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“Don’t keep her waiting. When you have a woman, a potential sub, with the devotion and loyalty she’s shown you tonight, don’t keep her waiting for anything.” Sadness flickering in his eyes, Ford reached out and brushed a knuckle over Tamsyn’s cheek. “Good effort, sweetheart. You were very brave.”

With a nod to Merrick, he turned and sauntered back into the bedroom, confidence in every step.

Tightening his arms, Merrick swayed from side to side as her sobs gradually became sniffles and whimpers. He hadn’t touched her for an hour, yet it seemed like weeks since his hands were on her, his mouth stealing kisses from her silent lips.

Not so silent now, he corrected himself. She might not be talking in full, cohesive sentences, butMerkwas a definite improvement from squeaks and grunts, however adorable he found them.

Somehow, the swaying turned into a slow dance. Closing his eyes, he moved in a circle to a rhythm that wasn’t really music in his head, but the beat of their hearts. He heard the front door close quietly, grateful to be alone again with his little owl.

“Merk,” Tamsyn whispered, her tone content. She eased back, brushing her lips over his cheek, his eyebrow, his nose. Soft, seductive kisses that tore his resolve to shreds.

“You found your voice, darlin’.”

She shrugged as if to say,some of it.With a visibly concerted effort, she said, “Mer-rick, pl-ease.”

Christ, her vocal chords sounded as though they’d been chewed on; Tamsyn grimaced like the words were clawing their way from her throat.

He didn’t have to ask what she wanted. He didn’t have the heart to deny her, not when her voice cracked in the middle of each word. More to the point, he couldn’t say no when it was exactly what he wanted as well.

Reality was just a hard pill to swallow.

“You know what’s gonna happen, little owl. Remember what I said?”

Wariness flickered in her eyes, illuminating the green flecks scattered through the tawny brown. Oh yes, she remembered the dire warning he’d given her—her solemn nod told him she’d taken heed of it, yet it didn’t deter her.

“After tonight, you’re mine. All of you. Mine to love and cherish, to protect with my last breath.” He ran his nose along her jaw, pleased with her soft gasp. “Mine to tie up and fuck, to bruise and torment, until it’s time to kiss it all better. All fuckingmine, Tamsyn. Are you ready for that?”

The delicate muscles in her throat strained as she croaked out, “Y-Yes.”

Merrick discovered he was impatient to hear her talk, now she’d teased him with that pretty voice. Single, halting words wouldn’t satisfy him for long; he craved the full force of her, to listen to her voice in all its glory and hear the inflections of her mood.

His feet were already in motion, carrying them both to the point of no return. He kicked the bedroom door shut behind them before lowering her to stand in front of him. A quick tug on the blanket and she was unveiled, the most beautiful and priceless piece of art he’d ever seen.

Dark hair tumbled to her shoulders, still damp from her dunking in the bath. She hadn’t brushed the silky strands, so they curled and tangled together around her lean face, accentuating the roundness of her eyes, highlighting the color.

If anyone asked him what he loved most about her, the answer would forever be her eyes.

She was pale, barely a hint of blush in her cheeks.

That was going to change in short order, once he distracted her from those pesky nerves. There was a perpetual vein of anxiety trickling through her, never quite silent, and he was adept in reading the signs now.

Her breasts were fuller than they’d been a month ago, those perfect nipples crinkling into tight, pink buds under the heat of his gaze. He had a set of clamps in mind to compliment them when the time was right.

She was trying to control her breathing, he noted, without much success. Her chest jerked with each unsteady inhale, and every exhale huffed through her nose. She was skilled at putting on a brave face, but in actuality, the façade covered nothing.

His little owl was an open book, a naked statue, a masterpiece beneath spotlights.

There wasn’t much she could hide from him.

Cupping her face in his hands, he kissed her forehead, the tip of her nose, and then her mouth. Slowly, sweetly, setting the tone for what was probably about to be the best and worst night of his life combined.

“Lay down, darlin’.”

Tamsyn’s gaze immediately shot to the bed where the covers were rumpled, her robe discarded in a puddle of fabric on the carpet. She shifted uneasily, obviously not keen on returning there tonight.

Taking her hand, Merrick led her the few steps across the room to the fireplace. It didn’t escape his notice how clammy her palm was, how tightly her fingers clutched his. “We don’t have to do this tonight, little owl. You need to be sure.”

While her busy brain kicked into gear, he bent and roused the dying embers with the poker until they glowed red, then tossed half a dozen logs on top.