Page 25 of Captured Obsession

She crosses her arms over her middle, and herbody seems to fold in on itself. I didn't think she would be a woman who would shy away from a conversation like this, so I add, “I know you're not on any birth control,mishka.”

“It doesn't matter,” she says quietly as she clutches the necklace at her throat, fiddling with it insecurely. “I can't have kids anyway.”

I tense, barely keeping myself from reaching out for her, hating the sadness in her tone and the way her body seems to shrink. This untouched part of her, I have no interest in exploiting. If anything, I want to take her pain away.

“Who told you that?”

“It doesn't matter. It won't be a problem.”

I go to speak but stop myself. I thought I knew everything about this woman, but apparently, I was wrong. Though I want to know more, I have the good sense not to ask about such an obviously painful subject.

“There are other things in the bag for you. Agata should be here shortly with your dinner. Make sure you eat. And you're still expected for breakfast in the morning.” With that, I leave the room, ejecting myself from a conversation I have no right to breach.

I can only hope the chocolate chip cookies and red licorice are any kind of comfort to her. They are, after all, her favorite.

I close the door behind me but remain stationed just outside until Andrei returns.

What the fuck am I thinking and doing?

It's unlike me to go out of my way for anyone, let alone a hostage. Yet I feel like I'm guarding her door in order to prevent anyone from seeing the vulnerability she just showed me. It remains with me, twisting a foreign need inside me to try to fight someone else’s demons.

But often the demons that can’t be seen are the hardest to kill.

11

SIENNA

Ican hear my heart thumping in my ears. My hands wring the fabric of my silk dress, and I have no idea where I should look. The moment I raise my gaze from the beautiful assortment of food in front of me, Nikolai is staring into my fucking soul. I immediately look away, unable to decipher the intensity of his striking green eyes. Those eyes that are nothing but cutting, always seeing, and yet I somehow know are always following me. But they also have the power to put me under a spell and make me do things I would never ordinarily do.

“You should eat, little doll. All of this food has been carefully selected for you by Agata.” I’ve come to notice that he calls me little doll when others are around, but in private he usesmishka, which still irritates me because it insinuates I’m something small and cute. A child’s toy.

The bright sun silhouettes him; strange for someone who is better fitted for the shadows. We sit on the balcony for breakfast, but nausea turns my stomach. How do I act around him after yesterday?

“I have no intention of experiencing fine dining with criminals,” I say, ensuring that I remind both of us out loud that this is just business. Not of the legal, consensual kind, but I have to treat what happened as a one-off.

He removes the napkin from his lap to wipe his mouth and then throws it on the table, as if I’ve soured his meal. I can't help but watch the way it brushes against his full lips, the way his jade bracelet glistens under the sun. I shoot a brief glance behind me, where one of his men stands at the entrance to the balcony, as if guarding us. I’m so used to Andrei, that when this man, Sergey, takes over, it feels like another threat.

“Yet you celebrate with your criminal friends back at home without even realizing. Is it because they pretend to be part of high society that settles you around them?”

The jab strikes precisely where it was meant to. The reminder that I know nothing of this world. Hell, I don’t even know my friends. No. What if he’s lying? What if this is all a trick? I cling to that concept, knowing it’s most likely a lie. I don’t want to believe him, but for what reason would he consistently lie about it?

My gaze locks on the tattoos that cover his handsand knuckles. Yes, this man is very dangerous, but then the memory of the way he touched me yesterday comes back to the surface, and I feel the heat rise along the back of my neck. The way he considered bringing me the morning after pill when we’d been so careless. I’d been so stupid. I never go without condoms, even when I know I can’t conceive. The bitter reminder of that hurts every time. I try to push it away, not ready to dive into the feeling of my own inadequacy as a woman. I’m not dealing with that shit right now. I just need to make it through one day at a time. But how?

How have I fallen under the spell of a man who is using me? Yes, I was fueled with overflowing emotion and adrenaline yesterday, but there’s something about Nikolai I just can’t seem to resist. And it’sdangerous.

The swallows chirp as they swoop low around the table, and I watch them in fascination, trying to lift the heavy weight in my heart. I’m in no hurry to turn my attention back to my company or the food as I watch them fluttering amongst the treetops. If it weren’t under these circumstances, I would've enjoyed this getaway. I can smell the ocean on the breeze, and I see the cool blue of it gently rolling in the distance.

Nikolai exhales with a calm expression, but I sense the tight leash on his frustration as he leans over to grab my untouched plate and then loads it with various foods. I turn away once again. I don't exactly have an appetite.

“You’re stubborn,” he states. “I thought we came toan agreement. Or do I need to use other methods of coercion just so you’ll eat?”

My head whips in his direction, my eyes narrowing as heat rises on my cheeks. His gaze flicks over my shoulder, as if reminding me that we’re not alone, and I curl my nails into my palms. “It seems you have selective hearing. I agreed I would join you for breakfast. I never stated how much I’d eat and by when.”

“Do not be cranky with me. It’s not my fault your friends are taking so long to find your whereabouts.” It’s as if he’s using my most secret thoughts as a way to bend me to his will. “Then again, it might take some time, considering Luca and Arabella are probably very tired now that they have a baby. One might say it also puts them in a vulnerable position, wouldn’t you agree?”

Without thought, I pick up my glass of water and toss the contents into his face. The splash is so shocking that even I feel the cold chill when it catches on the breeze. And then I realize what I’ve done.

I shove up from my seat. “Donotthreaten my friends.” I hate how much he knows about them. How dare he mention their baby in the way of a threat. How can anyone be so cruel?