Faith wasn’t sure where he was getting these women. Was there an escort service that supplied women who liked to beg and be hit? She tried to be okay with it. After all, it was obvious these women meant nothing to Leo. But he hadn’t done this before Christmas. Whatever he’d done with Caprice had reawakened something he could no longer keep in a box on the back shelf.

It was early February, and the Christmas décor still hadn’t been taken down. Faith was starting to wonder if Leo loved Christmas so much that everything stayed up year round. The doorbell sounded and Faith hid behind the large tree in the entryway. It was Friday evening at 7:30. Like clockwork. It was the same time but a different woman every week.

Demetri answered the door to reveal an exotic Asian woman. The same woman who had been here the previous week. Was he getting attached? During Christmas with the Caprice debacle, if Caprice could have been trusted, Faith could have coped with being in a tame relationship with Leo while someone else handled his darker needs. Now, though, something had shifted. Even if some other woman could just be a toy, Faith no longer liked the idea of sharing.

Demetri took the woman’s coat and stepped out of her way. “You know where to go, Miss Lin.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Faith wasn’t sure if Leo was already in the dungeon and she didn’t want to risk their paths crossing, so she waited a while longer behind the tree.

“Miss Jacobson,” Demetri said, coming around to stand in front of her. “Where on Earth will you hide when I take down the tree?”

So it did come down at some point during the year.

“I’m sorry. Excuse me,” Faith said, trying to brush past the butler. But he blocked her path.

“You know he doesn’t care about these women. He wants you.” The man had never been so overt about anything in all the time she’d been there. He’d been nothing but professional, but something must have been building and stewing. He’d probably calculated his odds on getting fired for this one were slim.

“Then why is he avoiding me? Why is he parading these women in front of me?”

Demetri chuckled and shook his head. “I’ve known him since he was a boy. My guess would be that he doesn’t trust himself around you. And for your second question… he has to be in control. He won’t give up his territory for your convenience.”

It was the most Demetri had ever said to her at one time. For weeks now, she’d thought the man was only capable of speaking in one-sentence bursts. She tried to brush past him again, but still he refused to move.

“It’s none of my business, but do you mind if I ask you something?”

It didn’t appear he was going to let her pass him otherwise. So it was either answer his riddles or knock down the tree and climb over the other way. “What?”