“Another life, definitely.”

Leo extended a hand to help her off the couch then pulled her into an embrace. “I don’t want to be your rebound, Mei,” he whispered in her ear.

“I know.”

She’d split from her master of six years over the holidays—a man she’d truly loved. Leo had heard about it through the grapevine when he’d been on the prowl for a play partner. This wasn’t their time. As a Catholic, he didn’t believe in reincarnation, but if Mei Lin was right, his agreement for another lifetime was sincere.

He released her and took a step back. “Turn around. I want to look at the marks I left on you one more time before you go.”

Mei Lin turned silently, her silken hair falling in a black cascade down her back as she did. She bent over to retrieve the shiny silver hair sticks she’d left on the couch on her arrival. Leo enjoyed the view until she righted herself and pulled her hair back into a bun, securing the soft wisps into place.

He eased closer, running his fingers over the whip marks across her back and the welts on her ass. “Such lovely skin,” he murmured against her shoulder. “None of us deserve to mar it like this.”

She laughed. “You’re such a gallant gentleman when a woman is free. Those wouldn’t be your words if you were my Master.”

“No. They wouldn’t be.” Because in that case, she’d be his to do with as he wished. It was the same as how you might dog-ear the pages of your own books, but never a book that didn’t belong to you.

He trailed kisses along the marks he’d left and then stepped back to enjoy the vision in front of him one last time. “I’ll leave you to get dressed. You can show yourself out.”

“Yes, Sir,” she said. Her voice stopped him when he reached the stairs. “Leo?”

He turned. “Yes, Mei?”

“Be careful with her.”

He nodded and went upstairs to have another talk with the possession he’d finally fully acquired.

He knocked softly on the door when he reached Faith’s room.

“Come in,” she said, her voice sounding terrified from the other side of the wood, as if he would unleash some uncontrollable animal on her before the ink was dry on their agreement.

He pushed the door open to find her at the desk, a solemn expression on her face. It didn’t escape him that she’d moved as far from the bed as humanly possible, as if to dissuade him.

“We need to discuss some business,” he said.

“Business?”

“A few details. Meet me in my office in twenty minutes.” He wanted to give Mei time to clear out so the two women wouldn’t have an awkward meeting in one of the hallways, and he knew if he said twenty minutes that Faith wouldn’t leave until she had to.

She nodded like she understood the stakes, and Leo left and closed the door softly behind him, a small smile of triumph curving his lips.