THE DESTRUCTION

chapter 21

His eyes hold mine, and I know he wants to ask about prakrit and me but is holding his tongue.

"How was your weekend?" I ask.

"Great," he replies as his eyes drop to my lips. "I had a great weekend."

I frown. Does great mean just generally great, or does great mean "I had great hot sex with a gorgeous, great woman all weekend"?

Stop it.

"Sorry about that," agastya says as he breezes into the room. He smiles warmly and shakes my hand. "I'm Avinash." He's agastya bestfriend , and his hair is a lighter brown and has a curl to it. His eyes are big and brown. He's very different from avinash but has that same power thing going on.

"I'm saanvi."

His eyes hold mine. "Hello,saanvi." He and agastya make eye contact, and at that moment, I know that he knows agastya and my history together. I swallow the nervous lump in my throat.

Why would he have told his friend about me?

Avinash glances at agastya's scotch. "What time is it? Has happy hour started?"

"Four thirty, and yes," agastya replies.

Avinash goes to the bar and pours himself a glass of the amber liquid. He holds a glass up. "Would you like a drink, saanvi?"

"No thanks. I'm working," I reply nervously.

Amusement crosses agastya's face as he lifts his drink to his lips.

Okay, what the hell is that look? Is it a condescending smirk or nearly a smile? I can't read this man at all.

Agastya sits still and stares at me. Our eyes are locked, and the air swirls between us.

"You wanted to see me?" I ask. I really don't know what kind of meeting has scotch involved. Maybe I should have had a glass. God, no. Remember what you did last time you got drunk with this man. You tried to suck all the blood out of him.

"As we just discussed, we have a special project we would like you to work on," agastya says.

I nod as I look between them.

"Yes. In light of what you told me this morning, we want you to write a story for us to publish."

I swallow the lump in my throat. "Okay." I look between them. "What's the story on?"

"Name a subject." His tongue slips out and runs across his bottom lip, and I feel it all the way to my toes. "We have a secret project coming up, and I wanted you to be involved, but I need to know if you can report on a subject."

"You know I can. I've worked for regional papers for five years as a reporter."

"This is strictly off the record," avinash says. "You cannot tell a soul. It's imperative."

"I won't," I say as I look between them.

"For some time, we have thought that somebody on your floor is selling our stories to our competitors so that they are breaking before us. What you told us this morning all but confirms it."

I frown. "How do you know?"

"Trust me; we know," agastya replies. "Our stocks are falling and so is our credibility. It needs to stop."

I frown as I listen.

"We want you to make up a fake news story and submit it through the normal channels, and we will see if it turns up in our competitor's papers."

I stare at him as I try to get my brain to keep up. "What would I write about?"

"Something worth selling. It doesn't have to be real. The faker the better-then it's more easily traceable."

"Who do you think it is?" I ask as excitement runs through me. This is my chance. If I do well here, I can prove myself as a valuable employee. Imagine if I cracked the case. I bite my bottom lip to hide my smile. I need to act as if exciting things like this happen to me every day.

"We have no idea, but we know it's not you."

"How do you know that?"

"Because it began before you started," agastya says as he stands and goes to the bar.

"Okay." I think for a moment. "I could do that." I look between them. "When do you want the story by?"

"Tomorrow afternoon, if possible."

"Okay."

A voice comes through the intercom. "avinash , you have London on line two."

He stands and pushes the button. "Give me a moment to get back to my office."

"Okay," the receptionist answered.

"Sorry, I have to take this call. We are settling today on a new company. We'll talk more tomorrow afternoon," he says.

"Sure." I smile. Oh, I like him. He's friendlier than his friend.

He shakes my hand. "Remember, not a word to anyone. I would hate to have to fire you." He gives me a playful wink, but something tells me he's not joking.

I frown. What the hell? "Okay."

"I look forward to reading your story," he says. He turns and walks out of the office and closes the door behind him.

I turn to agastya. His eyes are dark, and he's holding his glass of scotch. He sips it in slow motion, and I smile nervously as my heart begins to race.

He raises his eyebrow and sips his scotch again. The electricity in the air between us is palpable.

"I should get back to my desk," I whispered.

His eyes stay fixed on me as if he wants to say something, but he remains silent.

"Is there anything else you wanted, sir?" I whisper as I stand.

He puts his drink down on the desk and walks toward me. "Yes, actually. There is."

He stops in front of me so that our faces are only an inch apart, and I stare up at him.

His close proximity steals my breath, and like a wave in the ocean, arousal swims between us. "Can you feel that?" he breathes.

I nod because it's undeniable.

"I'm so sexually attracted to you that it's insane," he whispers. "From the first moment I saw you on that plane."

I stare at him as I get a vision of him throwing me across his desk.

He trails his index finger down my face, over the center of my chest between my breasts, and then lowers to my stomach, and then he skims it over my pubic bone before resting his hand on my hip. "I have a request."