"So you are going to act up now? How long will you pretend?"

"Me? Pretend? What? I am just silently doing my work here. Why are you so noisy all of a sudden? Tell me what you want".

"Ok, are you trying to seduce me wearing stuff like this?"

"Are you getting seduced?"

"Damn, Akira answer the questions with answers and not by asking me a question back".

Trying hard to suppress her laugh Akira said,

"I was feeling a bit hot, so I didn't wear my long-long pajamas. But if my shorts are bothering you so much then I will go and change".

"No need", Raymond said all grumpily and lifted her laptop to give it back to her.

But before he could leave, she held his palm in her hand and stopped him from leaving her vicinity.

Taking a deep breath, she looked up at him and asked,

"Answer me now. Were you seduced?"

Raymond turned back and leaned aggressively on to her, pushing her to the edge of the sofa. Then looking deep into her eyes he said,

"You are lucky that you are down right now, else I would have preyed so bad on you that even your stars would not have been able to help you".

Saying that he slowly distanced his face which was just inches away from her, enchanting her, making her all defenseless. She gulped her own spit and looked at him with her eyes wide open as he stood back up.

"Stop it !!!"

"What should I stop?"

"I will stop if you stop too", she said and pouted her lips and looked up at him all angry.

"What did I do now?"

"Why were you coming so close to me with all that heavenly musky smell of yours. If you want to ask me a question or tell anything then tell it maintaining a one hand distance from me."

A very satisfied smile spread on his face and he almost grinned after hearing her.

"Heavenly musky smell !!! Really?"

"Well not exactly, you just smell nice. Maybe I just exaggerated a bit", Akira said and started scratching her head feeling annoyed of her own stupid statements,

"Heavenly musky smell !!! I kinda like it. So I have a heavenly musky smell?", Raymond asked and that smile didn't leave his face yet.

"Kind of".

"Interesting !!! And what happens when I come close without maintaining a one hand distance?", he asked and this time, the smile had disappeared from his face and he questioned her with all seriousness.

"Nothing happens. Now go away and let me work", Akira said and snatched the laptop from his hands.

"First you get mad with me and don't talk and then you talk with me and make me mad", Akira mumbled.

"What did you just say?"

"Whatever you heard".

"Do you even know why I was mad with you?", Raymond asked.

"I know, I went out to have lunch with Vikram and took a risk. It could have backfired on me and we could have lost GCG", Akira said and then rolled her eyes.

"You think that's the reason?"

"Obviously, aren't you forgetting how bad you rebuked me in office for that?"

"You think that I would be mad with you, just for the game?"

"Then?", Akira asked and looked up at him in surprise.

He closed his eyes and calmed himself a bit and then said,

"I cannot bear to see you with him".

"I cannot bear to see him just inches away from you, touching you or playing with you".

"I cannot bear that he gets to see your smiling face, because I know he will fall for you bad, really bad because I myself have".

His eyes were fierce as he spoke, but his feelings were sincere. There was nothing but pure jealousy that was tormenting him from the inside and she could feel it. But instead of getting angry with his words, she became happier.

Happy that he couldn't bear even a second of her that was spent with someone else, other than him.

So she stood on the sofa and said,

"Catch me", and saying that she let her upper body free fall on his.

But he held her tight in a vice-like grip and looking into her eyes he said,

"What are you trying to attempt here?"

"A stunt to distract your mind and make you happy", she said and smiled but holding her waist he pushed her back and then said,

"I am not going to be pacified by any stunt that you are trying to pull. So you better start working".

Saying that Raymond walked back to his seat.

Dejected with her failed attempt Akira started her laptop and tried to complete the work while stealing occasional glances at his handsome face and then she got completely engrossed till she completed the banner.

Once done, she happily turned to look at Raymond so as to tell him about her accomplishment, but she saw him looking at her intently. His eyes looked like they had been mildly lit with fire.

She smiled from inside and brought the laptop close to him and asked,

"How is it?"

It was only then that his gaze shifted from her face to her laptop and he started analyzing her work.

"Change the font of Delphie. It looks too prominent. Apart from that rest looks way too good".

"Really? So do you forgive me?", Akira asked all beaming.

"Why should I? Don't mix up personal and professional life Akira", Raymond said and turned back towards his laptop.

"But I made it so fast just to please you".

"It doesn't work that way", Raymond said without even turning back.

"You don't have to be so angry about that. It's not like I stripped off in front of him or seduced him. I just had a simple lunch. That's all it was. Tell me what I need to do to make you happy".

And hearing that he suddenly turned back.

"You have never stripped off in front of me", he said and the devilish grin was back on his face.