Page 36 of Claiming His Bollywood Cinderella

Naina’s heart pounded in her chest as he got up and closed the door. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. She swallowed and tried again. “I’m not leaving until the script is finalized. In fact, I’ve even figured out what Virat thinks is missing from it. I know how to—”

His soft curse exploded in the thick silence. “This is not about your job and if you were anyone else, you’d know it.” He pushed his fingers roughly through his hair. “You fight me when I call you naïve, and yet you turn down Zara’s job offer instantly?” His chest rattled with a sound that was half growl, half sigh. “God, you need a damned keeper.”

Slowly, the full meaning of his words sank in. Of course, he was the one who’d recommended her to Zara. Why? To what end? Naina felt as if she was standing in a fog of unknowns—mostly created by her own feelings. But she had nothing to hide anymore.

“I don’t want to work for her.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t want to be associated with anyone you know.”

“That’s most of the bloody industry then,” he snarled, coming closer. Impatience etched into the lines around his mouth. He looked nothing like the suave, coldhearted businessman she’d called him that first day. “I won’t have your joblessness on my conscience.” He closed his eyes, sighed and then skewered her with his gaze. “Has it become so hard to be near me?”

“I don’t need to be rescued. By you, especially.” After months of being directionless, she knew what she wanted to do now. The last few weeks had filled her with a renewed purpose, with new zeal. Working with him on this concept had filled her with inspiration and energy. “Why are you so intent on kicking me off this project? Did I do such a bad job?”

“You’ve done a fantastic job of everything I’ve thrown at you. I just...can’t have you working for me. Not anymore. It’s too distracting.

“And FYI, you’re selling yourself short if you think Zara’s doing you a favor.”

“And if I don’t want to leave you?”

He raised a brow, and took in her resolute expression. She thought he’d ask her why she wanted to stay. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t stripped her to the core already.

She knew this was what being with him would mean. There would be no lies between them, no games, nowhere to hide, even if she wanted to. There was something about him that brought out the boldest, best version of her and she loved being that Naina. Not a flicker of fear touched her.

He leaned back against the large window frame, his fingers wrapped tightly over the sill. “Why were you moving in with that...graphics guy?” he bit out.

“I don’t want to move in with him so much as...” Naina looked at him, without her own emotions blinding her.

“It’s been forever since I’ve seen Vicky jealous,”Zara had said. Hewasjealous. Of her friendship with Ajay?

“You think I’m interested in Ajay?” she said, taken aback.

“Are you?” When she looked blankly at him, he sighed. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with him since we got here. Maybe you decided you’ve wasted enough of your life moping after your useless ex. Maybe you’re making up for lost time, since you’ve discovered that men find you irresistible. Maybe you’ve decided you want more and more of those fantasy nights like the one we shared.

“I’ve been told by Virat and Anya and now Zara that I need to ask first and then act. So, I’m asking you first. Instead of just having him thrown off the project on some flimsy excuse.”

“That’s not funny, Vikram,” she said, reaching for his folded arm. His muscles were taut under her fingers. “Promise me you won’t do any such thing. You can’t—”

He closed his other hand over hers, the contact sending a shock wave of pleasure through her. His fingers were warm and tight over hers, and she wanted to lean into the touch even more. Until she was burrowed into his warmth. “That’s what I need to do to get you to say my name? Threaten your latest boyfriend?”

“You’ve always been Vikram in my thoughts...”

Folding her arms, she gazed at him, the panicked thunder of her heart slowly settling down into calm acceptance. Standing here with him, discussing where this was going between them...shouldn’t have felt so natural. But it did.

It felt easy and right and inevitable, since the second he’d walked into her room at his grandmother’s house and asked her what was wrong.

“You won’t fire Ajay,” she said with confidence. “You’re not the type to ruin a man’s career because you’re jealous.Ifyou’re jealous in the first place.”

“Ahh...such faith in me, Naina?” He sighed, and this close, she could feel the tension in him. “Yes, I’m jealous. I spent the entire photoshoot imagining you being with him like you were yesterday evening. I was short with Zara for needing me right now. I’ve cursed Virat for recommending the guy in the first place.

“Then I cursed you for making me jealous. Every time, you called me Mr. Raawal, I wanted to drag you back into my bedroom and show you how familiar we are with each other.

“You’ve been driving me crazy, Dream Girl.”

“I’m not interested in Ajay in that way. He’s easy to talk to. Maybe because he doesn’t dictate what I should be doing with my life.”

He groaned and turned away from her. “Are you going to hold that against me forever?”

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