Liz Everly's Blog, page 54

Doing Whatever He Wants – And Loving It

By Elizabeth Shore

Yesterday our own Alexa Day – whose story Passing Through is part of the fabulous new naughty military release Hero to Obey that we’re celebrating this week – wrote a great piece on the idea of Femdom, i.e., flipping the tables on the traditional concept of woman as submissive. With femdom, of course, she’s the one in charge, and as Alexa smartly points out, this gives us, “a take-charge heroine [who] drives her own sexual journey, and I’m all about seeing her partner treating her with the deference reserved for royalty.” Yepper. I’m on board with that, too. But still and all, in my hot fantasies, being the submissive is still where it’s at. Yet, why??

In Alexa’s post yesterday she pointed out that one reason submission in romance is so popular is because it appeals to the side of women who may have wild sexual desires but who are reticent to explore them without direction. A dominant male telling a woman to roleplay her fantasies removes any guilt she may have about the fantasy. She can’t be scorned, after all, for crawling across the floor like a kitten since she’s just doing what she was told. The burden of having to justify her behavior, even if only in her own mind, is removed when the behavior is dictated by someone else.

I think there’s certainly some truth to that, but that explanation alone still doesn’t entirely satisfy. So I set out to find intel on what strong women who like being dominated – the so-called tough on the streets, submissive in the sheets – had to say about it. Here are a few quotes from a post on thoughtcatalogue.com.

“Women are raised to act pure and chaste and I find that disgusting. Being his little sex slave is my way of rebelling against a society that tries to oppress female sexuality.”

“I like to be manhandled, mastered and degraded – but only with someone I trust. It’s a bonding experience.”

“I like being treated like his sex slave; it makes me feel irresistible.”

The best article I found was one from several years ago on alternet.org that includes a long attribution from our own Rachel Kramer Bussel, who states, “There’s no reason why a woman’s feminist thoughts or credentials or beliefs should be somehow demoted because she’s sexually submissive.” No indeed. In fact, when I think in a personal way about why the idea of submission is arousing to me, it boils down to the last of the three quotes, “it makes me feel irresistible.”

In any Dom/sub relationship, negotiation takes place and boundaries are drawn. What each person likes, what they don’t like, what really gets them off. Which means that if a man is dominating me, he’s thinking about me. I’m the one getting his full attention. I do, as the last woman stated, feel irresistible, because I’m very well aware that this scenario is also massively turning him on. I alone am the source of his desire. And let’s be honest, it’s nice. No complaints. Having wanted attention devoted just on me…I’m good with that.

Yes, Ma’am: Femdom Is Right on Time

If you’re about getting kinky with 22 men in uniform, it’s your lucky day! Click to buy.

By Alexa Day

She took his face in both hands and pushed herself just far enough away to breathe.

“That night, in the storage,” she whispered. “Did I imagine that?”

He shook his head. “No.”

She rocked her pelvis against his. “Am I crazy for wanting to act on that?”

“You don’t seem crazy to me.”

“Good.” She took a step away from him and traced a line down his chest with her fingernail. “Take off your shirt.”

— from “Passing Through,” in Hero to Obey

Yes, ma’am.

Two little words that make me a little fluttery inside.

I’ve never understood the objection so many women have to being called “ma’am.” The prevalent argument is that it connotes age. I don’t get the objection to that, either. I love aging.

What makes “ma’am” superior to its substitutes in my mind? It’s one simple thing.

It’s deference. In a world of catcalling, mansplaining, and twee pet names, deference appeals to me a great deal. That’s a big part of the reason femdom-themed stories are working for me right now.

But the popular wisdom suggests that romance readers are a little uncomfortable with femdom stories. Why? Isn’t the world more than ready for some femdom fantasy?

Women are under such tremendous pressure, even now, to be nice to everyone. I hear women apologizing for asking for the things they want. They don’t want to be selfish. I read about women trying to figure out how to get people who live with them to share in the housework. I think at one point there was some crazy system that encouraged rewarding spouses for doing household chores. I see women who seem confused about the boundary between giving of themselves and depleting their own resources.

All the while, I see the way our world treats women who are undeniably in charge at home and at work. The number one criticism? They’re unfeminine. And make no mistake: women are quick to jump on another woman who seems to be on top of things.

Femdom is not a cure-all, but a healthy dose of it can solve a lot of problems. Check it out.

1. In the world of femdom, women don’t have to keep asking for things. No more bargaining. No more constant reminders. Women need not even say please. They ask for what they want (actually, as you see at the beginning of the post, the heroine of “Passing Through” doesn’t ask so much as command), and then they either get what they want, or they deliver a consequence. It’s tough to say which is more refreshing. Is it the knowledge that women need not ask more than once, or the knowledge that their partners are listening?

2. In this world, giving is limited only by our capacity to receive. Megan Hart is more eloquent on this point than I am. In Beg for It, heroine Corinne remembers her boy, Reese, like this: “Other men might feign a brief interest in massaging away the pain, but only so far as it meant them eventually getting in her pants. Her boy rubbed her feet until they no longer hurt, even if they both knew she didn’t plan on fucking him. … Other men had claimed they wanted to please her, and some of them had tried, but in the end it had always come down to them giving her what she wanted as long as it was also what they wanted to give her. Her boy had taken care of her needs before his own, no matter what.” That works for me, friends.

3. Femdom calls on a different reservoir of male strength. In my story, the hero, Noah, finds that he enjoys the challenge of obeying Gigi, both in and out of bed. Delaying gratification and testing the limits of his mind and body — submitting to Gigi requires him to be stronger than himself. The male submissive is in no way diminished by his service to his Domme. If anything, submission makes him stronger.

It’s been said that the female submissive in romance is so popular because submission gives her the freedom, the permission to explore desires she would hesitate to approach without direction. The dominant woman in romance, speaking very generally, isn’t looking for the same permission. She’s comfortable with her desires and with the prospect of exploring them. She just needs the right partner to make that journey with her.

Is romance ready for femdom? Well, as we established last week, femdom has been here for a while. But I think this is an excellent time for it. I love to see a take-charge heroine drive her own sexual journey, and I’m all about seeing her partner treating her with the deference reserved for royalty. Women on top deserve a happy ending, too.

My novella, “Passing Through,” releases today, in the great big box set, Hero to Obey. You’ll find my story alongside 21 other novellas featuring super hot military heroes and lots of kinky sexytimes. I’ve got an excerpt up for your approval, but here are a few words about what you’re getting into.

The summer’s brought two surprises to bar owner Gigi Deane: the former Army Ranger she hired is the perfect barback, and he takes orders in bed as well as he does on the job. Noah Monroe’s told her that he’s just passing through, but as the seasons change, can she convince him to make their summer thing a little more permanent?

Click like the wind, friends! And follow Lady Smut. We’ll keep your summers as hot as you want.

Military Theme Week Kickoff: A Talk With Military Romance Writer Kris Michaels

by Kiersten Hallie Krum

I’ve got a big post today for you lovely Lady Smutters, but before we get started on the awesome that kicks off our Lady Smut Theme Week, some quick housekeeping: I will be on vacation for the next three Mondays as I head out to San Diego for some sun, fun, and Navy-boy watching (it’s a competitive sport in those parts, I hear), and also, of course, the RWA National Conference. But you will hardly even miss me because I am delighted to announce a pair of outstanding authors who are going to guest post while I’m away.

On July 11th, award-winning author Cara McKenna will be taking over Lady Smut. We are huge fans of her sexy, complex, thought-provoking novels (do a search of her name to find past relevant posts). Her newest menage novel Downtown Devil is already burning up the Lady Smut bloggers. Then, on July 18th, USA Today bestselling author Megan Crane will be guesting. I went total fan grrl over her foray into biker novels, Make Me Burn from the Deacons of Bourbon Street series, and recently reviewed her new apocalyptic series about Viking marauders, which include the upcoming third book in the series, Edge of Control. Can’t wait for these exciting writers to add their unique stamps to the Lady Smut community!

Now onto Theme Week!

It’s Military Theme Week on Lady Smut! We’re celebrating the release of Lady Smut blogger Alexa Day’s new novella Passing Through, part of the military anthology Hero to Obey: Twenty-Two Naughty Military Romance Stories featuring 22 sexy novellas by bestselling authors.

Hoo Rah

Military heroes (and heroines, of course) are a hugely popular sub-genre in Romancelandia…and with us here at Lady Smut, as you’ll see this week. A few weeks ago, I was introduced to author Kris Michaels whose series, KINGS OF GUARDIAN, features all kinds of military connections and not only of the hero variety. What’s more, Michaels writes from experience as she served in the military for many years before turning her skills and expertise to the page.  After reading her first three books in the series, I invited her to join us here on Lady Smut for Military Theme Week to talk about writing in this super popular sub-genre and how much real life inspires her military romances.

KIERSTEN HALLIE KRUM: Welcome Kris Michaels! Thanks for joining us here at Lady Smut. Tell us about your series, KINGS OF GUARDIAN.

KRIS MICHAELS: Hi! Thank you for having me! So, Guardian in a nutshell? Well, to paint the big picture, Guardian Security is the empire owned by David Xavier, a recluse billionaire. The private security company handles all types of security operations, both international and domestic. They are the absolute best at what they do. No single nation or governmental agency sanctions Guardian Security—but all use them. Guardian works to free Americans from desperate situations, to protect humanitarian efforts around the world, and to provide safe passage and secure environments for VIPs and dignitaries of all nations. On occasion, they are authorized to take out some nasty bastards that nobody else can touch—legally. The Kings are a family of five brothers and three sisters who all work, in one capacity or another, for Guardian. The series follow each of the siblings and revolve around a central element which pulls all the stories together.

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KHK: Rumor here at Lady Smut headquarters is that you’re an Amazonian military bad-ass yourself…Truth?

KM: Ha. Bet I owe Elizabeth SaFluer for that question. I served in the military, so yes, my kids can say their mother did wear combat boots. And I’m 6′2″. Am I Amazonian? Perhaps, based on height alone. Bad-ass? Meh…not so much.

KHK: What about the men in your sphere? Is it true your husband and guy friends are also impressive, military bad-asses? If so, are they all taken? (Just kidding) (Kinda).

 

KM: LOL! I met and married The Cop, aka my husband, while we were serving together overseas. I’ll let him know someone suggested he was a military bad-ass. Or maybe I won’t. He’d be impossible to live with! Sorry, all my guy friends are all happily married, and yes, most have served in the military or are police officers.

KHK: Dammit! Always too late! So, what about offspring? Your kids must be fearsome…or perhaps fearless? Are they mini-bad-asses in training?

KM: Mini? At 6′7″ and 6′5″ they are anything but mini! The Cop and I demanded they go to college and have a profession outside the military. The oldest just finished medical school and the youngest is entering law school.

KHK: Holy crap, “kids” no more, for sure. Tell us, what were the elements of your military career that inspired you to write hot, alpha special-ops kinds of heroes? What inspires you to write your complex, intelligent heroines?

KM: I’m not sure I can pick one point in time and say, hey, that’s it. My life experiences, as a whole, influence everything I do. But honestly, I started writing because I bought and read a popular series that…well, suffice to say it didn’t really impress me. I thought to myself, you can do better than this! So, I started writing. I try to describe people the way I see them. No matter who you are, you have an internal strength that is unique and beautiful. I have met damaged people who persevere against staggering odds. They are so strong, and yet, if you asked them, they would say they are nothing special. Military heroes or intelligent heroines aside, focusing on the inside strength of the character engages everyone at an elemental level.  If you can express that dynamic, you can write strong heroes and heroines.

KHK: Are there downsides to the military that you soft-peddle or omit entirely in your writing? If so, what and why?

KM: Honestly, the military is a microcosm of society. All the good and bad is still there, it is just structured and put into a pressure cooker. The dangers are real. The fear is real, and it isn’t glamorous. Life in the military is long hours of hard work and dedicated sacrifice. I write adventure, romance, and drama, but I soft-peddle the aspects that would detract from my ability to entertain my audience.

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KHK: What are some of the common mistakes that you see when people write about the military? (I ask while bracing for any potential faux pas in my book, WILD ON THE ROCKS, and its SEAL hero.)

KM: No need to brace! I don’t read looking for mistakes. I actually had to stop and think about this. Really, I can’t single out any one thing other author’s do consistently. I buy a book to enjoy the story. I read it, acknowledge the phrase or scene isn’t the way I would have written it, and press on.  I know the culture because it was my life for so long that I pick up on things that most wouldn’t. There are hundreds of little things that people who haven’t served might not catch. For instance, Battle Dress Uniforms have button up flaps in the trousers—not zippers. The respect and status that an NCO vs an Officer would receive is subtle, yet completely different. Oh, wait, I will say that military terminology used wrong immediately pulls me out of a story.

KHK: Your own guys are in a sort of security forces unit, a private military company (PMC) called Guardian, but not actual U.S. military—or at least, not any longer. Did this give you some lee-way you needed in your books to use the proverbial expression “blow shit up”?

KM: Oh abso-fucking-lutely! I built a world where I could have my characters do incredible “oh shit” things. Things that couldn’t happen in the real world.

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KHK: Your first book starts out with a dark, really nasty interrogation that ends badly. Perhaps even more shocking, the person being tortured is the heroine, not the hero. Were you uncertain about starting your book there?

KM: I never had a second thought, but then again it was my first book, and I didn’t know not to start it that way. I wanted to catch the reader’s attention and hold it. I always try to start a book with action. Readers typically prefer romances to be on the happier side of life. Has that risk paid off? I wouldn’t know how to write the Guardians any other way. There are so many authors writing wonderful romance stories. My perspective is just one of many. Hopefully, readers will enjoy what I bring to the table.

KHK: The foundation of the KINGS OF GUARDIAN series is the King family, a large group of brothers and sisters, each with a particular spec ops specialty. Do you find that familial connection easier or harder to manage as the series continues?

KM: Each sibling and their spouses are completely different so they are easy to keep separate in my mind. The books track each member of the family through a continuum of a central story line. I find it easy to build each character for their book and present them that way. Ever lose track? Oh, hell yeah. You should see my manuscripts! They are littered with parentheses that I go back and fact check before I send it to my beta readers. “[Check eye color] [Check restaurant name] [SEAL or Green Beret?]” I really do need to develop a spreadsheet!

KHK: What would you recommend as the best ways to research such military-related specialties for a writer who does not have your professional background and personal experience?

KM: Books, magazine articles, interviews, and military periodicals all have great content. Honestly, anyone can write a military story. Learn enough to bring your audience into the story and keep the details to a minimum. You won’t earn or keep a reader because you know what caliber bullet is fired from an M-4. (NATO specs are 5.56 while civilian is .223). But seriously, I’ve read plenty of wonderful books that had amazing character-centered stories with an allusion of a military backdrop. With minimum information, the authors place me in their world and put me in the mood to enjoy the book. They don’t try to win me over with technical jargon and as a reader I’m perfectly happy with that.

KHK: Whenever I read or watch a series with a privatized specialty business like a PMC, I always trip over the “How do they pay for this shit?” angle. PMCs these days are huge corporations with investors, contracts, and balance sheets, and The Kings certainly are amply endowed financially, but do you ever find yourself juggling the realities of a larger-than-life endeavor for a private spec ops company, like the financial and practical logistics

KM: Honestly, I don’t pay attention to finances because I hope I’ve established a premise and built a world where these types of events actually can exist. Logistical pathways in each story are important to me. If you, as a reader, can’t picture something happening, then I lose your buy-in to the story. I spend a lot of time researching for two or three facts to make the story flow.

Hot new release! Click on image to buy!

KHK: I thought it was a gutsy move as a writer to strand three of your Kings in the badlands of Afghanistan for months, separating the hero and heroine for an extended period of time on the page. Was this plot maneuver based on actual experience, a real-life equivalent you used as its basis?

KM: Good Lord no, all my stories are based on complete fiction. I may see something on the news or read an article and pull out a sentence or a theme, and that idea starts the ball rolling.  I put on my “What Then” hat and play games with my characters. If I do this…what then? OK, I have them over there and I have a firefight…what then? I need to develop strength of family between the brothers, and I do…what then? My life is way too boring to use as a basis for any story.

KHK:  Your heroes and heroines tend to hook up quick and get onto the business of saving the world in one way or another. What do you think is your books romance to action ratio? Which do you find easier to express on the page—the emotion of the romance or the intensity of the action and threats?

KM: Wow. Ratio? As in math? Hell, I have no idea. I put sex in when the characters and the story need the love and compassion, and it where it furthers the story line. I love writing romance based in mystery, intrigue, and suspense. I like to drive the reader to the corner, signal like I’m going to take them on an slow gentle right-hand turn, and then give them whiplash with a sharp left.

KHK: What’s next in the pipeline for you and the KINGS OF GUARDIAN?

KM: Well, I’ve written JACOB, JOSEPH, ADAM, and JASON (newly released in May 2016). Next in line is Jared, then Jasmine. Left in the series are Chief, Jade, Dixon and Drake, Justin, Jewell and Gabriel, but I have no idea what the order will be. Whatever character yells the loudest to be written goes next!

KHK: Any final thoughts to share with Lady Smut?

KM: I would like to thank you for allowing me to participate in your blog. I’m an avid reader and love what you ladies have built here.

KHK: Well we loved having you visit! Thanks for spending time with us here at Lady Smut!

You can find out more about Kris Michaels’ KINGS OF GUARDIAN series on her web site www.krismichaels.com.

Be sure not to miss Alexa Day’s hot new novella, Passing Through, or any of the twenty-two sexy stories in Hero to Obey. 

Click on image to buy!

Look! A blurb!

The summer’s brought two surprises to bar owner Gigi Deane: the former Army Ranger she hired is the perfect barback, and he takes orders in bed as well as he does on the job. Noah Malone’s told her that he’s just passing through, but as the seasons change, can she convince him to make their summer thing a little more permanent.

Get a quick taste of all that goodness in this excerpt that Alexa posted for our Sexy Saturday Roundup.

Follow Lady Smut. We’ll make you love to obey our every desire.

Writer, singer editor, traveler, tequila drinker, and cat herder, Kiersten Hallie Krum avoids pen names since keeping her multiple personalities straight is hard enough work. She writes smart, sharp, and sexy romantic suspense. Her debut romantic suspense novel  Wild on the Rocks  is now available. Visit her website at www.kierstenkrum.com and find her regularly over sharing on various social media via @kierstenkrum.

 

Servant of the Undead, erotic zombie horror free read

Isabelle Drake’s Servant of the Undead

If you’re new to this serial, you can start with Part 1, “Do it.”

Part 7: “Roaming the streets?”

An unnatural mixture of light came from buildings, the moon and the eerie brightness of the unrelenting storm. The historic Old South Church was behind him on his right, stoic and solid. The garish light of a 7-Eleven blinked up ahead on the left, red, green and promising twenty-four-hour access to Slurpees, cigarettes and bullshit junk food. Even in the blizzard, the contrast was jarring.

On the backside of the Old South Church, an open window smacked against the stone exterior of the wide building. Weak light shone from within. Wind howled up Dartmouth Street, cold, biting bursts of snow-filled air, bitter like the ice of the Charles River about ten blocks away. The window snapped shut with a crack, then burst open again. Inside the church, the light faded.

Hayden winced, forcing his gaze away from the church and his legs farther into Boston’s Back Bay. Of course, there was nothing to see in that window—no girl with dark eyes, smudged with black eyeliner, and D-size breasts wrapped in strips of red wool. Crazy thing was, if he told someone he’d done some random girl at the library—right there on one of the sturdy oak tables, they’d probably be jealous. At least smack him a high five. Hell, the whole thing fit together like a fantasy from an old sci-fi pulp paperback. But now that he was away from the girl, he felt anything but fantastic. Whatever sexual spell she’d cast over him had faded, and he was reconsidering his state of mind.

And, he realized, reconsidering the girl.

Her scent.

Her physical strength.

Her power over him.

Unable to stop himself, he glanced back, searching through the whipping snow, scanning the wall of the church, tracing the points of the Gothic arches until he spotted the window. It was still open, still swinging slightly, and still empty.

Thank God.

Clutching the straps of his backpack, he trudged on, concentrating on maintaining a smooth, steady rhythm. The few blocks to Commonwealth Avenue went quickly enough, and once he spotted the rows of lighted trees lining the boulevard, the tension in his spine eased, and the lingering anxiety lifted. Even muted by the heavy snow, the tiny white holiday lights brightened the fierceness of the weather, making it almost postcard pretty, instead of what it actually was—a monster of a storm that had choked the life out of the entire city.

Hayden lifted his scarf to cover his mouth and pull in a warm breath. The air filled his chilled lungs. Relax. He had a hot girl waiting for him and, thanks to an accidental video, a bonus check on the way. Life—or at least that night—was damn near perfect.

That was his last thought before spotting a familiar pair of heavy black boots peeking out from beside the snow-heaped bushes lining the front of his brownstone. He didn’t need to run his gaze up the long, lean legs covered in tattered fishnets and see that nearly pointless miniskirt to know it was her sitting on the steps.

The solid, booted feet swung in, disappearing. The air in Hayden’s lungs went cold and came out in a raw rush. Wind howled behind him, pushing him forward, propelling him. Same as when they’d been together in the library, her face was plain, her gaze scanning the area around them in quick sharp sweeps. But this time she wasn’t looking for just anyone. She was waiting for him. And all traces of sweetness were gone.

“You thinking about paying those bills?” she asked, pointing to his backpack as she swung forward, her boots sliding easily into the deep drifts beside the bush. “It’s going to suck if they shut off your wireless.”

Hayden shoved his scarf below his chin. “It’s rude to go through other people’s shit.”

She set her hands on her hips and arched her back, forcing her incredible breasts into his line of vision. “How else was I going to figure out where to find you?”

“Why did you need to find me at all?” he asked, trying to circle her, to get away from her and the wrongness that was now seeping into the night. Two steps and already he felt the sensation of the smell settling deep in his mouth, seeping across his molars.

She watched his lips part as she moved with him, gliding, matching his movement as though she anticipated each step.

“Is it about the pictures? The ones posted on the Weekly’s site?” he asked.

She kept moving with him, her brown eyes taking on the green sheen he’d thought he’d imagined in the library. “Yeah, it was the pictures,” she murmured, “but not how you think.” She tucked her fingers under of the strips of wet wool circling her torso and tugged. Bare white skin peeked between the wraps as she shimmied to adjust them. Not that her changes did any good. The full curves of her breasts and the tight peaks of her nipples were still totally obvious. Then again, maybe that was her point.

Hayden ground his teeth, trying to crush the sensation in his jaw, but couldn’t pull his gaze away from her glistening, exposed body. Tiny icicles clung to the tangles of her hair and flakes of snow dotted her thighs, bare above the edge of the tights. He cleared his throat, trying to keep his mind from acknowledging the blood flowing to his cock. “The guy I work for thinks they’re a great tie-in to the zombie stuff—my piece, the comic convention and the opening of Zombie Rites. And all that stuff about zombies—”

“Roaming the streets?” she cut in, grinning as she dropped her hand to smack snow off her limp skirt. Once she got the clumps off, she ran her fingers across the hem, inching it up her bare thighs.

***

Want more? The next part will be here next Sunday. Or, you can come over to the Servant of the Undead Wattpad page and read more for free right now. Unfamiliar with Wattpad? It’s an online community for readers and writers. Its filled with free fiction of all kinds. It’s easy to log in and get started; you can use your Facebook account.

Until next time, follow Lady Smut, we’re always here to inform, entertain, and keep you up to date.

***

Isabelle Drake writes erotica, erotic romance, urban fantasy, and young adult thrillers. Best Friends Never, her newest release is the first in the Cherry Grove dark YA series.

Sexy Saturday Excerpt: Alexa Day’s “Passing Through”

If you like kinky stories with military heroes, click to preorder. Like right now.

By Alexa Day

Happy weekend, sexy people! Learned colleague Madeline Iva has allowed me to stage a Sexy Saturday takeover so I can hit you with a lick of excerpty goodness from my novella, “Passing Through.” It’s one of 22 stories featured in the box set, Hero to Obey, from Blushing Books. Joining me in the collection are Sierra Cartwright, Selena Kitt, Desiree Holt, along with Lady Smut guests Tabitha Black and Lee Savino. If you like your stories kinky and your heroes in uniform, you want to get involved with this big box.

My contribution, “Passing Through,” is a femdom-themed story featuring bar owner Gigi Deane and Noah Monroe, the former Army Ranger who’s spending the summer working as her barback. Gigi likes her men tall, hot, and obedient, and Noah certainly fits the bill. But he’s an employee, so he’s off limits. Putting him on his knees would be kind of inappropriate.

Right?

At this point in the story, Gigi and Noah cross the line between fantasy and reality. Enjoy!

***

The wooden patio on top of the bar offered little in the way of scenic views. It faced the back of the building, not the beach, and from its ancient Adirondack chair, she could look down into the parking lot and the Dumpster. Beyond her building and the hair salon, the neighborhood crept up the hill into the suburbs. She could make out a couple of beach house backyards. Muffled rhythm thumped from a screened-in porch in the distance.

Heavy steps on the creaky wooden stairs captured her attention.

“Here you are.” Noah’s voice liquefied something low in her belly. “I didn’t know where you’d got to.”

“I came up for a little fresh air. I thought I’d be back by the time you finished.”

He came out onto the patio, making the boards protest beneath his weight. “Well, it’s all done downstairs. You need anything else?”

Gigi breathed deeply of the hot summer air. That question.

“No, I’m sure it’s fine. I hope I didn’t keep you too long; I’m sure you have places to be tonight.”

“Me?” Noah chuckled. “No, I’m not going anywhere.”

“No?” She gestured at the other chair with the bottle. “You want to sit down for a minute?”

Noah dropped onto the other Adirondack chair with a barely suppressed groan.

“That’s a blessed feeling, isn’t it?” She leaned back in the chair. “Sitting down after barbacking a double shift.”

“God, yes.” He stretched his arms over his head, arching his back until the joints popped.

“You want a beer?” She glanced over the shoulder toward the mini-fridge. “Might have two more back there.”

His body reclined in the chair. “No, I’m good.”

“You sure? Not even to thank you for your service?”

He lifted one hand toward her, as if to ward off incoming beer. “No thanks necessary.”

She turned to watch him in repose. She could hardly make him out in the dark, but the sound of his sigh squeezed her heart. Their conversation in the storage room arose in her memory.

No one went to Afghanistan for free beer.

They looked out into the darkness. Firecrackers popped in the distance, and a lone bottle rocket arced through the sky in a shower of sparks.

“I guess we should go,” she said.

He rose from the awkward chair with ease and offered her his hand. She slid her hand into his warm, work-roughened one and let him pull her to her feet. Inches away from him now, she felt that electricity again, a heavy thickness in the air between them like the heat before a thunderstorm.

This time, she gave in to the magnetic force.

Her fingers resting lightly in his, she swayed toward him. Her arm wound around his shoulder and she lifted her face to his an instant before his mouth settled on hers.

She pressed her palm to the back of his neck, where the summer heat and hard work had made the skin sticky with sweat. She claimed his mouth with her tongue. The perfect satiny skin of his lips gave way to the heat of his mouth, and her tongue traced the back of his teeth, the hard shelf above and behind them. He released her hand, freeing her to embrace him. His arms wound around her waist and he pushed into her kiss, taking her mouth boldly.

Yes.

She lifted her chest up to meet his. The contact with his hard body brought her nipples to taut peaks.

She took his face in both hands and pushed herself just far enough away to breathe.

“That night, in the storage,” she whispered. “Did I imagine that?”

He shook his head. “No.”

She rocked her pelvis against his. “Am I crazy for wanting to act on that?”

“You don’t seem crazy to me.”

“Good.” She took a step away from him and traced a line down his chest with her fingernail. “Take off your shirt.”

She slid her hands into her back pockets. For a moment, they stood there in the dark, watching each other in silence.

“Come on,” she said. “Take it off.”

He crossed his arms in front of him, grabbing the bottom of his shirt and then peeling it off. Smoothly, he pulled it over his head, and he stood, holding it loosely in one hand. He watched her with an enticing mixture of caution and defiance in his eyes.

Gigi’s insides fluttered with an excitement that she hoped her face didn’t reveal. She’d expected some measure of hesitation from Noah, if not outright resistance. She’d thought it would take more than a simple command to bend him to her will. And yet here he was, bare chested, waiting for her instructions.

Her fingertips found his chest again, and she lightly raked her nails down to his stomach. His abs twitched at her touch.

Ticklish. Nice.

She made her way behind him now, watching as the muscles in his strong back went taut. She could see the column of his neck in stark relief in the dim light.

Damn.

Wary, he turned to look at her over his shoulder. She spread her fingers over a big shoulder blade to reassure him, the way one might try to calm a skittish horse.

“Is this a little weird?” Her voice was almost a whisper.

“A little,” he answered. His mouth curled into a half-smile.

She wound her arms around him, pressed her body against his back. Her hands smoothed the coarse hair that dusted his chest.

She longed to touch her lips, her tongue, to the base of his thick neck. To feel the bone there. Caress his earlobe with her mouth to see if he was ticklish there as well.

Not yet. Not now.

Instead, she whispered to him. “Do you like it?”

His head fell back toward hers, and his chest expanded into her hands. His surrender sent a thrill surging through her.

“Mmm,” he said, his voice rumbling through her. “I like it.”

***

You know, the Fourth of July is on its way — isn’t it the perfect time for hot military-themed sexytimes? Vote yes. Click to preorder, and all 22 stories will be coming at you on Tuesday.

I’ll see you again then.

Follow Lady Smut. We’ll make sure you’re ready for the summer.

A Century of Hot Men: My How We’ve Changed

By Elizabeth SaFleur

Call this blog post “the post that almost wasn’t.” I started to write about alpha males through the ages. I sought to answer one question: Have our ideas about what makes a man an “alpha” changed over time? Know what I discovered? It didn’t. An alpha is an alpha is an alpha. Any man with a confident and commanding personality who enjoys control and generally stomps through life leading others can be considered an alpha. And, alphas never go out of style. I mean look . . .

Yes, I spent a ridiculous amount of time creating this collage.

You know what did change over the decades? Our idea of male beauty. Let’s explore attractive males through the ages, shall we? Warning: The rabbit hole on this topic is deep, my friends. Hang on. And, fill that comment box below with all your thoughts on the trip down. We welcome pictures of who you consider a good-looking guy today or in the past.

Let’s start with 1910 and go from there. Here are four leading men, and the epitome of all things manly, from 1910 to at least the mid 1940s.

Notice anything? Besides the swashbuckling, coming-to-the rescue, genteel type of savior they portrayed? How about how pretty they look. All that slicked back hair, clean shaven chins and dapper duds.  In researching these decades and all its manly gorgeousness, a shocking lack of diversity emerged.  Not that men of different races and cultures weren’t to die for. But I just couldn’t find that many images of displayed male hotness that weren’t white men. Well, Harry Belafonte showed up. Wow, was he beautiful or what? But even this image was taken just into the 1950s.

Harry Belafonte

Researching the 1950s revealed our image of “best looking” guys made a sudden turn. Yes, we had our collegiate frat boy and our slick office guys idolized in the popular TV show, Mad Men.

More slick hair!

But a tougher “look” became idolized. Still baby-faced in some ways, but more of a fighter’s energy seemed to be behind those lashes.

Look at these teenagers trying to mimic James and Marlon. You can always tell what’s “in” regarding looks by checking out your local high school. Seriously. Try it sometime.

1950s teenagers

The 1960s brought us a whole new level of grit. Steve McQueen, Clint Eastwood and James Bond ushered us into one of the greatest decades for cinema — the 1970s — and changed what (who?) we grew hot over.

Of course the 60s and 70s also brought us hair. Lots and lots of hair. Good-bye brylcreme.

By the time 1975 rolled around, a certain slickness returned, and ushered in a whole new glamour for men that the previous two decades had ditched.

John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever

The concept of “sexy ugly” emerged sometime between the 1970s and 1980s. (I think.)

Maybe it’s the hair or the large mouth? I dunno. Or perhaps the confidence and talent that makes these guys so attractive?

The 1980’s “look” took us up a notch on the “slick side.” Everything suddenly got tailored from the hair to the clothes.

Michael Douglas as Gordon Gekko in the movie, Wall Street

 

Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas played Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs in Miami Vice

Well, except for when it didn’t. The hair bands of the 80s were well labeled. They wore more make-up than I did back then.

The rock band Poison

Hang on you’re only half way down the rabbit hole. The 1990s brought us grunge, boy band cuteness and, well, just general experimentation in hair styles and gender-bending.

Rock band Nirvana

 

Boy band Nsync

 

Will Smith, the cutie pie

 

The late rocker Prince. RIP

 

By the time the 2000s rolled around all bets were off on an “in” look: long hair, beards, tattoos, three piece suits, jeans and t-shirts, military uniforms, exotic and cultured, all-American, tough guy etc. all made the list as attractive. We finally began to see more diversity. (i.e. someone other than white was considered hot. I mean, personally, my clothes would fall off if Denzel Washington walked into the room.) Also, right around David Beckham’s introduction to the world, muscles became a “must” to be considered good looking. Not a bad way to raise the bar . . .

David Beckham, the quintessential metrosexual

 

Denzel Washington

 

George Clooney whose looks Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw declared “as classic as a Chanel suit.”

But, oh wow, did we reach a new level of maleness recently. Beards and ink became the “in” thing a few years ago.

Levi Stocke

Speaking of manly goodness, we couldn’t possibly leave out Michael Stokes’ brilliant portrayals of our wounded warriors. Well, just about anyone he photographs is swoon-worthy. See what I mean about muscles? (Did you know next week is military theme week here at LadySmut? Check in daily! You never know what we will have up our sleeves . . . or down in other places.)

I could continue with the pictures but at this point I’m sure you’re hanging on to the sides of the rabbit hole walls by your fingernails.

I can’t help but wonder, however. What will 2020 bring us in the way of male hotness? Anyone want to hazard a guess? In the meantime, cheers to all the men down the ages. You’re gorgeous, dahling. Let’s just not return to the make-up, K?

Leonardo DiCaprio as the Great Gatsby

Until then, check back next week for military wonderfulness. To whet your appetite, our very own Alexa Day (along with 21 other New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling authors) offers us a story in a brand spanking new erotic romance and BDSM box set Hero to Obey: Twenty-two Naughty Military Romance Stories. It’s now available via pre-order.

About Alexa’s story, Passing Through: The summer’s brought two surprises to bar owner Gigi Deane: the former Army Ranger she hired is the perfect barback, and he takes orders in bed as well as he does on the job. Noah Malone’s told her that he’s just passing through, but as the seasons change, can she convince him to make their summer thing a little more permanent?

Yeah, baby. Follow LadySmut here and on Facebook for all the smutty goodness you can handle.

****

Elizabeth SaFleur writes contemporary erotic romance and she’s not afraid to get graphic about it — “it” being the smex, the BDSM or Washington, DC society, which she regularly features in her series, the Elite Doms of Washington.

You Have to Read This! The Devil’s Doorbell Erotic Anthology

The Devil's Doorbell: An Erotic Anthology[image error]

Click to buy, consume, whiffle down in one gulp and then lick your fingers afterwards. Yum!

by Madeline Iva

I don’t know how many ways to say this: buy this anthology now!  The Devil's Doorbell: An Erotic Anthology[image error]THE DEVIL’S DOORBELL would be my vote for best anthology of 2016. (That said, why doesn’t RWA have a best anthology category for the RITA’S?)

Why should you buy it? Let me count the ways:

1) I’m really a hard core erotic romance reader and this is labled erotica, but it very much satisfied my erom itch.

Something has to be super-hot and well written for it to be erotica and work for me.  That said, this anthology has all the elements that I want/lurv in erotic romance.  They’re such wicked little sexy short stories and novellas but even so, I thought there were a lot of happy endings.

Yeah, they come wrapped in HFN ribbons, but the relationships are so well done, you get the feeling that when the ribbons are plucked off, inside the package are a lot of HEA’s.  Okay, maybe I was reading into some of them–but there was only one really that made me think it was a classic erotica story in which the relationship would be pleasing, but then they would still move on. And even that one satisfied this erom gal.

In fact, some seemed more like the beginning of a book, where the couples could go on (and I’d read more!) because they seem to have made such a solid connection, and it seemed like there’s more goodness to come down the well-paved story path.

2. Excellent writing.  It was really a delight to read this anthology simply for the mastery of prose. Your head will sink into these stories like a freshly plumped pillow in a luxury hotel.

3. Classy as all git.  People, I have gone to war with the erom f*** fest.  I don’t want randy, flat characters senselessly humping away by page twelve. I want rounded characters, I want some intelligence, sensitivity, and yes, class when it comes to people whimpering with sexual need.  This book had it all. I really liked the honest yet sophisticated attitudes towards women, men, and sex.

[image error]">DEVIL IN THE DARK. (Though I loved them all, you understand.) This story was hot and to the point.  Great concept — With nicely done characters in a very short amount of pages.  The story is about a women who creates a wicked little app, a sort of zipless fuck menu, in which you can make up a list of illicit naughty sex you want to try out with a stranger.  Then our entrepreneur heroine finds a brooding mystery man at a disco bar who’s willing to be her first victim.

7. Diversity in kinds of sex. There’s a fem dom story in the collection by Megan Hart. (More on fem dom next week.) And even an f/f story by Megan Mulry***.  Megan! (Fanning myself.) Set in London no less–a lush setting and a perfect match for Calhoun’s story.

We, of course, are big fans of Megan Mulry’s already, but this story was so excellent.  Light and bubbly. Hawt.  And this was (at least with my rosy romance spectacles on) the one erotica story that didn’t seem like the relationship was going to last for forever.  I didn’t care.  It was satisfyingly luxurious. Really an elegant f/f erotica story–if I can even say that about a plot that starts off with an ad for face-sitting. Kudos, Megan!

But there are other very different kinds of stories/plots/and sex as well.  Roll playing.  Illicit office sex. Virgin sex. Some take place in warehouses. Some involve new encounters, some evoke the haunting of old flames.  A whole variety of characters from backwoods he-men to millionaire female doms.  Sexy bartenders!

8. Awesome authors!  I’m babbling here.

I just really liked this anthology.  It’s an all-star erotic romance author line up, people.  I also want to give a shout out to Delphine Dryden who has a story in the anthology, cause I’ve always been a big fan of her sexy geeks.

Buy it already! You know you want to — a perfect summer read for the beach.  Perfect!

***And thanks to Megan Mulry for slipping me a free copy at my request.  I knew I was probably going to like it — but I didn’t know I’d like it THIS MUCH.

Meanwhile, follow us at LadySmut where we’ll inspire your TBR pile with a wave of our battery operated wands and some unicorn fairy dust.

 

Charlie Sheen’s Questionable Redemption Effort: Condom Pitchman

By Elizabeth Shore

We all know that New Yorkers have a reputation of being pushy, cynical, and-gasp!-sometimes even downright mean. But I’d say in the overall scheme of things, much of that rep is undeserved. There are a lot of really nice New Yorkers out there, and I definitely try to be one of them. I like being nice. It makes me feel good and gets me good karma points. I also try to give people the benefit of the doubt and believe that just because you screw something up once doesn’t mean you’ll keep doing it forever. I’m cool with second chances. Why not, right? Yet I have to admit, when it comes to mustering up fuzzy feelings of forgiveness, I can’t seem to do it for Charlie Sheen. When I hear his attempt at redemption by being a pitchman and proponent of condom use, the New Yorker in me raises a cynical eyebrow and says, fuhgeddaboudit.

Know what I mean?

Let me back up a bit and tell you where this is coming from. I was trolling the web recently and came across an article about a new kind of condom, the first major condom innovation in 70 years, at least according to the promo material. Ooooh goody! methinks, and as your intrepid Lady Smutter, I dive right in to see what it’s all about. The condom, called Hex, has been developed by luxury sex-toy maker Lelo. Their approach was to change not the condom material but rather its structure. Taking inspiration from nature, designers incorporated a hexagon structure into the condom to make it both incredibly lightweight and incredibly strong, thus increasing sensation for the wearer while minimizing fears of rips or tears. So far, so good. But wait! There’s more.

The reason Lelo wanted to launch a new kind of condom is two-fold. One, apart from abstinence (not happenin’ for the vast majority of us), there’s no better way to safeguard against unwanted pregnancies and STDs than via a condom. And therein lies the second reason: less and less people want to actually use them. As Lelo’s promo pitch states, “the condom is out of date.” So they set out to change that, and Hex condom is the result.

The new condom’s launch is imminent, so to drum up excitement Lelo decided it needed a pitchman. Enter, Charlie Sheen. Yeah, you know. The one with the “tiger’s blood” who’s “on a drug called Charlie Sheen.” Here’s a guy who isn’t afraid to talk. Self-proclaimed lover of adult film stars who once shared his home with two “goddesses,” Sheen’s also a guy who enjoys sex. Which is cool. But on the dark side, he knows the consequences of having unprotected sex when he admitted last year to being HIV positive.

So now he’s Lelo’s new condom pitchman since, as Lelo states, “there is arguably no other person who can so personally and actively drive conversations on sexual health.” When he admitted his HIV diagnosis to Matt Lauer and the world on the Today show last year, Sheen stated, “I’m not going to be the poster man for this, but I will not shun away from responsibilities and opportunities that drive me to helping others.” Well, you know, that all sounds positive and I’d sure like to get behind ol’ Charlie and pat him on the back for learning from his mistakes and all that…but there’s a problem. Even after receiving his HIV-positive diagnosis, Sheen admittedly, more than once, had unprotected sex with women. Nary a condom in sight.

When I watched the Lelo promo ad featuring Sheen, he tries to come through as sincere. As earnest. As a man whose life has been altered by foolish behavior and who wants others to learn from his mistakes. All that is a good thing, and I think part of him probably means it. And maybe it’s just the way the ad is shot, but Sheen’s over-the-top sincerity, for me, just makes him look like a fake. It’s not him wanting to promote responsible sexual behavior, it’s him wanting to look amazingly awesome. As he states at the end of the video, “people still want to be like me or experience my life.” For a guy with an ego as big as Sheen’s, there’s no other conclusion he could draw. If lots of people wanted to be like Sheen, no new condom in the world is going to protect us.

What do you think? Below is the ad. Have a look and share your reaction. And follow us at Lady Smut, where we’ll always be pitching our thoughts.

 

The Magic Word Is ‘Now’: A Glance at Femdom in Erotic Romance

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Don’t let that cover fool you — the heroine is definitely in charge here. Click and get yours.

By Alexa Day

Don’t call it a comeback. Femdom has been here for years.

And why not? Female dominance has a great deal to offer erotic romance. Next week, on the release day for my own femdom-themed story, “Passing Through,” I will devote a great deal of time to exploring what’s hot about the woman on top. For now, consider the obvious benefits. Femdom books focus on the woman in charge. She might be at the top of the food chain at work. She might be the leader of her single-parent household. Maybe she’s redefining herself, and by extension, the world surrounding her. Whatever her situation, the femdom heroine has a lot in common with the increasingly kink-curious reader, the modern woman who finds herself in control of more things now than ever.

Still, I think readers hesitate a little when it comes to femdom. Part of the reason is that there’s enough femdom in romance now that readers can be very selective, so they make their choices carefully. A publisher’s idea of femdom can be very different than an individual reader’s; that spectrum is broader and more exciting than ever. But all that variety presents a higher risk of finding a story that clashes with a reader’s specific vision, and a lot of readers avoid the risk by avoiding the subgenre.

My suspicion is that readers are still a little nervous about what constitutes femdom. The very word ‘dominatrix’ summons up a caricature, a slim woman clad in black leather, wielding a whip over a hapless submissive. Romance is all about turning these caricatures on their heads, and femdom romance is no exception. You’ll find Dommes in leather, sure. And you’ll find dungeons aplenty if you try. And they’ll absolutely make you warm and happy. There’s just more to the story than that, as we’ll see in a second.

It’s also possible that readers back away from femdom because the notion of expanding their own authority into their relationships with men is not a comfortable idea. We need not look much farther than American politics to see that the male-dominated society doesn’t necessarily embrace the woman in charge. I’ll spend more time on this next week, too, but for now, I’ve got a question for those readers.

Are you seriously going to let that dude tell you what to fantasize about?

If you’re looking to start a summer fling with femdom, take heart. The dominion of femdom romance stretches from the world of leather and floggers to the subtle demand for and surrender of power. It’s a larger, more enticing world than ever, and some of erotic romance’s most established authors have written it.

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So foundational you’ve probably already read it. But click to get a prettier, updated copy.

The name Joey W. Hill should have risen immediately to mind as soon as I said femdom. Her Nature of Desire series is populated with several compelling Dommes, but the second book, Natural Law, stands out for me because of its alpha male submissive. Mac Nighthorse is a cop on a mission, and he finds an ally in Dominant Violet Siemanski. Together, they take the reader on a journey that examines the very nature of dominance and submission. Naturally, the pages are loaded with the hot sexytimes. But the traditional trappings of BDSM — the BDSM club, the leather, and all the fixings — form the backdrop of a deep and moving emotional story. The mechanics of dominance and submission are explored here, and from their foundations, a powerful romance emerges. Plenty of readers choose the Nature of Desire series as their first foray into BDSM romance, and the stories pack a powerful emotional punch.

Need more cause to celebrate? How about this: as of this past January, the Nature of Desire series has been updated and fitted with super hot new covers.

We love Charlotte Stein around here. But did you know she has some femdom-themed work under her belt, too? Control features a business owner heroine enjoying the carnal charms of two employees, one submissive and one more dominant. After Control, you’ll never look at the job interview the same way again. In fact, I wish I’d known about it during my own summer job search. In Power Play, the heroine, who’s been giving in to her own boss’s desires, gradually comes to terms with dominating her male assistant. The corporate environment of each story lends itself nicely to themes of female dominance and to workplace fantasy. What these characters will do to get and keep their jobs, how or whether they approach their superiors when they want something — the real world peeks out from the story, in the hottest way possible.

A hot Scot with very specific tastes? Totally worth the complications. Click and see.

I don’t know how I missed Cara McKenna’s Unbound; after Willing Victim became one of my favorite books ever, you’d think I’d be more attentive. The heroine, Merry, is on a trip in the Scottish Highlands when an accident brings her to Rob. On the surface, Rob is what we most expect from a romance hero. He’s a recluse with a dark secret. But Rob offers his most secret desires to Merry, making himself incredibly vulnerable in the process. Merry takes up the mantle of dominance to give him the pleasure he’s denied himself for too long. In Unbound, dominance truly is a gift. It’s a gateway Merry and Rob enter together.

Megan Hart has been one of my favorite authors for years. Her characters are like the coolest people we already know, the people we most want to be happy and satisfied, and identifying with those characters so deeply just makes the sex that much hotter. At the beginning of her new book, Beg for It, heroine Corinne reflects on her life as a 42-year-old single mom. Too much time between relationships. The disquieting sense that her kids are more engaged by her ex’s new family. Frustration with the whole idea of dating. And on top of all that, fond memories of “her boy.” Reese introduced her to female domination and a pleasure and power she’d never known before. When he reappears in her life as the rich guy who takes over the company she works for, it looks like things have been turned upside down. But Corinne remembers that she put this man on his knees — and they both liked it.

If you like kinky stories with military heroes, click to preorder. Like right now.

My own story, “Passing Through,” is really femdom-themed; it flirts with the power exchange without the formality of full-blown BDSM. Heroine Gigi Deane enjoys the power and the security of topping her partner. She loves knowing that her hot barback, Noah Monroe, will do as she says, when she says to do it. And as long as he stays in line, she’s sure that she’ll get what she wants from him sexually, a certainty that’s been hard to find with other partners. As for Noah, well, he doesn’t back away from a challenge. Testing his body to its limits is nothing new for this former Army Ranger, and he definitely wants what Gigi has to offer him. But these two strong-willed people don’t have much time to explore their new relationship, and neither of them is especially good at negotiating.

My story, included in a great big kinky box set called Hero to Obey, won’t be out until next week, but you can preorder it right now, today. While you’re waiting for Noah and 21 more other smoking hot military heroes to storm your Kindle, why not get your femdom itch scratched with some super sexy reading? We’ve been on top for a long time, friends.

Isn’t it time to enjoy it?

Servant of the Undead, erotic zombie horror free read

Isabelle Drake’s Servant of the Undead

If you’re new to this serial, you can start with Part 1, “Do it.”

Part 6: “Absolutely.”

“Absolutely.” Bob chuckled, then lowered his voice. “That sex video was hot, Hayden, but a bit over the top. Even for us. So Chuck cut it into stills, and our hit counter is already popping.”

Sex video?

“Popping?” Hayden said, starting to sweat. He grabbed his laptop and typed in the newspaper’s link. The home page was filled with a woman’s dark silhouette, the pale skin of one of her big breasts peeking between the red wraps, the other was blacked out with a solid square. Her wet, matted hair was tangled around her shoulders, her eyes were unmistakably glowing green, and the man positioned between her legs was obviously him.

A neon blue banner ran through the middle of the page: Zombie sex ritual uncovered! Everyday men seduced by the undead!

“A bonus check is already in your mail box, Hayden. You really came through for me, kid. Thanks.”

“Sure thing.” Hayden clicked off, but didn’t set his phone down. Even though they’d only been together a short while, Rachelle should hear about the pictures from him.

He hit her number and settled back to wait, but she answered right away.

“What the hell, Hayden?”

“You already know, huh,” he replied, hitting the link to move away from the home page.

“Yes. And I am pissed.”

The next page was another shot of him and the girl, her white fingers curled over her own breast while his hand was obviously trapped in the red straps. “How did you find out?”

“Bob.”

“Bob?” Thanks Bob, for adding to my list of failed relationships.

“Yeah, he wanted to make sure it was okay with me before he put the pictures up.”

Hayden scrolled down, the next picture showed Mattie’s thigh, half-covered by the tattered fishnets, tightly wrapped around his hips. The tiny skirt covered up his cock, thrusting in and out of her. “And it’s okay with you?” he said, his voice nearly squeaking.

“Yes. But I’m still pissed.”

He scrolled down again. It was shot of Mattie’s face, her smudgy, glowing eyes staring straight at the screen. A chill ran down his spine. Straight to his dick, which was getting hard again. “It’s just that, I—”

“I’ve been after you to do something crazy and you had this kinky side all along. I’m pissed you kept it a secret.” She sighed, impatient and annoyed. “Why Hayden? Don’t you get that I like you for who you are, not because I’m waiting around for you to make stacks of money.”

Hayden X’d out of the website. “Oh.”

“I’m coming over to your apartment, tonight. I’ll be wearing—oh no, I’m not telling. It’s going to be a surprise. A hot, sexy surprise. And you better be ready to fuck me senseless. That’s the only the way I’m going to forgive you for keeping secrets.”

Another turn in a night that didn’t make sense. But Hayden was done being cautious and careful. He scrambled to his feet and adjusted his khakis, but there was no hiding his solid erection. He stashed his laptop into his backpack and started walking, leaving the zombie books on the table.

“Don’t make me wait,” she snapped then clicked off.

Hayden charged into the snowy night and didn’t look back.

Hayden burst out of the library and charged face-first into the storm. A nasty blast of wind whipped past, filling his nose with giant flakes and blinding him. He slipped on his gloves to wipe his eyes and then hitched up his backpack and tightened the front strap. After wrapping his itchy black wool scarf tightly around his neck, Hayden took the first careful step. Thick, wet snow sagged until his boot finally hit the concrete. Three slow, leaping strides later, he reached the landing of the low steps that led to Dartmouth Street, snow covered and silent. Not a single living person was out on the streets.

Once he got back to his borrowed apartment, he planned to stay put and wait the storm out too. Apparently, he was going to be at Rachelle’s mercy the whole time. At first, he’d been anxious about hooking up with a neighbor, but now he was really beginning to see the advantage to having her in the brownstone right next door. A hot flush washed over him, chasing away a sliver of the monstrous chill following him down the hushed street. He kept moving, closer to Rachelle and farther away from that unbelievable scene. Sex, video, and a lie more believable than the truth.

The drifts of dense, untouched snow made walking difficult, and the cold air was beginning to pierce his lungs, making each breath a whisper of pain, but he moved on, slowly, steadily—determined and clinging to Rachelle’s demand. Be ready to fuck me senseless. He was ready. He just had to get there first.

***

Want more? The next part will be here next Sunday. Or, you can come over to the Servant of the Undead Wattpad page and read more for free right now. Unfamiliar with Wattpad? It’s an online community for readers and writers. Its filled with free fiction of all kinds. It’s easy to log in and get started; you can use your Facebook account.

Until next time, follow Lady Smut, we’re always here to inform, entertain, and keep you up to date.

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Isabelle Drake writes erotica, erotic romance, urban fantasy, and young adult thrillers. Best Friends Never, her newest release is the first in the Cherry Grove dark YA series.