My fingers trembled as I tied the final knot around my wrists. The rough hemp bit into my skin, sending a shiver down my spine that had nothing to do with the forest chill and everything to do with anticipation. My husband had gone hunting, leaving me alone in our small hut deep in the woods. Alone, yet not entirely unprotected—except today, protection meant something else entirely.

I had been waiting for hours, watching the shadows lengthen across the forest floor. When the heavy footsteps finally approached, I didn’t turn. Instead, I sank deeper onto my knees, presenting myself exactly as he would want to find me. The scent of damp earth and pine filled my nostrils as I waited, my breathing growing shallow with each passing second.

“Good girl,” came the voice that sent both fear and desire coursing through my veins. He stood behind me now, his towering presence casting a long shadow over my kneeling form. His hand reached out, trailing fingers along my cheek before gripping my chin and forcing me to look up at him.

Raavan smiled, his dark eyes gleaming with hunger. At fifty, he still carried himself with the power and confidence of a much younger man. His hand moved from my face to my throat, squeezing gently before tightening just enough to make me gasp. “Did you miss me, little one?”

I nodded, unable to speak past the sudden constriction in my throat. My body betrayed me, responding to his dominance despite everything my mind told me was wrong. Heat pooled between my legs, and I knew he could smell my arousal—the sweet perfume of submission that always accompanied his visits.

He laughed softly, releasing my throat only to run his hands down my arms, tracing the ropes that bound me. “So beautifully restrained. Perfect.”