Page 36 of Addiction

“Thank you.”

It was because of him that she was standing at the threshold of new opportunities. The multiple phones ringing in her office were proof of that.

He gave her a warm smile. “You’re welcome. Now, for my two cents. Don’t get too excited by all the big names who will now want to work with you. Posture a little. Make them sweat. Make them feel you have arrived, and then decide who you want to work with. And work on your terms, always. You are good; it is time you believed in it with your whole heart.”

“Okay, that sounds good,” Navya conceded. She disconnected her landline and put her phone on silent.

“I’m disconnecting all the lines outside as well,” Lavina said, exiting the room. She shut the door behind her, leaving Navya alone with Armaan.

Navya stared at him. “Were you the one who got that photo of us deleted from everywhere?”

“You saw that?” At her nod, he stepped forward and leaned against her desk. “I didn’t like the caption below it and hence I got it removed.”

“Then I ought to thank you for that as well. If anyone in my family had seen that picture, shit would’ve hit the roof.”

“You do say the funniest of things.”

“That’s the main aim of my life—to keep you entertained,” she deadpanned.

He laughed. That rich sound, as usual, did something stupid to her insides.

She ignored it. She had to, so she asked instead, “Why did Rehana agree to meet me? It can’t be just because you asked.”

“Actually, it is because I asked.”

“Yeah, right,” she scoffed. “The last time we were together, she was giving me the death stare because I was sitting next to you.”

“Correction. She was giving you the death stare because shesuspectedI was interested in you. Now, sheknowsit.”

Navya frowned. “And yet she agreed to meet me?”

“What can I say? She likes me, and I suppose my interest in you roused her curiosity about you. Which made her agree to the meeting.”

“I’ve seen how she looks at you, you know. It’s not me she’s curious about…” Navya ran a slow gaze down him. “More like she’s curious about what’s underneath all the clothes you’re wearing.”

He barked out a laugh. “Well, I don’t know about her, but you definitely seem to be more interested in what’s under my clothes.” He began unbuttoning his shirt.

Was he…? Good God. Shock made her go still, and then her heart began to gallop. Lust zinged through her as more of his perfectly tanned chest became visible. Would the rest of him be as gorgeous? Her mouth watered as more and more of his skin was exposed. The urge to close the distance between them and touch him, to put her mouth on him, sang through her blood. She shook herself to clear her fuzzy brain before she actually did something stupid and put her lascivious thoughts into action.

She grabbed his hand, holding it tight. “What the hell are you doing? Stop stripping in my office.”

“Okay.”

She gulped. He was standing in front of her, four buttons of his shirt open, giving her a tantalizing peek of his glorious chest. Testing the very limits of her resistance.

She cleared her throat. “Can you, like, button yourself up?”

“Actually, I like myself fine this way.” He smirked and settled himself even more comfortably on her desk. “If you have a problem, then you can button me up.”

She blinked. What was she to say to that now? He was challenging her like he always did, waiting to see what she would do and how she would react to him. Alright. She could do this. Exhaling, she moved closer. He leaned back further, forcing her to move closer and stand between the vee of his thighs. This close, she could see swirling flecks of honey-gold in his eyes. She could breathe in his luscious scent. She gulped. He was watching her, waiting to see what she would do next. She pressed her fingers to the lowest button on his shirt.

He tugged her lower lip out from her teeth. God, she hadn’t even realized she’d been biting her lip so hard. His fingers remained on her mouth, caressing it softly, causing her pulse to dance.

“So…” he began, “I helped you twice today, and you gracefully thanked me for that. Maybe you are beginning to like me.”

“No.” She didn’t sound convincing enough even to her own ears.

His eyes danced with amusement. “Not even a little?”

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