by M. V. Kasi
“She’s doing fine, Shiv. I made an offer to teach her kickboxing and defense techniques like you had asked me to, and she agreed. We have been practicing for an hour each day, and the rest of the time she has been inside the penthouse. She didn’t want to eat in any of the restaurants or watch movies or use the games area.”
“Thanks, Vasu.”After thanking his head of security, Shiv looked at his watch. “I’ll call you when I’m ready.”
It was close to midnight. There was an arms deal meeting planned early next morning in a different country where he would have to spend another week. There was still a shitload of things that had to be discussed and done even before those meetings, but he still decided to fly back home even if it was for a few hours.
He knew he wouldn’t be able to focus much on anything because one thing had constantly intruded his mind—the thoughts of his newlywed bride waiting at home.
Entering his fingerprints and the code, he pushed the door open to the penthouse. It was mostly dark with just dim lighting in the hallways. He went towards the master bedroom.
With his heart beating in anticipation, he pushed the bedroom door open.
Immediately, his eyebrows lowered with alertness when he didn’t find Naina on his bed. Quickly, he scanned the room and relaxed when he saw her curled asleep on one of the chairs near the glass wall.
Shrugging out his suit jacket, he went closer and watched her sleeping in yet another t-shirt and sweatpants. He hadn’t personally shopped for all the clothes, but he told the personal shopper exactly what he had wanted.
He had wanted Naina dressed in beautiful clothes. He knew she didn’t have many because her father neglected her. So, he wanted to pamper her and dress her in a way that showed off her beauty and spirit.
But Naina seemed to hate the clothes he bought for her and instead chose to wear workout clothes thinking it would make her appear unattractive to him.
Her plan didn’t work.
In the soft lighting, she looked like a dream. His dream. Her long hair fell around her waist, and her chest rose and fell while she slept. Her face looked peaceful and her pouty lips were parted slightly as she breathed.
Suddenly, he wondered how she would react if he woke her up with a kiss.
Would she melt in his arms? Or would she erupt with passionate anger?
Both options appealed to him immensely. Before he could give it further thought, he bent his head and kissed her lips.
Her lips tasted sweet and addicting. And she let out a soft moan, making him swell immediately in arousal. He felt her lips moving under his as she slowly kissed him back.
He badly wanted to deepen the kiss, but he resisted. He didn’t want to break the spell.
He kept it slow, simply tasting and feeling her soft lips. He smiled, tasting the dessert she must have had during dinner. He discovered she had a sweet tooth. He wondered if he could use that weakness to soften her against him.
Unable to resist anymore and wanting to taste more of her sweetness, he slid his tongue inside her mouth and took a long swipe. She moaned again, but soon her sleepy eyes blinked open.
She pulled away slightly, breaking their kiss. “Shiv?” she asked in a sleepy, husky voice.
“Yes.”
Slowly, comprehension dawned, and her eyes widened. She placed her hands on his chest and tried to push him away. “You kissed me!”
“Yes.”
He stood up straight while she sat up hurriedly on the chair. Her eyes emitted sparks of anger and outrage. He thought she would call him names for kissing her, but she surprised him.
“Why was I locked in the penthouse all week?” she demanded.
“It’s a big penthouse, and you have access to the floor which has my private gym, home theatre and game room. There are several restaurants downstairs with private booths that are reserved exclusively for me where you can dine in case you are bored of home-cooked food.”
She didn’t seem to care. “When will I be allowed to go out?” she asked.
Shiv let out a sigh. He knew the current topic would ruin the mood. He wanted to pull her back into his arms and kiss her again. But he knew she would fight him this time.
“You can attend university when your classes begin. But I need you to take security along with you while you are out of the house.”
“Why?” she demanded.
“Because I said so.”
He knew she would hate that answer. Her eyes flashed in anger. He expected her to burst out angrily, but she inhaled deeply as though she were trying to control the outburst.
After a few moments, she seemingly appeared calmer. “We need to talk,” she said in a prim tone.
He wasn’t surprised. He knew the woman he married was smart. With a father like Narayan Bhasin, she had to always think on her feet to survive and cope.
He was curious to know what she had planned. They had barely been married a week, but he was sure she must have already thought of a way to get out of her current difficult situation.
“I want to make a deal with you,” she said. “About our… marriage.”
A while ago, he had been tired as hell, but now, he felt completely invigorated. A dark, challenging excitement coursed through him.
***
Naina’s stomach quivered at the look in Shiv Jaipal’s eyes. She knew he was observing her like a hawk, looking for her weaknesses, so he could pounce on her again.
Her lips tingled where he had kissed her. She knew she should be outraged at the kiss, but all she felt was a simmering desire to explore more, which was exactly why she needed to make a deal with the devil, so she could keep him at a distance.
Taking a deep breath and gathering courage, she looked at him determinedly. “I have decided to make peace with our marriage.”
She saw the flash of dark satisfaction in his eyes, which made her angry. Controlling her anger, she continued. “But I have certain conditions.”
He didn’t say anything, and his close, watchful look was beginning to make her nervous. So she forged on hurriedly before she lost her nerve. “I know you have all the power between us, and you don’t have to listen to anything I say to get your way. But I won’t let you control me with your threats or bullying. I’m going to fight back. I’ll do everything in my power to make your life a living hell if you don’t agree to this deal.”
He raised an eyebrow at her threat, and a dimple flashed at the slight twist of his lips. “Sweetheart, if this is your way of negotiating, you’re lucky that you are not in my line of work.”
At his amused taunt, she felt another spike of anger. “Well, I’m glad I’m not a shameless criminal too!” she snapped.
Then realizing what she was saying, she sucked in deep breaths to control herself. “W-what I meant was that… that… if we reach an understanding, it would be easier for both of us.”
“Tell me how,” he drawled lazily.
Her stomach fluttered once again in nervousness. He looked like a hunter playing with his prey.
“I-I want to meet my mother whenever I want, and I want to continue with my studies uninterrupted.”
He didn’t show any reaction to her demand. “As long as you take the bodyguards with you, you can visit your mother whenever you want. And your studies… I already told you before that you can attend classes commuting from here.”
She bit her lip. “Yes, but I don’t want distractions. I don’t want any of my friends to know… I’m married.”
Her heart thudded as his eyes flashed. Was he angry or amused? She couldn’t make out.
“It’ll be hard to hide that fact,” he said matter-of-factly. “Because I’ll need you to accompany me to parties.”
She frowned, hating that she would be forced to accompany him to parties. But she nodded. “I can accompany you as long as those parties don’t clash with my exams or assignments. And I only want to hide our marriage from my mother and friends. I don’t care about the rest.”
He fell silent and con
tinued to watch her closely.
She fidgeted. There was more, and it was the hard part. She didn’t even know if he would agree to it, but she had to try. “I… I… don’t want to have sex until I’m used to this marriage… and until I’m used to you.”
His face remained unchanged.
There had always been something explosive between them. Despite the anger, hate and fear, she still felt an unnatural pull towards him.
He knew that. It was even proven once again when he had kissed her a while ago, and she responded to him. Her stomach still quivered from their kiss.
She fully expected him to refuse the condition of no sex. She was prepared to fake tears and use her virginity as an excuse to tell him she was terrified of him and sex.
“All right,” he said. “We’ll wait for a while.”
She was taken aback by his easy acceptance. Just when she was relieved, there was a slow, dark smile on his face that had her heart thudding.
“But just because we can’t have sex doesn’t mean we can’t do other things…”
Her heart beat faster, and she opened her mouth to voice her denial, but her words remained frozen in her throat when he cupped her jaw. Slowly, he rubbed his big, calloused thumb against her lips, making her breathe heavier and faster.
“There is more to desire than having sex,” he said in a hypnotic tone. “And I think it’s an intriguing idea to wait. It builds certain… anticipation for the main event.”
Her heart almost pounded out of her chest as dirty, steamy visuals filled her mind of them indulging in sensuous acts that were technically not sex.
She somehow tried to find her voice. “That’s not what I meant!” she said breathlessly.
He knew that already. He smiled wickedly, flashing his dimples. “Well, sweetheart, our marriage just got even more interesting.”
Panic began to fill her. She didn’t know whether she made things easier or worse for herself. For the first time, she understood why he was called the devil.
CHAPTER 2 6
“What do you mean you will no longer stay at the hostel? I thought you hated staying at your father’s home.”
Naina looked at her friend Pooja’s confused and worried expression. “My father wants me home. There’s apparently some kind of threat, and he is not comfortable letting me stay in the hostel without security.”
Pooja glanced at the four armed bodyguards standing at a distance. Naina was still angry and annoyed. Shiv had apparently left strict instructions to the four bodyguards to shadow her each time she stepped out of the house. When she woke up that morning, he was gone again. He hadn’t slept next to her on the bed, either.
She wasn’t happy about the bodyguards, but she had no choice.
Three more months, and I’ll be free.
“Something seems different about you.”
Naina tried not to react to Pooja’s remark. Did something give away she was married? It wasn’t like she wore any traditional jewellery. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t know… something is different… and I don’t mean that in a bad way.”
Naina’s other friend cut in. “Maybe it’s her clothes. They fit her well, and the guys can’t seem to take their eyes off of her.”
Naina felt self-conscious and she was angry again. The designer labels were obvious. She had wanted to pick up her clothes from her father’s home, but the bodyguards were left with strict instructions not to take her there. So she had no choice but to wear the clothes that were placed inside the penthouse closet.
“No. Not just her clothes. She just seems different, somehow.”
Naina didn’t comment. She knew her life had changed drastically. She wasn’t even sure herself whether her situation had improved or worsened.
Maybe in a sick, twisted way she preferred this marriage. Compared to the previous alliances when her father had tried to get her married to a violent rapist and a sick predator, getting married to Shiv Jaipal seemed like the lesser of evils.
Better the devil you know.
It had barely been a few hours since she had struck a deal with the devil, but so far it didn’t seem that bad. In the week of their marriage, he had been home only for two nights, and he hadn’t slept with her in the bedroom.
She wasn’t naive enough to think that it would remain the same throughout, and there will be a time when he would return. But even if that happens, she would continue to hold him off using their deal.
Just for three more months, she would pretend to be content being married to the devil, until she made her final escape.
CHAPTER 2 7
“It’s definitely him.”
At Shiv’s statement, Tejas frowned. “How are you so sure?”
“I just know.”
Tejas continued to frown. “With due respect, Shiv. You have plenty of enemies who are trying to attack you and find your all your weaknesses. What makes you think it’s him who sent you the image?”
Shiv was annoyed by the questioning. “I can’t explain it, but my gut feeling says it’s him. The reason why I asked you to join me on this trip is to help me trace the location from which the message was sent to me on the phone. I need to get him before he gets here. I already put a team in place to trace the location, but they have been unable to track him for the last two weeks.”
Tejas nodded. “It’s not that easy. The man has been making so many near escapes. He can even change faces like a chameleon. He knows you are hunting him.”
“I damn well know that,” Shiv said in frustration.
“I’ll try my best.”
“Don’t just try. Give it your best. I need him at any cost.”
Silence fell at his order. Shiv knew that letting his frustration and anger show wouldn’t help. But he couldn’t stop it. He had been hunting Vicktor over the years, but the man continued to escape him. Despite destroying all of Vicktor’s operations, the bastard continued to rise like a phoenix. Vicktor no longer had the power, but he had powerful contacts who were willing to hide and help him escape.
Shiv got another clue that Victor was hiding in Moscow. But a week later, even though the lead turned out to be true, somehow the man managed to escape again.
Tejas stared at him with an uncertain look. “If you think it’s him who sent the image to you… maybe we can set up a trap. Maybe—”
Even before the policeman could finish, Shiv cut him off. “No. I don’t want to consider that option.”
The foolish cop still continued to press. “It’s the best way and might be the only way to trap him. If you just let us plan. Tell your wife—”
“I said no.”
Tejas fell quiet and sighed. “Fine. I’ll try to get the location. I’ll check what proof we can collect from this house.”
“Thanks.”
Shiv knew he would use every resource available to him to get hold of Vicktor and kill him again. Every resource except for what the policeman was suggesting.
CHAPTER 2 8
“Good evening, Naina.”
Naina smiled. “Good evening, Sitaram,” she greeted. “How was your day?”
“It was good, thank you. Would you like to have a drink or a snack?”
Naina shook her head. “Nothing right now. I have a few assignments to finish. I’ll have dinner later tonight.”
Surprise flashed in the old man’s eyes. “Very well. I’ll get going then. Have a pleasant evening.”
Naina waved him goodbye. She found his surprise odd, but she was glad he didn’t insist as always to stay until she had her dinner. Even though there was a large staff at her father’s home, she was used to doing things on her own.
Letting out a sigh, she went towards the bedroom. She shivered slightly, feeling cold. Over the last week, she had adjusted the air conditioning to be in a normal temperature range rather than freezing cold. Sitaram must have reset the temperature again.
Making a mental note to change it later, she pushed the bedroom door open and went in.
Compared to her bedroom in her father’s house or her tiny hostel room, the penthouse was huge. She always thought her taste ran towards more traditional homes, but she definitely liked modern spaces and minimalistic decor. Hopefully, someday in the future when she was settled with a good job, she could afford to buy a small apartment that she would decorate with a similar modern decor. Hopefully, her mother would like that place too.
She had met her mother that evening, and she seemed fine. But the guilt of leaving her mother with strangers however kind they were remained as usual.
She let out a tired sigh. The week seemed long and tiring. Maybe because of the thirty-minute commute each way to her university, which she wasn’t used to before. And since the academic year was coming to an end, the classes and assignments were becoming more intense. She was glad that she would get a two-day break during the weekend.
She went to the closet and took out a t-shirt and track pants. Then pulling out the pins and rubber band, she freed her hair from the tight ponytail and tied it into a knot on top of her head. She decided to take a long, hot shower before settling down to study.
But as soon as she pushed open the bathroom door, all her plans flew out. She gasped loudly in shock.
The devil had returned. And he was naked!
No, not entirely naked, she slowly realized. He had a towel wrapped around his hips.
“I… I…” She didn’t know what to say.
He must have just stepped out of the shower. His hair was still wet, and water droplets were dripping down his chest. He was standing next to the marble countertop looking into his phone when she had burst into the bathroom.
