From the bed, Jean-Claude watches them. His eyes darken with lust and want, becoming that starless blue. He thinks to just let events unfold, to take what Anita has managed to grasp for them, but he is not so selfish. His mind brushes against Asher's, a question whispered into his lover's mind.

What of your leopard?

It is a quiet offer for Asher to bow out now. It would cost Asher much, Jean-Claude knows, to walk away, but he had to bring them both back to reality. There was more than just three of them in this web, and Nathaniel deserves to be at least acknowledged, even if his permission cannot be obtained.