She shifted. His breath caught at her nakedness and relief shimmered through her. He still wanted her.

“Max,” she said, her voice husky with want.

He crossed his arms, teasing her with the sight of chiseled biceps. He was so strong, and yet even in the extremes of his lust, he never hurt her.

Still, he waited.

She swallowed hard. “Are we rogue?”

“We’re as good as dead. If we lay low, I doubt they’ll hunt us. But you’d have to give up everything. Everything you own. Everything you’ve worked for.”

“Do I have to give you up?”

His throat worked, the only sign that he wasn’t as calm as he appeared. “I hope you don’t. I hope you’ll give me a chance to . . . adjust.”

Victoria stepped closer. “You’d do that for me?”

His gaze heated, grew tender. “I would do anything for you.”

“My needs are different from yours, Max,” she explained gently. “I want you bound sometimes. I want to pleasure you without losing my head over what you’re doing to me. I want your surrender, but I don’t want you submissive.”

His chest expanded on a deep, slow breath. “It’s hard for me, Victoria, needing you this much. Loving you is both the easiest and hardest thing I’ve ever done.”

“You think I’m not scared? Especially now.” She looked out the windows at the ceaseless stretch of white. “Being a Hunter isn’t just what you do, it’s who you are. I’m not sure I can be what you need when I’m the only thing you’ve got. If that makes any sense at all.”

“Kitten, life with you will never be boring.” Max came to her and wrapped his big hands around her throat, like the collar she wore. “Aside from the games we’ll play in this room, we’ve got a lot to figure out magically. Masters was right. You and me, we’re a unique pairing, and we’ve never really explored that, let alone exploited it. Who knows what we’re capable of?”

“We’re more gray than white now,” she said, gripping his wrists. “And when I’m topping you and you’re coming for me, the magic might—”

“I always come for you, regardless of who’s on top.”

He pressed his mouth to hers and she relaxed, pushing her worries out of her mind. They had this. They had each other. The rest would work itself out.

She kissed him back, her lips curving with love into a catlike smile.