o bare skin, every nerve ending alive. The heat from the floor seeped into h

ist assessing his sculpture. Yet he hadn

rapped around her

he faint crease in his brow, screamed control. Lena wanted to move

en. Not out of fear

cipa

front of you. Palms

ob

r in not lewdly, but intensely, like she was a puzzle he wa

eing looked at like t

t like I'm somethi

ownership," he repli

That's the same thing

ssed his expression. "You'

ispered. "Ju

, and for a momen

e turn

nd retrieved a camera sleek, matte black, expensiv

said, as if reading

photographe

amera to eye level. "You're a

utter

ai

ag

mold her like clay. But he didn't. He

sked after a st

ic

ere ch

wh

M

ic

she said, her voice la

the kind that wants wealth. The kind that wants to be seen. Most people don't e

oat tig

w close his words

rong?" h

dn't a

quickened. She expected him to touch her. Instead, he reached f

was a

leather with a silve

omach

ng that," she

eplied. "Not unless you a

hat's

, I own the moment. Not you. Just this

om cold or nerves or ad

missive," sh

eryone is something...

g deep inside her. She

. "At any time, you can walk away. B

d down at

at Da

n b

if I say yes

from the box. "Then t

studio dimmed by t

she whi

mirk. He di

with slow, reverent hands. She expecte

... gro

e faster. Her

n," he c

on the platform earlier. Her body trembled slightly, though wh

ide her. Close,

the came

," he said. "It's about what'

think I'm hidin

answer r

ic

n open," he finally said.

art th

know me," s

he said. "B

the curve of her hip, her eyes looking st

like other m

plied simpl

silence. A

se, setting th

d," h

he collar fel

d the doors. "That'

it?" s

ng back at her. "

answer. Par

ouldn't a

said, and then vanished in

ger than her entire apartment, filled with soft linens, dim lights,

e session over and over in her mind. Damien hadn't laid a finger

t not violated. Seen

she didn

hin collar still around her neck. Her fingers

startl

toward the

ans

sed the room. Slow

xcept for a silver enve

it up. Un

was a

ou what it means to tru

t, in his handw

re hiding, Lena.

gers we

e

e hell

stepped back into the room and loc

ow something she'

o else