Victory? Relief? Something darker?
"Just once," he agrees.
He picks up the box again and opens it slowly.
Inside is?—
Oh.
It's beautiful.
That's my first thought, which is completely insane.
It's a sex toy.
It shouldn't be beautiful.
Shouldn't look like something designed with care and attention and artistry.
But it does.
Rose gold, the color of dawn.
Curved in a way that looks almost elegant.
Smooth and seamless, no rough edges or threatening angles.
Small enough to fit in the palm of my hand.
It doesn't look clinical or crude or any of the shameful things I imagined.
It looks... gentle.
Like something designed for pleasure, not pain.
Vaughn holds it up, letting me see it. "This is designed for external stimulation only. Nothing internal. Nothing invasive. Just gentle vibration against areas that have a high concentration of nerve endings."
My face is on fire.
I can feel the heat radiating off my cheeks.
"You'll stay fully dressed," he continues, his voice steady and calm like this is a business transaction instead of something that feels monumental and terrifying. "Lie back on the bed. I'll guide you through it. Show you where to feel, how your body might respond. If you want to stop at any time—any time at all—just say the word. I stop immediately. No questions."
I should run.
Should tell him to get out.
Should cling to what the Sanctuary taught me and reject this corruption.
Instead, I nod.
"Say it out loud, Eden. I need to hear you consent to this."
"I—" I swallow hard, my throat dry. "Yes. Okay. Just once. To prove you're wrong."
"Good girl."
The praise shouldn't make my stomach flip.
