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more felt relaxed and loose—and mildly surprised it was so easy to obey him.
    “There we go,” he said softly, and his hands became gentler. “Just so you’re aware, I think you’re an incredibly brave woman and I’m honored to be the one chosen to help you through this.”
    Her knees went a little weak. His voice was suddenly so soft, so smooth, and he was so different from how she’d pictured. It wasn’t at all how she’d imagined. And he thought she was brave. The thought made her stomach flip-flop. After what seemed forever of feeling so weak, so damaged, so damn afraid, someone saw her as brave. Maybe she could reclaim part of her former self again and
he
would be the one to guide her.
    “When was your last attack?”
    “Two months ago, I believe, Sir.”
    He extended the massage to cover her entire back, further soothing her with both words and touch. “Do you know what caused that one?”
    “Peter called me.”
    His hands stopped for a brief moment. “I didn’t know he had contacted you.”
    “I don’t like to talk about him,” she said. “He called to apologize. Said it was part of his mentorship.”
    He exhaled heavily. “Peter won’t be calling you again.”
    Her eyes grew teary. This protective side of him was an enduring surprise. “Thank you, Sir.”
    “Thank me when I show you mercy or when I allow you to climax. There’s no need to thank me for protecting or looking after your well-being. That’s just who I am.”
    Once again his words warmed her. She thought she had him figured out, but she was starting to see there was so much more to his character.
    “Are there any words, places, or actions aside from what we’ve talked about that have triggered an attack?”
    “Not within the last few months. After—” She swallowed. She could do this. “After it happened, they occurred frequently. I remember the first group meeting I went to . . .”
    “Take your time.” His voice was soft. Patient. Odd, she thought, since there really wasn’t anything soft about him.
    “Julie didn’t think I should go. We argued. I thought it would be okay since Dena was giving a talk about legal issues. I had a bad attack in the middle of her discussion. I didn’t tell anyone. I left after it was over and went to Julie’s.”
    She could picture the way everyone had looked at her, the sideways glances, eyes darting away once she caught them. Even when people approached her to talk, they’d only ask how the shop was doing and once she replied with “fine” the conversation died.
    “If you experience another one,” he said, his voice no longer soft, “you will contact me immediately. I don’t care if it’s the middle of the night or I’m out of town or you’re working. Understand?”
    Once again he made her feel protected. “Yes, Sir.”
    “How are you feeling now?”
    “Much better, Sir.” She found the words came naturally. Itnever crossed her mind to say “fine.” “I’m calm and relaxed. I don’t feel panicky at all.”
    “Stand up, little one. Be careful; you’ve been kneeling for quite some time.”
    She opened her eyes and moved gingerly to her feet, slightly disappointed he was no longer massaging her back. Even so, he kept a hand on her shoulder to steady her as she stood. The afternoon shadows were growing long in the room, and she wondered exactly how much time had passed. Though she didn’t get a lot of sleep the night before, she felt rested.
    Cole turned her to face him and then dropped his hands. “A very productive afternoon, I believe.”
    “I believe so, too, Sir.” She followed the path of his hand as he slipped it into his pocket and wondered when he’d touch her again.
    His lips curled up a bit at the corners. “Does it bother you when I touch you?”
    “I enjoyed you rubbing my back.”
    “Answer the question, Sasha.”
    He wasn’t going to allow her to get away with anything. Already his expression had changed, all the amusement had fled. “No,