Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios Read Free Book Online

how to defend herself against that.
    Malek frowned. “Come now. Do I scare you that much?”
    Nalia shook her head and he ran the back of his finger over the birth mark, down her cheek, never taking his dark, dark, almost-black eyes off her. He tilted her chin up and stared at her for a long moment, then he let go, satisfied at whatever he saw in her eyes.
    Nalia retreated back to the fire while Malek leaned against the large wooden desk in the corner of the room, absently turning the thumb drive over and under his knuckles with one hand.
    “So what happened with the client?” he asked.
    “I didn’t remind him to clarify his wish,” she said, watching Malek’s face carefully. “He wanted invisibility and he got it—for the rest of his life.”
    “He can’t change back?”
    Nalia shook her head.
    “What’d he do to warrant your wrath?” Malek’s voice was light. There was no hint of the anger she’d so often seen in his face. Why? Where was it?
    “He . . .” What was the human expression? She’d learned it recently, when she’d told her jinni friend, Leilan, about Malek’s advances. “He hit on me,” she said.
    Malek went still. “Are you all right?”
    “Since when do you care?” The words slipped out, unbidden. She instantly regretted them—they weren’t worth even one second in the bottle.
    He set his drink down and crossed to her. Nalia’s feet instantly shifted into a defensive position, her hand a breath from the dagger strapped to her leg. If he punished her, she’d fight. She’d lose—he could command her to stand still or punch herself, if he wanted to—but she’d promised herself that she’d never go into that bottle without fighting like hell to stay out of it.
    But Malek was full of surprises tonight.
    When he reached her, he slid his fingers around Nalia’s arms and gently pulled her against him. This close, she could see the gold chain that her bottle hung from, tucked inside his shirt. Her breath caught in her throat.
    Malek brought his lips to her ear, smiling as her heart threw itself against his chest. “I care, hayati . More than you realize.”
    She pulled away. “No, you don’t.”
    Nalia didn’t know what to make of this new Malek, with his soft words and caresses. But she preferred a beating to what he wanted. Sickening as it was to admit, Nalia knew she was lucky. Nearly every jinni she met on the dark caravan had been forced to sleep with their masters, slaves to commands that stole their very bodies from them. But Malek had never done that to her.
    Not yet.
    He reached for her hand and she placed it in his, unthinking—a natural reflex. After so much time in captivity, her body was accustomed to obeying his every command. He brought the inside of her wrist to his lips. Nalia forced herself to meet his eyes, though their hidden depths frightened her. It wasn’t just because her fate was entirely in his hands—Malek Alzahabi was unpredictable at best and sadistic at worst. Just when she thought she’d figured out how to play nice, he changed the rules of the game.
    “I wish . . .” he whispered.
    Her eyes widened, but he just sighed. If he made his third wish, she’d be free.
    “No,” he said. “You can’t grant me what I want. You have to give it to me. Someday you will.” He searched her face, a wistful smile playing on his lips. “But can I wait that long?”
    After a few moments, he let go of her. “Come join me when you’re ready. There are some people I want you to meet.”
    He paused at the door and turned to her as he buttoned his shirt and put on his bow tie.
    “Nalia?”
    “Yes?” she whispered.
    “Don’t ever make me wait again.”
    Then he was gone, the room somehow colder, as if he’d taken away the warmth in it just to let her know he could.

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