First Scene Of Our Story and You Get To See What’s In The Mystery Box!!!

Isn’t it purdy? That’s part of the giveaway when we finish our short story. Make sure you leave a comment or suggestion for the next scene. I’ll be looking for words you want me to use, or a situation…maybe what you’d like to see happen when they run into each other again.

 

Now onto our story….

The Meeting: Scene one…

He made note of the white metal blinds, light blue drapes, one yellow plastic vase with a half dead daisy wilting out of it and a sweet potato. The latter of which was pierced with toothpicks and half submerged in water. The result was that it had grown some aggressive sprouts. Aside from that rather pathetic science project in the window, principal Dodd’s office was tidy to the point of being sparse.

“Sorry I’m late. I’ll take it from here, Victoria. Oh, did you tell him why I’ve decided they’ll be a three day suspension?”

Xander Reid never moved fast. Snapped was not part of his repertoire and yet, he found himself snapping around when he heard those words. He’d completely dismissed the office secretary who couldn’t have been much older than eighteen, but he was paying attention to her boss. Principal Dodd had a soft, but confident voice that had an edge of steel to it that begged to be ground down and melted. “Suspension?”

There was only one kind of suspension Xander liked and it had nothing to do with his nephew being kicked out of school.

“Yes.” She ushered the secretary out and then closed the door. She seemed to take a fortifying breath and then she spun around, looking right at him. What a rush. “You obviously got my message otherwise you wouldn’t be here. Surely you’re not going to fight me on this decision?”

Xander most definitely would. He waited for her to go to her desk and sit down before he answered, “I believe I will.”

“Did you listen to my whole voicemail?”

He nodded, wondering if her hair was as silky as it looked. The color and shine reminded him of highly polished onyx.

“And you’re still going to question the suspension?”

He ignored the way she motioned him to the chair opposite the desk. For this discussion he’d remain standing. “What they were doing was no more than a cliché. Alice Cooper wrote a song about it.”

She tilted her head and studied him. Then she arched one of her perfectly shaped brows and said, “Yes, but I believe in that song they were smoking cigarettes in the boys room.” That brow came down and she sat back in the chair. “The last time I checked, Mr. Reid, our state hadn’t legalized marijuana, so a three day suspension looks pretty good from where I’m sitting. Far better than a juvenile record, right?”

She had great skin which only became more appealing to him when she leaned forward and extended her arm, tapping her index finger at the dotted line on the release form. He couldn’t help sizing up her delicate wrist. That part of her would look perfect secured in his brown leather cuffs. The scrapes and dents in the well-worn hide would be a beautiful contrast against all that alabaster.

“Mr. Reid, I assure you it’s a standard form.”

He lifted his gaze, meeting hers directly. “Nothing is ever standard, Naomi.”

Not a flinch or a flicker when she said, “My name is Ms. Dodd.”

“Your nameplate says differently.”

Her eyes narrowed just a touch, but enough that he noticed. “Maybe I should call you Xander?”

She used his first name. This interested him. “Have you been checking out my nameplate, Naomi?”

Her cheeks turned a very telling pink color. Nice. “Or maybe I should just call you ‘Z’.”

“You could,” one side of his mouth lifted in a ghost-like grin before he could help it, “but I wouldn’t answer.”

“Oh?”

Now he’d take a seat. Yeah, he’d get comfortable for this. “I prefer to be called something altogether different at times. Can you say the same?”

“I’m not sure what you mean and I really don’t know how we got here. I would like you to sign the release so you can take your nephew home for the balance of the week. He’ll be cleared to come back onto school property next Monday.”

Xander gave a curt nod toward the window and asked, “What’s with the sweet potato?”

“The…” She shot a look to the vegetable and then scowled at him. “Why do you want to know?”

He shrugged. “I’m curious.”

“You’re stalling.” She let out a deep sigh. An aggravated one if he had to name it, and then said, “It’s a personal challenge. That’s all you need to know.”

For this he’d sit back and relax. “No it’s not. I think I need to know everything about it. Tell me.”

“I will not.” She laughed and the sound was surprisingly deep. “Not unless you stop being obtuse, and sign the form. I have another meeting with the delightful parents of one of the other boys caught smoking with Spencer. That couple is going to be here in less than hour. The father’s a lawyer and his mother’s a psychiatrist so I have to make notes and probably find a bible. No doubt when I’m not being analyzed by the one, I’ll be getting cross examined by the other.”

“I’ll sign it if you tell me about the spud.”

She reached across the desk and handed him a pen. As though he were ordinary. A regular guy. No one who carried any weight with her. He didn’t like that.

“It’s blue ink. State law and all that. So about the potato…”

He was barely listening and he didn’t know why. Two minutes ago he wanted to know everything about the vegetable mystery, but now all he wanted to know was what kind of man turned her on.

“That’s why I did it.”

He blinked. “Did what?”

“The potato project. After the boys suggested that guys were better suited to the sciences I took a personal interest. I think they’ll be a little surprised when the teacher in that class goes to measure those slips on Friday morning. I’m betting that overnight the girls greenery is going to go through a—” she sized up the leafy sprouts growing out of the potato in the window and turned back to him, “a six inch growth spurt, give or take a few.”

“Is that fair?”

Her smile remained strong. “Yes.”

He leaned forward and put the pen down on the paper without signing it. “But you’re cheating so the girls can win. That tells me that the boys might be right after all.”

She shook her head. “Not a chance. The boys were the ones who cheated first and not very carefully either. We have them on tape sneaking into switch their less than stellar project with the girls.”

Xander frowned. He hadn’t predicted this. “So why didn’t you out them and let the girls win by forfeit?”

“Too easy. This way they’ll really have to eat humble pie when they lose. They’ve been strutting around the last few weeks like they’re kings.”

His heart beat faster and his voice automatically dropped an octave when he asked, “You don’t like commanding men?”

She reached forward and picked up the pen. “I don’t like sneaky cheaters no matter what sex they happen to be. Are you going to sign this? I only have forty-five minutes to prepare myself for my next meeting.”

Xander searched her eyes. There was nothing there but open and honest clarity. It was as if he was nothing more than a…than a…than an uncle there to sign his nephew out of class. And no matter how much he tried to tell himself that’s all he was. That’s all he should be. That’s all he needed to be, especially now, he couldn’t do it. “What if I renege on the deal?”

“Well then.” She sat back and folded her arms over her chest. All signs of open and honest were gone and in their place was a wall of ice. Ice he could deal with. Ice could be chipped, and chewed, and sucked on until it melted. “We would have to reconsider our options with Spencer.”

“Such as?”

“For starters, I’d have to tell the uptight and very religious teacher who found them passing around that joint this morning that he was right. We should have called the authorities immediately and let them deal with it. After that I’d have paperwork of my own to fill out as forms would need to be submitted to Spencer’s new school for transfer.”

“You’d make him change schools?”

“I wouldn’t make him do anything. I’d be forced to follow the rules as they pertain to these kinds of situations. Rules that I didn’t put in place, but that as principal, I’m governed by and must follow to the letter, unless I endeavor to put my job and reputation on the line and break them the way I’m doing now by offering a different course of action. Why? So I can cut a few good kids some slack. Kids I think that are dealing with their issues as best they can. But sometimes those issues follow them here.” Unbelievable. She gave him the once over and then added, “Indulgent relatives mostly who care more about their own egos than fixing the problem at hand as smoothly and expediently as possible.”

He grinned. Not because he thought she was cute. She wasn’t at the moment. And not because she was smart, although she really was, he grinned because she was right. Plain and simple. Sure he had time on his hands for the first time in over a year, but if he was ready to jump back into the available singles pool, he’d be doing it with a woman who suited his particular tastes. It didn’t matter how much she appealed to him.

He had no doubt he needed a challenge, but one of which the scales would already tipped in his favor. An obedient little pet who would listen, behave, and hold him in much higher regard than just some ordinary Joe. He was so far from that. Too bad she didn’t know it.

Now it was his turn to give her the once over. After he did it took him less than ten seconds to draw one conclusion.

Ms. Dodd would certainly be a challenge for any man. Intelligent women were. He loved smart women, but she wasn’t the woman for him. Picking up the pen, he signed the form before he handed it to her. “You make a stellar argument. I should think you won’t have any trouble convincing the lawyer and the shrink. They’ll probably run home crying after you’re done with them.”

“Perfect. That’s what I’m going for.”

She got up and came around the desk. Was her skirt that tight when she’d first walked in? Were her breasts straining that blouse so spectacularly? He didn’t think so.

And as he stood and towered over her, he came to another conclusion. She’d be a joy to dominate. A treasure to be claimed and hoarded. As he followed her to the door, transfixed by the sexy swing of her hips, he knew why.

Ms. Dodd was comfortable in her skin. She had a certain confidence that radiated a power he wanted to own.

Good thing he was leaving. The kind of draw he was feeling toward her was dangerous. Intense. There’s no telling what he’d decide to do to her if he ever had occasion to get his hands on her.

“I’ll call down and have Spencer meet you.”

It was the oddest sensation shaking her hand when what he really wanted to do was have her shaking beneath him moaning his name. The only moniker he’d allow her to use. “Thanks. I’ll speak to Spence and make sure we won’t have to meet like this again.”

*****

The minute Naomi closed the door she breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn’t afford to be crushing all over one of her student’s uncles. Not when the man she’d been waiting to meet was finally in town.

Master X.

After eight long months of listening to the whispers about the new owner of the club she was ready to play nice. If the rumors were true and she had no reason to believe they weren’t, he was on the lookout for a new play partner.

Friday night was going to be her night. She fully intended to throw her hat into the ring of subs who wanted to be considered for the position. She was done with middle of the road men. She was aiming for the top.

Although…

She peered through the window in the door, easing two metal blind slats to part to get one last look at Mr. Reid. There he was. She eyed him from top to bottom and back again.

Damn.

Spencer’s uncle sure did have a nice physique. Tall, broad shoulders, slim hips. Nice–

He spun around and she gasped, letting go of the blinds. Did the guy have eyes in the back of his head?

She didn’t want to check again. She was too afraid he’d be staring at her door. Drilling holes through the metal.

Double damn…

(end)

Thanks for playing!

Now for some news on Provoked!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Early reviews!!! This is what readers are saying:

5 OUT OF 5 STARS!! “The best from this author yet!”

5 FIRST RATE STARS!!! “This author has a way of making you fall in love them (her characters) and she did a superb job here.”

5 OUT OF 5 STARS!!! “I could not put this one down!! Charlie is so funny and together, she and Cat will make you laugh…and cry… and wish you had a sister like that. Neil – you want to be mad at him, you want to smack him sometimes… but, well before the end, you love him and by the end you absolutely get what he was trying to do! The story… wow… just wow… it hooks you from the beginning and doesn’t let go…”

5 OUT OF 5 STARS!  “How can anyone pass up the opportunity to make this incredible journey? You’ll laugh, shed tears of joy and sadness, search for answers to an unsolved crime, and discover a poignant Dom/sub relationship.”

I love readers! You guys make my day!!! I’ll be posting all the reviews on Provoked’s Book Page after the weekend.

And for those of you who’ve asked. Yes! The PVC tape scene was the one that Honey and discussed over coffee. He was the one who came up with the clever way to structure that scene. That’s one of the biggest reasons I love him. Just when I think I’m not going to be able to pull something off, he gives me that grin and makes my worst fears fun. I LOVED writing that scene.

And for the readers who emailed to say that they nearly had an accident reading about the twins trying to get themselves out of trouble with the bad guys – I say YAY! I love to hear that! So please, feel free. Even if you don’t leave an official review, drop me an email and let me know what you thought about Charlie and Neil’s story.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Riley