“For what she'd asked him, in her real voice, a voice that only the heart could hear, was a simple question:Have you ever once loved another human creature so much that her life was more precious to you than your own?And his heart had replied in words just as plain:"Yes," it said, and the power of it nearly blinded her.”

“No matter what your past life experiences have been, never allow anyone to diminish you, to make you feel small and wrong. Always stand in your power and truth, even if your truth does not comply with others. Listen to the inner whispers of your heart and it will lead you back home---Sasha Samy.”

“I can say no at any time ” “Yes.” “But aren’t I supposed to do whatever you say ” “Only if you want to. That’s what makes the power exchange of D s so potent. It’s a free exchange one that is meant to give us both what we need.”

“It was one of those days when I was thinking too much, too fast. Only it was more like the thoughts had a mind of their own and going all by themselves at a hundred miles a second, and I was just sitting back, feeling the growing paranoia inside of me.”

“Beneath her cheek, his heart was thumping steadily. Definitely faster than his usual near-hibernation beat. Lifting her head, she flashed him a tight smile. “I get to you.”“Are you kidding? You own me,” he said, his voice running over her like silk.”

“So now begins the first war with Cordelia' in which I retreat and thereby teach her to be victorious as she pursues me. I continually fall back, and in this backward movement I teach her to know through me all the powers of erotic love, its turbulent thoughts' its passion, what longing is, and hope, and impatient expectancy. As I perform this set of steps before her' all this will correspondingly in her' It is a triumphant procession in which I am leading her, and I myself am just as much the one who dithyrambically sings praises to her victory as I am the one who shows the way. She will gain courage to believe in erotic love, to believe it is an etemal force, when she sees its dominion over me, sees my movements. She will believe me, partly because I rely on my artistry, and partly because at the bottom of what I am doing there is truth. If that were not the case, she would not believe me. With my every move, she becomes stronger and stronger; love is awakening in her soul; she is being enthroned in her meaning as a woman”

“Now she has power and passion and the struggle has significance for me-let the momentary consequences be what they may. Suppose that in her pride she becomes giddy, suppose that she does break with me-all right! -she has her freedom, but she will still belong to me. That the engagement should bind her is silly-I want to possess her only in her freedom”