Chapter Thirteen #2
Crossing the distance between us in two long steps, he grabs the doorframe on either side of me.
In my peripheral vision, his forearms flex enticingly.
I inhale sharply when he dips his head an inch from mine.
In a split second, I become intoxicated by his scent and overwhelmed by his dominant stance.
“Ari?”
“Y-yes, Nathan?” I answer, my voice wobbly.
“Step out.”
The sensual bubble bursts. I lurch away, stumbling back a step. My skin is burning up as though I’m running a fever. Snapping my back straight, I cross my arms defensively. “Couldn’t you wait to change until I left?”
“Couldn’t you wait at my desk like a good girl?”
“I’m not your… Don’t call me that.”
He mimics my pose, folding his arms and leaning against the doorway. “Call you what?”
“Don’t play coy.”
“I’m not the one talking in circles.”
I resist the urge to stomp my foot while simultaneously trying not to become distracted by his upper body. All I can think about is the glimpse of that sexy trail of hair leading to the unmistakable outline of his impressive bulge.
He is that big.
Glaring at him, I retort, “Don’t taunt me by saying ‘good girl’ unless you’d like me to return the favor and call you a good boy. Pretty sure you’d hate it.”
“Try me,” he baits, lips tilting up.
I don’t fall for it. “Why can’t you behave professionally?”
“Is that what you were doing when you were eye fucking me seconds ago?”
“I was not!”
“Prove it.”
“How about you take my word for it?”
“Afraid of dares or that your lie will be caught?”
“Forget it. I didn’t come here for your silly games.” Turning around, I head for the door. He doesn’t stop me. Halfway there, it hits me. I screech to a halt.
Diabolical fucking man.
This is what he wanted.
Getting rid of me.
I’m proven correct when I whirl around and he’s no longer standing in the doorway. Marching toward the walk-in closet, I barrel inside. He’s buttoning up a new shirt, hiding his chiseled muscles. A mercy because I risk losing my train of thought at the view.
“Nice try.”
His bored gaze meets mine in the mirror. Reaching for a matching tie, he loops it underneath his collar and then ties it up methodically. Grabbing his jacket, he shrugs it on and takes a step toward me. “Fifteen minutes are up. Set up an appointment with Erika.”
“No.” I block his path when he tries to walk past. The haughty glare he shoots at me would make a grown man cower. Brimming with adrenaline, I’m not intimidated by him. “You’ve put her up to keep me away from you.”
“I’m too busy to concoct ways to avoid you.”
“It’s not my career or reputation hanging in the balance. Yet, I’m the only one who’s worried. If you wanted a publicist for show, then you should’ve gone with someone else.” Softening my voice, I say, “I care about my clients and fixing their problems. I want to help you, too, Nathan.”
“Is that the only reason?”
“What other reason will I have?” He inches closer until our left hands graze. The small contact kicks my pulse into overdrive.
“Perhaps you care because we fucked once and it has left you with a little crush on me. It’s not a wild guess considering your history of lack of hookups. It was plastered all over your face that I was your first.”
A tiny gasp slips past my lips. I back away a little to control my breathing. His hand snakes forward and captures my wrist, yanking me close.
“Is that why you chased me to my office despite assuming I want to be left alone, angel?” he taunts.
“You keep bringing up our one-night stand, not me. Maybe it’s you who is crushing on me and can’t stand to be in the same room with me. Hell, you even flew halfway across the country to run from me.”
A dangerous light flashes in his gray eyes.
Hot pulsing tension stretches like a rubber band for the longest seconds. Did I hit a nerve? Wait… Is there some truth to my taunt?
He squashes my assumption in an instant.
“It was a mistake,” he grits out.
I twist my wrist free from his grip. “Then we’re on the same page.”
We lock in a staring contest, breathing hard. It’s Nathan who breaks the hostility or whatever is crackling in the air between us by composing himself and stepping back. “I’m not avoiding you.”
“I find that hard to believe.” I snort.
I catch a muscle ticking in his square jaw before he shoves past me. Rolling my eyes, I trail after him for the umpteenth time. He goes to his desk, flips open a folder, and turns around with an A4 paper between his fingers.
He extends it toward me. “There you go.”
“What’s this?”
“The list you requested.”
Oh. The rivals, board members, and disingenuous employees who’d love his downfall. I grab the sheet with a shaky hand. “Thanks.”
“Would I have made the effort if I wanted to ignore you?” Nathan quips.
I stare at him apologetically, feeling admonished.
“I’m not just under the scrutiny of media and the public, but my employees and the board as well.
I cannot let the scandal in my personal life affect my company more than it already has by skipping meetings to spare time for you at the snap of your fingers. Do you understand?”
“I do.”
“You also cannot ambush me here as you please,” he says strictly. “I sure as fuck don’t want to have our meetings here.”
Is there no one he trusts here? The severity of his predicament becomes clearer. Thus, cementing my determination to save his career. “Okay.”
“Great. Now, if you’ll excuse m─”
“I have a few conditions of my own.” I earn an exasperated look. “It’s a two-way street, Nathan. You won’t be the only one making demands.”
“You’ve already made me ten minutes late, Arya.”
“I’ll make it quick,” I counter. “I want direct access to you without bothering with Erika. Give me your personal cell number so I know you’ll actually reply. We will also meet once a week to discuss our strategies. You can pick the place. My office is an option too.”
“Is that all?” he mocks, leaning against the edge of his desk. Still, he towers over me dauntingly.
“How about behaving professionally?”
“Yeah, you shouldn’t eye fuck your clients.”
His abs flash before my eyes. Purging the image, I rumble, “In what language will you understand that I wasn’t?”
“Your denial would hold more weight had you proved me wrong.”
“Okay.” I tick off items one by one on my fingers. “The baseless teasing, taking off your shirt, constantly reminding that we slept together… all of it has to stop.”
“I wouldn’t describe what we did as sleeping, sweet Ari.” Staring at me hotly, he smirks. “Unless you moan and beg for cock like that in your sleep.”
My nipples pebble. A flush climbs up to my cheeks. His smirk grows, watching me fluster. The sight of it pisses me off. He knows he’s getting to me by using my inexperience against me.
Two can play this game because no man gets the upper hand on me ever again.
Holding his stare, I invade his personal space and step between his spread legs. His body grows taut, eyes narrowing, and he curls his hands against the desk on either side of his hips.
“You’re curious to know if I moan in my sleep, Nathan?
Because of your cute crush on me?” His jaw flexes, emboldening me harder.
“I do. Some nights I’m loud. Sometimes I’m quiet.
And I don’t stop there. Neither do I beg for anything.
I slip my fingers between my thighs and touch myself until I come.
Both things you’ll never see or hear ever again. ”
Satisfied with his shell-shocked reaction, I step back and turn around.
A soft cry escapes my lips as fingers thread through my hair and yank me hard against a firm chest and… a rigid cock.
It takes all my willpower not to push back against it.
Tugging my face up by my strands until I’m held hostage by stormy eyes that could eat me alive, Nathan turns the tables on me.
“Painting me that picture isn’t the brag that you think it is, little minx,” he grunts, dipping his head so our lips are inches away.
“Do you know why you have to use your fingers to get yourself off in the middle of the night? Because your limp-dicked ex never satisfied you. Or the ones before him. When a man fucks you good, you pass out in pleasure. You only wake up when he’s inside you and ready to do it all over again. ”
My panties become soaked in a flash. However, I still hold on to my last shred of pride.
“You’re not going to be that man,” I hiss, my heart racing a mile a minute.
His mouth brushes mine. “Who says I want to be?”
“This─” I push my hips in a slow thrust against his thick erection. “─does.”
“About as truthful as your dripping slit.” The hand tangled in my hair shifts to the front of my throat, caressing my skyrocketing pulse. “I can smell your wet pussy, Ari.”
The denial is on the tip of my tongue when a loud knock startles me. I flick a panicked glance to the doorknob, waiting for it to turn and the person to step in on our precarious position.
Nathan’s domineering grip doesn’t ease, content on collaring my throat.
A second knock echoes, followed by Erika’s voice. “Sir?”
I grab Nathan’s wrist, futilely trying to unwrap his fingers. I suck in a sharp breath as he lets go. Except my relief lasts for a nanosecond before I’m twirled around and forced to stand in front of him. Disoriented, I make the mistake of looking down and noticing the proof of what I did to him.
My eyes widen at the menacing bulge he’s sporting. He’s so hard and massive that I can make out the shape of the wide crown of his cock behind his zipper.
Why do I have the insane urge to kneel at his feet?
Spooked by the desire, I move back. Hooking a finger in the waistband of my loose, silk skirt, he brings me back to use my body as a shield.
“Come in,” he calls to his assistant, while holding on to me.
I snap my gaze to his indifferent one, trying to decipher his intentions.
Erika’s heels click on the floor as she steps inside. “Mr. Singhania. Do you need me to reschedule the meeting? Everyone is waiting for you in the conference room.”
Say no.
Say no.
Say no.
I’m at my wits’ end and don’t trust myself to make rational decisions right now. I’m falling into his seductive trap all over again. My body doesn’t seem to give a flying fuck that he’s a smug and conniving man.
“No,” Nathan replies, grazing my stomach with his knuckle. “I’m almost done with Miss Chopra. Tell them to wait for a few minutes.”
“Okay, will do.” The door shuts behind her a second later.
I slap his hand and shove away from him. “What was that?”
“Saving us from another scandal where I’m accused of fucking my publicist.”
“You can’t manhandle and touch me as you please, Nathan.”
“It wasn’t me grinding against my cock.”
My blush deepens with a vengeance. I can’t argue with that because I’m guilty, so I settle for a glare.
Standing to his full height, he demands, “Give me your phone.”
“Why?”
“Didn’t you want my number?”
Stupid lust-drunk brain. Quickly reaching into my purse, I pass him the device.
“The direct access,” he drawls innocently while typing his number on my phone. Once done, he flicks his eyes to mine. “Does it go both ways?”
“Of course.” Though my gut says today won’t be the last time I chase him.
“You’ll be there to service me at all times?”
The way he rasps service causes my clit to throb. “If by at all times, you mean during working hours, then yes.”
“Emergencies don’t happen with notice. What if I need you in the middle of the night?”
“Then I may make an exception.” Snatching my phone, I put it and the list he shared into my purse. “I’ll text you when I’m ready for our meet.”
“I’ll text you the place.”
His smoldering gaze burns my back all the way to the door. I need to summon insane willpower if I’m going to survive another meeting with him.
No amount of setting boundaries will stop his toying with my head and body.