“We have the rest of our lives to get to know each other,” he countered. “I want you, Yasmin. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for. I have shown more patience than I thought I was capable of, and now it’s your turn to give me what I want.”

“Please, Volkan,” she whispered, holding his gaze. “I’m scared.”

Something in what she said, or how she said it, finally caught his attention. He rolled off her and dragged the blanket up her body, covering her nudity.

“You aren’t feeling well after your flight,” he announced, pushing himself off the bed. She cringed back against the pillows. “You have your reprieve, Yasmin, but I won’t allow your resistance for long. You need to accept that we’ll be together.” He strode to a door and opened it. “You can take a shower in here. Freshen up and meet me in the dining room for supper.”

It was supper time? When had she arrived? Her flight landed at 2:00 PM. She twisted on the bed and looked toward the window where the sky was rapidly darkening. She gathered the blanket around her, steadying herself against the headboard as she stood.

When she was sure her legs would hold her weight, she made her way to the window. Her mouth fell open when she realized exactly how high up Volkan’s penthouse was. An unfamiliar city sprawled below, cars whizzing through narrow lanes and a train making its way steadily through the city centre. It felt so weird that on the other side of the glass, far below, a world was going on without her. It was like she was in an alternate universe, trapped in a prison high in the sky.

Shaking away her grim fantasy, she turned back to the room and debated what to do, her head clearer now that the drug was wearing off. She saw her suitcase and moved toward it, finding comfort in the familiar.

If she tried to leave, Volkan would stop her. She assumed that since he put so much effort into bringing her here, he had things in place to keep her. She’d seen enough movies and read enough books to know that if she tried to escape without a plan, she’d be tipping him off about her intentions and he’d watch her that much harder.

But if she pretended to play Volkan’s game until she could find a way out, she might trick him into lowering his guard. Volkan believed he was in love. Maybe his feelings for her would blind him to her true intentions.

The man was unhinged. There was truly something wrong with him. She’d sensed it months ago when he’d started pursuing her. During the few dates they'd had, he proved himself unstable. Now she was certain he was insane. Why else would he kidnap her, declare his love and tell her she would love him too?