This wasn’t what she’d expected.

She’d thought he was going to check on her and leave.

“You don’t need time to yourself, I think.”

“I don’t?” she asked.

“No. I think that maybe that’s the worst thing you could have.”

He could be right. Because that was all she ever had.

Herself.

Just her.

And him. But he was gone now. And there was a new demon in his place and she wasn’t sure who was worse. But she shook that thought off.

Salem grabbed a cloth from the towel rail and wet it in the water. “I think that what you need is some pampering and care, but you don’t know how to ask for that.”

Dear Lord.

Could he read her mind?

“What you really need is someone to just tell you what’s going to happen.”

“And that someone is you?”

That was supremely arrogant. But his arrogance didn’t grate on her the way others did.

“Yeah, Pet. That someone is me.” He started to run the cloth over her back.

She didn’t move. She felt frozen. If she moved, he might stop.

And that was the very last thing she wanted.

“That’s it. Just relax for me. Good. You’re doing so well. This is what you wanted, isn’t it? To just let go. But you didn’t know how to ask for that. And I’m sorry it took me a moment to realize that.”

She was so glad he understood that she hadn’t been deliberately keeping anything from him.

That hadn’t been the case at all.

He lifted one of her arms and washed it.

“I just want you to stay relaxed and let me wash you. If it makes things easier, you can always slip into Little headspace.”

Could she do that?

She wasn’t sure she knew how to let go of her control.

“Daddy would take care of his girl. Just like Sir would take care of his Pet. But you just do whatever makes you comfortable.”

“Am I your Pet?” she asked.

“If that’s what you’d like. I think you need someone to take care of you. Pamper and adore you. But also ensure you follow the rules. Being my pet doesn’t necessarily mean pet play. It’s just a feeling between us. Of you being cared for and . . . owned.”

Owned? Did she want to be owned?

“It’s just something to think about; you don’t have to decide. But if you think you’d like to be Sir’s Pet, we can make that happen. Nothing intense tonight, though.”