• • •

THE following evening Knox let her into the penthouse. If he noticed she was nervous, he didn’t mention it.

Amery’s steady heart rate skyrocketed when she opened the door to Ronin’s secret room.

Spread out across the bench was a satin kimono the color of cherry blossoms—pale pink that gradually morphed into a deep rose at the bottom hem. She picked it up and rubbed the silky fabric against her skin, half expecting the sweet aroma of cherry blossoms to surround her. But Ronin’s scent teased her nose and she breathed it in.

A piece of paper fluttered to the floor. Amery picked it up, realizing it was a list for her. Ronin’s precise penmanship stood out in black, a sharp contrast against the thick white paper. She read:

INSTRUCTIONS

Strip and wear nothing beneath the robe.

Leave your hair down.

Kneel on the pillow in the center of the room.

Close your eyes and allow your mind to drift.

No wasted words. No surprise there.

As Amery ditched her clothing, the balls of nerves knotted in her chest, her belly, and the back of her neck began to loosen. She slowed her breathing and focused on her senses.

The cool robe slithered against her naked, heated skin. The velvet pillow provided cushioning for her knees as she rested back on her haunches. The only scents she could distinguish were Ronin’s and the slightly bitter tang of her own sweat. Her mouth remained dry, but she could taste the remnants of her breath mint. Placing her hands palms up on her thighs, she searched for the quiet place inside her where unease didn’t have a foothold.

Her happy sense of calm wavered when the door snicked shut.

Breathe.

Then Ronin’s hands were on her scalp. Petting her, following the length of her unbound hair to the ends in the middle of her back. His mouth brushed her ear. “Nervous?”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

Not the response she expected, which caused her to bristle and ask, “Are you nervous?”

His softly whispered “Yes” was there and gone.

She permitted herself a small smile.

He said, “Stand,” and helped her to her feet. From behind he untied the robe’s sash at her waist. He slid his palms up the length of her arms. He peeled back the fabric from her shoulders, and the satin fell to the floor.

Amery had been naked in front of him before, but this seemed . . . new.

Then his lips were on her skin, trailing down the side of her neck in a silent command to arch to the opposite side. Her hair swished against her back in an erotic arc as she complied.

“So lovely,” he murmured, while pulling her arms behind her back. “Is it comfortable for you to grab your elbows?”

She maneuvered her arms into a better position.

“Perfect. I’m going to start tying you now.”

Her stomach lurched in a combination of fear and excitement. She blurted out, “Am I supposed to keep my eyes closed?”

“Up to you.”

“Me watching you won’t bother you?”

Ronin stepped in front of her. “No. The only thing that will bother me is if you’re not honest about how you’re feeling. Blocking your sight will strip away another layer of your control. I can blindfold you if you’d prefer.”

“Oh.” Part of her wanted to be blindfolded to get the edgier experience, but a larger part wanted the option of watching him as he bound her.

“So what’ll it be?”

“I’ll wing it.”

He pressed a kiss on her lips. “Stay still. I’ll be right back.”

Amery watched as he selected three plain white rope bundles from the far wall. And she managed a clinical detachment about what he intended to do with the rope until he loosened the first bundle. She squeezed her eyes shut.

“I’ll start with a chest harness that will also immobilize your hands.”

“Okay.”

That’s all Ronin needed. The first wrap circled her chest below her armpits. As did the second and the third. Then he crossed the center of her chest, and that pulled the bindings tighter as well as squeezed her br**sts.

She contemplated looking down to watch him at work, but she focused on his rough fingertips gliding across her skin as he checked the tightness of the bindings. And yeah, they were plenty tight.

“Are you holding your breath?” he asked in that low, commanding tone.

“Maybe a little.”

“Inhale and exhale slowly. Even more exaggerated breathing than you use in yoga.”

She nodded and filled her lungs.

Ronin didn’t miss a beat and kept wrapping.

When he tugged the rope across her nipple, she sucked in a surprised breath.

“One more like that.”

The second wrap compressed her ni**les between the two ropes, creating a pinching sensation, and her eyes flew open. She glanced down and saw her ni**les elongated from the pressure and jutting out from the ropes.

His thumb swept over the left one as his right hand held the coil of rope. “Does it hurt?”

“Not when you touch it like that.”

Ronin kept stroking it, staring into her eyes. “This tie is called ‘string of pearls.’ See how the binding makes the tips of your ni**les round?”

“Yes. Just as long as it doesn’t cut off my circulation entirely and turn them white.”

“I know how sensitive your ni**les are. Plus, my mouth will help restore blood flow when the time is right.”

That brought forth a flash of heat between her thighs. She closed her eyes.