But before he reached that final stage, Ronin followed the sensuous arc of her arms down to her shoulders. He smoothed her hair and fanned it out across her upper back, stopping for a second to bury his face in the softness and sweetness. To ground himself in the knowledge the woman he loved was putting herself out there for him—he would celebrate that.

He stepped back and pulled the rigging, lifting Amery off the floor about a foot. He tied her off into a stable hanging position and snatched another bundle of rope. He knelt, making a loop around her big toe. Then he proceeded to wrap the rope up her foot. When he reached the leftover ends from the body binding, he quickly looped them around her shins to her ankles.

A hard shudder rolled through her, and he glanced up.

Amery’s head had fallen back. Her lips were parted, and Ronin saw she’d drifted into the floaty headspace of a bondage high and she’d been there awhile.

He lost all track of time when he had ropes in his hands and inches of pliant flesh waiting to be tied and touched. He secured the last of the rope around her left foot and tucked the remainder underneath the wrap, which caused her whole body to jerk and him to smile; he’d forgotten her feet were ticklish.

Ronin made some last-minute adjustments before he cupped Amery’s face in his hands.

“You humble me with your beauty.” He kissed her—another first in a demo—and it wasn’t a gentle tease or a quick peck, but a kiss full of the passion she brought out in him.

When she wiggled her body, as if reaching for him, he broke the seal of their mouths and jerked on the rigging, lifting her higher off the floor. Then Ronin spun her slowly around and around, showing the rope work on the backside.

Amery’s hair flowed out as if she were underwater.

Time for the finale.

He twisted the free rope dangling from the second chain through the back of the gauntlet binding her feet.

Then he clicked off the overhead lights and the black lights came on.

A collective gasp echoed in the room as the neon green glow- in-the-dark rope he used on Amery outlined her body in luminescence, creating the effect of a mermaid.

He pulled on the second rigging, raising her feet to hip level so it appeared she was swimming. The bindings on her feet created the effect of a mermaid’s split tail. The way her hands were raised above her head looked as if she were swimming to the surface.

The woman was absolutely f**king stunning. An ethereal, mythical creature come to life. The diamond pattern gave the appearance of scales, and the cinched binding at her waist divided her body. The swishing motion of her hair added to the illusion of a mermaid in motion.

Applause broke out and startled him. Ronin was so mesmerized by her that he’d forgotten for a moment they weren’t alone.

And suddenly he wished they were. He wanted to marvel at this bound woman who owned him body, heart, and soul.

He didn’t want club members touching her or asking questions or breaking this spell. He allowed himself another long look at her. This wasn’t about anyone else but them; he wouldn’t treat this any differently than if they were in the practice room when he finished the binding. He held on to her as he lowered the rigging. Once he had her unhooked, he brought them both to the floor.

She sighed and remained pliant no matter how he manipulated her body.

Ronin left the black lights on as he cradled her in his arms. First thing he did was slip off the blindfold. He kissed her as he unwrapped her wrists.

She blinked at him, and then her gaze drifted to the glowing rope crisscrossing her body. She smiled at him with that sweet quirk on her lips.

Next he unfastened the ties around her feet. “How’s your circulation?”

“A little tingly but good.”

As Ronin slipped the knotted ends of rope free from the tucks and ties, he let the rope zigzag across her skin.

Amery trembled and arched. Then on the next pass, she would try to move away.

So he took his time unbinding her. Touching and kissing to his heart’s content. He hadn’t even noticed that they’d brought the lights up halfway until he pulled back away from her mouth after another drugging kiss. “Baby. I love you.”

“I know.”

Then he swept her up into his arms and carried her out the side door, striding down the hallway.

Inside their private room, Ronin set her on her feet only long enough to wrap a blanket around her. Then he picked her up again and settled them on the couch.

The first noise she made was a laugh. “Glow-in-the-dark shibari ropes, Master Black? You are certainly full of surprises.”

He pressed his lips into her hair. “I’ve never used them before.”

“Why not?”

“They seemed a little . . . stage showish.”

“At least you didn’t play the theme song from The Little Mermaid while you were binding me.”

That made Ronin laugh. “You must be down from your bondage high if you’re cracking jokes.”

Amery twisted to look at him. “I’m fine. Were you worried I’d be weepy and shaky afterward or something?”

“I honestly didn’t know how you’d react.”

“And?”

“And you reacted perfectly.” Ronin took her mouth in a kiss that was a lazy exploration.

After he ended the kiss, Amery murmured, “Unwrap me so I can touch you.”

“You can touch me all you want when we get back to the penthouse. But not here in the club.”

“Because that’s the way you’ve always done it?”