BDSM / Rubenesque
$5.20
Blurb
Maxine has a problem. She has to seduce a
man she doesn’t know and steal from him once he’s asleep. And not only is Dylan
the most handsome man she’s ever seen, he’s also into bondage and BDSM and all
that stuff she’s never even thought to try.
When he falls into her trap and they
spend the night together, something sparks between them. Dylan must have felt
it too, because he asks her to go back to L.A. with him to become his
submissive. Eager to get away from the men coercing her, Maxine jumps at the opportunity.
Dylan is a tough man to please, but under
his hard touch, Maxine soon blossoms. But her enemies are near, and her secrets
difficult to hide. When disaster strikes, it’s up to Maxine to prove she’s
worthy of Dylan’s trust. For better or worse.
Excerpt
Ready or not, here I come, you can’t hide… The song kept repeating in Maxine’s head as she stared at the handsome stranger over her Kindle.
He’d been staring moodily into the distance for the past few hours, his fingers squeezed tight around his glass as if he was afraid to let go. He wore a black suit that accentuated his wide shoulders and lean hips. He had short dark hair and clear eyes, green or gray, she couldn’t say for sure. He was seriously handsome, even with that perma-frown on his face.
He was the man she’d been looking for, the one she was supposed to steal from. Of course, he needed to notice her first.
She kept on watching as he sighed and brought the tumbler to his lips, taking one long gulp before slamming it back down onto the marble-covered tabletop. She winced at the sound and too late realized he’d seen her grimace. He shook his head, the gesture resembling an apology, and yet, he went straight back to staring at nothing.
It was her turn to sigh. She knew she wasn’t really the type of woman men hit on at bars, but surely tonight should be different.
She had instructions, after all. How on earth could they have considered her perfect for this job? She didn’t even look the part, she thought as she stared at her surroundings. But they’d been adamant he’d take the bait and lead her to that box. What was inside was worth a lot more than what she supposedly owed them. One night, and she’d be free of them.
Maybe she should have thought this through a little more and come up with a plan that consisted of more than just her acting as if she was entirely focused on her book. Because right now her plan sounded as bad as she was feeling.
She put her e-reader down and felt her neck twitch. That’d teach her to sit here unmoving for hours. She brought her hands up and kneaded the back of her neck, running her fingers up into her hair. She took the ponytail holder off and shook her hair down her back. Now that felt better already.
Looking up with a contented smile, she froze when she noticed his eyes on her. Their gazes locked. She watched, her eyes widening, as he stood up and stopped by her table. His voice just above a whisper, he said, “I’m in Room 1001,” and strode off.
She blinked and turned around, watching his back as he left the bar. Wow. She sure hadn’t been expecting that one. That had been almost too easy. Hoping her karma wouldn’t change, she grabbed her purse, dropped her Kindle in it and quickly stood up.
I did it!
The buoyant feeling lasted until she stood in front of the hotel room he’d indicated. It was located on the penthouse level and just one look around her reminded her know how badly she fit her surroundings.
They’d given her money to spend the night in the hotel, but she had the cheapest room available. Still, she hadn’t been in a hotel in so long it was quite a novelty. If she closed her eyes and forgot about everything else, she could almost believe she was on vacation somewhere fun. If only…
I should just go, she thought as she hooked her bag higher on her shoulder. Her gaze drilling a hole into the door only inches from her face, she remained immobile as she pondered her options. Not that she had any, really. She had no choice but to play nice with Dylan…Stevens.
Yes, that was his name. She remembered it from the fact sheet they’d handed her that afternoon. He’d just turned forty, was a lawyer of some kind in California
She sighed. He might be a handsome man, but it still didn’t mean she wanted to do this. She wasn’t a whore, damn it! How was she going to act if he tied her up?
The file had also mentioned he was a bondage master, and she’d had to Google it just to make sure she wasn’t going crazy. The man was into BDSM. She’d even watched videos and, oh my God, she really shouldn’t have.
She didn’t like pain. Really, she didn’t. She’d never really been adventurous in bed, even with her ex-husband. Maybe this was payback. Maybe she should have tried all this naughty stuff before. Maybe tonight would have been easier then.
No! She had to do this. She had to. She would say yes to everything he proposed and hope he went to sleep soon after. At least he was handsome. That was something, right? And the file said he was rich, both from his chosen profession and from inheriting his family’s estate.
Tall, dark, rich, handsome. What could go wrong? He sounded perfect on paper.
She could do this. She totally could.
She watched her right hand rise and knock on the heavy wooden door, staring as it opened almost immediately and revealed the man from downstairs.
He’d obviously used the time he’d had to make himself comfortable. He was still wearing suit pants, but the jacket was gone, the shoes too.
He stood there and looked at her in silence, so she took the opportunity offered and admired his body. Smooth white cotton stretched over his wide torso, the few buttons he’d opened at the neck showing his tanned skin. Her gaze drew down and stopped for a few seconds around his middle. Oh my.
“See anything interesting?” he asked then, his voice gruff.
-- For a chance to win a copy of A Question of Trust, visit The Forbidden Bookshelf to read my interview and comment --
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