“Mr. Mehra… what a surprise.” I forced a polite smile, my fingers tightening around my purse as he closed the distance between us.
“Anything for my favorite author,” he replied, slipping off his sunglasses in an exaggerated gesture before extending a hand toward me.
I hesitated before taking it briefly. “I was just about to head out,” I said, lifting my car keys slightly.
“Ah, but you still owe me those autographs.”
I glanced at the clock on the wall, fighting the impatience clawing at my chest. “Well… if you have the books with you, now, I can sign them quickly.”
“No, no, no…” Rocky stepped closer. “Let’s sit down, talk about your work, and enjoy dinner. It’s the least you can do for a…friend.”
“Sure, we can plan that for another day,” I replied quickly, forcing a polite tone while inching toward the exit. “It was good to see you.”
“How about tonight?” His smile widened as he leaned just slightly too close, like he was trying to invade more than just personal space.
“It’s late…” I started, but Rocky interrupted with a laugh.
“Late? Come on.” He gestured toward the door with an exaggerated flourish. “I’ve got a security team ready to escort you anywhere, anytime. I’ll personally drop you home afterward. Come on, don’t disappoint your biggest fan. I’m flying back to India tomorrow morning.”
Managing public appearances and fan expectations was part of the job, but all I wanted was to go home, avoid Manav’s inevitable questions, and take a long, hot shower.
“I really should…”
“Please, Ms. Randhawa,” Rocky interrupted smoothly, “I promise you’ll be dropped home safely. I wouldn’t want to disappoint your brother, after all.”
“Fine… but no dinner… please,” I said reluctantly, caving in just enough to get him off my back. “Let’s meet at Lina’s and wrap this up asap.”
“Perfect.” He said with a victorious grin. “You can come in my car. My driver will take yours.”
“That won’t be necessary,” I said, clutching my car keys tighter. “I’ll drive myself, thanks.”
Rocky raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? It’s much more convenient if—”
“Positive,” I interrupted.
For a split second, annoyance flickered across his face, but he quickly replaced it with his usual charm. “I’ll see you there,” he said, stepping back with a mock bow.
I gave him a brief nod and walked briskly to my car, my heart pounding as if I had just run a marathon. Sliding into the driver’s seat, I took a deep breath to steady myself. The last thing I needed tonight was to deal with someone like Rocky Mehra. I hated myself for even entertaining the idea of this meeting, but I knew exactly how men like him worked. Better to be ten minutes uncomfortable than ten weeks stalked.
Just as I pulled out of the parking lot, my phone rang—another interruption, another headache.
Not now.
I glanced at the screen:Manav Oberoi.
“Hello?” I answered on the second ring.
“Any preferences for dinner tonight?”Holy God… his phone voice is so sexy and deep.
“Oh… actually… I’m heading to Lina’s bakery.” I said, clearing my throat, my grip on the steering wheel tightening as I navigated through the streetlights. “Rocky… insisted,”
There was a long pause. “Rocky?… As in,Rocky Mehra?”
“Yeah… he showed up at Orry’s and…”
“Kiara… hello…?” His voice began to crack, probably because of a network issue.
“Hello? Manav? I’ll call you once I get there—the signal’s bad,” I said hurriedly before the call abruptly dropped.
