Chapter 8 #2
The Ice Princess would drive an icicle through his chest if she knew that a part of him lived for glimpses of her rare, vulnerable moments—that they tugged at that little corner of his heart he’d kept stowed away ever since running into her for the first time at Kumar Construction.
“I got a call today from a reporter at The Watch ,” Rich continued. “Are you two familiar with that local publication?”
Rohit and Cynthia traded quick, panicked glances. Cynthia’s was a little more controlled, however, and she punctuated hers with a subtle, wide-eyed shake of her head before turning back to her father.
“It’s a local newspaper,” she said calmly. “Owned by Tim Parker, I believe.”
“Yes, correct,” Rich said. “Apparently, there have been claims of unscrupulous policies at Kumar Construction and they’re working on an article exposing them.”
Rohit watched as Rich sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers.
He seemed a little too calm about the threat of negative press lurking in the distance, and Rohit wasn’t sure how to react.
He shot a quick look at Cynthia for guidance, but she was studying her father in an identical fashion: alert but composed.
Not for the first time, Rohit was struck by how alike the two could be, not to mention how terrifying they’d be in an interrogation room.
“What do you think about all this?” Rich asked, staring at Rohit.
Rohit sat forward in his chair, his hands glued to his thighs so he wouldn’t give in to his nervous habit of cracking his knuckles.
Cynthia had seemed so unbothered by the confrontation with Melanie outside the business center yesterday afternoon that Rohit had almost completely shrugged it off.
For all he knew, Melanie’s claims were unfounded and would amount to nothing—they certainly seemed overblown and a product of maliciousness rather than the truth.
But under Rich’s steady gaze now, Rohit felt like he was sitting down for an exam in a subject he knew nothing about.
Should he admit that he and Cynthia had gotten the heads-up about the article yesterday?
Should he trash the local newspaper’s credibility in a show of solidarity for Kumar Construction?
Thankfully, Cynthia took the lead. “I’d be curious to hear what you think,” she replied, “seeing as you called both of us in here this morning.”
Damn, she was smart.
Rich nodded. “Obviously, I don’t think these claims reflect what Kumar Construction stands for and how we operate. I think we need to get on top of it.”
“?‘On top of it’?” Rohit repeated.
“?‘We’?” Cynthia blurted out at the same time.
Rich turned to Rohit. “If there is any truth to Kumar Construction being a poor work environment—whether idle gossip or not—then actions must be taken to rectify whatever issues people are having around here. We need to fix it.” He then turned to his daughter.
“I’m putting you two in charge of fixing it. ”
“Why both of us?” Cynthia asked.
“Surely you’ve noticed how well-liked Rohit is around here. He’s the best person to tap into what’s going on at the ground floor, and if you want to change minds about this organization being a great place to work, Rohit is the man for the job. He’s a natural leader.”
Rohit ducked his head a little, both flattered and a little flustered to have his boss praise him in this way. He couldn’t help but say a silent prayer of thanks that Rich had given him a shot. Whatever Rich asked of him, he would do.
Everything, and everyone, depended on him succeeding here.
“If you’ve got Rohit on the case,” Cynthia said flatly, “then why do you need me?”
“You have that background in public relations,” Rich said.
“Marketing.”
Rich nodded. “Right, right. And aren’t you well acquainted with the staff at The Watch ?”
Cynthia cleared her throat. “Somewhat.”
“You two seem like the most well suited to tackle whatever is happening with staff morale,” Rich said.
Out of the corner of his eye, Rohit caught sight of Cynthia’s fingers tightening over the armrests of her chair in a white-knuckle grip, and his heart flatlined.
She must really loathe the idea of working closely with him to attempt choking the life out of her chair in lieu of what she’d like to do to his throat. She hated him that much.
“I want this to be a priority for both of you,” Rich added.
“These are allegations,” Cynthia pointed out. “For all we know, it’s just one employee blowing off some steam to the wrong person.”
“Kumar Construction is a family.” Rich’s voice was stern.
“All it takes is one. This will be your top priority.” He tilted his head at Rohit and added, “I know you’ve got the Jenkins Lot on your plate.
I’ll reassign.” Rich waited for Rohit’s nod of confirmation before turning to his daughter.
“Your projects, too, will need to be delayed.”
Again, a strangled sound rasped from the back of Cynthia’s throat, but this time it sounded more like a growl.
Although Rich didn’t seem to notice, Rohit risked a quick glance at her profile and immediately shook his head to clear it.
Now was not the time to dwell on how the fire in her eyes ignited something hot and tempting in the pit of his stomach.
Or how the long, graceful line of her neck and the proud tilt of her chin made his skin feel two sizes too tight.
He must be seriously hard up if a woman’s neck could turn him on. There should be nothing erotic about a few inches of bare skin above a stark white shirt. Skin that looked incredibly smooth and soft to touch. And a buttery, earthy scent he hadn’t had the chance to get close enough to again.
Who was he kidding? He’d relinquish his bank card PIN to get close to that intoxicating smell, and the realization made him more uneasy than the prospect of working alongside Cynthia for the foreseeable future ever could.
“I expect results,” Rich said, turning his attention to his computer screen. “And soon.”
“Yes, sir,” Rohit replied.
“Is that all?” Cynthia asked.
At Rich’s distracted nod, Cynthia jerked up to her feet and, for the second time in two days, Rohit watched Cynthia storm out.
And, like the worst kind of fool, for the second time in two days, Rohit chased after her.