still a lot to be explored and studied, and I know it's a lot to ask, but I hope you'll trust me...” I take a shuddering breath. “You won't hurt me, will you, Julian?” “ Sophia...I won't.” He sounds pained. “I won't ever hurt you. How could I? When all I want to do is love you and make love to you...” I close my eyes and rest my head on his shoulder. Can I learn to trust again? Yet by signing the contract and putting myself in his hands, in his house, I have implicitly given him my trust. But I am afraid. I am afraid that I might begin to feel something more, something more than just desire for Julian. Am I ready to open my heart to him? By opening up to me tonight, he has given me a piece of his heart to hold, a precious, beautiful thing. We wrap our arms very tenderly, tentatively and protectively around each other, knowing that we are each holding something so precious and fragile in our arms. I have not allowed myself to come this close to anyone in a long time. Neither has Julian, I suspect. The night quietly slips away and dawn breaks over Julian's huge mansion. This is where I will stay for the next three weeks, in this house with this man and his sex machine. I am not sure what to expect, of this man, of myself. I can feel myself starting to shiver, but not from cold. Quickly I pull away and smile up at him to break the tension. “I wonder what else your machine can do, Dr. James,” I say, flashing a mischievous but shaky grin. “I wonder how much more I can take.” To my surprise, Julian gives me a big hug. “We'll see. I guess you will find that out very soon.” I bury my face in his shoulder to hide my blush. If this first exploratory orgasm is anything to go by, I think that the pleasure is going to be even deeper and more intense and mind-blowing than anything I have ever experienced. And that—can only be a good thing.