Stefano Rossi longs for the mystical—and so far unattainable—peace of reaching subspace. But can he accept that the person who can take him there is a man? Riku Tao has given up on finding a sub who complements him. He'll stick with doing demonstrations at the BDSM club the Edge. He certainly doesn't have time for a closeted Catholic guy with internalized biphobia… and yet he cannot help but want to protect Stefano and give him what he needs. A history of physical and sexual abuse makes it impossible for Stefano to come out of the closet, and Riku certainly isn't going back in. Perhaps an arrangement of six months to explore their desires will be enough to satisfy them both. Or it might break their hearts. To take hold of his future with the man he's coming to love, Stefano will need to move beyond the pain of his past, and he won't be able to do it alone.