Page 597 of End Game

Not yet.

Pain is not inherently evidence that something is wrong. I have spent enough years studying kink—and enough time around people who enjoy receiving pain—to know how insulting that assumption can become.

Context is what matters.

Micah's context currently requires considerably more attention than usual.

I lean back in my chair. “Come sit down.”

He does.

On my bed, angled toward me.

“Before we talk about what that looks like, I need to know why.”

“Because I want it.”

“I assumed.”

His mouth twitches.

I continue. “I need a more useful answer than that.”

Micah rubs his thumb along the inside of his palm. “I want something else to focus on.”

I nod once. “Distraction.”

“Yeah.”

“Punishment?”

His head comes up immediately. “No.”

There is no hesitation.

That helps.

“Do you think you deserve to hurt?”

“No.”

Still immediate.

His expression hardens slightly, not at me. “I don't think I did anything wrong.”

Something in my chest eases. “Good.”

“I think they did.”

“Also good.”

He looks at me. “I don't mean that in the sense that I'm pleased your family rejected you.”

“I know what you mean.”

“I assumed. Again, just clarifying.”

That gets another tiny movement at the corner of his mouth.