Page 3 of Mine to Take

CHAPTER TWO

FARID

“How is our guest doing?” I’d had Jared monitor the feed from the cameras in her room on a regular basis and she was only to have contact with he and Arianna, one of my sisters.

“She seems fine. Relaxed, if you want to know the truth.”

“What has she been doing?”

“Yoga.”

“Yoga?”

“Yoga and meditation, a couple of times each day. And she watches out the window a lot.” I pondered this for a moment.

“OK, thanks, I’ll be back tomorrow.”

Her face brightened when I walked into the room, or had I imagined that? I can’t believe how much I had been looking forward to seeing her. The yoga mat, meditation pillow and blanket in my arms drawing her attention from my face.

“How…” the question ended nearly as quickly as it began, the reality settling in on her face. “Of course,” she nodded and glanced around the room.

I pointed out the three camera locations.

“Thank you,” she said as I laid the gifts on the bed. “This tells me a couple of things.”

“And what are those?” Her comfort level with me surprising and refreshing. I instill fear and submission to most everyone else around me, even my own sisters. People, women, do not address me unless I have spoken to them first, and only if what I have said required a response.

“Well, apparently I’m going to be staying a while and you aren’t going to kill me any time soon.”

“I have no interest in killing you, or harming you in any way.”

“What is your interest in me?” she fixed her eyes on mine, the slightest curve to her lips, or again, did I imagine that?

I wanted to say to feel your silky hair twisted in my fingers, those sweet lips against mine. To pull your hips to me, have you feel how hard I get just imagining sliding inside you, feeling the heat of your skin radiating under me, having your body melt into mine and hold you all night long. I was powerless to stop the small grin from creeping onto my lips. She grinned back and looked away, just the slightest hint of a blush on her cheeks. All of my thoughts no doubt visible in my eyes to someone perceptible enough to read them.

“I realize I’m not in a position to make requests, really, but can I ask a favor?”

“Of course, you can,” I said my curiosity majorly piqued. “And your position here is very different than you imagine it to be.” I offered the very cryptic hint that in this room, just the two of us, she owned me.

“The books,” she said,

I furrowed my brow, not understanding.

“The room down the hall we passed.”

I nodded and smiled. “Yes, there is a small library.”

“Are any of them in English?”

“You don’t need them to be,” I winked at her. “Yes, many of them are. I’m not sure there is much there to your liking, but, of course, you are welcome to any of them.”

“You make assumptions about what I might like based on my gender and nationality good sir.”

I laughed at her, because she was exactly right, I imagined she wanted fantasy or romance, of which I had none. “I need to take care of some things. I’ll be back and we can have dinner and discuss your tastes in literature. Anything else?”

She was smiling broadly at me now. “Nope, that’s it for now.”

Still smiling I turned to the door. How had she done this to me? “Farid?” I turned to face her. “You should do that more often.”

“What’s that?”

“Smile.”

I continued to smile at her but said nothing. I didn’t say that you’ve given me a reason to for the first time in years. I shut the door behind me, hesitated and moved on without locking it.

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