A coy, catlike smile inches across Vivienne's lips as Cullen capitulates as she suspected he would. It's indeed better if he chooses to remove his own clothing rather than ask for the help that the ladies are more than eager to provide. It means he cannot claim he was wholly coerced if it comes to it at a later date.

Madame de Fer is polite enough to give the Commander his privacy to disrobe without her supervision and waits until she's satisfied that he's been comfortably situated on one of the massage chairs.

"Trust me, you'll feel like a new man once they're done. Just relax and ask for anything you want."