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He laughed harder. Making his way to his bedroom, Alexandru gently laid her down on his bed. Then he flicked her forehead. “Idiot. Do you really think I would let any harm befall you?”

She didn’t answer, her gray eyes filled with apprehension.

He flicked her forehead again. “They were eating her body...for mutual pleasure.”

It took her a few seconds to understand what he meant. “Oh.” She shook her head, the images his words invoked making her swallow convulsively, and she blurted out, “Like...a buffet?”

He choked, managing to say, “I suppose you could say that.”

Gnawing on her lip, she asked haltingly, “And...you...Master? Did you...try the buffet, too?”

His smile turned sly. “If I said yes?”

She thought hard about it. “I’m going to cry.”

His jaw dropped at the unexpected response, but when she only continued to look at him with a mulish expression, his smile slowly returned, but this time it was one of approval. “You are getting as good as me at blackmail.” He pinched her cheek, hard enough to make her squeal. “I’m not sure it’s a good thing, though.”

She reminded him, “But you still haven’t answered my question, Master.”

He said solemnly, “I did not, as you put it, try the buffet.”

“Why didn’t you?” She held her breath as she waited for his answer.

He said simply, “I hate sharing.” He was about to say something else when they heard his phone ring from the outer room.

When a frustrated look flittered over his face, she asked, “What is it?”

“A call from one of my men. They are the only ones who know my number.” Reluctantly, Alexandru pulled away from his pet, leaving one knee on the bed as he straightened.

The sudden distance between her Master and her was painful. She wanted to call him back to him but bit her lip to keep the words inside her. A thought occurred to Zari, and sitting up, she asked, “So...when you wrote the note about something needing your attention, you really weren’t lying?”

He flicked her forehead. “What do you think?”

“I think you like avoiding giving me straight answers, Master.”

He rolled his eyes. “Between you and me, which of us do you think utters more lies?” He shook his head in exasperation. “Of course it was true.” His voice gentled. “We had been parted for a long time. I wouldn’t have given up the time I have with you if it was not something important.” He paused, as if realizing what he had just said.

Dammit! Whathadhe just said?

She gasped. “Master, you’re blush—-”

“Don’t. Say. Another. Word.” He glared at her. “I think you’re also a bully yourself, pet. You like making me say the most ridiculous things.” Turning away and walking to the door, he said over his shoulder, “I must leave the room for a while andlet the headmaster know that I’ve received the call we’ve been waiting for.”

“I don’t want to,” she said automatically.

But he only laughed and closed the door behind him.

Alone in his bed, she tossed and turned but couldn’t make herself fall asleep. She opened his bedside drawer, hoping to find something to read, but instead she found a piece of parchment with her name written below.

It took her a while to understand the words since it was written in Chalysian. It was a contract of claiming, with her name and Alexandru’s – but unsigned. Did it mean she was not his pet, after all?

Chapter Six

“Can I read the next item, Master?”

Alexandru groaned. He was lying on his back on one of the sun lounges, the two of them enjoying a rare vacation at Alexandru’s secret island retreat. Taking off his dark sunglasses, he looked at his pet in exasperation. She was floating lazily on his private pool, lying on the inflatable bed. Her bikini-clad body made him think of more other interesting things to do than talking about her proposal.

“Did we not agree this would be a work-free vacation, pet?”