“Audition? What did you have in mind?”He laughs. “Nothing too creative. I don’t want to push my luck with the sexual harassment thing. Yet.”

“I think back to my banter with Cash about sexual harassment. I don’t doubt he pushes the boundaries, but never once did I get the impression he might force himself on me or make unwanted advances. I just hope to God he doesn’t know that his advances aren’t unwanted. I just wish they were.”

“I laugh shakily. ‘You’re a little scary, Four.’‘Do me a favor,’ he says, ‘and don’t call me that.’‘What should I call you, then?’‘Nothing.’ He takes his hand from my face. ‘Yet.”

“Is it possible?” He could have sworn she was teasing. She shouldn’t have the energy for that.“What?” He lay next to her on his stomach, wrung out. Completely and utterly sated and yet thinking of the things he yet wanted to do to her.“You did.” Her voice was light, teasing even.“What?”“You begged, my lord.”He laughed softly. “To have you make love to me like that, I’ll beg you every night of my life, Lady Banallt.”

“Valek leaned back in his chair and said to me, “I don’t think I would have made it past the audition,Yelena. I probably would have set my hair on fire by this point.”“What’s a singed head for the sake of art?” I teased. He laughed.”

“Yet, after all, insensible as he is to a thousand wants, and removed from harassing cares, my not the savage be the happier man..?”