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His eyes flashed with anger.
She arched a brow. “Hey, I am willing to talk to you. Isn’t that what you wanted from me in the first place? To talk.”
He looked pointedly at her. “What if I say no to your terms?”
“Then I will run away the first chance I get, and I will hide somewhere so far that you will never find me again.” She stared at him for a long beat. “I mean it.”
“Fine…I accept your terms. I won’t touch you at all as long as you follow my rules. But, Avantika…” he leaned forward, his hand fluttering to her jaw. His fingers paused mid-air over her skin. She sucked in a harsh breath as his fingers hovered over the center of her lips, not touching her. Yet, she felt the heat from his hand on her lips. Fucking bastard.
He smiled, and only when he moved his hand away could she breathe again.
“So, as I was saying,” he continued in a lazy tone. She really wanted to hit him. “I won’t touch you, but if you touch me even once on your own accord, then…”
“Then what?”
“I hope you actually get to learn the answer to that one,baby.”
“God! I hate you…”
He smirked. “You say that now. But there could be a day when you think differently. And Avantika, just to be clear, there is no place on this planet where I won’t look for you if you run away. It took me twelve fucking years to find you, and I will do it all over again if I have to.”
Her phone rang in her purse, preventing her reply. Her eyes met his and he said, “Answer it if you want. As I said, you’re not my prisoner.”
She pulled the phone out of her bag, grateful to see it wasn’t Neil, but her brother, Aaryan, on the line. Dev looked out of the window of the speeding car, presumably to give her whatever privacy she could have in the closed confines of the car. The phone rang again and then stopped. She quickly typed a message to Aaryan.
“I’m fine. In London. Will call you in a bit.”
His reply was instant.“I’m worried…”
She typed back.“Don’t be. I’ll call and talk later. In the car now…with him.”
She put her phone back in her bag and focused on Dev instead. He was still looking outside, one arm resting on the car window, his fingers rubbing his chin.
He truly was behaving contrary to her expectations. She’d fully expected him to keep her confined and not allow her contact with anyone. But he’d thrown that notion right out of the window. She ought to be happy that he was giving her the freedom to do as she pleased as long as she followed his few rules.
She crossed her legs and looked at the cars speeding by. To be fair,hewasn’t asking a lot from her. And if he actually kept his word to her, and she could move about as she wanted to and do as she pleased, then it was a win-win situation. The twelve days would pass far more quickly than she’d imagined them to. She mentally started the countdown. Day one had started, and now, only eleven more to go.
5
She was a fighter…this woman. He’d thought the events of the past would have mellowed her, perhaps even wounded her spirit. But no. Avantika was a lioness. Her claws were sharp, and she was ready to take him on. Fuck! That was such a turn-on.
He liked the woman she’d become—brave and fearless, a complete spitfire. He even enjoyed bantering with her. Avantika Rajpoot had grown into this lovely, spirited woman, and he hated that he’d given his word to her that he wouldn’t touch her, especially when the temptation to touch her was becoming more and more rampant. But he’d waited for years to get a chance to be with her like this, and he wouldn’t ruin it for anything, not even his increasing desire to claim her as his again.
The car finally stopped in front of a posh hotel in Mayfair. Dev stepped outside and held the door open for Avantika to alight. She looked up at the red brick and glass windows of the hotel.
He ushered her inside the hotel, and within minutes, a staff member led them straight up to the top-floor suite. Their bags were waiting inside the suite, and after tipping the staff, he shut the door behind him.
Avantika looked around the large suite, and he could see her expression change to one of pure delight when she found there were two separate bedrooms.
She rolled her two trolley bags and said over her shoulder, “You said I was free to do what I want, right? So, I’ll see you when I see you.”
“Sure, you have an hour,” he called after her. “I’ve made dinner reservations at the restaurant below for seven.”
She pivoted and threw him a glare. When she turned to go to the room again, he said, “Just a heads up, this is one of the poshest hotels in London, so the restaurant I’ve chosen is very high-end and fancy.”
“This is not a holiday,” she scoffed. “I’d prefer to eat in the room.”
“Uh…no.”
