The evening was wearing on, but Hans kept his promise. He told Liam of his plans then brought out enough food to feed a small army. They all enjoyed the fresh taste of barbequed steaks, then retried to a pit where Liam built a fire. Cassie watched the guards as they each chose a girl to occupy the evening with.

Much to her disapproval, even the female guard, Elke, was sharing her time with Francesca and Anson. Liam stayed by Anne’s side but gathered Isabella close beside him. Erich had his arms around Violetta and Maria, while Bianca lay stretched out beneath Spangler.

As the sun set and the moon moved higher into the sky, the sounds of wolves howled in the distance. It was frightening at first, but they all seemed to relax soon enough. The moon was nearly full, illuminating the make-shift campsite with a soft glow. Hans once again found his passions burning to life. He didn’t care who was watching him as he slipped his hand up the front of Cassie’s sweater, and began playing with her breast.

With a gasp, she looked around the fire and realized nobody was paying any attention to them. They were all occupied with their own sexual games, kissing, touching, tasting each other without the slightest degree of shame or hesitation.

“That’s what the lessons have taught them,” Hans whispered against her ear as he pressed her down to the dry grass. “They are relaxed and comfortable, expressing their desires with each other.”

“Even the girls?” she asked with a disgusted curl of her lips.

“Women need love too,” he chuckled.

Cassie tried to ignore Anson, as he lifted Francesca’s sweater and began sucking on her large breasts, while Elke occupied her mouth between the girl’s legs. Francesca moaned deeply. There wasn’t the slightest hint that she wanted to resist their affection. The girl had lost a lot of weight, since they first came here, and had firmed up quite a bit. She was a very lovely young woman, and she seemed content with the attention the couple was giving her.

Hans lifted Cassie’s sweater and toyed with her breast while kissing her neck. He slowly moved his way across her throat, then down her sternum, kissing and nipping until she moaned. She felt the cool air of the night against her torso and opened her eyes. She couldn’t believe she was allowing him to fondle her in public, even if it was a private group at the corner of the property.

“Nobody’s watching,” he told her with a grin, sensing her hesitation. “They’re all engaged and enjoying their own party.”

Hans watched her eyes, smiling at the soft pink tinting her cheeks, as he leaned over her and began to play with her nipple. His tongue circled the hard peak, then down across the firm, warm mound. He hid his satisfaction when she moaned and closed her eyes again. He was proud of how smoothly she was making the transition from slave to lover, to a bride-to-be.

The minutes continued to tick by until Hans finally stood up. He reached down and pulled Cassie to her feet, brushing off the dirt and grass from her back. He glanced around at the group, smiling at the way the girls acted to the guards’ affections. Cassie followed his gaze with a slight frown.

Liam had Anne on her back, and her pants down to her ankles, as he rested his head between her thighs. Isabella was at the nun’s side, her hands caressing the woman’s breasts while she kissed her, and neither seemed to be disgusted or appalled by the event.

Anson was enjoying both Francesca and Elke as he reclined against a large tree stump, his pants down to his hips as the two females licked his arousal together.

“Finish up, and get the women inside,” Hans said, bringing all eyes to him. “If you wish to continue the evening’s…adventure…then you are free to do so. Just make certain the girls are bathed and if they’re hungry, they need to be fed before they retire. Lessons continue in the morning.”

“How long can we spend with them?” Anson asked, his hands on the women’s heads as they returned to their task.

Hans chuckled. This was a new experience for his guards as well as the women, and he wasn’t going to deprive any of them of having fun.

“If you wish, you may enjoy the rest of the night with them,” he smiled. “I’m sure your private lessons will benefit their training.”

Hans took Cassie’s hand and led her back toward the house. She heard a noise coming from the first of the two wagons and saw a young redhaired girl sit up, completely naked, and the head of the old man move to her breast. The girl giggled, and fell back down, disappearing behind the sides of the wagon.

“Who is that?” she asked, turning back to Hans.

“412,” he answered softly. “She’s on the sixth level. The others were occupied, so I ordered a girl to be brought up for the farmer.”

“I’ve never seen her before.”

“And you most likely won’t, until the next auction.”

“When will that be?”

“April. I’ve decided not to hold an auction this winter after all. The autumn sales were so successful, and profitable, I’d like to have a larger group for spring.”

“That’s sick,” she mumbled under her breath, and Hans pretended he hadn’t heard her.

“It’s not as bad as you expected, is it?” he asked, pausing by a tree not far from the wagon, or the bonfire.

“What?”

“The partners' segment. Orgies are as much fun as a single woman can be. I’m sorry your first time wasn’t the happy memory I hoped it would be, but what’s happening here is the best training those girls could ever ask for. It's far better than beating them or trying to rip their obedience out of them.”

“Too bad this isn’t the typical training session,” she told him. “Perhaps they’d enjoy being hostages a bit more.”

“Let’s go see how much you enjoy being a hostage,” he chuckled again, then leaned down and scooped her up, laying her across his shoulder.

Cassie squealed, and the sounds of laughter echoed through the darkness, but she really didn’t care. She was actually having fun, and the man was much more relaxed and comfortable than he had ever been. But then, he had changed a considerable amount since becoming engaged. He seemed more content, happier, even less…Master-like. It was as if finding love had changed him into a real man, and not the monster he’d grown up to be.

The sound of an engine echoed through the dark night, and Cassie raised her head to see a small black car pull down the castle’s driveway. She frowned, wondering if there was an underground entrance to the place, that she wasn’t aware of.

She watched the light of the moon struck the driver’s window and saw Rosa’s profile. She wasn’t supposed to be driving with her broken leg, and Cassie had no idea why she was leaving without permission. But Rosa was her own master. Like Hans, she refused to answer to anyone.

Despite his insistence that she was a good doctor, Cassie still didn’t trust her. She was a monster in her own right. After seeing the look on her face, the day Hans caught Garran in the medical unit, she was more certain now than ever before, that the woman couldn’t be trusted. She didn’t like Rosa, and she thought of her as a lying, deceitful bitch.

“Tell me about your sister,” Cassie asked, bracing her arms on his back while he continued walking to the veranda.

“What about her?”

“Why is she here? Is she a prisoner, like the rest of us?”

“No, she’s free to come and go as she wishes, and you are not a prisoner either, my love. Rosa is here because I needed someone to care for the girls’ health, and because she lost her license to practice medicine.”

“How?” Cassie asked, twisting to try and look at him.

Hans slapped her bottom and she turned back, allowing him to continue carrying her like a bag of potatoes, across his shoulder.

“Rosa had a much older lover in Italy, and she’s always enjoyed the darker side of her upbringing. He was the head of the plastic surgery department, of the hospital where she was doing her residency. He taught her a lot about facelifts, boob jobs, everything. He used to do minor surgeries in his office in Milan, things like liposuction and collagen injections, nose jobs, that kind of stuff. One evening, later than usual, they were doing a tummy lift on a rather attractive woman, when the doctor’s nurse accidentally walked in on them.”

“What’s wrong with that? A lot of physicians do surgeries in their offices.”

“It wasn’t the surgery, it was what they were doing. The two of them were enjoying the unconscious woman’s body. Apparently, she was very lovely, and Rosa likes pussies. She convinced the doctor into playing along, and they were engaging in a rather perverted activity, while she was under anesthesia.”

“That’s disgusting,” Cassie moaned.

“That’s what the nurse thought. She called the police, and Rosa was sent to jail for molestation and had her license taken away. The doctor claimed she drugged him, and he was not in his full mental capacity. He served community service and paid a large fine, then decided to take early retirement and move to France. I bailed Rosa out of jail and brought her back to the castle, where she’s been under my jurisdiction while working off her probation. She’s been here since then.”

“How long ago was that?” Cassie asked, watching the veranda steps pass beneath his feet as he climbed up them to the entrance.

“I’m not sure, three, four years I suppose. Why?”

“Just curious. Is she able to leave the castle?”

“Yes. I told you, she may come and go as she wishes. She’s not here as a prisoner, or a hostage, or whatever you wish to refer to it. This is her home, and she’s free to do whatever she wishes, so long as she is available when one of the girls need something. I had a private apartment built for her behind the medical unit on the second level, so she can be closer to the girls, but she still has her private chambers in the castle.”

“Are her chambers next to yours? Is that why you won’t let me see the room?”

“No,” Hans said in a tight voice that warned her the subject was over.

Cassie frowned when the man opened the door and walked in. She watched the ballroom’s floors pass below his large feet as he walked to the back steps.

Hans paused by the closed doors next to his room, and Cassie pushed herself up, but before she could say anything, he continued down the hallway to their chambers.

He opened the door and stepped in, then kicked it shut. Cassie was expecting to be put down, but he didn’t let go of her. Instead, he walked through the sitting room and down the short hallway, through the bedroom, and finally into the bathroom. He continued into the back section of the large room where the tub was, then turned on the faucets for the shower. He pulled her boots off, one at a time, and tossed them to the floor.

“Unfasten your pants,” he told her.

“I will if you let me down.”

“Nope. Just reach down and undo them.”

“Hans, seriously,” she grumbled, then yelped when he swatted her bottom again.

“Do it, without hesitation, as a good little slave should.”

Cassie growled but managed to get her hand between his broad shoulder and her jeans. She flipped the snap open, and unzipped the front, then let out a quick screech when he tugged her pants across her bottom, forcing her to lay against his back, and wrap her arms around his waist.

Hans chuckled, swatting her bare bottom once more, then kissed the side of her buttocks. Cassie smiled, and relaxed again. It was a strange game, but she was rather enjoying it. Slowly, he slid her down the front of him, to rest her feet on the tiled floor. He slipped her jacket off, then pulled the sweater across her head, and moaned with the sight of her bare breasts.

“You have such an amazing body,” he growled, cupping her breasts in his hands. “I could spend hours exploring the depths of passion it would provide me.”

“So, who’s stopping you?” she asked with a wide smile.

Hans chuckled again. He rather enjoyed this side of the woman, and he wasn’t going to pass up the invitation. He kissed her hard, pinching her nipples, then let her go suddenly and turned her around.

“Take a shower, and make sure every part of this incredible body is scrubbed,” he ordered. “Don’t wash your hair. I’m not patient enough to wait for it to dry, and I don’t want you to play with yourself. That’s my job.”

“As you wish, my master-lover,” she told him, giggling when he smacked her behind again.

“That’s Master of Love if you don’t mind,” he chuckled.

Hans waited until she was in the shower before gathering her clothes and walking back into the closet. He undressed completely, then slipped on his floor-length satin robe. He removed a narrow red velvet garment box from the top shelf, then returned to the front part of the bathroom. Cassie was humming while she showered, and for a moment, he just stood near the sink, listening.

She seemed happier than she had ever been, and since their discussion the last night of the auction, he felt safe in allowing her more freedom. He didn’t even panic anymore if she wasn’t in their room when he returned to it. He knew she wouldn’t leave without the girls, and he knew his castle was secure enough to prevent anyone from coming or going without his knowledge.

Hans kept his promise and showed her through the castle a few weeks ago. He allowed her to investigate all thirty-two bedrooms, the large main kitchen with the six stoves, and eight double ovens built into the walls. There were five large sinks, a walk-in style cooler that took up a full wall and was ten feet deep. The shelves were lined with food of all sorts, from meats to vegetables, grown in the large gardens behind the stables, and fresh fruit, either picked from the orchard that was to the side of the castle or flown in especially for the Baron.

Hans explained the dumbwaiter system that delivered servers and food to each level below, and she finally understood how it was she saw the angry server on the second level. There was a large, comfortable parlor, a billiard room, a theater with seventy-five reclining leather chairs, a formal dining room as well as a family-style dining room, and a glass solarium, with all styles and sizes of blooming plants.

Her tour continued through one room after room, until they reached the one he knew she would enjoy the most. He opened the door to reveal a library, with shelves that ran from the ceiling to the floor. She reminded him that he had already brought her into it, the day he killed Axel, and again for Justina’s last day at the castle, though both were times he wanted to forget. He felt awkward about giving the room to her for her own, wondering if the memories would serve as a nightmare to her, but she thanked him with a kiss, then began fingering through the books.

The room was set up with two large oversized sofas, and four armchairs. There was a double glass door that led to a private terrace, complete with two double-sized chaise lounges. His conscience was relieved when she asked him to light a fire in the marble fireplace, then took a book and curled up in one of the chairs, tucking her feet beneath her.

There was only one room left to explore, and that was his parents’ chambers, next to his. It was the one room he’d been able to avoid for ten long years and the last place he ever wanted to see again. He knew eventually he’d have to reveal it to her before she decided to start looking on her own, and he didn’t want her to be frightened by Konrad’s choice of décor.

Hans snapped out of his daydream when he heard Cassie begin to sing, then set the box on the vanity between the two sinks. He brushed his teeth, and washed his face, then set a bottle of body oil next to the box. He walked into the back room again, then leaned against the open entry to the shower. Cassie was beautiful, even wet, and covered in soapy bubbles.

“When you’ve finished, I have a gift for you,” he told her, bringing her eyes up from the leg she was washing. “Don’t take long and make certain you use the oil on every inch of your body, from your toes to your neck.”

“Why?” she asked with an amused grin.

“We had an agreement,” he reminded her. “If your girls could enjoy the evening outdoors, you’d allow me to introduce you to something naughty.”

“What exactly did you have in mind?”

“You’ll see. Now hurry up. You don’t want me to pull you out of there. Your bottom will be very sore if I have to come to get you.”

Cassie smiled as he walked away, then quickly rinsed. She could feel her pulse racing with the anticipation of his ideas. She knew he’d never hurt her, though she knew he wouldn’t object to frightening her. He had to continue to keep her under control, at least in front of others. When they were together, however, control was the last thing either of them wanted.

She turned off the faucets and removed a thick, fluffy towel from the shelf beside the shower, and wrapped it around her small frame. Cassie walked into the front of the bathroom and looked around. The red box was sitting on the vanity between the sinks, with the bottle of oil he’d told her to use. The door had been closed, and for a moment Cassie panicked. She wasn’t used to being alone anymore, and the silence was deafening. Then she heard him in the bedroom, his deep German accent assuring her he was using the phone.

Cassie ran her fingers along the lid of the box, feeling the soft velvet covering. She slipped the lid off and pulled open the layers of tissue paper, to find soft black satin material. Lifting the fabric out, she held it up across her torso and stepped back to look in the mirrors above the sinks. It looked like a body stocking, and her heart skipped a beat. The torso was a solid black satin that covered her entire body, with a lace covering the bodice and arms. It had a round neck, with a satin edging, and the legs were closed to form feet.

With a frown, she laid the item aside and opened the bottle of oil. She sniffed it, before pouring a small puddle of it into the palm of her hand. It was a strange, almost satiny feeling oil with the aroma of honey. Cassie began to smooth it across her legs and felt a tingling sensation beneath her fingertips. She rubbed the oil over her breasts and torso, feeling oddly warm as the liquid caressed her body.

“Don’t forget the important places,” Hans told her from the doorway.

He had entered the room a few moments before, coming to check on what was taking her so long. He saw her rubbing the oil across her legs and leaned up against the door jam, silently watching her.

Cassie could feel her face warm under her blush as she obeyed him, watching him out of the corner of her eye. He didn’t move, he didn’t turn to leave, he simply stood there, watching her.

She poured enough of the honey-scented oil into her hand to form a puddle, then smoothed it between her legs and buttocks. She felt the tingling begin and almost cried out as it turned warm, caressing, and embracing her most delicate parts.

“Get your middle finger oily and insert it into your pussy,” he ordered with a soft, husky voice.

She did as she was told, gasping at the warmth that caressed her tight canal. Hans chuckled, knowing what it was doing to her, then turned and left the room, ordering her to remove her finger before closing the door behind him.

He had been wanting to use this oil on her, since he found it in a little shop in China months ago, when he’d gone to pick up a new supply of women, but completely forgot about it when he returned. When Cassie began her game of bartering, he was too consumed with thinking up ways to get her into his bed, to remember anything as simple as a bottle of oil.

It wasn’t until they were outdoors, and he saw Elke with a secret tube of gel that it reminded him. He knew the guard had brought it with her, along with the strap-on dildo, for a round of backdoor fucking, her favorite sport next to a tongue lashing. That was when Hans decided to bring Cassie back to the castle. He could just imagine her comments, when she realized the two guards were going to enjoy Francesca’s firm body, together.

“I’m giving you one minute, then I’m coming in for you,” Hans called out through the closed door, fighting the images of what was happening outside from his mind.

Cassie looked at the door with an amused snicker, knowing he would do exactly as he threatened. As much as she would have loved to play with him, the oil was starting to drive her crazy. She reached for the satin stocking and sat down on the chair by the vanity. The fabric slipped easily across her slender body, and she turned to look at her reflection, pushing her arm into the last sleeve.

The stocking hugged her in a snug embrace, and she felt romantic, sexy, and hot. She ran a brush through her hair, then applied just a hint of color to her lips. If he wanted to play, then she was going to encourage him. She applied a tiny bit of her perfume, from her overnight case, behind her ears and between her breasts, then turned and opened the door.

Hans was on the other side of the door, waiting for her to finish. He looked at the wristwatch he held in his hand, then smiled. His eyes caressed her from head to toe and back again, with a growing urgency only the sight of her could cause. His smile increased as he gazed into her blue eyes. If he thought she was beautiful before, his impression tripled as he looked on her now. His libido awoke with a heat that wrapped around him, and he found his pulse-pounding behind his eyes.

“I knew you would look amazing in that, but even my experienced mind could never imagine how perfect you are.”

“Thank you, Master of Love,” she teased as she sashayed the short distance to him. “So, what evil ideas do you have in mind?”

Hans growled and wrapped her in his arms. He could feel the warmth of the oil through the satin, and nearly moaned with anticipation.

“We’re going to explore a different avenue of sex,” he told her, fighting to keep his arousal in check as he cupped her buttocks, pulling her closer to him. “It’s going to be intense, and deep, and some things might frighten you. But I want you to surrender your trust to me, completely and without question. I won’t hurt you, and I won’t make you feel anything less than passion.”

“Why do I have a feeling I’m not going to agree to this?” she asked with a frown.

“When we’ve finished, you’ll be begging to learn more,” he smiled. “Trust me. I know how to make you enjoy this.”

Cassie didn’t answer as he wrapped her hand in his and walked with her down the short hallway, into the sitting room, and to the door that led to the ballroom. He opened it and turned to see Cassie’s frown. She had a strange fear he was taking her back down to the training levels, and that was the last place she wanted to be.

“It’s alright, baby,” he promised with a warm smile, pulling her back into step beside him.

Hans led her down the back stairs and across the ballroom floor, to the corridor that led to the library. Her frown deepened when he stopped by a small door at the end of the hall. She knew it was a linen closet, she’d already opened it out of curiosity. Hans winked at her as he pulled the door open and reached inside to the left of the jam, pulling a hidden lever. She watched as he pushed against the shelves of towels, pillowcases, and sheets, revealing a secret room of complete darkness.

Cassie continued into the room with him, then felt him let go of her hand. She heard the soft rustling of movement, then the flicker of light began to hum. She blinked several times, before focusing on a room filled with…stuff.

There was a double bed in the middle of the room, with straps secured to each of the four short posts. It was covered with a dark red satin duvet and had two plump pillows. Across the room was a black wooden X, with a wide leather cuff at each end. A wicker style swing hung in the corner of the room, and a large leather chair sat nearby. Like everything else, the chair had four cuffs strapped to each of the arms and the legs.

It reminded her of the Exchange Room, she was taken to for her first lesson in partners, but it was much warmer, more soundproof, and somehow less intimidating, despite the furnishings. The floor was covered in a thick heavy carpet, and the room itself was rather warm, especially considering it had three cement walls. There was a dark wooden shelf near the entrance, and on it was a variety of sex toys, most she recognized from the movies she watched when she was younger.

Hanging on a variety of hooks behind the door, was a display of whips, canes, and leather straps. The far corner held another chair, this one looking like a birthing chair she had seen in a magazine. There was a wire cage in the corner, that looked like the kennel Aunt Mazy used with her old Bassett Hound, Ginger. It reminded her of the one Hans threatened to put her in, the night he brought another couple into their bedroom.

On the wall was a hook with a full leather mask, like a ski mask, with only the mouth cut out. There was a dog collar with a small metal box, and she frowned, wondering if it was a shock collar, and three leashes like she had used during their group encounter. A long leather padded bench completed the room’s strange décor, and Cassie wondered exactly how often he used this hidden room, and with whom.

“What is this place?” she asked, as he closed the secret door, locking them inside.

“It’s a room where the master of the castle, brings his intended victims, for private use,” he told her, watching her pick up one of the branding irons, hanging near a small stone pit in the corner of the room.

“Victims?” Cassie asked, turning to see the humor in his eyes.

“In the past, my ancestors would bring women to this room to fuck. If they survived the ordeal, the Baron took the woman as his bride. Konrad didn’t know about this room because Dolf never used it, or else he’d have tortured my mother much more than he had.”

“Do you plan on torturing me or branding me?” she asked turning back towards the bed.

“Nothing even close,” he promised. “I found this room when I was a teenager. Konrad insisted that I learn as much as I could about my heritage. I discovered it in my great-grandfather’s journals. I doubt the staff was even aware of its existence. I refurbished it when I took over the castle, but I’ve never used it, and even though I know how every item works, I’ve never had anyone I’ve wanted to bring in here. This will be our room. A place we can come to explore each other and to enjoy sex to the depths of which it was meant. You’ll be as free as I am to experience temptations, and to learn new techniques.”

“Have all the Barons’ wives been slaves?”

“Yes. All except the original von Hennhofen, and Dolf. In the early fourteenth century, the man who built this place was a monster, who outshined every man who followed him. He brought women here for the pure pleasure of raping them. He didn’t care who they were. He even brought a princess here once. During one of his visits to the mountain, he found a young woman working at a farm outside Garmisch-Partenkirchen. He stole her right out of the fields and brought her here. The castle, at that time, was little more than three rooms, this being one of them. He kept the girl chained up here for weeks, even when he wasn’t here. He raped her and beat her, and eventually impregnated her.”

“How horrible,” she said with a frown.

“One night, filled with drunken lust, he forgot to secure the door after a long session of perversion, and she managed to escape. She was afraid of him, afraid of what he would do if he caught her, so she never told anyone about the place. She became a maid for a wealthy landowner in Austria, where she convinced everyone that she was a widow. When my ancestor died, she came forward and claimed Hennhofen for her son. Unfortunately, the boy was a young man at the time and had already learned how to use women. He grew up to be much like his father, and so the lineage began.”

“He took over the place then?” she asked, curious about the man’s history, and how he became as warped as he was.

“Yes. His mother learned that her captor was more than a rapist. He was a thief, a murderer, and a drunk, as well as a self-proclaimed Baron. Convinced that he had the upper hand, he informed her of a wealth of jewels and gold he had hidden beneath the small stable where he kept his horse. When he died, she came back here and dug it up. It was more than enough to buy a good life for her and her son. They built the first addition to the place, and turned it into a small castle, then cleared away the woods to build the town. Unfortunately for the women around the village, his son found out what kind of man his father was and picked up where he left off. That is the true story of how Hennhofen was started, and why we’re all so fucked up.”

“So, what happens now?” she asked with an amused grin. “Will I have to worry about you keeping me hidden from the rest of the world while having your perverted way with me?”

“No, my love, you will not be hidden. I have specific plans for you, beginning with our marriage, and perhaps one day a child. But, for tonight, we play. I am going to take you to depths of orgasm you never knew existed.”

“And when we’re finished?”

“Then we’ll keep to tradition, and you’ll become my wife.”

“So, in other words, this is my initiation into the von Hennhofen mind of depravity?”

“No, it’s a night we share as lovers,” he told her, walking to her, and taking her hands in his. “I’ve arranged for Father Altman to come to the castle tomorrow and marry us. I don’t care if you enjoy tonight, or not. Tomorrow we’ll wed and begin a life that’s filled with new experiences for both of us.”

“When were you going to tell me about this?” she asked, pulling her hands out of his.

“Cassie, I know it’s an impulsive decision, but I’ve spent the past month preparing the castle. Everything has been arranged, and you’ll find your gown upstairs when we’ve finished.”

“That’s all a little high-handed, don’t you think?”

“I’m used to doing things my way. I know what you like, and I know what I like. I want you to enjoy the event without worrying about it.”

“Can I at least approve the plans?”

“No,” he told her boldly, then sat down on the bed and pulled her onto his lap. “I am not willing to discuss any part of it, and I’m not going to have you barter your way out of marrying me. I’ve taken care of everything, and that’s it. Now, quit arguing with me, and relax. I promise it will be to your liking, and if you’re a good girl, I’ll arrange for the others to come up for the ceremony. If you’re a very good girl, they can stay for the party afterward.”

“What do I have to do to make certain they stay?”

“Put tomorrow out of your mind and start thinking about tonight. As my wife, you’ll have more freedom to dictate to me, and possibly convince me to make some other changes around here.”

“Does that include letting the girls go free?” she asked, knowing the answer before he spoke it.

“We’ve already discussed this, and I will not tell you again. They will not be freed, they will be sold in April, and there is no further discussion about it. I don’t know why you insist on quarreling over this. I’ve already agreed to take you to Italy to see your friend and prove to you, that their lives are not as bad as you expect.”

“But they are still being sold as sex slaves,” she snapped, standing off his lap and walking to the hanging chair.

“Cassie, please, don’t allow this to come between us. I’m not going to do anything for a few months. Maybe by then, you’ll have convinced me that letting them go will save them from a life of passion and love.”

“Will you listen to me if I try to convince you to let them go?”

“I promise, I’ll listen, but you have to promise me the same thing.”

Cassie thought for a moment, then nodded. She didn’t want this to come between them, and she was certain she would be able to convince him, how wrong this life of his was. Seeing the smile pull his full lips apart, she couldn’t help but allow herself to become persuaded by him. He was, after all, her sexy, passionate, Master of Love.