RONIN was finishing his grocery order when he heard the elevator engage.

“Yes. Go ahead and fillet the tilapia. Whole-grain English muffins. Canned coconut milk. The light kind. Pine nuts. Three pounds of baby sweet potatoes. Five pounds of seasonal fruit—but not all apples or pears. Mangos are fine. A bag of whole Kona coffee beans. Yes. That should do it. Tomorrow after nine is fine. Thank you.”

Amery stopped on the opposite side of the serving bar. “Who was that?”

“Harvest Table.”

“Ronin, I told you I can pick up groceries.”

“And I told you after I felt better I’d feed you.” He noticed her furrowed brow. “Did lunch with my sister give you indigestion?”

She glanced up. “No. It was very . . . enlightening.” She slid a to-go box toward him. “Brought you a sandwich. Don’t worry. It’s healthy.”

Ronin moved in beside her and curled his hand around the back of her neck. Their mouths met, and she leaned into him, letting him lead the kiss. But when he tried to break their lip-lock, she growled and chased his mouth until he was kissing her again.

“Baby,” he said between tiny love bites, “I have only so much control. Keep kissing me like this and I’m fucking you against the refrigerator.”

“But I love kissing you.”

“My lips are yours, anytime you want them. Right now, though, I need them to eat.”

Amery was distracted as she plated his food.

“What did you and Shiori talk about?”

“She brought pictures of your dorky teen years and filled me in on all the crazy stuff you used to do.”

Ronin stopped chewing and looked up at her.

She laughed. “Kidding. But your guilty look means there are things to tell.”

“Not much. I was an exemplary child.”

“Says you. I’d bet that was because you’ve always been such a damn control freak.”

He ignored the comment and continued eating his lunch.

Amery poured two glasses of lemonade. “I’ve been thinking about what you’ve been harping on the past few days.”

Harping on? Really? Bullshit. “And?”

“And you’re right.” She picked up his hand and traced the backs of his fingers. “We need to reconnect sexually because it is a big part of who we were together.”

“Were?”

“Yes, were. We have to take the past into account to go forward. And I realized something else today.”

Why wouldn’t she look at him? “What’s that?”

“Things are starting out between us exactly the same way they did last time. We—I—need to break the cycle.”

“Amery, I’m lost.”

Her gaze collided with his. “Last night you went down on me. Yes, it was as great as it’s always been. So that is the same type of scene as when you poured candle wax on me and got me off with your hand.”

“That’s not the same thing at all. And if you’re looking to even the score—although god knows I’m not keeping track—I’ll drop my pants and you can blow me right here, right now.”

She dropped his hand so fast it smacked into the countertop. Then she stepped back and glared at him. “Omigod. Are you even listening to me?”

Shit. “I’m trying, but apparently we’re having a miscommunication. Tell me exactly what you want from me.”

“I want to tie your hands, blindfold you, drip wax on your chest, and then jack you off.”

Ronin spit lemonade halfway across the kitchen.

Then an evil laugh accompanied the knowing twist of her lips. “Surprised, Master Black?”

“Yes, and I hope like hell you’re joking.”

“I am not joking. You expect me to jump right back into your bed like nothing ever went wrong between us. Plus you demand that I trust you, and I always have. In bed and out and whenever you bind me. So I want you to show me that same level of trust.”

Fuck. The woman was serious. And there wasn’t any way he could say no. He could try to play the injury card . . . But one glimpse into those determined blue eyes of hers and he knew he was totally fucked.

Totally. Fucked.

Except . . .

“All right. I’ll agree to prove my trust in you, but I have a couple stipulations.”

“Of course you do,” she muttered. “Fine. Name them.”

Ronin rose from the chair and started toward her. “First, you truss me up, tease me with wax, and get me off in my practice room.”

“Okay.”

Did the woman have any idea how much it turned him on when she backed away from him with that sexual fire in her eyes? “You are sweet sin, and I cannot wait to get my fucking hands on you again.”

“Is that a stipulation?”

“Yes. Feeding this craving I have for you won’t be a one-time thing. After we break the ice that’s settled between us, I can fuck you anytime I want.”

“Or I can fuck you anytime I want,” she retorted.

“Fair enough.” He caged her against the wall and placed an openmouthed kiss on the sweet spot on her neck. “You let me bind you again. Starting tomorrow night.”

When she trembled, he knew she’d missed that intimate connection as much as he had.

“I look forward to your rope tricks,” she whispered against his throat. “Is there anything else?”

“Yes.” His heart rate quadrupled, but his fear wasn’t holding him back this time. Ronin nudged her chin up and gazed into her beautiful eyes. “You let me tell you that I—”

Lightning fast, her fingers pressed against his lips, stopping the flow of words. “You don’t have to—”

Equally fast, he pulled her hand away. “Yes, I do, and it is a stipulation or this is a no-go, understand?”

She nodded.

He captured her face in his hands so she couldn’t look away. “Amery, I love you. I’ve been in love with you since the moment you kissed my bloodied hands and asked me to put them on you. I don’t know why you haven’t let me say it to you whenever I’ve tried to in the last week, but you need to know before you let me make love to you again that I do love you.”

“Okay.”

Okay? That was it? That was all he got from her?

This is not about how she feels; it’s about you manning up and telling her how you feel.

Then Amery smashed her mouth to his and kissed him with the unbridled passion he’d missed.

She put her hand on his chest and pushed, breaking the kiss. “You . . . Damn. You completely fried my circuits.”

“Just imagine how mindless I’ll make you when I’m inside you.”

“I can’t wait. But first I need to know where you keep your candles.”

Ronin stepped back. “We’re doing this right now?”

“You have other plans?”

“Now that you mention it, I think I’m out of candles.”

“No problem. The citronella ones from the pool area worked on me. Guess it’d be poetic—or would that be ironic?—if I used one on you.”

“Maybe I have birthday cake candles somewhere in the kitchen.”

Amery raised both eyebrows. “Birthday cake candles? You aren’t afraid of a little burning-hot pain, are you, Master Black?”

“No,” he scoffed. “Just trying to improvise. Isn’t there a red candle in the guest bedroom?”

A horrified look crossed her face.

“What?”

“Red wax would look too much like blood, and I’ve seen enough of your blood to last me a lifetime.” She swallowed hard. “Red wouldn’t be sexy at all—”

“Ssh, hey.” He tugged her against his chest. “Bad idea. We’ll figure something out.”

Amery clung to him for minute and retreated. “I’ll go up to the roof and get those. You can go into the practice room and get ready.”

“Get ready?”

“Strip and meditate or whatever you do to prepare your mind for when you go into rope master mode.” She grinned. “Oh, and pick out the rope for your hands and a blindfold.”

“You are enjoying this far too much, Amery.”

She pecked him on the mouth. “I hope you enjoy it too.”

Ronin stared after her, hoping he didn’t freak out from the loss of control. He’d never allowed a woman to master him. For some reason, that’d always been a point of pride with him.

Pride goeth before a fall—and heaven knew he’d fallen for her hard since he’d agreed to put himself in her hands.

He unlocked the practice room and turned on the lights. Then he headed down the hallway to his bedroom. Getting naked wasn’t an option. Amery had worn pants during that encounter, and so would he. He stripped off his gi and dragged on a pair of nylon athletic shorts.

After washing up, Ronin strolled into the practice room. Amery was already there, standing in front of the picture of herself bound in red ropes.

Ronin moved in behind her. “Have you forgotten how stunning you are when I bind you?”

“Do I really look like that to you?” she asked softly.

“Yes.” He brushed his mouth across her ear. “You look like you belong in here, don’t you?”

“You mean the picture looks like it belongs in here.”

“That too.” He retreated and went to the small chest of drawers in the corner, which held miscellaneous items. He selected a simple black eye mask. When he turned around, Amery was right behind him.

“I believe it’s my right to select the blindfold. And nice try with that one, but no.” She ducked around him and rummaged through the pile until she found the one she wanted. She faced him, and a long black silk scarf dangled from her fingertips. “Oh, and FYI, I found a black candle on your sacrificial altar.”

He’d forgotten about that since he’d been lax in his meditation practice the past few weeks.

Amery snapped her fingers in front of his face. “Focus, sub.”

He lifted a brow. “Sub?”

“Kidding. Now, which rope do I use for the binding?”

Ronin picked up a fifteen-foot length of black cotton rope, half an inch in diameter. “Hold out your wrists so I can show you a fast and easy binding.” He folded the rope in half. “Where it’s folded is called the bight. Move down about twenty inches and hold it as you start to wrap the wrists. Make sure the wrists don’t touch, or you can’t finish the binding.” He wrapped the rope three times. “Now twist them together. Then drop the bight end and the end of the rope between the gap in the wrists. Pull both back up and tie a square knot.”