Page 26 of A Royal Deception

“Don’t even think about it,” he warned softly.

With a defiant glare at him, I pressed the lock on the door. But nothing happened. I kept pressing it frantically, harder every time, until the chauffeur cleared his throat.

“Hukum,” he complained mildly.

“Your Rani Sa is a stubborn woman,” said His Highness, and my heart slammed into my ribcage at hearing that title. It held no respect, just thinly veiled contempt.

I shrank against the seat in despair, and His Highness pressed the button that rolled up the privacy screen between the front and back seats. We were cocooned in a tiny vacuum, and as we stared into each other’s eyes, the air around us suddenly seemed charged with fear and fury. And something else that made my throat go dry in anticipation.

With an effort, I dragged my eyes from his and fixed them on the window as the car raced down the treacherous, hilly road. I needed to calm down and reason with this madman. Because he couldn’t just carry me off like this. I knew he wanted to make some kind of statement by driving off with the woman he’d married instead of Kavya Baisa, but I couldn’t leave my sister behind.

I took a few deep breaths, and when I could speak coherently, I turned to him again. To my dismay, he was still staring at me. Damn it! That hypnotic stare drove all my thoughts out of my brain.

I shook my head and tried again.

“Your Highness, please take me back. I beg you,” I said softly.

He looked as if he was about to say something, but he suddenly changed his mind, and his eyes glittered dangerously. I tried to retreat, but there was nowhere to go in the back seat of the car. Without warning, his hand shot out, and he pulled me into his arms.

“What are you…ummmffff?”

His lips swallowed my indignant question as he took advantage of my open mouth and kissed me fiercely. I wanted to protest, but without my permission, my arms went around his neck, and I tilted my head to grant him better access.

He was breathing hard when he pulled away. I opened my eyes slowly and froze when I realised that I was plastered against him. I moved away hastily and glared at him.

“You opportunistic bastard,” I hissed. “How dare you touch me without my permission?”

“You conniving bitch,” he countered with a smirk. “How dare you marry me without mine?”

For fuck’s sake!

“I made a mistake, and I’ve apologised for it, Your Pigheadedness! Get over it, and let me go!” I snarled.

“Never,” he said with relish. “I’m going to lock you in my palace and torture you for the rest of your life.”

“Pfft! You would never torture a woman,” I scoffed because I knew that about him, even if I knew nothing else.

Under all that grumpiness and vile temper was a deep well of kindness. Only, right now, the temper seemed to be in ascendance. And rightfully so. Ihadcheated him horribly. Just because of that, I was going to give him some grace and not slap the living daylights out of me for mauling me like a bear. I ignored the fact that I had quite liked being mauled by this bear of a man.

Focus, Shivina! You have to get to your sister, I told myself sternly.

“Torture comes in many forms, Rani Sa,” he said, casting a slow, burning look up and down my body.

Fuck me if that didn’t make me wet! I squirmed in my seat and met his eyes calmly.

“You don’t scare me, Hukum,” I began, but my words ended in a squeak when he pulled me into his arms again.

“I told you never to call me that,” he whispered against my lips. “I see that I need to punish you until you learn to do as you’re told.”

He claimed my lips in another steamy kiss that left me dazed before he set me down again.

If this was his idea of punishment, sign me up right now, I thought hazily. No! What was wrong with me?

This was Kavya Baisa’a fiancée. After he got over his little temper tantrum at our deception, he was going to dump me and marry her as planned. So, I had no business giving in to his kisses.

“Look here,” I began sternly, but he put his hand out again, and I scampered backwards. “Stop it, Your Highness! You’re better than this!”

“If you don’t want me to kiss you again, I suggest you sit there quietly,” he said menacingly. “You’ve only seen the good side of me so far. Don’t make me break out my inner demon.”

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