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see you, or hear from you—”  
    He sprung to his feet, and every muscle in his body tensed. “So we’re doing this again? Is it someone else? If you’re involved with someone, just say so. I won’t like it, but I can deal with it.” He shoved his hands into his pockets, and his shoulders relaxed a fraction as he waited for a reply.
    Waited for me to deny it.  
    I stared at my shoes—spiky heels that made my feet ache and reminded me of the man who’d trapped me. Saying I was seeing someone would be the easiest solution to this dilemma. “There’s no one else.” I looked up and met Ian’s gaze. “There’s no one else,” I repeated. “I just need time.”
    “Take all the time you need.” He flung the door open. “I hope you don’t take another seven years to figure it out.”  

7. L I E D E T E C T O R
    I stood on Gage’s doorstep, allowing myself one last minute of reflection before I entered his domain of pain. Ian’s stormy exit from my life—once again—still clung to my emotions, making me susceptible to acts of unpredictability. I couldn’t afford feeling this way when Gage opened that door. The foundation of my acquiescence had shifted since I’d first stood in this spot a week ago . . . funny, how it seemed much longer. I no longer had a safe word, but more importantly, I owed Gage. Whatever he’d done, whatever strings he’d pulled, had gotten Eve into the trial faster than her doctor thought possible. I couldn’t mess this up. Forcing my turbulent thoughts to the back of my mind, I knocked on his door.  
    He treated me to a real smile from the other side. “Right on time. I take it you’ve learned your lesson this week?” He raised an eyebrow.  
    “Yes, Master,” I said as he ushered me into the foyer.
      He held out his hand. “Your journal?”
    I removed it from my oversized purse. “The research paper is tucked in the back.”
    “Go ahead and put your things in the closet,” he instructed as he flipped through the pages. “Did you break anymore rules?”
    “No, Master.”  
    He smiled in a way that made my stomach drop. The smile of the devil. “For your sake, I hope you’re telling the truth. Lie detectors aren’t easy to fool.”
    “What are you talking about, Master?”
    “You’ll undergo a polygraph.” Setting the journal aside, he grabbed my arm and led me into a home office. A wall of windows opened to a view of the swimming pool in the backyard. If not for the nervous flutters in my stomach, I would have laughed; only Gage Channing would have an outdoor pool in the Pacific Northwest. Rain beat against the glass, and watching all that water made me shiver.  
    We weren’t alone. Someone sat behind the desk, where an odd machine was displayed on the surface. “Have a seat,” he invited with a reassuring smile.    
    “This is Mr. Hughes,” Gage said as I slid into a chair. “He’s aware of the nature of our relationship, so there’s no need to feel uncomfortable at the intimacy of the questions. He’s heard it all, trust me.”  
    I quirked an eyebrow, but didn’t voice my incredulity.  
    “I’ll be back when you’ve finished.” Gage pinned me to the chair with his deep blue eyes. “I’ll advise you not to lie here, Kayla.”  
    I hadn’t planned to, but that still didn’t calm my apprehension. Lie detectors weren’t fail-proof, were they?  
    “Don’t be nervous,” Mr. Hughes said after Gage had disappeared through the doorway. “Just be honest and everything will go smoothly.”
    Sure, says the guy administering the test. I folded my hands in my lap and remained silent as he hooked me up to the machine. He pressed a few buttons, made some adjustments, and then pulled out a sheet of paper.  
    “Do you take any medications?”
    “No.”
    He asked several more questions—all of them related to my personal and medical background. “All right, I’m going to ask you two questions that you’ll answer yes to. This is to