. Especially when his features sharpen into something predatory. Rooting me to the spot with his dark stare, he lets his shirt hang open and turns around.