Page 11 of Flog Me, Sir

He held my stare and didn’t mutter a word of condolence or pity.

“Almost to death once,” I whispered.

“My lifestyle isn’t abuse, Lissa.”

I blinked as tears hazed my vision of his frowning face. “I-I know.”

His brow smoothed. “You do?”

“Not from personal experience,” I said, my voice shaking. “I-I read a lot. Write a lot. I know it’s a mind thing, that a submissive holds the power...”

“But the idea of a D/s relationship scares you.”

I swallowed at the tightness in my throat. “Yes.”

“I could help you with that fear,” he said without a trace of twinkle in his eyes. “Ask me, Lissa, and I’ll open your eyes to the truth of my lifestyle. To what the word cherish means to me.”

---