Page 35 of The Ex Factor

She took her shoes off and pulled the hassock under her feet. My eyes darted to her shapely toes, painted deep red, before I brought them back to her face. “Plus, he insisted on being called Ash.”

“Ash?” I produced a curious frown.

“Ashutosh. Ash. With Swinstz. That was his introduction,” she said and laughed.

I smirked. The CEO of Swinstz was a close business contact. I committed the information to memory. It was one of those things I was good at. I created vaults inside my brain to tag and separate information so I could recall it when required.

“Nice. Was he sweet,sweetheart?” I asked with a crooked grin.

“Don’t you tease me about it! It was our second date, and he was already too handsy for my taste. And no one calls me sweetheart until I’m in a committed relationship.”

“He certainly had other ideas.”

She turned her face to me. “Like what?”

“Well, it was clear he thought it was going to turn into a night together.”

She shuffled in her place and rested her back against the couch. “That’s his problem, not mine. But I bet he’ll call for another date.”

“Does he stand a chance?”

“Not even if he was the last man on earth,” she said, and it set me laughing. “Oh, you know I’ve been thinking of you all week,” she added innocuously.

“Really? Yet, you didn’t text or call?”

“Yes, because it couldn’t be done over the phone. I wanted to show you this in person.” She thumbed her phone open and scrolled. “Mom sent me pictures and résumés she’s received over the past few weeks. Let’s see what you think of them.”

I reached across the coffee table to get the phone from her, but she shook her head and nodded at the couch. “No, come sit here.”

I walked over and settled down beside her. Her seductive evening fragrance turned into a soft whisper, holding me in a gentle embrace.

“This one’s kind of douchey,” I said, looking at the man who sent her a modeling picture.

“Kind of?” She scoffed. “You’re nice.”

I laughed when she showed me the next picture. “And this dudebro? I didn’t know we had desi dudebros!”

“Huh, I wonder which rock it is that you’ve been living under,” she said and flipped to yet another.

“No way! He sent a picture with his biceps showing? Reject! I mean, those are some biceps, but still…”

“I’ve had a glimpse of your biceps, Sujit. You can’t tell me you’re not sympathetic to him?” she teased while trying to stifle a laugh.

A smile appeared on my face of its own accord. She’d noticed my biceps, my body? The thought sent a curious feeling zipping through me.

“But I don’t live at the gym. Looks like he does. Next!”

We flipped through at least fifteen pictures.

“What, you’re going to reject them all?” she joked. “Not one acceptable guy in this horde?”

“Not for you,” I declared and sipped the wine.

It was too sweet and too crisp for my taste, but I loved the look on her face as she enjoyed it.

“I smell intrigue,” she said.

I grinned. “Must be my cologne.”

---