Chapter 3 — Tempting The Devil

Poornima pulled him closer before he could walk away, her fingers tightening around his wrist possessively.

“Yes or no?” she demanded softly, her breath warm against his jaw. “Or should I ask someone else instead? Tell me, Salvatore.”

Veeresh stared at her for a long moment.

The club lights flickered across her face — beautiful, angry, drunk, broken.

Dangerous combination.

A smirk slowly appeared on his lips. “No,” he answered finally. “I’ve had many nights.”

Poornima hummed softly as if analyzing the answer. “Expected.”

Veeresh raised an eyebrow. “And what exactly did you expect from a man like me?”

“A man like you?” she repeated with a lazy smile. “Cold eyes. Expensive suit. Mafia secrets. Definitely not innocent.”

His gaze darkened slightly at the word mafia.

Yet she looked fearless.

That amused him more than it should have.

Poornima suddenly became serious. “What’s your rivalry with my family?”

Veeresh’s expression instantly hardened again.

“You’ll know when the time comes.”

“That mysterious?” she mocked.

“That dangerous.”

For a second, silence settled between them despite the loud music around them.

Then Poornima looked straight into his eyes and said quietly, “I need you.”

Veeresh almost laughed.

“You’re out of your senses.”

He turned to leave, but once again she caught his hand and pulled him back toward her. This time harder.

“Answer properly,” she whispered stubbornly. “Yes or no? Or else I have other men to ask.”

Something dark flashed in Veeresh’s eyes.

Jealousy.

Possessiveness.

Unexpected and immediate.

His hand moved to her waist suddenly, pulling her against him until there was barely any space left between them.

“You enjoy provoking dangerous men, don’t you, Poornima?”

She tilted her head innocently. “Maybe.”

Veeresh leaned down near her ear, his voice low and threatening.

“Go ask another man,” he murmured. “And I’ll show you exactly why people fear Salvatore.”