Treasured Submission Read Free Page A

responsibility to guide his wife and children down the proper path. Her mouth dropped open as he discussed rules of behavior and consequences given when those rules were deemed broken. Looking around the room, she saw nothing but rapt faces either watching the charismatic speaker or engrossed in the pages of his book. Opening the copy Dean had loaned her, Abby glanced at the illustrations and could hardly believe that people in this day and age were willing to attend a review such as this. Instead of seeing mouths open in either shock or incredulity, she saw nods and smiles as the audience appeared to be actually agreeing with these archaic beliefs.
    A movement drew her attention to the couple seated at the table closest to hers. A young woman was squirming slightly on her chair and her husband, if Dean's assumption that married couples were attending his seminar was correct, leaned close, put his hand on the woman's leg and whispered something in her ear. Whatever he said had the woman sitting up straighter, hands folded neatly in her lap, no longer squirming. Unaware that they were being observed, the couple returned their attention to the front of the room. Abby's gaze roved again, noticing that the women all seemed to be sitting still and upright in their chairs, hands either in their laps or folded on the tabletop, eyes glued to the front as if determined not to be seen as being inattentive. In contrast, their husbands looked far more comfortable, leaning back in their chairs, legs crossed at ankles, arms relaxed, hands occasionally turning pages in the book as they followed Dean's words.
    Realizing that pages were being turned, Abigail herself flipped to the next chapter and couldn't stifle a small gasp. The page contained a color photograph detailing an obvious punishment. Her eyes remained riveted on the page until she heard chairs scraping against the floor and people beginning to talk. Glancing at the photo again, she quickly closed the book when she saw Dean walking towards her. Taking a deep breath, she gave him a tentative smile and he grinned back.
    "Haven't scared you off yet?" he asked, tapping the book.
    Blushing, she lifted her chin, determined not to let this man get the best of her. "Mr. Koonig, I'm a big girl and despite what I said earlier, I don't frighten that easily. I might not have been properly prepared, but I'm not going to just run away."
    Secretly pleased at her answer, he nodded and held out his hand. "Dean, please, call me Dean. Now, Abigail, would you allow me to treat you to a cup of coffee? We're all taking a break before the demonstrations begin."
    Abigail hesitated. " Demonstrations? " Had she heard him correctly? Looking around, she saw several couples mingling with each other, fresh cups of coffee or tea in hand. She looked back at Dean to see that his hand remained extended towards her. Tentatively taking it, she felt a repeat of the earlier jolt of electricity as his hand closed to completely engulf hers. Their brief encounter at the door had not allowed her time to truly register his appearance. He was tall and broad. His black hair was thick and wavy, the strands of silver at his temples serving to give him an almost forbidding presence—as if to announce he had been around for a while, seen quite a lot and had absolutely no problem in handling any situation. Piercing blue eyes could freeze her into immobility when he focused his gaze on her, and yet seemed to make her to want to curl up at his feet, drinking in every word he chose to share. When she stood, the top of her head barely reached the middle of his chest, and she had to fight the urge to lay her cheek onto his shirt to listen to the sound of his heartbeat. His size and proximity caused her heart to beat a bit faster, her blood to feel as if it were racing through her veins, and she wouldn't even think about the fact that her panties seemed to be growing a little damp. Never in her life had simply being close to a man