Chapter 17
The office was still empty, the executive floor quiet except for the gentle hum of the air conditioning. Ishani’s fingers trembled slightly as she booted up her computer.
After their dance, after those confessions, Raghav had driven her home with his hand resting possessively on her thigh the entire ride. He’d kissed her at her door until her legs threatened to give out, then forced himself to leave, promising to see her Monday.
And now it was Monday.
The elevator doors pinged. Her head snapped up.
Raghav stepped onto the floor, eyes instantly finding hers across the empty space. Something dangerous flashed in his expression—a heat that made her skin prickle despite the distance between them. He walked toward her desk with deliberate steps, his gaze never leaving her face.
“Good morning,” he said, his voice low and controlled, but his eyes said something entirely different.
“Good morning, Boss,” she replied, the title now a private joke between them.
Without breaking eye contact, Raghav reached down and took her hand, pulling her to her feet. “My office. Now.”
He didn’t wait for her response, just guided her with his hand at the small of her back, his touch burning through her clothes. The moment they stepped into his office, he closed the door with one hand, then reached for the blinds. In three quick tugs, the glass walls were completely covered.
“Time to say a proper good morning darling,” he murmured, backing her against the door.
His mouth found hers before she could respond. Hunger. Pure and raw. His hands framed her face, angling her head for better access. Her fingers clutched at his shoulders, trying to steady herself against the storm of sensation.
Raghav pressed closer, eliminating the space between them until Ishani felt the solid wall of his chest against hers. His hands slid down, one curving around her waist, the other finding the sensitive skin at the nape of her neck. He tasted like coffee and mint and need.
“Raghav,” she gasped when he finally let her breathe, his lips trailing along her jaw. “It’s office—”
“Mine,” he growled against her throat, the word vibrating against her pulse. “Office or not.”
The possessiveness in his voice should have annoyed her. Instead, it sent heat pooling low in her stomach. She tugged at his perfectly styled hair, pulling his mouth back to hers.
Minutes passed, or maybe hours—Ishani couldn’t tell. All she knew was the weight of his body against hers, the press of his lips, the fire spreading through her veins.
A discreet knock made them freeze.
“Boss?” Ansh’s voice came through the door. “Sorry to interrupt, but employees will begin rolling in soon.”
Raghav pulled back just enough to answer, his breath warm against Ishani’s cheek. “Thank you, Ansh.”
Footsteps retreated. Raghav rested his forehead against hers, both of them breathing heavily.
“I’ve told Ansh to keep watch,” he said, fingers tracing her jawline. “He’ll run interference if anyone gets suspicious.”
“Ansh knows?” Ishani’s eyes widened.
“Ansh knows I need privacy. That’s all he needs to know.” Raghav pressed a softer kiss to her lips. “These blinds stay closed from now on.”
She raised an eyebrow. “That won’t look suspicious at all.”
“Let them speculate.” His hand settled at her hip, possessive and warm. “I’ve spent months watching you from behind glass walls. I’m done with that.”
Ishani straightened his tie where her fingers had yanked it loose. “We should probably look... professional before people arrive.”
Raghav caught her wrist, pressing a kiss to her palm. “Ten more minutes.”
“Five,” she countered, trying to sound firm despite the heat still flickering through her body.
His smile was slow and dangerous. “We’ll see.”
Seven minutes later, Ishani slipped out of Raghav’s office, smoothing her hair with trembling fingers.
She’d just settled at her desk when the elevator doors opened, releasing the first wave of morning employees.
Her lipstick was hastily reapplied, but she couldn’t do anything about the flush that still colored her cheeks.
By 9:30, Khanna Consolidated’s executive floor buzzed with the usual Monday energy.
Ishani kept her eyes on her computer screen, trying to ignore the whispers and glances cast her way.
The Valentine’s gifts had made her the subject of office speculation for days.
Now everyone wanted to know the conclusion.
“So?” Kavya appeared beside her desk, coffee in hand, practically vibrating with curiosity. “Did you find out? Did Mr. Secret Admirer reveal himself?”
Before Ishani could answer, three other women from marketing joined them, forming a gossip huddle around her workstation.
“We’re dying to know,” one of them said.
Ishani set down her pen, schooling her features into a mask of disappointment. “Actually, there was nothing. No contact on Valentine’s Day.”
The collective groan was almost comical.
“What?” Kavya’s face fell. “Nothing? After all those gifts?”
“Complete ghost,” Ishani confirmed, shaking her head. “Maybe he got cold feet.”
“What a bummer,” someone muttered. “All that build-up for nothing.”
“Total waste of a betting pool,” another added.
Kavya squinted at her. “You don’t seem that upset.”
Ishani shrugged. “It was fun while it lasted. But honestly, I didn’t know him. How attached could I get?”
Through the slats in Raghav’s blinds, she caught a glimpse of him watching her, arms crossed, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth. He’d heard every word.
“Besides,” she added, turning back to her computer, “it’s just Valentine’s Day. It’s not like it means anything real.”
As her colleagues drifted away, disappointed by the anticlimax to their office entertainment, Ishani bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling.
If only they knew what had really happened.
How she’d stood in a hotel suite surrounded by photographs of herself.
How Raghav Khanna had looked at her with hunger in his eyes.
How he’d claimed her mouth with a possession that still made her knees weak just thinking about it.
Her phone buzzed with a text. Raghav’s name flashed on the screen.
“Liar,” it read. Just that one word.
She glanced toward his office, saw him watching her through the blinds.
“You love it,” she typed back.
Three dots appeared, then: “My office. 11:30. Don’t be late.”
The flutter in her stomach had nothing to do with professional obligation. Ishani set her phone down, forcing her expression back to neutral efficiency. Let them think the secret admirer had vanished. Let them wonder and gossip and eventually forget.
The truth was far better kept between her and the man behind those drawn blinds.
The clock hit 11:28.
Her phone rang. Raghav’s direct line.
“Yes, Boss?” she answered, keeping her voice neutral despite the quickening of her pulse.
“My office. Now.” His tone was clipped, all business, except for that slight roughness at the edges that she now recognized as desire.
“Right away,” she replied, already standing.
She gathered her tablet and a folder of reports—props to make the visit look professional—and walked to his office with measured steps. From across the floor, Kavya watched her, eyes narrowed with suspicion. She had never seen Ishani look so flushed when entering Raghav’s office.
His voice came through, cool and controlled. “Come in.”
She slipped inside, closing the door behind her. Raghav leaned against his desk, tie loosened, hair slightly mussed as if he’d been running his fingers through it. The moment the lock clicked, his expression changed, control giving way to raw hunger.
Before she could react, Raghav had reached her in long strides. Her back hit the door. He didn’t touch her, just placed his palms flat against the wood on either side of her head, caging her in with his body. The heat of him radiated through his shirt, warming her skin through layers of fabric.
“I’m trying to work,” she said, clutching her folder to her chest like a shield.
“So am I.” His eyes dropped to her mouth. “It’s not going well.”
The folder and tablet fell from her hands as his mouth came down on hers. Her fingers found his tie, using it to pull him closer as his hands slid down to her waist. His tongue traced the seam of her lips, demanding entry she immediately granted.
His hands slid down to her hips, pulling her against him so there wasn’t even air between them.
The hard line of his body settled flush against hers, deliberate and unmistakable, his grip tightening just enough to make her aware of exactly how much he wanted her.
She made a little noise, somewhere between “oh” and “mmm”, which his kiss swallowed right up.
When he finally let her breathe, they were both panting like they’d run up ten flights of stairs.
“Board meeting,” she reminded him, though her brain felt fuzzy and warm.
“Who cares about the board,” he muttered, his mouth now busy with her neck.
She tipped her head back. “You have slides to present.”
“Yeah.” His teeth gently scraped her collarbone. “Not interested.”
“Raghav.” She pushed against his chest, creating just enough space to think. “Ansh is going to come looking for you in like five minutes.”
He made an annoyed sound but stepped back, his eyes still hot as they moved over her face. “Later, then.”
It wasn’t a question, but she nodded anyway.
“I’m driving you home,” he said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
“Okay.”
He backed away like it physically hurt, fixing his tie while she smoothed down her blouse and picked up her dropped things. They stood there for a second, just breathing, trying to look normal again.
His mouth curved into a boyish grin. “I never knew sneaking around could be this thrilling,” he whispered, eyes bright with mischief. “It’s like we’re in one of those movies.”
“Which movies?” she asked, fighting a smile.
He leaned closer, his breath warm against her ear. “The ones where they can’t keep their hands off each other.”
Her cheeks flushed hot. Before she could respond, someone knocked.
“Boss? Everyone’s waiting,” Ansh called through the door.
Just like that, Raghav’s CEO face snapped back on. “Be right there.”
Ishani moved away from the door, putting proper work distance between them. Raghav winked at her—quick and playful—before grabbing his jacket from his chair and heading out to face the board.
◆◆◆
Tuesday, the afternoon staff meeting started at 2:15 sharp. Raghav stood at the head of the table, perfectly composed as he outlined the quarterly targets. Ishani sat three seats down, taking notes, keeping her eyes on her tablet instead of on the way his hands moved as he spoke.
“The Singapore numbers look solid,” he was saying, “but we need more aggressive expansion into the Malaysian market. Ishani has prepared a detailed analysis of potential acquisition targets.”
She nodded, pulling up the relevant files on the conference room screen. Their fingers brushed as she handed him the laser pointer, and something in his expression flickered.
“If you turn to page four of the report,” he continued, slightly faster than normal, “you’ll see the projections dar—... Ishani.”
The room went completely still.
“—I mean, the projections detailed by our analysis team,” he corrected, words gushing out.
Darling. He was about to call her darling in front of the entire executive team.
Heat flooded Ishani’s cheeks. She kept her eyes fixed on her tablet, not daring to look up. The silence stretched for three terrible heartbeats before Samrat cleared his throat.
“The Malaysian projections look ambitious,” Samrat said, voice carefully neutral despite the smile playing at the corner of his mouth.
The meeting stumbled back on track, but the damage was done. Ishani felt eyes on her—sideways glances, raised eyebrows, knowing smirks quickly hidden. She maintained her composure, back straight, expression neutral, but inside her heart raced like a trapped bird.
When the meeting finally ended, Ishani escaped to her desk, ignoring Kavya’s attempts to catch her eye. But barely fifteen minutes later, she found herself inventing an excuse to return to Raghav’s office.
“These documents need your signature right away,” she told him, voice professional, eyes betraying something else entirely.
“Of course,” he replied, closing his door behind her.
An hour later, she was back with “urgent revisions to the board presentation.”
By four o’clock, she’d visited his office five times, each excuse flimsier than the last. Each time, she emerged with slightly messier hair, lips a shade darker than before, a flush creeping up her neck that no amount of deep breathing could control.
“I need those forecasts finalized by the end of day,” she told Kavya, clutching a folder to her chest to hide the small mark just visible at her collarbone where Raghav’s teeth had grazed her skin.
“Sure,” Kavya replied, eyes narrowing as she took in Ishani’s rumpled appearance. “You know your blouse is buttoned wrong, right?”
Ishani glanced down in horror. The third button had been slipped into the fourth hole, creating a subtle but noticeable asymmetry.
“I was in a rush this morning,” she lied, turning quickly toward the bathroom. “Thanks for noticing.”
“No problem,” Kavya called after her, voice lilting with suspicion. “By the way, the boss has lipstick on his collar. Might want to tell him before the client call.”
Ishani’s steps faltered. She didn’t look back, just continued to the bathroom with as much dignity as she could muster, her cheeks burning with the knowledge that their secret was rapidly becoming the worst-kept one in Khanna Consolidated history.