It was the first time he’d kissed her, the first time he’d touched her at all since the holidays. And in private. Not for an audience. That made it the only real kiss they’d ever shared.

“You’re mine whether I use you or not. You get that, right?”

His words were harsh and cold, but there was so much warm intensity in his tone that all she could reply with was a breathless yes.

“I’m showing you mercy by not taking you downstairs. Remember that.”

There were electric butterflies in her stomach: arousal as well as fear over what she was about to say next. “If you want to show me mercy, send Mei Lin away.” She shut her eyes and held her breath while the words floated on the air like snowflakes.

“Will you take her place?”

She looked away. “I’m scared.”

“I know you are.” His tone did nothing to disguise how much her fear excited him.

“You sent me away the last time I offered because you said I didn’t want this, what changed?” It would have been easier if he hadn’t rejected her, if he’d forced her to keep to her word after she’d given it. Asking her to say yes again, after sitting on the stairs, listening to what sounded like torture, was too much. It wasn’t reasonable to ask this of her. And yet, she couldn’t stop herself from making the offer because whatever he might do to her down there would hurt less than the bond he would otherwise form with someone else, shutting her out a piece at a time.

“The last time I thought it was about you being afraid for your own safety if I became interested in someone else. Now I know it’s more. You have feelings for me separate from the situation you find yourself in.” He stroked the side of her face, causing her to look up into his eyes. “Tell me you’ll take her place, and I’ll condition you to love everything that scares you.”

* * *

Leo descended the stairs into the dungeon to find Mei Lin sitting on the red leather couch against the wall, her feet pulled up with her. She hadn’t bothered to get dressed, but had put a towel down from the bathroom to sit on.

She looked up when he entered the room, and he felt a moment’s guilt for what he was about to do. Mei Lin was the whole package, and if not for Faith, he might have tried to see what could develop. But taking his ownership of Faith to the next level had become an all-consuming obsession.

Her consent upstairs had been given with a large amount of fear, but an equal amount of dignified determination. He was almost tempted to call it off again, but he needed this. How could he know what she could and couldn’t handle if he didn’t give her the chance?

“I’m not going to see you again, am I?” Mei asked. Hearing Faith’s crying on the stairs was all she’d needed to start putting pieces together. “We keep missing each other. I’m with someone or you are. Perhaps in another life?”