Page 59 of Captive Prize

"Take it out," he said as he got off of me, his thumb running across his lips like he couldn’t believe what he had just done.

"Take what out?"

"The IV. It’s done."

Sure enough, the bag was empty, so I removed the needle and placed a bandage over the tiny hole in my arm. Though I didn’t see the point. With that medication, I’d clot like a normal person and no more than a drop or two would leak from the puncture site.

But I supposed I couldn’t really afford to lose much more.

He waited. Not saying a word, just hovering over me, waiting for me to put the needle down and secure the bandage. His eyes stayed on me. Never straying from my face.

When I glanced back up, meeting his eyes, he still said nothing. He merely stood and then scooped me into his arms.

"Put me down," I said, fighting his hold.

It was no use.

His arms were like iron bars around my legs and my torso. Not that I had the strength to fight him off, anyway.

I was still so tired, my limbs so heavy.

That didn’t mean I was going to let him win. Even if it was completely futile, I would always fight.

He carried me into the bathroom, then locked the door behind us.

Still without a single word, he set me down on the edge of the counter and retrieved a box of waterproof bandages, changing out the one at my temple before moving over to the shower and starting it. Hot water sprayed from the overhead rainfall showerhead, filling the room with steam in seconds.

"Get out of those clothes," he ordered, and I had to suppress a shiver running through my body. I hated how much I loved thestrength in his voice. Every word out of his mouth was not up for argument, spoken like just because he willed it, it became law.

He was the type of man that the world obeyed. I wanted to obey his command. Not just because my clothes were filthy, caked with dried blood and sweat. I wanted to please him, to bow to his whims and make him proud.

Why did it have to be like this?

If he wasn’t my enemy, then those words out of his mouth would have set my body on fire. I would have craved them, maybe even begged for them.

For a woman in my position, having a man that I could show weakness to was a luxury that I could not afford. Least of all with a fucking Ivanov.

"Sure, just as soon as you leave," I said, ignoring my hormones and instead relying on logic. I was pretty impressed with myself. The temptation to give in to him was overwhelming, but I held strong.

I wasn’t going to be able to take much more.

"I’m not going anywhere,printsessa." His eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms and stared at me, the challenge clear.

I glared right back at him. "I’m not going to just let you watch me shower."

The corner of Roman’s lips turned up in a curl as he kicked off his boots. "Do I look like the kind of man who only likes to watch?”

CHAPTER 16

ROMAN

Even in this, she fought me.

I wouldn’t have it any other way.

When she didn’t move, didn’t obey, I changed my tactics.

I could’ve just ripped her clothes from her body and tossed her into the shower. Perhaps I would’ve, under different circumstances.

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