“I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m glad I have his approval. He’s the closest thing to a father figure you have here.”
“That he is.” She propped her chin on a fist. “You know, I have to wonder—how is it that you aren’t married and settled yet?”
His slow, boyish grin had butterflies fluttering in her stomach. “Because I’ve been waiting for you?”
“I won’t even bless you with a response to that.”
He shoved chole and yeasted puffed bread into his mouth. Raj raised a brow, then took a sip of her chai as she waited.
“You’re not going to drop this,” he said after swallowing.
“No way, Singh.”
He wiped his fingers, twisting the napkin between them as he spoke. “I dated on and off in college and grad school. When I worked at Bharat, too. But since Hem left Bharat and I’ve assumed more responsibility, my relationships have been more like brief connections instead.”
Raj kicked him lightly under the table. “You’re giving me the summary when I want the whole memo.”
“It’s not that exciting, Raj,” he said. He dropped his napkin and reached for her hand. “Truthfully, I expected to have an arranged marriage, so getting serious with someone was just never in the cards for me. I love the relationship my parents have. There was so much love in our house growing up. I wanted that, too.”
“That’s admirable,” she said, and took another sip of chai. She thought of the pictures sitting on his mantel at the bungalow in New Jersey. She couldn’t imagine wedding photos of Ajay and some other woman squeezed between his brothers and his parents.
Nope, that wasn’t going to happen. Not if she had anything to say about it.
She knew that she was being possessive, just like she’d experienced right after Ajay had committed to buying her out. This time she was serious, though.
Her poor, poor man had no idea what was coming.
“My parents wanted an arranged marriage for me when I returned from school, too. I had other plans for myself.”
“I can see that.”
“All I’m saying is that sometimes things happen for a reason.”
“What’s the reason for us happening?” Ajay asked.
Raj leaned over and pressed a kiss to his jaw. “Maybe we’ll have to keep going until we find out.”
“That’s an excellent idea,” he murmured against her mouth.
Raj leaned into the kiss and was enjoying the smooth feel of his lips and the way they tasted her when they were interrupted by a vibrating phone.
Ajay pulled away and looked at his cell. “It’s Hem. And since it’s not even seven a.m. yet, he must need something. Okay to get it?”
“Sure,” she said.
“Bhai,” Ajay said as he picked up. “What’s up?”
Raj watched as Ajay’s face morphed into shock, then fury. “What the hell are you talking about? I’m sitting with her right now. Let me put you on speakerphone.”
Hem’s voice came through the speaker a moment later. “Okay. Hey, Raj.”
“Hem. What’s going on?” Her senses were on high alert because of the stress in his voice. “What happened?”
“I’m so sorry to be the one to break this to you, but it looks like an exposé was just published about your life and RKH Collective.”
“An exposé?”
“First thing this morning. It appeared in the Financial Times, and it’s already gotten a ton of views. Ajay, you may want to see what you can do to stop this train.”
Raj’s heart pounded as hard and fast as a freight train. “Can you forward us the article? We need to see what we’re dealing with.”
“Sure. Texting it to Ajay’s number now.”
“Thanks, Hem,” Ajay said and hung up.
They waited for the link to come in, then Raj took the phone with steady hands and began to read.
Married for a green card . . .
Cheated on her spouse with hookups at the Ice Palace . . .
Uses information to bribe . . .
Daughter of a drug dealer . . .
Cutthroat . . . ruthless . . . cold-hearted . . .
Sleeping her way to a sale with Bharat . . .
Illicit affair . . .
Raj vaulted out of her chair. Her pulse raced as the words went around and around in her head like a carousel.
There were the ugly truths of her life written for everyone to read, for everyone to judge her. Her whole office would know her life and would now think that she was a corrupt sycophant willing to do anything to make money.
Ajay jabbed a number on the phone she’d dropped. “Rafael? I need you to do damage control right now.” He barked into the phone, his words clipped and full of malice. “Communications needs to put out a statement. Put together a task force. I want this shut down. No, I don’t care about timing, Rafe. This story dies.”
He tossed the phone aside and reached for her, but she held up a hand to stop him.
“I am so sorry, baby,” he whispered. His hands fisted at his sides. “I’m so sorry I brought you into this mess. This is probably Sri’s leak. I’ll get him, though. I should’ve listened to you from the beginning.”
“This has Robert written all over it,” she said, surprising herself at how calm she sounded. She closed her eyes and pressed her fingertips against her lids. “I need to stop this before it gets traction.”
“This is going to get some press. It’s better if you stay out of sight until you have a game plan, and wait until I can confirm how much of this came from Bharat. You might want to get—”
“Legal and Communications on the line. Yes, I know. And you should probably call—”
“Tushar and my father. Yup. I’m on it.”
This time when he reached for her, she let him wrap her in his arms. “I’m so sorry. I know how much your privacy and your secrets mean to you. We’ll figure this out.”
“I can’t believe he’d do this to me,” she whispered. Tears clogged her throat, and a vague part of her brain was horrified that it was the second time in two weeks that she’d cracked in front of this man. It was the most she’d cried in years.
Squeezing Ajay, knowing that he was giving her strength, she pulled back, wiping at her cheek. “I’m going to have to work from home.”
She’d sacrificed so much and worked too hard for her life to watch it crumble like a house of cards. She’d lock up her shame, her fear of rejection, and her sadness later. Right now, she had to focus on damage control.
“Raj?” Kaka entered the room a moment later. He looked baffled. “There are a few people outside the front door.”
“Shit,” she hissed. “Ajay, get your stuff and get out of here. You can leave through the basement apartment exit, which is farther down the left side of the building. Robert probably gave up my location, too.”
“I’m not going to leave you here for the vultures to start congregating.”
“I can take care of them.”
“I know you can, but you don’t have to.” He turned to Kaka. “Can you pack Khunda’s things for a week? Raj, go upstairs, get ready, and call a car. We’ll get your attorney on the line to help clear the sidewalk in front of your house, too. Then go to my penthouse. You can work from there.”