Gaurav put Khan in the bed and covered him with a light blanket before heading back to his room.

His captive was seated in a chair with her breakfast untouched. He was just about to close the door to lock her inside, when he heard her request.

“Please, sit with me for some time. I would like some company.”

He didn’t move.

“Please, just for a few minutes,” she further pleaded.

Despite himself, Gaurav went inside. He supposed a few minutes wouldn’t do him harm. And she had indeed saved Khan’s life to have earned it. He sat in the chair next to the bed.

“Thank you,” she said with a small smile.

He remained silent and watched her eat.

It was quite intriguing the way she ate. She didn’t just eat like everyone else, she made sure she enjoyed and tasted every bite. And he knew why. Food had cost her the life of her younger sister.

“Tell me your name,” she said, savoring another bite. “Maybe not your actual name, but something I can call you by. I can’t keep thinking of you as my captor.”

He tried and failed to stop a small smile from escaping to his face. “Why not? I think of you as my captive.”

Her eyes fell on his lips, and her hand paused mid-bite for a second, before she resumed eating. “Maybe. But don’t you think you know enough about me to think of me as Nina?” she softly asked.

He already did think of her as Nina. During his dreams, when he had her underneath him, and was buried deep inside her body, he had called her by her name several times. But he wasn’t going to tell her that.

Hell, he didn’t even want to acknowledge that fact to himself. He felt disgusted that he thought of her that way. She was not only a married woman, but the wife of his enemy.

He had to keep repeating to himself of her married status each time he heard her voice. But each time his mind continued to think of her and craved her.

She was watching him and didn’t seem discouraged by his lack of response.

She smiled. “Okay then. I’ll continue to think of you as my captor and I can be your captive.”

The smile stirred something inside him. Along with the primal attraction he felt towards her, there was something else. A softer emotion. He wanted to pull her towards him and kiss her gently.

He immediately got up from the chair. “Your ten minutes is up,” he said gruffly. And then, he walked out of her room.

He went into his room, and sat on the bed and closed his eyes.

“Thank you for keeping me company,” he heard her say softly through the walls.

What are you doing? A voice inside him asked.

He was thinking of her most of the time. It almost cost him his life, a day ago, when a goon almost stabbed him.

And by visiting Nina Bhupati’s mother, a few days ago, he was risking discovery as well.

But he couldn’t seem to help himself.

He took a deep breath. His captive was slowly beginning to strike fear within him because he knew he was softening towards her and falling for her plan.

And he damn knew it was a plan.

He knew her choosing to talk was deliberate, but at the same time, he also knew her stories were real.

The experiences she and her sister faced since a tender age were sad and at times, horrific. They touched him deeply.

And they also made him admire his captive’s spirit. Not just because of how she faced and handled everything, but also for the tone his captive used to narrate her stories. She spoke in a matter-of-fact way rather than in a sad, pitiable manner to garner sympathy from him.

And he didn’t pity her. He was proud of her. Each time she or her older sister overcame an obstacle, it filled him with a strange feeling of pride.

The way he viewed his captive was slowly beginning to change. She wasn’t weak and useless arm candy of an evil, rich man.

She was strong. She was a fighter. And not only because of the way she fought, but also because of the way she could endure, and survive.

Each time he listened to her voice coming through the walls, her strength shone through, captivating him completely with her tales.

He wanted her.

He didn’t just want her body, but he also wanted her mind and spirit.

And he also wanted her to want him.

It was insane.