Page 33 of Addiction

Navya gave her a surprised look. “This is new and interesting. Did she say how she’s heard of us?”

“No, just that she likes your work and would like for you to help her glam up.”

Navya set her purse down and removed her laptop, thinking. “What’s her budget like?”

“Endless. She is rich and wants to show the world,” Lavina grinned. “Should be fun. Here’s a little something about her.”

Navya took the iPad from her assistant. Lavina was in her mid-forties and had worked with her from the day Navya had started out on her own. She was smart, dedicated, and thorough. Over the last few years, they’d become friends of a sort.

Navya read through the prospective client’s profile. She laughed as she read the last line. “Mrs. Al Fahdi wants to look like the fashion icon Safa from Dubai Bling?!”

“Yeah, that’s what caught my attention as well,” her assistant smiled. “People are so influenced by TV these days. Well, you can definitely help her achieve that look.”

Navya played with the end of her long ponytail. Helping regular women look glamorous and teaching them the skills they needed to be on point in the social circuit could be both exciting and fulfilling.

“Alright, let’s meet her when she comes and take it from there. What else?” Navya fired up her laptop.

“At four, you have an invitation to Tiffany’s. They’re coming up with a new line of jewelry and have invited all fashion stylists to take a look.”

“Nice.”

The older woman tipped her head to the side. “Thatwas delivered in the morning.”

Navya looked to her right and frowned. She walked to the side table and lifted the black box tied with a red ribbon. A tiny firecracker burst in her belly. There was no card on the box, butshe was certain who it was from. She unwrapped it, and there inside the box were… what in the world? She couldn’t believe it. Armaan had sent her a pair of red boxing gloves. Last night, he’d told her that he could teach her how to improve her fighting skills, and this morning, he’d sent her boxing gloves. He was inviting her to come train with him.

Lavina studied her. “You’re smiling. You know who this is from?”

Navya cleared her face, but she continued to stare at the gloves. God. She shouldn’t have replied to his texts from last night. She should have left him alone. She ought to have realized that any reaction from her was like poking a tiger. She recalled his last message to her.

“I’m happy to know you’re awake and still thinking of me. Go to sleep and dream of us. I know I will.”

Sleep had evaded her for a long time after that message, and of course, when she’d finally fallen asleep, she’d dreamt of them, and of him kissing her, his hands running down her bare skin, his mouth… God, no. She wasn’t thinking of her X-rated dream at work.

“Is he hot?” Lavina asked.

“Steaming hot,” Navya replied absently. Shit. She shut her eyes and shook her head.

Lavina laughed. “Are you going to tell me who he is?”

“No.”

“No worries, keep your secrets. I, however, am bloody good at extracting them.” Lavina tapped on the iPad once more and then turned it around to face her. “Is he the one? Armaan Oshnov?”

Navya peered into the iPad, and her jaw dropped. There was a photo of Armaan and her online from the fashion show. Someone had captured an intimate moment between them. It was a close-up shot of that instant when he was touching her lip,and both of them were staring at each another. The picture was… beautiful. The line written below it, was not. She grimaced as she read it.

“Playboy Russian billionaire has set his sights on a cold, unattainable fashion stylist. Will he succeed where many others have failed? Is she even worth it?”

“Bloody fucking hell,” Navya cursed. She had a feeling who’d written such trash about her. It had to be Ozan. And then something else dawned on her. “Shit. My family will see this. Rajiv will blow a fuse. And Ananya…”

Fuck. She still needed to have that talk with Ananya. Last night, by the time Navya reached home, Ananya was already asleep. And this morning, Ananya had been out of the house before Navya had woken up. But now this picture… Ananya would throw a fit.

“Hey, it’s my job to keep a watch for news about you,” Lavina said gently. “I took a snapshot when this appeared last night. But it was pulled down within minutes. I doubt anyone in your family would have seen it.”

Relief made her weak in the knees. Thank God. If her brother saw her seated next to Armaan and looking at him like she was bloody besotted with him, then he’d lock her up somewhere. Hell, she deserved to be locked up for getting caught up with Armaan like that. What was wrong with her? Why the hell did she lose all her mental faculties around him?

Lavina turned the iPad to herself. “You look like you have a thing for him.”

“I donothave a thing for him.”

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