Strictly Business: Hooded Pleasures, Book 1 Page 28

  You’ve both come a long way.

  She allowed herself a satisfied smirk before turning back to the work at hand.

  “I’m glad you liked the images. Yes, I think they’d be excellent in the new expansion.” Alex swiveled around in his office chair to give Kate a thumbs-up. “She’s a fan and a talented artist, so I figured she’d be a great resource for the project. Add in my coding, and you know a new contract would be the right way to go. Lock us in as a team, and we’ll jack the game up to a whole new level.”

  Kate beamed as Alex turned away, lowering his voice as the negotiations began.

  This was the second contract she’d signed with him as a creative partner, working her art and knowledge of the games they both played into a profitable arrangement.

  She sat on the couch with her sketchpad, feet drawn up under her as she worked on her newest commission, an owlbear creeping toward an unwary party camping in the woods. It was from one of Alex’s associates, a fan who enjoyed putting odd monsters in his games and loved Kate’s artwork.

  He wasn’t alone. Her other works had generated even more contracts, more customers seeking out her unique artwork. It’d become a full-time job and still remained fun when she added in the extra assignments to create artwork for the computer games.

  Her cell phone rang.

  Kate picked it up and studied the caller identification.

  Wendy.

  She glanced at Alex’s back before tapping the button and putting the phone to her ear.

  “Hello?”

  “How are you doing?” Wendy’s tone was warm and soft. “Sorry I didn’t chat with you more on Wednesday at the club. I see you’ve become quite the regular visitor. Both of you.”

  Kate smiled. “We haven’t seen you there.”

  “Oh, I’m there. You just can’t take your eyes off that sweet thing you’ve got hold of.” Wendy laughed. “Are you happy?”

  “Yes.” The answer was automatic. “I’m damned happy.” She glanced over at Alex. “Thank you for everything you’ve done. I appreciate it.”

  “You did it all, Kate. I only gave you the freedom to do what your heart wanted.” A low murmuring came over the line. “Business calls. I’ve got to go.”

  “No problem. Be sure to stop on by and say hello some time, okay? Alex owes you a drink or twenty.”

  “Sure,” Wendy replied. “Talk to you later.”

  Kate hung up the phone as Alex turned around with a wide grin.

  “Just got a six-month offer. They want us as a team with my coding and your concept art. They’re sending the contracts over by courier; should be here in a few hours.” He watched her as she got up and approached him.

  “Fantastic. I’m looking forward to it.” She cleared her throat. “I’ve got something I’d like to show you.”

  His eyebrows rose, and Alex licked his lips.

  “Down boy. Stay put.” She went into the hallway and retrieved the small box she’d bought only that morning, picking it up while out grocery shopping so he wouldn’t realize where she was.

  “What’s that?” Alex asked.

  Kate smiled. “I know you like your collar. And the silver bracelet when we’re at the club.” She gestured toward the well-worn leather strap sitting on the nearby table. “But I thought you’d like to upgrade.” She handed him the black box, her pulse racing. “I hope you like it. I thought it’d be a nice six-month anniversary present.”

  Alex opened it carefully. “Whoa.”

  He withdrew a long, thick silver-braided chain.

  “I know it’s not the usual collar—we can get another leather one anywhere. I wanted to give you something you could wear out in public, anywhere we go.” The lump in her throat threatened to silence her. “I wanted to show you—”

  She choked up.

  Alex placed it around his neck and stood up, beaming. “It’s perfect.” He touched it again, running his fingers along the thick, twisted cord. “I love it, Mistress. Now everyone will know I belong to you.”

  “Not everyone,” she said. “Just the ones who know us.”

  “On that point.” He held up his hand. “Just stay there. Please.”

  Alex dashed up the stairs as Kate watched, curious what was going on.

  She heard him opening and closing drawers in the bedroom. A low curse reached her ears.

  Finally he reappeared at the top of the staircase, sweaty and grinning.

  He took the steps two at a time on his return, almost falling more than once as he came back into the living room.

  “I was going to wait until Friday at Delmonico’s, in front of Ann and Eric. But now is a much better time.”

  Kate gasped as he slid to his knees in front of her, holding a ring box.

  He fumbled with the small cube and almost dropped it. “I hope I’m not being too forward. I mean, I didn’t exactly court you like the books say, and I didn’t do much in the way of date nights other than at the club.” Alex sighed. “Not that I didn’t enjoy it and—” He stopped babbling as her hand fell on his head.

  “It’s fine.” She smiled. “You should know by now I’m not impressed by what’s on the outside.” Kate leaned down to kiss his forehead. “It’s what’s on the inside that’s important. And you—” The words caught in her throat. “You complete me. Inside and outside.”

  “Good. Because I want everyone to know you do the same for me.” He flipped the box open to show off an engagement ring, the diamond sparkling as it caught every aspect of light in the room and returned it with interest.

  Alex reached up and took hold of her hand. “I want everyone to know I’m yours and you are mine. I want years as your submissive, as your soul mate, as your lover and as your business partner. I need all of those, Katherine.” His eyes met hers. “Please give them to me. Please marry me.”

  She felt the tears rising and blurring her vision. “Yes. I will.” Kate sniffled as he slid the ring onto her finger. “But you’re going to pay for making me cry in the middle of the day. Go to the bedroom and strip. We’ll discuss your impertinence at the end of my flogger.” She pointed at the stairs with her right hand. “Position three should be a good place to start.”

  Alex kissed her fingers. “Yes, Mistress.” He couldn’t help laughing as he got up and headed for the bedroom.

  About the Author

  Sheryl Nantus was born in Montreal, Canada, and grew up in Toronto. A rabid reader almost from birth, she attended Sheridan College in Oakville, graduating in 1984. She met Martin Nantus through the online fanfiction community in 1993 and moved to the United States in 2000 in order to marry.

  She loves to play board games and write haiku, although not usually at the same time.

  A firm believer in the healing properties of peppermint tea and chai, she continues to search for the perfect cuppa.

  In 2011, she won two second-place Prism Awards from the Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal chapter of RWA for her steampunk romance, Wild Cards and Iron Horses, and the first volume of her superhero romance trilogy, Blaze of Glory. In 2013, she won a third-place Prism Award for her paranormal romance, Blood of the Pride. In 2015, her science fiction romance, In the Black, won three SFR Galaxy Awards.

  For more about Sheryl Nantus you can visit her web page at www.sherylnantus.com, see her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorSherylNantus, or follow her ramblings on Twitter: @SherylNantus. She also blogs at www.sherylnantus.wordpress.com when the mood takes her, usually writing board game reviews.

  She loves to get email at xfdragon@zoominternet.net.

  Look for these titles by Sheryl Nantus

  Now Available:

  Blaze of Glory

  Heroes Without Monsters Within

  Heroes Lost and Found

  Wild Cards and Iron Horses

  Coming Soon:

  Hooded Pleasur
es

  Strictly Pleasure

  Strictly Yours

  Don’t miss these other titles by Sheryl Nantus

  Saving the world is easy for a superhero—unless you’re a fraud.

  Jo Tanis is a superhero, fighting evil on the city streets, using her ability to feed off electromagnetic energy and fire off charges—and it’s all just a show. The Agency captures her and others like her when their powers begin to manifest, pitting them against each other in staged, gladiatorial fights. An explosive implant on the back of her neck assures she’ll keep right on smiling for the camera and beating up the bad guys.

  When Earth comes under attack, suddenly the show becomes deadly real. Unable to deal with a real alien, the “supers” are falling in droves. Millions of innocent civilians are going to die…unless Jo can cobble together a team from among the fake heroes and villains the Agency enslaved. Including Hunter, who not only promises to show her how to deactivate the implants, but seems to know more than he should about how the mysterious Agency operates.

  Forcing a rag-tag bunch of former enemies to work together is the least of Jo’s problems. The trick is determining if Hunter is friend or foe—and becoming the hero everyone thought she was before the world is destroyed for real.

  Warning: Contains superhero in-jokes, Canadiana and large alien craft shaped like avocados. Really.

  Their love rides on a spring and a prayer…

  During the recent Civil War, a soldier risked his life to save Jonathan Handleston—and lost. With the help of an advanced metal brace on his crippled hand, Jon now travels from one poker tournament to the next, determined to earn enough money to repay the man’s debt.

  Prosperity Ridge is supposed to be the last stop on his quest, but his brace is broken and he needs an engineer to repair the delicate mechanisms. The only one available is Samantha Weatherly, a beautiful anomaly in a world ruled by men.

  Sam is no fool. Jon is no different from any other gambler—except for his amazing prosthetic. Despite a demanding project to win a critical contract to develop an iron horse, she succumbs to the lure of working on the delicate mechanisms. And working with the handsome Englishman.

  Like a spring being coiled, Samantha and Jon are inexorably drawn together. Sam begins to realize honor wears many faces, and she becomes the light at the end of Jon’s journey to redemption. The only monkey wrench is Victor, a rival gambler who will stop at nothing to make sure Jon misses the tournament. Even destroy Jon’s and Sam’s lives.

  Warning: Contains crazed card games, gears and springs galore and a wild ride that’ll have you panting at the end of the book.

  eBooks are not transferable.

  They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

  11821 Mason Montgomery Road Suite 4B

  Cincinnati OH 45249

  Strictly Business

  Copyright © 2015 by Sheryl Nantus

  ISBN: 978-1-61923-185-6

  Edited by Linda Ingmanson

  Cover by Angela Waters

  All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: October 2015

  www.samhainpublishing.com