He paused, the leather strap resting against his palm. He leaned down, his face inches from hers, studying the way her tears tracked down her cheeks. His thumb brushed one away, a gesture so tender it felt like a betrayal of everything he had just done.
"That's right," he murmured. He stood up straight, his shadow stretching long across the carpet.
He tossed the strap onto the nightstand and reached for the drawer again, this time pulling out a heavy, silicone toy he had kept reserved for moments exactly like this. The weight of it in his hand was substantial, a silent promise of the physical toll still to come.
"Now," he said, his voice losing that flicker of tenderness entirely. "The belt is for your mind. This is for your body."
He moved to the bed, sitting on the edge and pulling
