He picks up a photo frame of me and my best friends on the beach in Alibag. “Do your friends know about us?”
“Anaya and Noor do.”
Placing the picture back, he turns around and pins me with a hard look. “They can’t tell anyone about our arrangement, Arya.”
“Of course they won’t.” My tone comes out offended.
It doesn’t deter him. “I can’t afford another scandal, that I’m sleeping with my publicist.”
“Well, neither can I.”
“Glad we’re on the same page.” Crossing over to my desk, he sits down across from me with his legs crossed. “What’s the progress with the freelance investigator?”
If I wasn’t mildly irritated, I’d be impressed by his ability to switch topics so effortlessly. Plopping down on my chair, I answer, “She hasn’t found the hacker yet, but she’s working on it. She went to the hotel where the event was held and tried tolocate everyone who had access to the presentation. Once she has the names, she’ll investigate them.”
“It won’t be that easy to find the culprit.”
“It’s a start. Better than sitting by idly.”
“Did she try getting the CCTV footage?”
“The organizer’s team was big and a lot of the staff were working backstage. Nothing seemed amiss. Perhaps the hacker was working from somewhere else.”
“How long will it take for her to give us the information?”
“Every case varies. But I’ll check in with her,” I reply. “In the meantime, she advised you should switch your phone and change your number since the current one is compromised. You should also check your emails and devices you use regularly to make sure they aren’t hacked.”
“If they hacked this phone, they could easily do the same with another.”
“I think you should still do it and avoid discussing confidential information that they could use to harm you.”
He scrubs a hand over his jaw. “I’ll think about it.”
“Okay.”
With the fog of lust lifted, I scan Nathan’s face and notice the tired lines around the corners of his eyes and the dark bags underneath them. Does he neglect his health while working? Or is it just jet lag?
“How was your trip?” I ask.
He stills, eyebrows lifting in surprise. “Boring, like they usually are.”
“Where did you go?”
“London.”
“Nice. I’ve been there once.” I smile. “Hated the weather, though.”
“With whom?”
My mood sours. “Aryan.”
Nathan’s jaw clenches before he quickly masks it. Jealousy, perhaps? Or maybe it’s my wishful thinking.
Hating the crippling tension, I switch the topic to bring back the flirtatious version of him. I also want to make him stay. “Did you get a chance to have breakfast? I can order you som—”
“Come here.”
The deep and commanding timbre of his tone has me lurching to my feet and rounding the desk to him. He rolls the chair back an inch and spreads his legs in a silent invitation for me to stand between them.
