“What’s the worst that could happen? Neither of us enjoy it, so we stop and do something else? Céleste gave me a housewarming gift. We could play that instead.”

“What was it?”

“Candy-Land.”

Nora laughed. She had to, it was all so ridiculous.

“I know what you’re doing,” she said.

“Making you an offer you can’t refuse?”

“Will you ever stop manipulating me? Ever?” She hadn’t gone near him in a week, staying home, all alone, hiding from him, hiding from her pain. Only this offer would tempt her back into bed with him after all she’d been through. Truly, only this and nothing else. And he knew it.

“I’ll stop the day you stop enjoying it, Little One.”

She snapped her fingers in his face as he’d done to her a thousand times.

“That’s Mistress Little One to you.”

Chapter Forty-Eight

They retreated to the downstairs guest room. Inside it was quiet, still. Nora imagined she could hear her own heartbeat, but it was only the pounding of nervous blood in her ears.

The last of the evening’s sunlight streamed through the sheer white curtains over the large mullioned windows above the bed. The room was filled with golden light and silver shadows.

As soon as they entered the room, Nora shut the door to keep the new roommate out for the next hour. Something about the lock clicking made it all real to her and she closed her eyes, hand still on the knob.

“Eleanor?”

“Tell me this is real.”

He took her in his arms and held her to his heart. She rested her ear against his chest, his heart beating steady and ready and slow. He wasn’t scared. Of course not. Just a game, she told herself. Just another mind game.

“It’s not real,” he said. “It’s only a dream. And we never have to be afraid in our dreams.” Was he talking to her? Or himself? Either way it helped. The pressure lifted. Only a dream. Just a dream. Just her most deliciously decadent impossible dream.

Slowly, she pulled herself from his arms, faced him.

“Stand there.” She pointed at a spot on the floor at the foot of the bed next to the steamer trunk. He raised an eyebrow but obeyed.

“Here?” His bare feet were placed precisely where she’d pointed. “Or here?” He moved one centimeter to the right.

“Submitting for five seconds and you’re already a brat.” This was a very good dream. “There is fine. Stay.”

She found the matches and lit the candles arrayed on the fireplace mantel. The room was dark and growing darker. Soon the candlelight would be the only light they would dream by.

“Tell me again you want this?” She turned to face him.

“I want you,” he said. “All of you. For once.”

All of her. If that was what he wanted…

“Take your clothes off.”

She waited for the refusal, for him to remember who and what he was—dominant, master, owner—and who and what she was—submissive, slave, possession. Instead, he pulled his t-shirt off, folded it in half and lay it neatly over the back of the leather armchair. Jeans next, then his black—of course—boxer briefs, both folded and left on the chair, just so.