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Dev continued, “I’ve been trying to set up a meeting with Mr. Fayadi for months, but he’s a very busy man.”
“Your proposal has been sitting on my desk for a while now. So far, I’ve never imported marble from India. Maybe we can discuss it more over dinner. Why don’t you both join me for dinner tomorrow night?” the older man said. “I assume you’re staying here.”
“I’d love to join you,” Dev accepted. He sneaked a quick glance at Avantika before facing the older gent. “However, I’m not sure Avantika will be available.”
“That’s a pity,” the older man said. “I look forward to meeting you, Dev. Does half past seven in the evening work for you? We can meet at the restaurant here.”
“It will be my pleasure,” Dev replied.
Mr. Fayadi left them with a smile.
“Why did you say I was unavailable for your business dinner?” Avantika asked the moment they stepped inside the elevator. “Do you think I’ll jeopardize it in any way?”
Dev gave her an exasperated look. “Avantika, it’s impossible for you to be evil or sinister. You’re too good.”
Her brows shot up.
“What?” he queried. “It is the truth and you know it.”
Damn him! She wasn’t a bad person, and no matter how conflicted she was about Dev, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to do something entirely nasty to him. It just wasn’t like her to hurt people.
“Then why?”
“Because it’s a business dinner. I couldn’t say no to him. But you could do something better with your time than spend it with me while I discuss business with someone.”
This, exactly this consideration that he showed toward her boggled her mind and forced her to rethink everything about him.
They entered the suite and Dev went straight to his room. She stood by the living room window, opening the drapes to let in the late afternoon light as she thought through everything she’d heard from him so far.
His words totally muddled her brain and rioted her thoughts. And she hated doubting herself when it came to him. For so long, she had known him as the bad guy—the boy she’d loved and who’d destroyed her life. The boy whose name she’d never taken again.
And now, doubt began to raise its head in her mind and in her heart, and she hated it. She hated that suddenly, she was uncertain about him. She hated that she was unable to resist him. And she hated that each time he touched her, she felt a little more whole and a lot more complete than earlier, like he was fixing all those shattered pieces of her. Her soul was welcoming him and his touch, and she didn’t know what to do about it.
Four days had passed since her deal with him had started, and already, she was questioning everything. She just hoped that by the end of this time with him, she didn’t end up losing herself.
11
Dev was glad that Avantika had fully recovered from her bout of illness. He wondered what she was doing right now while he was out for dinner with his business acquaintance. She’d told him she’d figure out her plan for the evening by herself. He let out a slow breath. Even while out on an important dinner, he couldn’t stop himself from thinking about her and the comfortable day they’d spent together.
They’d wandered the museums of London, doing whatever it was she wanted to do. Although she’d initially grumbled that he was following her, she’d let her annoyance settle once she realized he wasn’t budging from her side. Truth be told, she was warming up to him. She was losing her reserve around him and giving him peeks into the woman she was.
He mostly stayed silent and allowed her to take the reins in their conversations, which mainly centered on the places they were visiting, the history behind them etc. Their talks were far from personal, but they were talking and not warring anymore, and it was enough for now.
Avantika had always had this animated way of talking, and that hadn’t changed about her. She kept moving her hands and touching the person she was communicating with, and he was glad she was once again getting comfortable enough to do that with him. She touched him subconsciously several times, his arm, his hand, and each touch singed his skin further and made him crave her a bit more than the minute before.
He ached to push her against the nearest wall, to fist his hands in her hair, and claim her mouth fully. He wanted to consume her body and soul until she became his in every way possible. However, he’d kept his distance from her. She was inadvertently putting her faith in him, and he didn’t want to do anything to destroy that tentative thread that was beginning to weave them together again.
Hopefully, before their time together was up, she’d agree to hear him out.
He sighed. Avantika had always occupied his mind space, but now, seeing her, being with her and kissing her had only increased his fascination with her.
Dev tuned back to what his host was saying. He sipped his martini while listening to Mr. Fayadi chat about his life in London. The Arab gent had moved here more than a decade ago from the Middle East and was quite eager to talk about the change in his lifestyle since moving to this part of the world.
Dev had already finished outlining his proposal for selling marble to him, but the older gent hadn’t yet agreed to take the discussion further. Mr. Fayadi was a tough nut to crack, and very set in his ways. It would definitely take Dev more than just one meeting to convince the other man to import marble from Dev’s mines.
As his host continued to speak, Dev gave the correct responses and asked pertinent questions about his life in London. From the corner of his eye, he saw a couple exchanging a kiss on the table to the right of him.
Immediately, his mind drifted back to Avantika and the kisses they’d shared. So easily she’d melted against him. She’d been lost in him, just as he’d been lost in her. In those moments, nothing had existed for him beyond her. Her impact on him hadn’t changed despite the years and the circumstances that had been forced between them.
