“Ah, I remember what he was like in school, skipping classes, partying, being utterly useless. He probably makes you do all the work instead of him.”
“That’s not true,” she bristled, her protectiveness for Vihaan lending her voice a stern edge. No one was allowed to talk shit about him except her. And she’d do it to his face, not behind his back. “He’s a fantastic boss, has incredible business sense, is much smarter than most men I know, and I’m better at my job because he demands excellence.”
Rahul laughed, humming like he suspected her of lying. “Still, if he’s bothering you, you can come to me.”
She held back a scoff, focusing on pulling up the appropriate graphic on screen. She’d rather get stuck in the archive room again with a full bladder than go to Rahul for help.
“Looks like a nice presentation.” Rahul pointed, reaching down to place a hand over hers, moving the mouse under her palm to click to the next slide.
“My team has worked hard on it,” Vera politely replied, sliding her hand from under his, resisting the urge to wipe the back against her skirt to remove his unexpected touch.
“I want you to be my direct contact on this project. In fact, I’m going to insist you lead it.”
The look on his face told her that he thought he was doing her a big favour. Vera’s irritation grew. First, the uncalled-for judgement on Vihaan when he wasn’t in the room. Now this?
She knew that Rahul’s underlying expectation was that she fawns over him. She bit her tongue hard enough that she winced, very much aware that despite her distaste, he was a client of the firm where she was employed and as a result, not someone she could dismiss.
“I’ll do my best to prep the ad the way you like,” she said, unclenching her teeth, hoping this would be enough for him to leave her alone. Unfortunately, he took it as an invitation to stand even closer.
“Oh, I know you will. This is a big account. But I’m an easy man to please.” Rahul stroked his way up her arm. “And I think we should workcloselytogether. Meet often to discuss. . . progress.”
Vera stiffened, shooting him a withering glare. “Don’t touch me.”
“C’mon,” he guffawed. “I saw how you looked at me when you came into the room. Don’t pretend.”
“Your delusions are not my problem. Keep your hands to yourself.”
Rahul’s eyes gleamed with ill-intent, his mouth twisting in a conceited smirk when he leaned in. “Still an ice princess, aren’t you? You were always a stuck-up little bitch, pretending like you were too good for everyone even though you had no status and no money.”
Vera’s hands shook as she pushed him off, her nostrils flaring as irritation turned to disgust. “I don’t know about everyone but I’m certainly too good for you,” she spat, unable to keep quiet anymore. She tried to leave when Rahul gripped her arm, uncaring that she winced at his tight hold.
“If you don’t listen to me, I’ll walk away from this project and you’ll be the reason Ethos loses a big client. Keep me happy if youwant to keep your job,” he hissed, his palm sliding around her to forcefully grab her ass.
The next instant, Vera’s pointed heel landed on Rahul’s instep. A shrill screech erupted from him, the sound abruptly cut off when her fist landed hard at the junction where his ear met his jaw. Rahul shoved Vera back before stumbling away, howling like an injured animal, cursing profusely at her. Vera barely registered the impact of the table hitting her hip bone, her feet flying towards the door the second Rahul’s hold on her loosened.
Vihaan
Vihaan had been in a fabulous mood. Despite Vera chewing him out for trying to give her gifts, he’d come out of that argument with an orgasm and a woman who finally seemed less combative if he wanted to show her a little affection.
He’d barely been able to stand it, watching her stress out because she was flustered with a few simple tokens of gratitude. He’d been tempted to grab her face and kiss her senseless because, after months of trying, he’d gotten a glimpse of a Vera he recognized. A frugal girl who found it overwhelming to receive anything for free, even something as simple as coffee and flowers.
His belly quivered with an excitement that he couldn’t understand. Like an overeager pup who’d smelled a long-lost friend. If he had a tail, it would probably be wagging right now.
Yeah, he’d been having a wonderful day. Until Rahul had shown up at Ethos.
Vihaan grimaced, grunting at the appropriate times as his uncle detailed some of the project requirements for him.
There was no love lost between the two cousins since their altercation during the end of their schooling in Nagpur. Rahul Gill had a penchant for being lazy, jealous, and stupid, a combination that he’d never grown out of. One phone call with his uncle told him this was a last-ditch effort to see if Rahul would finally learn to do something of use.
Vihaan wished his uncle well before disconnecting the call, sighing internally at the realisation that his respect for the elder Mr. Gill meant that he’d have to somehow put up with Rahul for the duration of this campaign.
Grumbling under his breath, he pulled the conference room door open, barely stifling an oomph when Vera crashed into him. His automatic response was to hold her close, his brows furrowing when he realised she was trembling. He helped her straighten, drawing back to see if she was hurt. One look at her face and his senses went on high alert.
“What happened?”
Vera shiftily glanced behind her back, her features tight with a mix of revulsion, fury, and fear.
Vihaan’s keen eyes missed nothing, noting her ragged breathing, the cloud of anxiety around her, her heightened colour, and the popping vein in her throat as she swallowed hard. She opened her mouth, and then, as if she’d thought better of it, Vera shook her head.