Page 78 of Wicked Trap

She was strongly drawn to every aspect of him.

He caught her staring at him, and his laughter slowly faded. His eyes turned heated with a familiar look that she now recognized. It made her stomach flutter more and her heart race with anticipation.

“The cooking lessons will have to wait, princess,” he said huskily, lowering his head until his lips met her cheeks. “Your instructor demands prior payment.”

She blushed.

***

“No. Don’t stir it yet,” Arjun’s deep voice instructed from behind her. “Let the chicken brown.”

They were inside her apartment, and the aromas drifting in the air were delicious. She still couldn’t believe that she was cooking. She was super excited each time she made something, and it genuinely tasted amazing.

She turned to see Arjun leaning against her refrigerator while sipping a beer. He had stocked her refrigerator with lots of groceries, including his beer.

He smiled in amusement at her excitement.

“The chicken will be browned in a couple of minutes, princess. Start getting ready to add the rest of the ingredients.”

She followed his instructions and kept the vegetables and spices close to her. A couple of minutes later, she added them in the sequence he mentioned.

When everything came together, he came closer for a taste. “Hmm... you are a fast learner, princess. I think I’m going to have you slaving away in the kitchen more often.”

She laughed and hit him on his shoulder. “Jerk.”

He grinned. When she tasted the dish she had made, she was shocked too. It came out well, almost as good as his.

She was still touched by the fact that he had learned cooking at a young age as a way to help his busy working mother. Not many children were as considerate, especially little boys.

Although she was the one to establish the rules, she was curious about his life. “Does your mother work still?” she asked.

Something flashed in his eyes at her mention of his mother. Before she could analyze it, it disappeared. She wondered if she had imagined the reaction.

He nodded with a smile. “Yes. She is a teacher. She teaches kids in underprivileged neighborhoods.”

“Oh. That’s so awesome.” She felt an immediate liking towards his mother. The older woman sounded sweet and wonderful for choosing to teach underprivileged children.

“What about your siblings?” she asked. “What do they do?”

He looked amused at her prodding. “They are in the construction and hospitality industry.”

She assumed they must be a civil engineer and maybe a hotel manager.

“Do they live here in the city?”

He shook his head. “No, they don’t live here.”

She hadn’t seen anyone visiting his place so far, which meant he probably went to his native place or some other place to visit his family.

“Do your brothers cook as well?”

He let out a laugh. “Unfortunately, no. I was the only one to learn from my mother. My brothers started working from a young age and weren’t home much. It was mostly me and my mother.”

That made her all the more curious about his life. She recalled the brief conversation on the night of the storm. He had mentioned that his family was forced to leave their home on the day of his father’s funeral.

It was heartbreaking. But she admired that despite the circumstances, his family chose hard work and compassion. She also liked that he came from a humble background.

Although she wanted to know much more about him, she knew that the same would be expected from her in return. And she wasn’t prepared to reveal much about her life. Not without putting his life under threat.

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