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  Despite her anger and resentment, she felt a stir of pity for Ian. His best friend had betrayed him. She knew the pain of betrayal all too well, and her mouth firmed. “So I’m free?”

  He nodded. “You will be once the judge sees this evidence. She’ll dismiss the case, and that will be the end of it.”

  “When can I leave?”

  “As soon as the paperwork is completed to finish your bail. About five minutes. You’ll have to appear in court in two days, for formalities, but then you’re cleared.” He bowed his head, muffling his voice. “I’m sorry. I owe you so much.”

  She shifted with discomfort at his thick tone and searched for another topic, knowing she wasn’t ready to forgive him yet. “What will you do to Greg?”

  “He’s agreed to testify against EverResearch for a reduced sentence. Since Patty’s pregnant, part of our agreement is her name is left out of it.” A thread of anger underlay his bland tone. “Their patent will be revoked, and our company will apply for it. Essentially, McDermott Industries got their product back. It only cost me my friend…and maybe the woman I love.”

  She flinched at his hesitant words, struggling to avoid his eyes as he raised his head. “Don’t do this—“

  “I’m an idiot. How could I have ever believed it was you?” He cursed. “I knew you were an innocent from the first day I saw you walking Mrs. Ortiz’s ridiculous dyed-purple poodle. That’s why I was never more than distantly friendly with you. I didn’t think you could accept my lifestyle.”

  She shook her head, resisting the childish urge to clamp her hands over her ears. She didn’t want to hear Ian’s heartfelt confession. Serena wanted to cling to her anger. “Shut up,” she demanded.

  He ignored her. “I told myself I couldn’t have anything to do with you, but I still bought Augustus and hired you as his walker. I kept telling myself if I waited a few years, until you were older, maybe I might stand a chance. Maybe I could even give up the need for control.” Ian sighed. “Everything changed when I thought you had betrayed me.”

  “Yeah, it was suddenly okay to use me however you wanted,” she said with a viciousness she couldn’t mask. “However you wanted…whatever you wanted. ‘Yes, Master’,” she mocked. “And what did it do for me? Not a damn thing! I still ended up in here.”

  “If you had stayed at Castle Phantasie—“

  “Don’t you dare blame me for this,” she shouted. “I told you I was innocent. Jesus, Ian, I slept with you before you ever accused me. You used me, just because you were angry.” She leapt to her feet and started pacing the confines of the small room. “You wanted me to pay, and I have. If I were innocent before, I’m certainly not now.”

  “Please, Serena, I want to make it up to you. I’m in love with you.”

  She scowled at him. “You aren’t in love with me. You only want to appease your conscience.”

  Ian got up so quickly that the chair tipped and fell to the floor with a crash. He rushed to her. To Serena’s surprise, he didn’t try to take her in his arms. Instead, he dropped to his knees and took her hand. “I know you’re angry, but let me have a chance to make this up to you. I do love you. I’ve treated you badly, forced you into something you hated, and I need to make things right.”

  She squirmed, acknowledging she hadn’t hated everything she had experienced at Ian’s hands. “How? What will you do?”

  “I’ll give you anything—“

  “I don’t want your money.” She tugged away her hand. “I don’t want anything from you.”

  “Serena—“ He reached for her again.

  She jerked away as the lock turned in the key. Ian got to his feet and righted his appearance, but a flush stained his cheeks as the guard walked in.

  “Bail’s posted,” the woman said, crossing her arms as her gaze flitted between them. “Let’s go.”

  She turned to Ian before leaving the room, lowering her voice to a whisper she hoped wouldn’t carry to the guard. “I don’t want anything to do with you. If you want to make things right, just stay away from me.”

  * * * * *

  Three days later, Serena finally got around to unpacking her suitcase. She tried not to remember the pleading expression Ian wore yesterday in court, and how he had tried to catch her eyes as she left the building. She had deliberately turned away from him and kept walking, denying her own needs as much as his.

  She didn’t pay much attention as she unzipped her case and began removing the clothes. Her eyes insisted on seeing phantoms of Ian, with his face contorted by passion as he made love to her. Her body responded, and she smothered an oath, wondering why she couldn’t forget his touch. Surely, her anger should obliterate every other trace of feeling she might have for him, but it didn’t.

  She should hate Ian for accusing her and punishing her for a crime she hadn’t committed. If he truly believed she were an innocent, he never would have thought her capable of betraying him, regardless of the proof Greg showed him.

  She sighed, knowing the evidence must have been slick and convincing. His friend wouldn’t have wanted his part in the betrayal revealed, and Greg would have worked diligently to ensure his fiancée wasn’t implicated. Serena had been a convenient target, and Ian had been duped in more ways than one.

  That didn’t excuse what he had done to her, she reminded herself. He had forced her to become his sex slave to pay off a debt she didn’t owe. He had used and humiliated her, in the name of vengeance.

  But he hadn’t humiliated her, except with Konrad, and he had been genuinely sorry for that. He had angered her more than once, and he had pushed her beyond what she would have considered her own limits to submit, but he had never set out to deliberately hurt her. He had even provided an out for her, although it wasn’t much of one. If she spoke her safe word, she faced prosecution.

  She tossed a handful of clothes across the twin bed, not seeing their wrinkled state. Instead, she saw the note he had left, mentally reading the words once more. She kept coming back to the fact that he had left her to investigate further, driven by the inconsistencies, and acting on nothing more than his own instincts. New proof hadn’t emerged to cause him to question his conclusions. Ian had double-checked because he wanted her to be as innocent as she seemed.

  She blinked back a haze of tears and reached into the suitcase again, knowing she had to finish unpacking. It had been difficult to focus on anything during the past few days, and if she kept putting it off, she would never finish the chore.

  Serena froze when her hand brushed against the collar and harness. She frowned as she lifted it out slowly, eyeing it as though she had never seen it before. Why had she packed it? She remembered the frantic rush to dress and pack so she could catch her flight, but didn’t recall stuffing the collar into her case.

  She pushed aside the suitcase and sat on the bed, stroking the buttery-soft leather. It was a sign of Ian’s dominance, and she should hate to even look at it. She shouldn’t feel melancholy touching it, or wish for its familiar weight again.

  She should throw it away and banish the memories of Ian with it. Serena hesitated, clutching the collar in her hands. She searched for the strength to do what needed to be done, wondering if she had the fortitude, knowing she had to do it. It was the only way to be at peace again.

  Chapter 7

  Serena knocked on Ian’s door, feeling her stomach dance with butterflies. She wondered what his reaction would be. Again, she questioned her decision, but didn’t have time to change her mind as the door opened to reveal a shocked Ian. She buried her hands in the pockets of her overcoat and strove to sound cool. “May I come in?”

  He didn’t speak as he stepped back to allow her entrance. He appeared dazed.

  She walked inside, balling her hands into fists. She heard the door close behind her, but didn’t look at him as Auggie came to sniff her. She withdrew one hand from her pocket and stroked his silky fur. His tail wagged enthusiastically, and he licked her arm. She spoke baby-talk to him, lavishing a
ttention on the dog in an attempt to avoid meeting Ian’s eyes.

  He cleared his throat, but she didn’t look up until he spoke her name. “Serena?”

  Traces of red decorated his hazel eyes, and he had new lines grooved into his skin. He looked like he had aged five years in the last three days. Good, she thought with a hint of malice. He deserved to suffer a little for what he had done to her. “Ian.” She was amazed at her even tone, how it didn’t betray even a suggestion of nervousness.

  He ran a hand through his already messy hair. “Um, what brings you by?”

  She licked her lips, wondering how to proceed. She had rehearsed it all mentally, but it was a lot harder to follow through with her plan in person. She shrugged. “I wanted to know…”

  “Yes?” he asked as her silence stretched.

  She swallowed the ball in her throat. “I wanted to know how you feel about me today. Have you changed your mind now that you’ve had time to think things through?”

  He flinched. “No, of course not. I love you.”

  The anguish in his tone pleased her, and she accepted the vindictiveness of her reaction with a slight sting of her conscience. It was fun to watch him squirm, but she hadn’t come to punish him any longer. Her refusal to acknowledge his existence the past few days had done that already. She nodded. “I see.” A feeling of confidence swept through her, and Serena strolled into his living room. She turned to face him, casually untying the knot at the waist of her buttoned coat. “How much do you love me, Ian?”

  He looked wary. “What do you mean?”

  “Do you love me enough to smother me with diamonds, offer me half your fortune, fall at my feet and worship me?” She bit down a grin at the outrageous question. She knew where she was leading, but he obviously didn’t, judging by the pained look on his face.

  “I’ll give you all that and more.” His voice broke, and his shoulders bowed. “Just don’t leave me again.”

  Serena abandoned her teasing at his tortured tone. Her fingers made quick work of the buttons, and the overcoat fell away to reveal what she wore—the collar, harness, black thigh-highs, and black stilettos. She walked to him, stopping when she stood a few inches away. “I’m here to stay, Master.” Her voice trembled a bit as she dropped to her knees before him, bowing her head in a submissive pose.

  She held her breath, awaiting his reaction. He didn’t move or speak for long seconds, and she was aware of the clock ticking. The soft carpet became rough against her silk-clad knees, and her heart stuttered with nervousness. She was about to get to her feet again when Ian’s hand settled on her shoulder, caressing lightly.

  Her eyes widened as he dropped to his knees in front of her. She didn’t have a chance to say anything as his arms went around her, and his mouth settled on hers. His lips were soft and hesitant as they molded to hers. Serena parted her lips with a sigh, and his tongue slipped inside to explore her depths. Her arms wound around his neck of their own accord, and she pressed her body closer to his.

  Ian broke away with a gasp. “Why? Why did you come back?”

  She propped her forehead against his as she twined her fingers through his hair. “I love you, Ian. I was more than half-crazy about you even before we made love. Once I knew how good things could be between us, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I guess I should hate you, but I can’t.”

  “You should.” He pulled away, sitting back on his calves. “I’d give anything to make it up—“

  Serena pressed her fingers to his lips, silencing him. “I know. There is only one thing I want from you.”

  “Anything,” he said against her fingers.

  “Forever,” she said softly, feeling a bit shy. “I want to be yours.” She bowed her head, unable to meet his eyes. “I want to submit to you always.”

  A harsh exhalation escaped him. “You don’t have to do that, Serena. I’ll admit I’d love to have that kind of relationship with you, but I don’t want to force you into it. I can be content with the type of marriage others have.”

  Her eyes widened, and she lifted her head. “You’re proposing?”

  He nodded, looking nervous.

  “Yes.” Serena threw herself against him. “Yes, Master. I want this. It’s my choice. I missed wearing the collar. I missed having you in control.”

  Ian cupped her face in his hands. “You’re the one with the control, pet. You control my thoughts, my actions, my heart.” He kissed her lips briefly before lifting his head. “You’re everything to me.”

  She snuggled into his arms, comforted by his words, knowing it was the same for her. She had tried to deny what she felt for Ian, and then she had tried to ruthlessly cut it out, but she couldn’t. He owned the most important part of her—her heart, just as she owned his.

  Chapter 1

  Regan’s Recovery

  Regan eyed the men in the bar, searching for Mr. Tonight, wondering how long it would take her to find one to invite back to her suite among the slim pickings offered in the pre-dinner cocktail crowd. She quickly narrowed her options down to three possibilities.

  The bartender had a nice ass. She noticed it each time he moved to make a drink. His face was pleasant enough, but with a roughness of features she didn’t normally go for. She wondered how old he was, guessing at least twelve years her junior. That didn’t automatically take him out of the running, but it made her hesitate. Another point against him was he was working, and she didn’t feel like waiting hours until he got off so she could get off.

  Her gaze skipped to the second possibility, and he was enough to make her pulse skyrocket. His olive skin glowed with honey undertones in the amber light provided by the hanging lamps. His hair was thick and black, with nary a strand of gray, but there were lines of maturity around his dark eyes and mouth, indicating he was near her age. She couldn’t fault his trim, muscular physique in the black cashmere sweater and khakis. In fact, the only thing she could find fault with was the brunette trying to hook up with him.

  With a sigh of regret, she transferred her attention to the third option. This one had the look of an executive in vacationer’s clothes. A sleek style tamed his short blond hair, and his eyes sparkled when they met hers. A grin tugged at the corners of her mouth when he lifted his drink in her direction and winked. Regan lifted her Jack & Coke to reciprocate the gesture, although she skipped the girlish activity of winking.

  She was unsurprised when he got off his stool across the bar and walked over to her with casual grace. She turned her body slightly so he would have room to slide onto the stool beside her, and she prepared her “meet-the-client” smile as he sat beside her.

  “Hello, gorgeous. Where have you been all my life?”

  She frowned at the silly pickup line, but shrugged aside her annoyance. She didn’t care about the man’s social grace. All that mattered tonight was his cock and how well he used it. “Hello.” She couldn’t obliterate the trace of coolness in her tone, although it wasn’t her goal to drive him away. She fully intended to be in a state of post-coital bliss by morning, and she didn’t plan to be too meticulous about her partner. She would be satisfied with attractive and clean. She would be thrilled with biddable.

  “I’m Barry McPherson.” He held out a large hand, engulfing Regan’s in his when he shook hers.

  “Are you from Scotland?”

  He shook his head. “Ireland, miss.”

  She nodded, recognizing the underlying accent when he spoke more. “I’m Regan.” She didn’t offer a last name. She wanted to leave as little as possible with him, and she wanted little in return.

  He sipped the amber liquid in his glass before speaking again. “What brings you here?”

  “Vacation,” she said, although her tongue wanted to trip on the word. She yearned for the familiar sounds of ringing phones, incoming faxes, frantic assistants, and coolly handled meetings. The quiet of this place was too extreme. “You?”

  “I’m meeting someone here.”

  She nodded. “Business
?”

  Barry shook his head. “Not at all. She’s a sweet girl I met on the Internet two years ago. We’re getting married in the chapel when she arrives tomorrow morning.”

  Regan sighed, mentally scratching him off her list. “Congratulations.” She glanced at her watch. “I really should go. I’m meeting friends for dinner.” The falsehood flowed smoothly from her tongue, although she didn’t make a habit of lying. Maybe it came easily because she had originally planned to meet Serena, before the girl canceled on her.

  “Hold up there, miss.” His hand clamped on her silk-clad thigh, bared by the short dress she wore. “No need to leave just yet. I came a day early so I’d have time for one last fling.” He pushed his luck by sliding his hand higher up her leg, until his fingers rested under the hem of her dress.

  Regan put her hand over his and dug in her nails. She had no problem with casual sex, but not if the partner was someone else’s. “I’m not the woman you’re looking for. It was lovely to meet you,” she made no attempt to hide her insincerity, “but I must go.” Barry withdrew his hand with a hiss of pain, and she slid from the stool, pausing only to drop a four-marc on the bar before striding from the dim interior to make her way to the restaurant.

  * * * * *

  It was with some surprise that she greeted the dark-haired man from the bar as he stopped by her table. She scanned his immediate vicinity, pleased to see him brunette-less. She arched a brow when he stood without speaking. “May I help you?”

  White teeth flashed against darkly tanned skin when he grinned. “It is I who might help you, signorina.” His words were smooth as honey, but made tangy with the accent shadowing each word.

  Her hackles rose in response to the faint air of challenge clinging to the man. Her eyes narrowed. “How so?”

  “You seem to be without a dining partner.” His eyes scanned the area around the table, as though looking for a man she might have stashed out of sight. “May I have the pleasure of keeping you company?”