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I roll my eyes before taking a seat in my usual spot opposite his bed.

“Go on.”

“Never trust your hostage. They will do anything and everything to get out of your grasp. That includes gaining your trust and appealing to your better nature.”

“Sure. If I end up making a habit out of holding people hostage in my basement, I’ll be sure to follow those rules.”

“You know who I am, yet you’re not scared of me. Why is that?” he asks, sipping the coffee, and for a moment, I think I see him wince, but his usual smirk pulls in and hits me like a truck. I might not think he’d physically harm me, but this manhas a whole arsenal of weapons at his disposal.

“Oh, I’m terrified of you. It’s why I want Danny out. He deserves a good life. He’s smart, he’s incredible with computers and could be doing something with that.”

“You don’t seem scared though.” I see he deflects my comments on Danny.

“No? Maybe I’m good at acting.”

He takes another sip and leans back. His shirt is still off despite it not being that warm down here. He isn’t wrong about hostages doing whatever they can to gain favor. He’s noticed me checking out his broad chest with splattering chest hair. His shoulders and biceps aren’t just from lifting weights. This is a man who has worked out for years. The scars on his chest and one down his forearm only make his body more intriguing.

My mouth waters at the thought of touching him freely. If I’d thought about this differently, I might not have needed to abduct him at all. I could have seduced him, learning each contour of his body while I did it. But I can’t—even the thought is preposterous. This situation is hard enough now, but at least I’ve been upfront. He knows what I’m doing and why I’m doing it.

I don’t have the strength to emotionally manipulate someone. Especially not him, who I’ve learned can be kind when he wants to be. He’s gracious and easy to talk to. And his body runs circles in my brain night after night. You know when you take one look at someone, and you can just tell they would know exactly what to do? Too long, I’ve worked to get myself off in bed with a partner. Focusing so much to keep in the moment. Nothing stills my brain. Whether it’s a lack of skill or something wrong with me, finishing during sex has always been a difficulty.

“Nah, I think you’re curious.” That damn smirk is back.

“Curious?”

“Yeah, curious. I have a theory.”

Of course he does. I lean back into my chair, attemptingto appear relaxed.

“I’m not what you expected,” he begins.

True.

He doesn’t wait for me to respond. “I’m not a mindless killing machine.”

Maybe not mindless.

“I’m not angry or demanding.”

I keep my eyes fixed on his despite the overwhelming urge to look away.

“I understand why you’ve done this. Hell, I would do the same thing if it was my brother. Well, a hypothetical brother that I actually like. Not my idiot older brother.”

I ignore that comment even though hearing a small tidbit about his life seems to warm my chest. “Then you know why I have to keep you here.”

“I do.”

“So you’ll let Danny go?”

He shakes his head but has the decency to look sad about it. “I said I understand. I’m empathetic to your cause. But this is not going to turn out the way you want it to, Olivia. It’s just not.”

He leans forward with his bare feet flat on the ground. His elbows are resting on his thighs as he leans forward. Like a doctor breaking the news to a patient’s relative, he’s bringing himself down to my level, speaking softly as if not to frighten me. But I am frightened, despite what he says. I know he’s working on me. Seeping into my thoughts and my body, too. It hums for him. Every time I’m close to him, I feel like I’m charging up; my battery always feels overflowing when I’m near him. The excess energy needs a release, and I don’t know how to get rid of it.

“Okay. So abducting you isn’t going to work. What will? There must be something you want. I can take his place. I can—”

“No.” His deep voice is sharp and raised.

“But—”