Sneak peek
Another sneak peek at a completed manuscript that I haven't submitted anywhere (yes, I have a few of them!). This one is titled Power Exchange:
Jesus fucking Christ.
Cole stared across the main room at Le Château. That could not be Carina Lockhart leaning against the bar over there, so fucking hot in a shiny black dress that looked like it had been laminated to her curves, and heels that could seriously injure a man. Her honey-blonde hair had been scraped up into a tight, high pony tail. Her eyes were wide, her lips parted as she met his gaze.
Oh yeah, that was her.
Busted, sweetheart. Cole’s pulse leaped and he couldn’t restrain the smile curving his lips. Carina Lockhart, secret Dominatrix.
Huh? That wasn’t the impression he’d gotten of her earlier. Sure, she was strong. Intelligent. Confident. Bossy. But that something he’d seen in her eyes, the way she’d softened when he held her hand, made him question her domination. Somehow it didn’t ring true.
He crossed the room toward her as if drawn by a magnet. No way was he going to do her any favors by pretending not to recognize her or disappearing. He was going to have his fun with this, and the anticipation of it sizzled through his veins.
Like arousal.
He stopped in front of her, stared down at her, not saying a word.
“Hi,” she finally said weakly.
“Well. Carina. Imagine my surprise seeing you here.”
She swallowed but lifted her chin. “Likewise.”
He looked her over, up, down, then raised his gaze back to her face. “Very nice.”
She pressed her lips together. No thanks for the compliment. He wanted to laugh. “I had no idea you were into the lifestyle.”
“I’m not.”
“Ah.” He lifted a brow. “Just...exploring?”
“No. Well.” She sucked her top lip in briefly. “I’m uh...checking this place out.”
“Ah. Finding yourself.”
“I’m not finding myself! I know exactly who I am.” Irritation tightened her voice.
He nodded. “Of course.”
“Don’t patronize me! What the hell are you doing here? If my grandpa knew...”
He lifted a brow. “Does he know you’re here?”
She blinked. “No.”
“Then we’re on even ground,” he murmured.
She closed her eyes briefly. He could almost hear the curse words he was sure she wanted to spit out. “I guess we are,” she finally said.
“So.” He trailed a finger over her bare shoulder and down the satiny skin of her arm. “Top or bottom?”
She gritted her teeth. “Top.”
“Of course.”
“You?”
“Top. Always.”
“Of course.” She echoed his words in a chilly tone.
He smiled. “You, Carina, are no top.”
Her eyes widened. “Yes, I am.”
He shook his head slowly. “I can see it in your eyes. You may think you are— you may fool others into thinking you are—but you’re not.”
“That’s ridiculous. In fact, I’m meeting two men at eleven o’clock in the red room who need to be punished. And I’m going to do it.”
“But are you going to enjoy it?”
She stared at him. “Of course I am.”
He looked at her. Said nothing. “What are you drinking?”
“Uh. Green tea and apple juice.”
“Sounds good.” He reached for her drink, took it from her and tasted it. “Yeah, it is good.” He handed it back to her.
She glared at him. He gestured to the bartender and requested another one for her and one for himself.
“So how are you going to punish these two men?”
“With this.” She held up her flogger, lifted a brow.
“Nice.” He took it from her, let the ball of the handle snuggle into his palm. Gave it a flick across his own palm. “Very nice.
He watched her breasts rise beneath the shiny PVC and the way her eyes darkened as she watched him snap the flogger. Oh, yeah.
“Nice, if a bit...amateurish,” he said.
“What!” Her lips parted.
He smiled. “This is good for a beginner. You can’t do too much damage with this.”
“I know what I’m doing!”
The bartender passed their drinks over and Cole handed one to Carina. She clenched her hands into fists and refused to take it. Oh, man. She was just asking for it.
“No thanks,” she said shortly. “Give me back my flogger.”
He lifted a brow. Waited.
“Please.”
Ah. Satisfaction. It was a small thing, but still...the anticipation of bending her to his will, of bending her body over and giving her what she really wanted sizzled through him. Jesus.
Jesus fucking Christ.
Cole stared across the main room at Le Château. That could not be Carina Lockhart leaning against the bar over there, so fucking hot in a shiny black dress that looked like it had been laminated to her curves, and heels that could seriously injure a man. Her honey-blonde hair had been scraped up into a tight, high pony tail. Her eyes were wide, her lips parted as she met his gaze.
Oh yeah, that was her.
Busted, sweetheart. Cole’s pulse leaped and he couldn’t restrain the smile curving his lips. Carina Lockhart, secret Dominatrix.
Huh? That wasn’t the impression he’d gotten of her earlier. Sure, she was strong. Intelligent. Confident. Bossy. But that something he’d seen in her eyes, the way she’d softened when he held her hand, made him question her domination. Somehow it didn’t ring true.
He crossed the room toward her as if drawn by a magnet. No way was he going to do her any favors by pretending not to recognize her or disappearing. He was going to have his fun with this, and the anticipation of it sizzled through his veins.
Like arousal.
He stopped in front of her, stared down at her, not saying a word.
“Hi,” she finally said weakly.
“Well. Carina. Imagine my surprise seeing you here.”
She swallowed but lifted her chin. “Likewise.”
He looked her over, up, down, then raised his gaze back to her face. “Very nice.”
She pressed her lips together. No thanks for the compliment. He wanted to laugh. “I had no idea you were into the lifestyle.”
“I’m not.”
“Ah.” He lifted a brow. “Just...exploring?”
“No. Well.” She sucked her top lip in briefly. “I’m uh...checking this place out.”
“Ah. Finding yourself.”
“I’m not finding myself! I know exactly who I am.” Irritation tightened her voice.
He nodded. “Of course.”
“Don’t patronize me! What the hell are you doing here? If my grandpa knew...”
He lifted a brow. “Does he know you’re here?”
She blinked. “No.”
“Then we’re on even ground,” he murmured.
She closed her eyes briefly. He could almost hear the curse words he was sure she wanted to spit out. “I guess we are,” she finally said.
“So.” He trailed a finger over her bare shoulder and down the satiny skin of her arm. “Top or bottom?”
She gritted her teeth. “Top.”
“Of course.”
“You?”
“Top. Always.”
“Of course.” She echoed his words in a chilly tone.
He smiled. “You, Carina, are no top.”
Her eyes widened. “Yes, I am.”
He shook his head slowly. “I can see it in your eyes. You may think you are— you may fool others into thinking you are—but you’re not.”
“That’s ridiculous. In fact, I’m meeting two men at eleven o’clock in the red room who need to be punished. And I’m going to do it.”
“But are you going to enjoy it?”
She stared at him. “Of course I am.”
He looked at her. Said nothing. “What are you drinking?”
“Uh. Green tea and apple juice.”
“Sounds good.” He reached for her drink, took it from her and tasted it. “Yeah, it is good.” He handed it back to her.
She glared at him. He gestured to the bartender and requested another one for her and one for himself.
“So how are you going to punish these two men?”
“With this.” She held up her flogger, lifted a brow.
“Nice.” He took it from her, let the ball of the handle snuggle into his palm. Gave it a flick across his own palm. “Very nice.
He watched her breasts rise beneath the shiny PVC and the way her eyes darkened as she watched him snap the flogger. Oh, yeah.
“Nice, if a bit...amateurish,” he said.
“What!” Her lips parted.
He smiled. “This is good for a beginner. You can’t do too much damage with this.”
“I know what I’m doing!”
The bartender passed their drinks over and Cole handed one to Carina. She clenched her hands into fists and refused to take it. Oh, man. She was just asking for it.
“No thanks,” she said shortly. “Give me back my flogger.”
He lifted a brow. Waited.
“Please.”
Ah. Satisfaction. It was a small thing, but still...the anticipation of bending her to his will, of bending her body over and giving her what she really wanted sizzled through him. Jesus.