“Lyric, you can’t do something like this without telling us first!” My father had the same reflection of anger as his voice echoed through the kitchen.
“You guys met at the World Ball! How can you be upset with me for wanting something like that?” I felt tears welling up in my eyes as I looked back and forth between them.
“That was a different time.” My mother shook her head angrily. “The World Ball used to be a special event. Now it’s just a gratuitous sex party. It’s a giant orgy!”
“No daughter of mine will ever go to a place like that.” My father took a step towards me and pointed in my face. “This is the kind of thing I would expect from Muse. You’re supposed to be the responsible one!”
“I spent my whole childhood hearing about your perfect love story.” The tears started to flood down my face. “All I wanted was a chance to have something like that.”
“When we went, it was beautiful.” My mother sighed. “There’s something we haven’t told you.”
“Miranda, don’t.” My father shook his head cautiously.
“She needs to know.” My mother took a step towards my father. “We’ve convinced her that the World Ball is such a magical place. It’s only fair that she knows the truth.”
“What are you talking about?” I looked at my mother and then over to my father.
“We went to the fiftieth anniversary of the World Ball. They offered to let all of the couples that had met there in the past and transformed the magical three-day event into a lifelong relationship come back for one night only. They kept us away from the single folks, but they did a nice ceremony to introduce us when it started.” My mother exhaled sharply.
“Miranda and I weren’t really interested in following the rules, so we decided to go see what the real dance floor was like.” My father’s jaw clenched. “It was awful. People were grinding on each other like they were married.”
“I mean…” I sighed and shook my head. “That’s just how people dance now.”
“It was sinful!” My mother snapped the words against her tongue angrily. “It wasn’t beautiful, it was disgusting!”
I knew I wasn’t going to win the argument. Once my parents made up their mind about something, there was no way to change their minds. I retreated to my bedroom and lay in bed, crying against my pillow until I finally fell asleep. The dreams I had as a little girl were dashed by the very people who created them in the first place.
I woke up the next morning with my eyes rimmed red and as I sat on the edge of my bed thinking, I decided that I wasn’t going to listen to them. I had an invitation. It was a once in a lifetime experience. If it was as awful as they described, I would regret going, but at least I wouldn’t spend the rest of my life wondering what could have been. I didn’t mention it to them again, but over the course of several weeks I bought a plane ticket and packed my suitcase in secret. I let a note that explained things the best way that I could and headed to the airport in the back of an Uber.
I’m sorry. I’ve done exactly what you said for twenty-one years. It’s time I did something for myself.
“Welcome—to the Masquerade of Sin!” A man walked out onto a balcony overlooking the main part of the Grand Ballroom. “Are you ready for the opening ceremony?”
I had been in New York for less than a day and my head was already spinning. It was a lot to take in for a girl from a small town. My flight arrived late and after getting some sleep, I spent the day seeing some of the popular sights in the city. I figured I wouldn’t have much time once the World Ball started. There would definitely be some time during the day, but I hoped I was exhausted from dancing all night. I had bought a dress that cost way more than I could afford. When I saw it on the rack, I just couldn’t turn it down. It was ocean-blue and fit me like a glove. I was able to pick up a bra made out of shells to wear over it, and the mask I chose was one that was textured to look like a mermaid’s tail. It didn’t look as fancy as some of the other outfits I saw, but it was passable as the masquerade version of a sexy mermaid.
“We all wear masks in this world.” The lights dimmed and music started to play as the man on the balcony started to speak. “They hide who we really are. Tonight, you don’t have to hide behind the mask you wear every day. You can come alive without ever showing your face. This year—the rules have changed.”
Judging by the reaction in this room, I’m guessing that wasn’t expected.
“Normally the World Ball lasts three nights and on the last night, you have the option of asking one person to leave with you. This year, we’re doing things a little different. If you had plans, it’s time to cancel them. The music won’t stop for seven straight days!” He pointed down to the crowd and dancers walked out on the stage as the music got more intense.
Seven days? Oh my god! I can’t stay here seven days…
“At the end of each night, you have the choice of offering your pin to one person.” The man held up the pin that we were all given. “If they give your their pin in return, you can leave together.”
Maybe my parents were right. This doesn’t sound anything like what they described when I was a kid.
“If you decide it isn’t meant to be, you can swap pins again and return to the World Ball.” He smiled and held up his hands. “Enjoy the Masquerade of Sin!”
The music changed to a classical song and I watched as people started to pair up. I looked around and quickly moved through the crowd to get to the bar that was set up in the corner. I wasn’t confident enough to just start dancing with a stranger, even if that was why I came in the first place. I ordered a glass of Champagne and sipped it for a few minutes as people moved across the dance floor like they had prepared for that moment their entire lives. I had as well, but I didn’t know the steps to the song. A few seconds later, a man walked up and extended his hand.
“Can I have this dance?” He was wearing an orange and red mask with feathers along the top.
“What are you supposed to be?” I tilted my head and looked at the long cloak he was wearing with similar colored feathers.
“I’m a phoenix.” A smile spread across his face—a smile so charming it practically made my heart flutter. “A phoenix that is very interested in a mermaid, even if I drown in the water trying to take your hand.”
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Seven Soulmates Sneak Peek
Reverse Harem Romance (Haremworld Book 4)
Chapter 1: Violet
“The code just won’t work.” I sat back in my chair and stared at the screen. “We can’t take a few random facts and turn them into miracles.”
“I don’t accept failure. You know that.” My boss, a very imposing man named Mr. Prince, breathed down my neck—literally.
“I need help. An app like this should have a team of people working on it.” I shifted forward so I didn’t feel his breath.
“This is a secret project. Secret projects usually start with one person who puts together the prototype. After that, we start the marketing campaign and bring in a team to take it into production.” He reached over my shoulder and tapped the screen. “Making it work is your job—and you know what is at stake if you don’t.”
The app I was working on had consumed most of the summer after my sophomore year of college. It was my penance for spending a few late nights on my computer trying to become an amateur hacker. I took a wrong turn one night and ended up breaching Mr. Prince’s server, which brought the FBI to my front door. I thought I was headed to prison instead of back to college when the summer was over, but Mr. Prince was rather impressed I had managed to do it. He said he had a place for someone like me at PrinceSoft. Little did I know that meant I was going to be nothing more than an indentured servant until I had a working prototype of his latest secret project.
“I’m tired. I think I’ve gotta call it a day.” I started to stand, but Mr. Prince put his hand on my shoulder and pushed me back into my chair.
“Drink a Red Bull.” His tone was s
tern. “You can catch up on sleep this weekend.”
“Yes sir.” I nodded and reached for one of the energy drinks sitting next to me.
PrinceSoft specialized in creating dating apps. Mr. Prince’s first app hit the market shortly after Tinder made headlines and he was determined to find an app that could put them out of business. The one I was working on definitely different than anything else on the market. It wasn’t going to be an app for hooking up or getting off. It was supposed to actually connect people with their soulmates. The problem was that it just didn’t work the way he envisioned. I was trying to turn an algorithm into true love, which I thought was rather ridiculous to begin with, and every test run had been an absolute failure.
“Okay, Mr. Darcy.” I loaded one of our test profiles. “Let’s see if you match up with Elizabeth.”
We had a few test profiles loaded based on famous fictional love stories. I wasn’t even able to get those right. I had managed to hook Mr. Darcy up with Cinderella, but she wasn’t the lonely young girl Jane Austen meant for him to end up with. Elizabeth’s fate was even more comical. Every time I ran her profile, she got matched with a woman, and it was never the same woman. If fantasy relied on my algorithm, Mr. Darcy would have been touring the English countryside with a glass slipper and Elizabeth would have been getting risky with a pair of evil stepsisters. I chugged the Red Bull and groaned when the algorithm failed again.
“This is hopeless…” I looked back at Mr. Prince.
“Keep working. I have all the faith in the world that you’ll get it right.” Mr. Prince started walking towards the door and as soon as it closed, I heard an audible click.
Indentured servant might have been a gentler term for prisoner. I had signed a contract to stay locked in the makeshift apartment at PrinceSoft until the project was done—no matter how long it took. I thought I would have a working prototype and a clean record in a couple of weeks when I agreed to the terms of the deal, but it wasn’t as simple as I hoped. The algorithm should have worked, but it just didn’t. The only thing it was going to accomplish was leaving people wondering what kind of cruel mistress fate had become—it certainly made me feel that way every time I ran another test.
“Even the Red Bull isn’t working tonight.” I leaned back against my chair and groaned again.
I forced my eyes open and made more adjustments as the hours whisked by. I was so dead on my feet that I could barely stand up to go to the bathroom after the last Red Bull ran through my system. As much as I wanted to keep working, and as angry as I knew Mr. Prince would be, I just couldn’t keep going any longer. I walked into my bedroom and crashed against the mattress, feeling my eyes close. The bed was comfortable at least, not that I would have really noticed at that point. The energy drink struggled against my exhaustion, but in the end, exhaustion won.
“Violet, what the hell? It doesn’t look like you’ve done any work since I left!” Mr. Prince’s angry voice roused me from my slumber.
“I’m useless without sleep.” I sat up in my bed and rubbed my eyes. “I promise I’ll get back to work in a couple of hours.”
“I promised my investors we would announce a revolutionary new app before the end of the year. If you can’t deliver a working prototype by then, it will cost me a lot of money.” He pointed at the desk. “Get back to work—now.”
“Yes sir.” I nodded and crawled out of bed, stumbling towards the computer with way less sleep than I needed.
“I’m going to leave you alone for a couple of days because I have to meet some investors in Phoenix. If you don’t have something for me that looks promising when I return, we’re going to have a different discussion about motivation.” He buttoned his suit and walked towards the door.
What does that mean?
I felt like I had all the motivation I needed. A threat wasn’t going to create an impossibility out of thin air. My freedom was already on the line. My case was still active with the FBI and while Mr. Prince had declined to press charges after I hacked his system, he could change that with one phone call. I delayed it by agreeing to his deal, but the reality of failure had been clear since the first day. If I had more people working with me, I was certain the app would come to fruition a lot faster. I coded a couple of apps in high school, mostly just to try and make money, but they weren’t as complicated as the one Mr. Prince had me working on.
Come on, Mr. Darcy. You want Elizabeth, not that trollop Cinderella.
It didn’t match him with Cinderella after a few modifications, but it still didn’t match him with Elizabeth. Instead, the app suggested his true soulmate was the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz. I had a brief chuckle at the prospect, and then started changing the algorithm again. Two days of tireless efforts and lots of Red Bull resulted in the same awful result. I felt defeated when I heard my door unlock. I didn’t even realize it was Friday already, but a quick move of my mouse to highlight the date at the bottom of my computer confirmed it was. I stared at the screen and shook my head as the door opened.
“Hello, Violet.” Mr. Prince smiled when he walked into my apartment. “Tell me you have some good news.”
“I wish I did…” I sighed and turned towards him. “I don’t even have progress to report. I’m just treading water here.”
“That’s disappointing.” He exhaled sharply. “I guess that means we’re going to have to find a new way to motivate you since the threat of going to prison isn’t enough.”
“It is enough!” I lashed out before I realized how harsh my tone was. “If I could make this work, I would. What you’re asking for is impossible.”
“You do the impossible. You hacked my system. My system hasn’t been breached since it went live. Do you know how many hackers bounce off of it every day? You found a flaw that the best security team in the world didn’t find.” His tone was still calm, even though I was fuming.
“I’ll keep working.” I shook my head angrily. “I’ll try a few more things.”
“So, let’s talk about your motivation.” He pulled a chair from the dining room over and took a seat near my computer. “We’re on a tight deadline here, and I don’t think you’re applying yourself properly.”
“I am, Mr. Prince. I’m doing the best I can.” I let my head slump against my shoulders.
“I think it’s time I started treating you like a real employee with weekly performance evaluations and consequences when you don’t meet my expectations.” He tilted his head slightly. “I think that will help you take this a little more seriously.”
“I’m pretty sure if I was a real employee, I would have quit by now.” I sighed and shook my head. “The only reason I’m still here is because I’m praying for a miracle that keeps me out of prison.”
“Yes, but I don’t want to feel like I’m sacrificing my company so you can delay what you seem to have accepted as inevitable.” He leveled his gaze at me and his intense stare caught me off guard. “The consequence for your failure so far is going to be a trip across my knee.”
“A what?” My eyebrows shot up in surprise.
“A spanking.” He nodded and exhaled sharply. “A consequence that will be repeated each week that passes without a working prototype.”
“You’re serious?” I blinked and shook my head. “No, that’s not going to happen.”
“So, you would rather terminate this agreement and let me call my friends at the FBI?” He tilted his head and shrugged. “Your call.”
“Okay, you made your point.” I held up my hands in front of me. “You have successfully motivated me. I’ll keep working.”
“You’ve had a long time to work and you have nothing to show for it. At this point, I would be better off handing off what you’ve done to someone else and letting them try to salvage it. They may not have your brilliant mind, but at least I won’t look like a fool when I try to pass off a normal dating app as my revolutionary new idea.” He sighed angrily. “I need to see that you’re still dedicated to this project a
nd willing to do anything to ensure it succeeds—just like you were when you were begging me not to send you to prison.”
It was true. I had been extremely motivated the first few weeks while I was building the framework of the app. I had no doubt that it would succeed back then. It wasn’t until I started running the algorithm that I realized it wasn’t quite as magical as I hoped. Nothing was working right. Mr. Prince’s patience had run its course and it wasn’t going to be as simple as I thought to maintain my freedom. I had never been spanked before. The thought of it was rather frightening. I closed my eyes and imagined myself behind bars, staring at a long prison sentence and a felony record. Even if I was a first time offender, I had done a lot of damage and it claiming it was an accident wasn’t going to erase what I had done.
“Okay.” I opened my eyes and nodded as I tried to swallow a lump in my throat. “If this is the only way.”
“It is.” He nodded and patted his knee. “It’s not like you don’t deserve a good, hard spanking anyway for all of the things you’ve done.”
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Club Infinite Fantasy Sneak Peek
Reverse Harem Romance (Haremworld Book 6)
Chapter 1: Savannah
That bitch Nancy had everything and she didn’t even have to work for it. She coasted through high school, dated all the popular guys, and then she did the exact same thing in college. If she wanted someone, all she had to do was bat her pretty eyelashes and they belonged to her.
Here comes the bride, all dressed in white. Yeah, right. White. That’s a bit of a stretch.
After riding the carousel of eligible bachelors, and a few guys that weren’t quite available, she had finally decided to settle down. Of course, she had to choose the only man I ever loved. Dominic wasn’t just my best friend, he was my everything.
Small Town Seven: Reverse Harem Romance (Haremworld Book 1) Page 12
