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“Don’t be mad at me, Jee,” Akash said, patting her cheek.
The two of them continued to chatter, oblivious to Rohan’s presence. A twinge of jealousy wormed through him.
He sighed. He ought to have expected this. When he’d decided to recommend Jiya’s name to his CFO, he hadn’t considered Jiya’s connection to Akash Karia, Keya Sehgal’s younger brother. Seeing their interaction, Rohan surmised Jiya and Akash were close friends. But naturally. Their elder sisters had been friends since childhood, so it made sense that these two also shared some sort of bond, one that he instantly disliked.
Right up to this point, Rohan had genuinely liked Akash. Although he’d been hesitant to take him on as an intern, he hadn’t been able to say no to Janak Sehgal. That man was a legend and his father’s very close friend. Rohan genuinely respected him, and Janak had told him that he’d enjoy working with Akash. Which had proved to be true so far.
The younger man was a straight arrow. He was very intelligent, keen to learn, and never refused any task, no matter how minor or measly it was. Akash had the persona of someone who had seen a lot and been through worse, and hence, his emotional quotient was quite high compared to others his age. He was one of those men who were much older and wiser than their years.
Akash was a good guy, but at this moment, while his hands continued to hold Jiya’s arms, all Rohan wanted to do was push him far away from her. His own reaction to their familiarity was unreasonable and downright foolish, yet his antagonism toward the other man wouldn’t subside.
His lips tightened even further when Jiya touched Akash’s jaw.
Jiya chose that moment to spin around and face him, looking delighted, her pain forgotten on meeting Akash. It just annoyed Rohan a tad bit more.
“I’ve known Akash since we were kids,” she said. “We went to the same school in Dehradun. But then, he went to a college in London and has been working there in the London arm of Sehgal Media. We hardly ever meet. I didn’t even know he was in India.” She looked at Akash again. “I can’t believe you and I are finally in the same city. And here I thought I didn’t know anyone in Delhi. Imagine that.”
“Imagine that,” Rohan repeated stiffly.
Absolutely unaware of his rising ire, Akash put his arm around Jiya. “I’m so sorry about earlier. I didn’t know you were standing at the door when I opened it. I should’ve been more careful.”
“And definitely not opened the door with so much force,” Rohan added.
Akash looked repentant, but Jiya took up for him.
“Hey, it’s not his fault,” she told Rohan. “I’m already feeling better. It was just that on impact, it got painful.” Of course, she’d take up for him.
Rohan ignored her and spoke to Akash. “Did you need something from me?”
Akash finally stepped away from Jiya. “Yes, I wanted to update you on the client from Noida. He’s agreed to shift his entire investment portfolio with us.”
Rohan nodded. “Arrange a meeting with him for tomorrow. You and I will go see him and finalize the details.”
“I’ll set it up,” Akash said. He looked at Jiya. “I’m so happy you and I will be working together, at least for a short while. We should sit together.”
“We totally should,” Jiya responded, squeezing his arm.
Rohan’s displeasure rose. The familiarity between the two of them ought not to bug him, but it did. It so did.
His mouth tightened some more. “Well, if you two are done playing catch up, then maybe you can get to doing the work you’ve actually been hired for.”
Both of them looked stunned by his cold remark.
Jiya stepped forward. “Thank you for—”
He pointed at the door, cutting her off. “Do you mind? I do have a very busy schedule.”
Her mouth opened and closed as if she couldn’t understand the change in his behavior. However, she linked her arm to Akash’s, and the two of them exited, leaving Rohan staring after her long after she’d left the room.
He ran a hand down his face. This woman. She was making him feel things he never ought to. His emotions were all over the place where she was concerned. Excitement, lust, concern, annoyance, anger—he’d felt it all in the short time she’d been in his office. What was worse was that he hardly knew her, yet he’d felt jealous of her camaraderie with another man, and that was wrong on so many counts.
Fucking hell. Just a few moments in her company, and he wasn’t thinking or behaving rationally when he was so level-headed always.
Nonetheless, he couldn’t deny that there was something about Jiya that had caught his attention all those months ago, and now, ever since their meeting at the London airport, she’d constantly been on his mind.
Like a fool, he’d offered her a job instead of walking in the opposite direction from her. He’d invited her into his life, but he’d be damned if he let this attraction—yes, he was bloody attracted to her, he’d said it out loud—become more.
He would stay away from her if that was the last thing he did. He was who he was. By his own rule, he didn’t mix business with pleasure. But even if he were to overlook that long-held rule, he didn’t date the same woman twice, and he definitely couldn’t have a one-night stand with Jiya. His brother would string him up alive if he ever learned that Rohan was even harboring such thoughts about her. And he didn’t want to battle his brother again…for anyone or anything. He’d done it once, and it had cost him years of his relationship with Rithwik.
