Jennifer Bene's Blog, page 36

Thankful Thursday

It’s Thursday and we all know what that means… time for another #ThankfulThursday hottie to help us make it through the end of the work week. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been insanely busy. ‘Black Light: Exposed‘ went live last weekend, and I’m loving all of the excitement around it! I’ve got ANOTHER release next week with ‘The Dark Forest’ anthology (1/24), and I’m working on editing together the wickedly fun ‘Black Light: Valentine Roulette’ anthology that I’ll start talking about soon (coming 2/10!). The day job is crazy, the Dom bought a new house that I’m helping out with, and the world keeps spinning – but staring at this hottie is my moment of zen for the day. I hope it helps you too! Let’s just stare into his abs, and meditate for a minute…

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The post Thankful Thursday appeared first on Jennifer Bene.

Maddie’s choices get a little harder on #WIP Wednesday!

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I’ve got some great news, #WIP friends! ‘Black Light: Exposed’ is LIVE! This is Book 2 of the Black Light series and it is a deliriously hot BDSM romance, and you might just find your next book boyfriend in the incredibly kinky and dominant Thomas Hathaway. He’s gorgeous, he’s playful, he’s a bit of a sadist, and he’s likely the hottest congressman in the House… trust me, all of the ARC readers couldn’t stop drooling over him, and the reviews are agreeing.

What’s better? It’s FREE on Kindle Unlimited (and just $2.99 otherwise!). Go on, you know you want to 1-click this one!

This scene follows the one from Saturday, right over here, where we got to see Thomas the morning after their session at Black Light. Now, we get to see Maddie’s…

—

Sitting in the break room, Maddie picked up her phone again and started a new text: I’m not sure dinner on Wednesday is a good ide-

Backspacing she erased the twelfth attempt at a text to Thomas and slammed her phone down on the table, spearing her salad with an angry fork jab. If she were a decent human being she would cancel the date with him. He was kind, a veritable nice guy, who also happened to be incredibly hot and kinky and everything her darkest fantasies had ever dreamed up. Maddie groaned to herself. Representative Thomas Hathaway, democrat from New York, did not deserve to be used like some cheap ticket.

How are you supposed to get back inside Black Light without him?

Right. That was the issue, because there was no way she could get past Danny Security again, and the likelihood of getting another savior was slim to none.

Do you even want someone else?

She growled under her breath, stabbing another bite of salad to shove in her mouth so she wouldn’t start cussing, because she didn’t want anyone else. If it were a perfect world she would have met Thomas in a normal way, and there’d be no complications in trying out everything hidden in that club buried underneath Runway. No issues with having dinner on Wednesday. No problems except for the normal ones, but life seemed to take great joy in screwing her over.

As if the gods were listening, her phone buzzed with a text message, but it wasn’t Thomas this time – it was Antoine from the Post. Fuckity fuck. All it said was ‘call me’.

Swallowing her last bite of food she took a sip of her diet coke and pressed the call button. It rang twice before Antoine answered, “Hey, Maddie.”

“Hey! How is everything?” she tried to sound peppy, but he didn’t return the favor.

“Listen, I want to help you out, but you’ve got to give me something. They’ve filled the other open position, and I can’t stall on the last one forever. You either have a story, or you don’t.”

“I’m working on one, right now, and it’s going to be big, I swear.” Maddie put her forehead in her hand, feeling the guilt twist a little further.

“You’ve been telling me that for weeks. I’m not just being an asshole, you wouldn’t be able to pull this if you worked here either. Can you at least give me an outline?” Antoine was trying to help her out, and she knew it, but she also didn’t want to hand the story over to him. They were only friends, acquaintances really, and she couldn’t trust him with something this big.

It had to be hers.

“I’m still researching, but I have a way into the place now. I’m gathering names and details, and I swear it will be a big story.”

“Maddie…” He sighed. “You know I believe in you. The first time we met I told you that I saw the spark in you, that hunger for a good story. You could be a great reporter if you just get after it. Pound the pavement, do the grunt work, get –”

“I am, Antoine! And it’s kind of hard to do this without any support, you know? I’m the one that caught onto this thing, I’m the one that’s spent weeks pounding the fucking pavement, as you say, to get the details on this story. I just got a break in it last night, and I’ll get you the story, I just need time!” She’d raised her voice, and she felt bad about it, but her heart was racing. It felt like her dream of working at the Washington Post was dangling by a slowly unraveling thread, and Antoine was holding a pair of scissors ready to just cut it completely.

Silence reigned for a moment, and she thought about apologizing for her outburst, but he spoke first. “Alright. Shit, Maddie, I want you to work here, but you’ve got no experience and I’m putting my neck out anyway. This better be a fucking amazing story, got me?”

“It is, I swear. I swear to you, it’s got front page written all over it.” Relief washed through her, and she found herself nodding at the coke machine as if Antoine could see her.

“Okay, just give me a hint. What’s the subject matter?”

“Sex,” she said it softly, a blush creeping into her cheeks as she remembered the feeling of Thomas’ hand between her legs, the delirious orgasm he’d pulled from her with expert skill.

“Sex always sells. I’m assuming there’s a politician involved?”

“More than one.” Her blush went full crimson, the heat in her cheeks almost uncomfortable.

“Well, well, well, that does sound like a good story, Maddie.” Antoine blew out a breath and she could hear him shuffling papers. “How long do you need?”

“Another week or two.”

“You’ve got it, but you owe me. Bring me something hot and the job is yours.”

Hope filled her up from the inside, crushing the guilt to a pinpoint. “Thank you, Antoine. Seriously, thank you. I won’t disappoint you, I promise.”

“I look forward to hearing more about it. Email me an outline as soon as you can.”

“Definitely.”

“Bye, Maddie.” He hung up before she could say goodbye in return, but it didn’t matter. She had his attention again, and assurance that the job was hers. By next month she’d be a reporter at The Washington Post, and she’d be out of Daily Saver D.C.’s dimly lit offices forever.

Cradling the phone in her hand she pulled up Thomas’ text message again: ‘Just checking to make sure you got home alright. Looking forward to Wednesday night.’

Taking a deep breath she replied: ‘Thanks! I did, sorry I didn’t text last night. Wednesday works great, where did you want to meet?’

She cleaned up her lunch and tossed the remnants in the trash, refilling her water bottle before she headed back to her desk. It hadn’t been more than a couple of minutes when her phone buzzed with a text from Thomas: ‘Fiola at 8:00. I’m glad you messaged, I was starting to worry you’d changed your mind.’

“If only you were that lucky,” Maddie mumbled under her breath, but it only took another thought of standing in the Washington Post offices to get her fingers moving again. It was wrong, but her dreams were so close, so fucking close.

—

If you’re not already in the mood to shout at Maddie, just wait! She has some heavy choices in her lap, but there’s still so much more to come in this incredibly hot book! >>> 1-click it now! Now, next week I might be switching to sharing the exciting new anthology coming out just in time for Valentine’s Day from eight very creative and deviant authors – all set in the world of Black Light. Curious? I hope you are!

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Check out these other bloggers below!

Teaser Tuesday! ‘Taking in Dani’ by Kara Kelley!

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I haven’t had the chance to read Kara Kelley’s debut novel, but as soon as I saw the first promo graphic my interest was piqued. Kinky alpha male with a penchant for punishment? Well, you know I was paying attention. Not only is this cover gorgeous, but just from the teaser below she’s already caught my interest because there’s clearly way more to these characters than meets the eye – and we all know I love a character with layers. Let’s check her out, and support this new author on the scene!

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Taking in Dani

Dani Torkaz has no room in her life for a romance with anyone, let alone with ‘God’s gift to women’ Adam Fiori, but everything changes when circumstances compel her to accept a job as a nanny to his two young children.

Adam makes it clear that he will have no patience for rudeness, and it isn’t long before her sharp tongue earns Dani a painful, humiliating bare-bottom spanking. The stern punishment sets more than just her backside on fire, however, and she is left begging to be taken hard and thoroughly.

As she settles into her new position, Dani finds herself feeling like she is part of a real family for the first time in her life, and her lust for her stern, handsome boss begins to blossom into love. But Adam has secrets he isn’t sharing, and Dani has been hurt too many times to give him the benefit of the doubt. Can he win her trust before the wounds of the past destroy their future?

***

Teaser

“You were right,” he says. “This isn’t going to work.” His eyes are unsure, and flicker heat, but the weight of his words crush my chest. I can’t believe I managed to screw things up so quickly. Jenny and I will be living in a cockroach infested apartment by the end of the week. Without Adam on my side, Tahlia will throw me out on my ass.

“I’m fired?” I say numbly, blinking at him. I wasn’t a bitch to anyone else, why him? Was I just trying to prove he couldn’t be trusted—like every other man in my life, except Ollie?

“Fired?” He tilts his head. “Oh, Daniela.” He reaches forward and tucks my hair behind my ear, caressing my cheekbone with his thumb. “I told you I would never solve things between us that way.” He sighs. “It isn’t working because I want to hold you—take care of you. I want to fuck you. And I want to put you over my knee all at the same time.” He shovels his hand through his hair and looks away for a moment. “I have no control with you.”

“That makes two of us,” I say softly. “I feel like a crazy person around you.”

His head snaps back so he can look at me. I see all of the things he’s said in his stare—care, sexual frustration, and irritation. It makes my eyes well and the apex of my thighs drip.

“That is the most honest thing you’ve ever said to me.” He sighs again. “Resisting you was easier when I saw you in small doses—a ride in the elevator, a glimpse down the hall, the smell of your shampoo in the lobby. Having tasted you didn’t satisfy me at all.” His jaw clenches. “I’m craving you all the more.”

His words strum my insides like a musician strums his most cherished guitar. I’m speechless. I’ve never had such conflicting emotions. I hate him. He is frivolous and cold towards his children; he dismisses people—thinking they are beneath him, and he sets off warning bells inside me. On the other hand, I’ve never been so attracted to anyone in my entire life. The way he looks at me with deep concern and care is like a being given a nutrient I’ve been deprived of and desperately need to survive, but it’s the desire he evokes in me that causes me to feel like a starving beast. His heated looks touch so deep, they feel corporeal. He is firm and gentle all at the same time. He pushes and pulls me like the tide, both drowning and saving in the same moment.

“But that isn’t even what I meant when I said this wasn’t going to work.”

“Oh?” I mutter, feeling vulnerable.

My walls are down, and all the precious things I hide from not only the world, but myself as well, are exposed. My muddled thoughts are suspended and floating in my brain to be dealt with later. “And what did you mean?”

“You’re exhausted working two jobs.” He takes both my hands. Numbly, I let him. “Take a vacation. I’ll double your wage right now.”

My jaw drops. It’s ridiculous. I’m already overpaid. For heaven sakes, he pays me more than Ollie did. What is his game?

“No.” I pull my hands back. He blinks, shocked, so I continue. “You already pay me too much.”

“If it means never hearing you tear a strip off me for being four minutes late again, it’ll be worth it.” There is a glimmer of humor in his eyes, but everything else is serious about him.

“I’m sorry. I overreacted, and I should never have done that in front of Nadia.”

“You’re right.” His mouth is pressed, his stare hard, and his brows knitted. “But you’re exhausted and I won’t ever punish you when you aren’t in the right frame of mind.”

I look down in guilt and he places a finger on my chin, pulling my eyes back to his.

“But make no mistake, Daniela, you will be spanked for it.” I swallow hard again.

Was there some point I agreed to this with him? I can’t remember. I do, however, remember very vividly the last time he spanked me. I also know from the center of my being, it’s exactly what I need.

Knowing he offers what I need evokes so many emotions. My crusty exterior melts and I lean into his hard chest. The words, I need you to take care of me tonight, slip from my lips. I’m not even sure I’ve said them aloud until he grabs my ass and lifts me onto the counter top.

He fits between my legs and I feel his rock-hard cock against my already swollen-with-arousal clit. His hands cradle my face, and his eyes smolder as he leans close to kiss me. I’m not sure what to expect. Will he kiss me roughly like before? My belly flutters. He doesn’t though—his mouth is soft, gentle and persuasive. I’m caught up in a mating of tongues, but I note our bodies mold so tightly together I’m not sure where either of us begin or end.

He lifts me again, and I wrap my legs tightly around him. He takes us to my room. I try to break our kiss to tell him which one, but he knows and refuses to release my mouth. He sits me down gently onto the modern four poster bed. I’m held by his eyes as if they have powers beyond human.

He guides my arms above me, and his large smooth hands run down them to my ribs and then to my waist. When he slides them up again, my pink scrub top goes with them. His touch against my bare skin ignites a blast of heat within me. My insides bubble and squirm, as if brought to a boil by his touch. I’m in nothing but scrub pants and a sports bra as he takes a long minute to look at me. I feel shy but so wet and ready for his deeper touch that I don’t focus on it.

His tongue darts out, and he licks his bottom lip. I stand and repeat the move using my tongue. He moves me back, smiles and pulls the string holding my pants up. They slip down, and he wastes no time grabbing my bottom in his hands——first a squeeze, then a rub and then he caresses down and pulls my right leg up leaving my pants behind. With my leg still hitched on his hip, his hand finds the elastic band of my panties. His fingers slip inside, and I gasp. As his touch becomes more intimate, I clamp my teeth over my lip to keep from calling out. He spins us and before I know what’s happening, he’s sitting on the bed, and I’m straddling his left knee. I cling to him as he plays a torturous game between my folds—sliding his fingers in the slippery wetness he’s created. He stops, and instantly I feel myself clenching in his absence as if my body is reaching out for him. A sharp swat stings my left cheek and my breath hitches.

“Tonight isn’t about punishment,” he says. “That will come, but tonight, this is what you need.” He growls and bites my shoulder hard enough to make me whimper but not enough to leave a mark.

***

Um, yummy, right? I’m curious about what happens between these two to get them to the point of this teaser, and what happens after! I’m sure you are too, and the good news is that the book is already out, and it’s a full-length novel getting rave reviews! Make sure to snag a copy.

Amazon: Buy now!

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Want more of Kara Kelley?

Kara Kelley is a naughty Canuck (that’s a Canadian for those of you that don’t know), who loves spanks, a little bondage, tantalizing creative sex (trust me, honey this sh*t is gonna rock our world) and TIM HORTON’S. She’s full of playful mischief, loyalty and maybe some stubbornness, but she’ll never admit it. And she believes living in a secluded cabin in the woods (including good WIFI, a stocked Kindle, and plenty of chocolate) with her husband would be absolute bliss.

Website: www.karakelleyauthor.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/karakelleyauthor
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kara-Kelley/e/B01N9RQK7S/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KaraKauthor

Music Monday – Weapon

I’ve got another awesome song for you on #MusicMonday this week, and today it’s ‘Weapon’ from Bastille, Angel Haze, F*U*G*Z and Braque. This almost feels like a song you’d hear at the club, but the lyrics are just fantastic. I love the way it switches between a female rapping and then a guy doing the lyrical, singing parts. Such a fun change of pace for most songs! I think you’re going to like it, scroll down and listen!

Favorite Lyrics

[Angel Haze:]

We dance with the devils,

and made your halos the color of sinner’s portraits,

and smothering it means everything’s lovely again.

Nothing is quite as it seems,

society’s altered you see?

Kill all your fear in your sleep,

cause everything’s formed in a dream.

Breathe in insanity’s grip, words from insanity’s lips,

falling from sanity’s cliff, watching your vanity slip.

No more falling to pressure, no more failing acceptance.

Throw all your hells towards the heavens,

cause your voice is a weapon!

[Dan:]

And your voice is a weapon,

and we’ll do with it what we can.

And your voice is a weapon,

and we’ll do with it what we can.

I’ll fall into your arms again,

I’ll fall into your arms again,

I’ll fall into your arms again,

I’ll fall into your arms…

[Angel Haze:]

Pressure that deepen the cut,

run for the evil erupt,

volcanic feverish lust,

that shit that even it out.

Pressure is feeding the dust,

breakfast is keeping the cut,

Vengeance is me speaking up.

This is me speaking up.

 

‘Weapon’ by Bastille, Angel Haze, F*U*G*Z and Braque

Ask Me Anything: Even experienced subs can get surprised!

It’s Sunday, and that means Ask Me Anything day! I’m excited to share this post because I’m always giving advice on BDSM in the AMA posts and I think sometimes that gives the idea that I’m some super-sub that’s immune to making mistakes or doing stupid shit or completely freaking out, and I want to assure all of you that I am absolutely just as much of a mess as most of you. If you’re curious about what the AMA is, check out the explanation on the first one (read that over here if you like).

Before we really dive into the topic for the Ask Me Anything today, I have to answer the question I’ve actually been getting the most via the website, email, and various social media. ‘Black Light: Exposed’ came out yesterday and it is book 2 in the Black Light series, unfortunately Amazon has yet to link the previous books on the book page so that readers can easily find Book 1. We think this is because Livia Grant wrote the prequel and book 1, so to make it easier we’ve added Author notes to the book pages, and I’m sharing it here as well.

Infamous Love (Prequel) – Amazon
Black Light: Rocked (Book 1) – Amazon
Black Light: Exposed (Book 2) – Amazon

Okay, now that’s all done with… let’s get to it!

Q: Can experienced subs get surprised too?

A: I’ll be honest right now that this question is tailored from a few different comments/questions so that I could share this story, because I feel like it’s important. It’s been a week since the play session I had with my Dom last Saturday and the more time that passes the more clear I am about A) what went down, and B) how important it is to never assume you won’t get surprised by yourself / your body / your limits – no matter how long you’ve played.

So, what happened?

Well, I have had an incredibly stressful time of things lately. I decided it would be a good idea to have THREE books come out within 30 days of each other, and there’s always so much last-minute work before the book goes live, and then all the work of promoting and supporting the book. If that wasn’t enough, my mom is very sick (fuck cancer) and so I see her a couple of times a week to help out and keep her company. Then I’ve still got the day job, the Dom, and all my other obligations that I continue to make because I’m insane. So – I’ve developed some insomnia, and I’ve been on edge, and last Saturday my Dom knew what my little twisted masochist painslut brain/body needed… pain.

We played hard, but it’s definitely not the hardest we’ve ever played, or out of the norm. I was rope-tied into position on the spanking bench, including collared down, so there was really no way for me to struggle or break position. This is a gift because it lets me drop into whatever headspace I want without worrying I’m going to fall off the damn spanking bench if I get too relaxed. Bondage = free to drift, unbound = obedience of holding position and serving him by keeping myself there. Both are hot, but whenever he ties me down I know he’s doing it for me so that I don’t have to focus or think. He started off with a flogger, quickly ramped up to hard swats from it, then switched to his belt (which is my favorite), and I was riding the pain and feeling all that tension fading, and so he switched to a cane. Now, in a weird way I love canes. I love the insane feeling of the cane strike, the full heartbeat where my body doesn’t register anything, and then the incredibly sharp pain. It always spikes my adrenaline, dumps endorphins, and even though it hurts like hell I like the results.

And tied down, teetering on subspace, well, it all worked, but things kind of went haywire. Normally, it takes a lot to even make me cry, but after I came the first time during the caning something snapped and I started crying, and then as we continued, and he added a rubber flogger, I was sobbing, and it turned into this really intense cathartic thing. It honestly had nothing to do with the pain anymore, the pain had just unlocked all of this internal stuff and *poof* I was suddenly a sniffling, snotty, sobbing mess of a sub.

The Dom took me down, wrapped me up in a blanket (and him) and laid with me for a long time – but I couldn’t stop crying. I remember thinking in the moment how fucking weird it was, but I was so deep in my headspace that I couldn’t pull out. I am pretty sure I cried (in this quiet way where the tears just wouldn’t stop) for at least an hour or more, especially if I count the session time too. He made sure I was okay and made us dinner, etc. We ended up having fun later, but I spent a couple of days completely surprised / freaked out / concerned about how I’d reacted.

All I could think was – that isn’t me. I’m the insane masochist, I love pain, I don’t lose my shit.

Except, I had. Totally and completely. Fragile, weepy, crybaby style… and I’d done it in front of my alpha male, sadist, cool / calm / collected Dom. There were a couple of days where I panicked that I’d freaked him out (and many thanks to the lovely ladies in the subs group I’m a member of on Facebook for talking me off the ledge, I adore you guys). I had become so accustomed to handling anything he threw at me (except maybe take-down breath play…) that I had given myself a false sense of submissive badassery.

I’ve played for over a decade now (holy shit!) and I’ve done some crazy stuff, but it wouldn’t have mattered if I’d had 6 months of experience or thirty years of experience – I was an emotional mess under the surface, and there’s nothing like pain-based play to peel back the layers on what we’re trying to hide. While I didn’t want to admit to myself just how unsteady I was, I think he knew, and I think he was prepared. We haven’t talked in-depth about what happened (emotions make us squeamish 99% of the time), but when I brought it up he told me he had not been surprised in the least that I broke down. He told me he knows how much I have on my shoulders, how proud he was of me for taking the pain and letting it open me up, and that if I ever need to do that he wants to be the Dom that takes me there. (Our version of romance, hot, right?) Then he verified that I was okay now and shrugged it off.

And you know what? He’s right.

The whole point of the trust he and I have developed with each other is that we don’t just have mind-blowing sex, we’re also there when our kink serves other purposes than just bringing about an orgasm. BDSM does so much for both sides involved, too much for me to detail here, but I’d forgotten that one of the things it can do is give you a cathartic release when you’re a headcase. I’d become too used to how our sessions went. Pain > orgasms > rough sex > aftercare > food & alcohol. I’d become too confident in my ability to handle my emotions, to keep myself controlled and calm, and last Saturday I got the wake up call and reminder that… even experienced subs can get surprised.

Moral of the story?

I have to remember that even with 12’ish years of experience, a long list of kinks and implements I’ve tried, and some really fun sexual experiences in my history book – my body, my brain, and my emotions are still human. Which means things can change, situations can change things, and I have to give myself a little lee-way in the expectations I hold myself to. No super-sub complexes.

And that means all of you need to do the same! None of us are immune to surprises from our experiences, and I think we all deserve a little grace and a little self-forgiveness.

NEW RELEASE! Black Light: Exposed!

BLACK LIGHT: EXPOSED IS LIVE!

Time to say hello to your new book boyfriend! This incredibly sexy, BDSM-fueled romance will have Thomas Hathaway sweeping you off your feet to carry you into Black Light, the newest and hottest BDSM club in Washington, D.C. Kinky, hot, and dominant he’ll have you swooning as you plead with Maddie to come to her senses. But if you had to choose between your dreams and your heart – what would you do?

$2.99 or FREE on Kindle Unlimited, Buy Now!

1-click it now and dive in!

Black Light: Exposed is here to tease you for #SatSpanks!

We’re back on #SatSpanks and I’m SO EXCITED because today I don’t just get to tease you… I get to deliver! ‘Black Light: Exposed’ is LIVE! This is Book 2 of the Black Light series and it is a deliriously hot BDSM romance, and you’re probably going to find your next book boyfriend in the incredibly kinky and dominant Thomas Hathaway. He’s gorgeous, he’s playful, he’s a bit of a sadist, and he’s likely the hottest congressman in the House… trust me, all of the ARC readers couldn’t stop drooling over him.

What’s better? It’s FREE on Kindle Unlimited (and just $2.99 otherwise!). Go on, you know you want to 1-click this one!

BUY NOW!

In this snippet I wanted to let you lovelies see things from Thomas’ point of view. This is just after their first night at the club, and he’s back at work in his office, but there’s only one person on his mind this morning – Maddie O’Neill.

—

“So, you’ve got that meeting with Congresswoman Taylor at 9:30, then the waterworks brunch at 10:00, which you will be late for,” Alan glanced up at him from his notepad, and Thomas just shrugged. “I was able to get Donna Mueller for noon, but I know that’s two –”

“I won’t eat at both, Alan, don’t worry.”

With a slight smirk, his assistant returned to his list, scratching something off with a pen. “Then you’re in committee meetings from 1:30 to 4:30, and there’s the cocktail reception for the Carrindi Foundation at 6:00.”

“Did I agree to go to that?”

“You told me to RSVP last month.”

“Are you sure?” Thomas groaned and took a long drink of his coffee. “I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have –”

“You said RSVP, and I did, and I got your tux cleaned on Friday for it, so you’re going.” Alan gave him a serious look, and then waved his hand to the side. “Honestly, if you didn’t want to go, why did you agree to it?”

“I probably did want to go then, but now I’m tired.”

“Too bad, you’re going. You already paid for a plate.” His assistant ticked off another thing on his list.

“Wait, I’m paying to go to this thing I don’t want to go to?”

“Yes.”

“You should go instead of me. Rub elbows, enjoy the drinks and the food. I already paid after all.” Flipping over his cell phone he checked again for a text, but the only person he’d received one from was his brother back in New York asking about their father’s birthday.

“If only I were three inches taller and had your shoulders.” Alan gave him a smart-ass smile, and Thomas raised his eyebrows at him. With a sigh, Alan dropped his hands to his sides. “You’re going, Congressman Hathaway.”

“First of all, you know to call me Thomas, and second of all, I seem to remember being your boss, and not the other way around?”

“Whatever makes you feel better. I snagged you some fruit and a bagel, whole wheat, low-fat cream cheese, it’s on your filing cabinet because there wasn’t a single inch of desk space visible.” Alan headed towards the door.

“Wait, I need dinner reservations for two on Wednesday night. Around eight. Somewhere nice, alright?”

His executive assistant froze in place and turned to face him. “Do I get to ask questions about this?”

“Not at all, Alan.”

There was blatant curiosity on the young man’s face, but after two and a half years of working together, Alan knew when he could push his luck, and when he couldn’t. “Alright, I’ll get you reservations, but your scary glare doesn’t work on me, remember? It’s why you keep me around.”

“Right. Thank you, Alan.” He couldn’t help but smile as his assistant shrugged and pulled his door closed behind him. Spinning around in his chair he found the little plate of food next to a stack of files that he really needed to sort through so he could find them again. If he asked Alan to do it, they’d be put in some kind of alphabetical order that he’d never be able to remember.

Stabbing a piece of pineapple with a fork he took a bite and continued through his email, making notes on where different people stood on various discussions happening on the hill. It was a few minutes after nine when he felt his iPhone vibrating on his desk.

Jaxson Davidson.

Again.

Thomas answered and tucked the phone against his cheek so he could continue working before his first meeting showed up at 9:30. “Good morning, Jaxson.”

“Avoiding my calls, or just pretending to be a busy, important politician, Thomas?”

“Being an asshole on purpose, or just for the usual reasons?” He smiled as he heard Jaxson’s heavy exhale on the other end of the line.

“You were at the club last night.” There was an odd note in the other man’s voice, and he could feel a headache coming on before their discussion even started.

“Yes, I was.”

“With a girl.”

“Why, yes, with a girl. I don’t bat for both teams, remember?” His chuckle died on his lips when the frustrated growl that Jaxson returned rumbled over the line.

“I remember, and I still don’t care, asshole. How exactly do you know this Madeline O’Neill girl?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Because she gave my name to Daniel at the security desk in the locker room and said that I was the one to invite her.”

“Ah.” Thomas couldn’t help but smile. Maddie was a naughty girl, and she probably had no idea just how poor of a choice that was. If there was one thing Jaxson hated, it was someone dropping his name without permission.

Perhaps that could be their next corrective discussion.

“Ah? That’s all you have to say? This girl of yours shouldn’t be using my –”

“Stop.” He used the commanding tone automatically. “First of all, she’s not mine, I met her last night.”

“What the fu–”

“And second of all,” Thomas interrupted before Jaxson could go on a rant, “Maddie was just curious about the club. She’d heard about it from a friend and she showed up. Her choice of listing your name was bold, but I dealt with it.”

“You dealt with it? What the fuck, Thomas? We can’t just have a bunch of people wandering into Black Light! It’s supposed to be private, secure. That’s the entire fucking point.” The growl in his friend’s tone spoke of his frustration, but he just shrugged and replied to an email as he talked.

“Look, it’s not my fault someone talked to her about it, but I’m just glad I was the one to meet her, and the club needs more single subs anyway. You told me the lack of pick-up play would change, but it’s been over a month and Maddie is only the second one I’ve seen.”

There was a grumble on the other end of the line, and then the silence stretched. Not in a rush to continue the argument, Thomas used the time to finish his reply on the email and click send. He took a bite of his bagel as he waited for Jaxson to decide if he wanted to argue or crawl back into bed with his lovers. “Fine. So you dealt with it.”

“I punished her appropriately for trying to get into the club without an invitation, and potentially putting herself at risk by waltzing in with the first Dom to offer to pay for her guest pass.”

“Yeah, she could have done better.”

“Kindly go fuck yourself, Jaxson.”

“I don’t have to, remember? I’m well taken care of, and I’m more concerned about all of your pent up frustrations.” There was humor back in his friend’s voice, and Thomas knew the potential fight had been diffused, which was good for him – and good for Maddie. Jaxson was not an enemy she needed to make. “So, you said we needed more single subs. Is this Madeline O’Neill single?”

“I have a date with her on Wednesday night.”

“Is that a no?”

“It’s an I don’t know. Nothing is set in stone.” Thomas rolled his eyes at the question. She hadn’t even texted him back yet after all.

Maybe she’s backing out of the whole thing.

“Then if she shows back up at the club, I should tell Daniel to let her in? Let her test drive someone else? You did say we needed more single –”

“I’d prefer if she didn’t play with anyone else before Wednesday, but she’s an adult. She can do what she likes.” Hitting the enter key a little too hard on the email he was writing, he felt the tension in his shoulders as he imagined someone else with their hands on Maddie.

It had only been one play session, but she was spinning circles through his mind. Every moan, every whimper, every shift of her body playing on repeat. He wanted his hands on her again, wanted to make her come again, he wanted to do so many things with her. Dammit. His cock was getting hard just remembering her and that was the last thing he needed before a meeting.

You don’t have any right to feel possessive right now, rein it in.

—

Oh, we all know that Thomas isn’t going to be able to rein it in for long. He’s got it bad for Maddie already, even if he doesn’t know it yet, but there’s still so much more to come in this incredibly hot book! >>> 1-click it now

While you’re waiting for this delicious book to download, I’ve got something much much darker on the horizon for all of you. If you’ve been following my bloghops you’ll remember the twisted take on Rapunzel I was pimping a while back, well THE DARK FOREST is now live for pre-order and it’s only $2.99 for all seven wicked stories. Grab it now before it goes up to $6.99 on 1/24!

One more thing, we’re actually running a Facebook contest right now leading up to the launch on January 24th and there’s a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card! I wouldn’t be very nice if I didn’t share that with you too, so just CLICK HERE and enter to win!

Now that I’ve loaded your kindles full of all kinds of kinky fun, check out the other snippets on the blogs below!

Thankful Thursday

Wowza! It’s #ThankfulThursday again and if you haven’t been able to tell, things have been CRAZY! ‘Black Light: Exposed’ comes out this Saturday, and the pre-order for ‘The Dark Forest’ collection of erotic fairytales went live on the 10th and we have had such an amazing response to it! Just because of the pre-orders we’re already #1 in two categories. A bestseller before it’s even available? You know it’s going to be good. But on top of all that craziness I’ve been working to get ready for the exciting ‘Black Light: Valentine Roulette’ anthology coming just in time for Valentine’s Day! I haven’t been sleeping much, but who can sleep with this much work to do? Actually, I do know one thing that could get me into a bed at a decent hour….. this guy. Am I right, lovelies?

Maddie gets punished on #WIP Wednesday!

It’s time for #WIP again, even though I was too late to sign up! I’m still sharing snippets of ‘Black Light: Exposed’ which is actually the 2nd book in the Black Light series, but it can be read as a standalone. The first one by Livia Grant, ‘Black Light: Rocked’, came out in December so you can still dive into this kinky underground BDSM club before Exposed comes out on Saturday, January 14th!

‘Black Light: Exposed’ follows Madeline “Maddie” O’Neill, an aspiring reporter, who stumbles onto the story of a lifetime when she discovers the Black Light BDSM club hiding beneath popular Washington, D.C. hotspot Runway. Thomas Hathaway, a congressman, is there to play but he “rescues” her from security by buying her a guest pass before they kick her out. Let’s just say this BDSM romance has some fireworks in it, and Maddie will have some tough choices to make between her dreams and her heart before it’s over.

In this scene, Thomas has Maddie tied over a chair and he just finished spanking her. Enjoy this delicious, extended sneak peek of the book before it goes live on Saturday!

—

Thomas slipped his hand between her thighs, cupping the evidence of her arousal as he applied the barest hint of pressure to her clit. The shock of it pulled the brake on her thoughts, shifting gears to the thrumming heat inside her, the pulse of desire that beckoned her ever closer to the darkness all around her. Maddie pushed her hips forward, seeking a little more, and she knew that the story wasn’t the only reason she was bent over this chair. No, she’d let him tie her down because some piece of her wanted this, wanted more than what she knew, and he seemed more than willing to give it to her. “Please, sir…”

“Please what?” he asked, his hand staying still against the damp fabric of her underwear as she rocked more urgently against his touch.

“Please touch me!” It was begging, something she would have never have imagined herself capable of, but her mind was spinning out of her control, and her nerves were a network of need that she knew instinctively Thomas Hathaway could satisfy.

“Oh, no. Not yet.” He pulled his hand away and she actually whined, twisting against the rope and shifting her weight from heel to heel in a miniature fit. The dark tone in his voice instantly quieted her, “You know the deal, Maddie. Naughty girls don’t get rewards, they get punished. Then, if they’re very, very good, they get a reward.”

The next swat from his hand was so loud it seemed to bounce back off the ceiling, and she tried her best to swallow the shout as the full outline of his hand burned to life atop the still aching skin.

“Are you going to be good and take your punishment for lying to me? For trying to get into Black Light without any kind of real invitation?” She could hear the slightly playful tone in his voice, but deep inside her guilt twisted like a knife. Thomas thought he was punishing her for just sneaking in because she wanted to play at the club, when the reality was so much worse.

Maddie nodded her head, the fiery red of her hair probably competing with the shame-filled crimson of her cheeks. At least he can’t see that. “Yes, sir.”

“Good girl. Remember your safe words.”

There was no warning except the barest whisper of leather cutting air, and then a line of molten fire landed across both cheeks of her ass. She screamed, digging her nails into her palms as the pain peaked and then faded into the burning heat. ‘Red’, danced on the tip of her tongue, some part of her brain desperately enacting a fight or flight instinct urging her to shout it, but instead she clenched her jaw tight. Another lash from the leather, either a belt or a strap like he’d said, and the pain was unlike anything she’d ever felt. Sharp, unforgiving for a moment, and then it would fade and she would suddenly gasp in air.

Again.

And again.

And again, and again, and again.

Somehow always on a new place, a little higher, or a little lower, and she would cry out, but she knew she deserved it. She quietly begged him to stop, but there was no sincerity to the words. She knew she deserved the pain that had her so tense she was scratching furrows into her palms with her nails. There was no way she’d speak the words he’d given her to really stop this.

She didn’t deserve them, didn’t need them.

It was an unvocalized apology for using him like she was. Using him to gain entrance to this place, using him to lie her way past all of their elaborate security, and using him to explore this new, dark place inside herself that was steadily tipping her from the agonizing pain into some kind of humming energy.

There were tears on her cheeks, capturing strands of her hair against her cheeks. Her breathing had been ragged at first, but it was calming, and as the next strike landed she felt the burning heat of it, the flash of pain, but it faded so quickly into the blur of sensation that she almost couldn’t track it.

Another crack of the leather, another distant sting, and Maddie was floating somewhere outside herself. Somewhere the guilt was but a tiny blip in the sea of her mind. It was glorious, and quiet, and so much simpler than the chaotic torrent her brain was on a daily basis.

This is incredible.

The first lash across the backs of her thighs, just below her ass, made her lift her head, a quiet yelp of pain, but then she was limp again. A soft, low sound escaping her lips, and she couldn’t imagine using a safe word any more. Why had she ever wanted to escape this? It was catharsis embodied. It was perfect.

She just needed it to continue, to keep going. To wait in this place where her body was a lightning storm of tingling energy, where her mind was hushed and guiltless and free.

Another snap that she heard rather than felt, and she was warm and glowing through and through.

“Such a good girl, you’re such a good girl, Maddie…” Thomas’ voice filtered its way back into her awareness, and then she felt his hand between her thighs again. Rubbing, pressing the soaked fabric of her lacy underwear between her folds as he found her clit and focused his attention in delirious circles that had her hands twisting in the ropes again.

“Oh, God,” she whispered on a moan, arching her back to lift her head and push back more firmly against his touch. Her head was swimming, so close to some kind of glorious, sparkling horizon, as the tense pleasure built and built. Every touch was expert, and when his other hand landed in the small of her back, pressing her down, she reveled in it. In his strength, the wicked rhythm his fingers maintained on the focal point of her body, and the constant assurances he voiced from behind her.

“That’s it. You did so well, come for me, beautiful. Go on, let go and come for me. You did so well, you’re such a good girl…” His sweet lies pushed her to the very edge, the pleasure building until it was an almost agonizing boundary that she teetered over, her body tense to the point of pain – and then she fell.

White light burst behind her eyes, and she called out something incomprehensible as she came against his hand, every thought obliterated once more for a blissful moment of nothingness where she drifted in warm, golden perfection.

Bliss.

This was what that word meant. Languid, pure, unfettered by the bounds of reality.

Thomas’ touch left her a moment later and she felt lost for a second, confused, until she felt his deft, talented fingers at the rope near her hands. He released her and then his arms were under her, lifting her like she weighed nothing before he spun them and settled her in his lap in the chair. His strong arms wrapped around her, holding her firmly until she melted against his firm chest. Cool cloth brushed over her skin and she opened her eyes to see that he’d covered her with his suit jacket, the silk lining set against her. “Shhh, Maddie. Relax. That was… incredible.”

She mumbled something in agreement as he adjusted her in his lap and pulled her closer, letting her heels drape over the side of the chair.

“You are so beautiful,” his voice purred against her hair and she let herself just be. All of the pieces of herself, the parts that were usually in such a frenzy reminding her of her never ending to-do list, her failures, her mistakes – they were all hushed and calm. Sated beasts sleeping in the corners of her mind.

For a few minutes she wasn’t the disappointment she always saw herself as, she was just Maddie. Just a languid set of muscles, and bone, and still tingling nerves wrapped in his warmth.

If only the world would really fall away.

Awareness returned slowly, first with the steady brush of his thumb up and down her arm, the gentle touch of his hand near her knee where he held her in his lap. Then the strong, pounding beat of his heart under her cheek. Even and powerful. When she went to shift she felt the other strong thing nudging her… Thomas Hathaway was still hard as a rock under her ass.

Twisting in his arms, he relaxed his grip a little so she could move, but as soon as she reached between them to brush the steel of his cock through his pants he moved his arm from under her legs and caught her hand. “Just rest, Maddie.”

“But you’re –”

“Fine. I’m just fine, I want you to relax. That was intense, and I’m not sure I’ve ever had a sub drop into subspace so quickly from a belt.” He laughed and it was a warm, shaking feeling since she was propped against his chest. “You kind of surprised me.”

“Subspace?” she asked, still a little dazed.

He leaned forward to look at her, his hazel eyes shadowed with concern. “Has no one ever put you in subspace before?”

The blush that fired to life in her cheeks seemed to answer for her. “Thomas, I –”

“Oh, Maddie… that’s…” He sighed. “It’s terrible that no one’s taken care of you. You deserve so much more.” His interruption cut off her confession, and she bit down on her lip. He was too good. Too good to have stumbled into her twisted plans. “Masochists don’t always get treated well, but you deserve that. You know that, right? You deserve to be treated well?”

Her brows pulled together, because that was a word she definitely knew. Masochists were people who liked pain, but that wasn’t her. She wasn’t messed up like that… right?

“Madeline.” His use of her full name made her look up into his gaze, shifting in his lap until they were almost eye-to-eye. “Just because you enjoy this, doesn’t mean you don’t matter. People can’t just take advantage of you, and you can’t let them. Okay?”

“Okay.” She nodded, still unsteadied by everything that had happened, and then she cursed herself silently. “I mean, yes sir.”

Thomas chuckled. “Play is over, beautiful. You can just call me Thomas.”

“Alright, Thomas.” Maddie went to get off his lap, but he tugged her back.

“You don’t have to get up, I’m enjoying holding you. Aftercare is one of my favorite parts of play.” He leaned his cheek against her hair, hugging her against him once more. “Has no one done this for you either?”

“No,” she confessed, but when he sighed and held her a little closer she flinched. Aftercare? She didn’t even know what the fuck that was. No one had ever done any of this, any of it, because she was pretending to be someone she wasn’t – or she was discovering something she was for the first time – or she’d lied so thoroughly the whole damn night she couldn’t tell anymore – but regardless, she didn’t deserve this kindness. This warmth, this generosity. Not from someone like him.

—

Ohhhh, lovelies, I’m so happy to have this be the last snippet before the book goes live. I’ll still be giving you little tastes over the next few blog hops, but this defines Thomas and Maddie’s budding relationship. She’s working on the article, he’s working on protecting and learning about the new sub he’s found – and neither of them really know what the hell is going on. This is a book I’m so proud of, and I really can’t wait for you all to read it. The ARC readers have loved it! Check out the cover reveal if you haven’t yet, and then make sure you’re watching social media for the go-live announcement on Saturday!

A few exciting announcements… after ‘Black Light: Exposed’ comes out on January 14th, ‘The Dark Forest’ anthology of dark and twisted fairy tales will come out on January 24th. It’s already live for pre-order, and there’s a contest to win a $50 gift card over here. Go ahead and pre-order that naughtiness (that I was teasing before Exposed, it’s my dark and intense version of Rapunzel called ‘The Tower’), and enter the contest too! THEN – just because I’m completely insane – I’ll be releasing a story in the ‘Black Light: Valentine Roulette’ anthology, which will be out on 2/9. That story is also complete now, and I’ll be posting little snippets of it soon. As you can tell, I’ve been very busy, but I do hope you lovelies will enjoy everything. It’s been a lot of work, but I love this.

In the mean time, check out these other bloggers below (who responsibly signed up for WIP in time!).

Cover Reveal Giveaway! ‘The Dark Forest’ anthology!

★★★ COVER REVEAL GIVEAWAY! ★★★

$50 Amazon Gift Card

I am absolutely thrilled to finally reveal the cover for the twisted and devious ‘The Dark Forest’ anthology. It’s a collection of naughty and DARK fairy tales from some of your favorite authors. The Dark Forest Anthology releases on January 24th and it’s so fun to show you the cover for the very first time! The pre-order price is only $2.99 – grab it now before the price goes up after release! ⇨ http://amzn.to/2iW9f5m

Carolyn Faulkner calls this “The most controversial book of 2017”!

Enjoy seven wicked tales from seven bestselling authors, each more deliciously deviant than the last! To be entered to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card go to the post below and follow all the directions!! GOOD LUCK, LOVELIES!!