Choose Your Shot: An Interactive Erotic Adventure
By Christine d’Abo
Come explore the newer, naughtier Mavericks, where you are in control of the story.
It’s been a year since the decadent BDSM club was gutted in a fire. Tegan has scored an invitation to the grand reopening, where she can finally indulge the needs she’s ignored for too long. On her wicked wish list: a thorough spanking, adventurous playmates and complete erotic satisfaction.
As a switch, Tegan can find pleasure as either a sub or a Domme. The question is, what—and who—is she in the mood for tonight?
Master Grant: dominant and drop-dead gorgeous, he hasn’t forgotten their last encounter. He’ll make sure Tegan gets what she craves—if she submits to him alone.
Eli: the sexy switch has always wanted more from Tegan. But taking their relationship to the next level could mean risking their friendship.
Adam: the last man Tegan expects to encounter at the club, but one she’d love to see more of—if he behaves...
Choose which ending you want for Tegan, or explore all of the sensual possibilities.
70,000 words
Dear Reader,
I feel as though every month I start my letter the same, gushing over our month of releases and telling you how amazing and fantastic they are. This month, I’m going to change things up and start by telling you that they’re all quite awful. Okay, not really. Poor authors, I wonder how many of them reading this just had a mini heart attack? Of course you should be excited about this lineup of releases, because it’s another wonderful and diverse month.
In the new-and-unique category, this month we have our first ever decide-your-own-erotic-adventure. Christine d’Abo’s Choose Your Shot is an interactive erotic adventure that not only lets the reader choose who the heroine ends up with, but what kinky fun the characters get up to along the way.
We’re thrilled to welcome Karina Cooper to Carina Press. She’s moving her steampunk series, The St. Croix Chronicles, to Carina Press—starting with a prequel novella, The Mysterious Case of Mr. Strangeway, in which a young Cherry St. Croix takes on her first bounty, only to find her efforts challenged by a collector whose motives run deeper than a hefty purse. Look for book three in The St. Croix Chronicles, Corroded, releasing in September 2013.
We have a strong lineup of contemporary romances this month. Fiona Lowe returns with her next Wedding Fever book, Picture Perfect Wedding. Tamara Morgan brings us The Derby Girl, in which a roller-derby girl lives up to her “bad girl” image to woo an unattainable plastic surgeon, only to discover that he’s the one man trained to see past the surface. In the humorous contemporary romance category, Stacy Gail’s Ugly Ducklings Finish First will be a hit with fans of high-school reunion romances, and with those who like their romance on the more lighthearted side.
I’m also thrilled to welcome three debut authors to Carina Press this month, all with contemporary romances. In Kelsey Browning’s Personal Assets, book one of the Texas Nights series, a recovering good girl needs the right man to help her find her inner bad girl—which is easier said than done in a small Texas town. Next, when the bank refuses Emma the loan she needs to save her family home, she must turn to her neighbor Mitch McKenna, a sexy real-estate investor whose reputation she’s spent the past six months pulverizing into sand, in Unexpectedly You by Lily Santana. And last, but certainly not least, Knowing the Score by Kat Latham features a smokin’ hot rugby player with a scandalous past who gives up his vow of celibacy to help a virgin overcome her fear of intimacy. Three debut authors offer up three terrific contemporary romance novels—make sure to give them each a try!
This month we also have three fantastic male/male romances. Kim Knox kicks off a fun-filled science-fiction historical trilogy. As described by the author, Agamemnon Frost and the House of Death is Sherlock Holmes meets The Scarlet Pimpernel. With aliens. Check out further Agamemnon Frost stories in September and October 2013.
John Tristan joins Carina Press with his male/male fantasy romance, The Adorned. A beautiful young man indentures himself to a tattooist and becomes a living canvas for the artist and his inhuman patrons. And for those who like their male/male romance in the contemporary genre, Libby Drew’s Bending the Iron is sure to hit the mark as she builds a brand for emotional, wonderful male/male romance.
Following book one of her Magick Trilogy, Magick by Moonrise, Laura Navarre takes us back into her historical paranormal world. When the Angel of Death falls in love with life, will a secret Tudor princess pay the ultimate price? Tudor England and the celestial realm collide in Midsummer Magick.
Last, Love Letters Volume 4: Travel to Temptation continues the collection of A to Z erotic short-story romances penned by Ginny Glass, Christina Thacher, Emily Cale and Maggie Wells. Volumes 1 through 3 are now available. Look for volumes 5 and 6, Exposed and Cowboy’s Command, on sale in September and October 2013.
As always, we have a significant backlist of books that I hope you’ll browse and take a look at, in genres from horror to mystery to fantasy to female/female and across the ranges of romance. There’s an adventure waiting for every reader!
We love to hear from readers, and you can email us your thoughts, comments and questions to [email protected]. You can also interact with Carina Press staff and authors on our blog, Twitter stream and Facebook fan page.
Happy reading!
~Angela James
Executive Editor, Carina Press
www.carinapress.com
www.twitter.com/carinapress
www.facebook.com/carinapress
Dedication
To Mark. Only Hue can prevent Florist Friars.
Acknowledgments
As a kid, my favorite books to read were the “choose your adventure” types, where I could spend hours investigating the different plot points and generally having a blast. They made reading fun, and as an author, that’s always been my goal. I want to entertain readers, give them a break from the craziness of their lives. That’s why I had so much fun writing Choose Your Shot.
From odd Internet searches, crazy questions to my critique partners, to outright “what else can I do here” moments, I’m so pleased with the end result of this story.
A special thanks to my editor, Alissa. Oh, we had some fun times with the editing of this story. I’m so glad you were able to follow my insanity. Thanks to the team at Carina Press for giving my story a platform.
And always, to my family. I love you guys.
Contents
Choose Your Shot: An Interactive Erotic Adventure
About the Author
Copyright
A New Beginning
Tegan held the embossed invitation between her thumb and forefinger as she crossed the street toward the club. The air was chilly for May, but there was no way she was going to hide under a jacket tonight. Not after the hours she’d spent getting ready. She’d redone her makeup twice in an attempt to project the perfect image—a combination of innocence and experience. She had to cover all her bases, because tonight the sky was the limit.
God, she hadn’t been this excited about going out for a night on the town in nearly a year. It was as though she’d been transported back to her university days—the energy she’d always had running beneath the surface of her skin, ready to burst forth. It didn’t matter that she’d be going on her own, because tonight w
asn’t about having a run with the girls through the various places in Toronto’s club district. Tonight was something special, something more. Not the sort of thing most of her girlfriends would understand.
Mavericks had finally reopened.
“Tegan!” She turned to see a trio standing near the front of the line—Jasmine, Stef and Hanna. The girls waved madly, Stef bouncing in her stilettos as she yelled, “I knew you’d be here tonight.”
“Are you kidding me? I had it circled in red marker on my calendar, like, three months ago.” The sad thing was she’d actually done that. “Is Gavin coming?”
“Bastard had to work. I think he’s going to try and leave early so he can make at least a part of tonight.”
“I’ll keep my eyes open, then.”
Jasmine turned Stef’s face and started kissing her, effectively ending the conversation. Tegan couldn’t help but giggle. “I’ll see you in there.”
The lineup was less organized than what she would have expected, but far less crazy than she would have imagined, given the significance of the evening. Like many of the club’s members, she’d been devastated when she’d learned of the attack on Josh and the subsequent fire that had destroyed much of the inside of the building. Mavericks was one of the few places she could let her guard down and be herself. Even now as she stood outside, wearing her black corset, leather skirt and high heels, she wasn’t scared to let anyone see her.
It had taken her a long time to come to that level of peace when it came to her sexual preferences. She’d been uneasy in her own skin growing up, not fully understanding the mixed signals her body continued to send her during her awakening sexuality. And while her parents were awesome, she couldn’t imagine going to her mom with questions like, “I get aroused when I pinch my nipples really hard and slap my own ass. Is that normal?”
Thank God for the internet.
Still, that was years ago and she now knew not only what she liked, but exactly where to go to scratch the various itches she developed. Wouldn’t her coworkers freak if they realized what she liked to do on a Friday night.
Tie me up. Tie me down. Turn around and let me flog you.
Woohoo!
The crowd continued to buzz as the line grew. Tegan found her spot quickly, chatting quietly with some of the others she recognized from before the fire. Even as she laughed about the crappy remake that was the current big release in the theaters, her mind was distracted. She couldn’t imagine they’d have made too many changes to Mavericks during the rebuilding. While Josh was known for his creativity, he’d also prided himself on consistency. Not that Josh was running the club anymore—which still felt weird to her—so things were definitely up in the air.
Her anticipation stretched tight from the waiting, making her squirm. There were so many possibilities and with her imagination she couldn’t help but make the possible scenarios more elaborate with each passing moment. Were there new rooms? Equipment? Would she find someone who’d be willing to play with her?
The answer to that last question better be an unequivocal yes. If nothing else, Mavericks would give her the chance to find the right person, someone new or someone familiar. They’d find that spark, a connection that she’d hoped would last beyond a night.
Because if truth be told, she was getting tired of being single. The year away from the club had shown her that. It wasn’t simply enough to have a place to go and have kinky sex. She was looking for the right man to go with her. More than that, she wanted to share the rest of her life with him. Her work friends only saw part of who she was. Likewise, her Mavericks friends. There had to be someone out there who would want to know all of her. Who’d want to curl up on her couch and watch cheesy action flicks before going off to the bedroom for some kinky fun.
She just had to find the right him.
“Ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention, please.” Leo, one of the bouncers, filled the doorway. “If you’re not a member, meaning you don’t have an invitation, you will not be getting in tonight. Our apologies, but the opening is a special event for existing members only. No bribes. No pouting. No offers of quickies in the alley. Nothing. You can leave now, but we’ll see you again soon.”
Tightening her hold on her invitation, Tegan watched as several couples drifted away. Things would get back to normal soon enough, but it was awesome to know that tonight the club’s reopening would be the normal group. Her friends, an odd sort of extended kinky family who looked out for one another.
She’d really missed them.
The conversations died down even as Tegan felt the anticipation of the crowd build. Each step closer to the door sent nervous excitement jolting through her body. She’d kept this side of herself pushed down while Mavericks had been closed, not wanting to risk going to another club and not finding what she wanted. Here, there was comfort and familiarity, two things she appreciated when it came to her sex life.
“Ah, Tegan, sweetie. You’re lookin’ hot tonight.” Leo took her invitation when it was finally her turn to step up to the door. “Makes me wish I wasn’t working the late shift.”
“All you do is tease. You’re no action.” Not that she’d ever said anything to him, but she’d always had a bit of a thing for the bouncer. “One of these nights you’re going to have to ask Josh for a night off so you can come play.”
“I would, but Josh isn’t running the club anymore.”
“Shit, right. Habit. How’s he doing?”
“The club in Vancouver has really taken off. Paul said Josh will be flying here next month to check in on us and see how we’re all doing. I got the feeling, though, he wanted to let Paul get things up and running, establish himself as the new manager with everyone before he showed up again.”
Someone behind them coughed loud enough to interrupt their conversation. Of course, everyone was anxious to get in there and she was holding up the show. Turning, she made a point of looking contrite. “Sorry.”
“You always loved the attention,” someone shouted from the back. She flipped them the finger, laughing as she did.
“Well, talk to Paul about it. See if he’ll cut you some slack.” She winked at him. “I better get moving.”
Leo winked back as she sauntered by and into the darkness of the club.
God, she wanted to savor this moment. Moving slowly, she let the pounding beat of the music wash over her. The heavy bass sent an echoing thud through her chest that rivaled her heartbeat. The trance beat was wordless and she found herself moving to the rhythm as she stepped from the dark entrance and into the main floor of the club.
Wow.
Everything had changed and yet it was all still familiar.
The bar had been moved to the far left side of the room and was now up on a raised semicircle platform. Black lights illuminated the members, casting a weird violet glow across the myriad fabrics, body paints and jewelry. She didn’t recognize either of the bartenders, but that wasn’t surprising. Nearly a year after the fire, having some staff turnover was to be expected.
The biggest change was on the main floor itself. Gone was the small stage that once held the large St. Andrew’s Cross, the main attraction of the floor. In its place were a series of smaller areas, each one designed to appeal to a particular kink. Dear God, the exhibitionists were going to go insane down here.
She wanted to see as many of the changes as possible before she decided what she was in the mood for tonight. No sense in coming to Mavericks with a closed mind. Experimentation was half the point in showing up. The other half was finding the right partner to meet her needs.
Not wanting to cloud her mind with alcohol and risk being denied the opportunity to get involved in any of the club’s more ambitious scenes, she bypassed the bar and made her way to the closest of the features.
The spanking bench was situated directly on the floo
r. The black leather was barely visible, covered by the naked body of a female sub. With her ass thrust high in the air, the woman squirmed and moaned as her Dom circled around her.
“You liked that.” He ran a hand down the swell of her ass. “Yeah, of course you did. You little slut.” He lifted up the paddle and swung it hard, connecting with her ass.
Ouch.
Tegan didn’t mind a good spanking, in fact it was one of the things on her To Do list tonight. But this couple was clearly one of the more extreme ones who frequented Mavericks. From the way she lifted her ass to meet each slap of the paddle, the woman was getting off big-time on the pain. Welts had already begun to form, and she knew there would need to be some serious aftercare when the sub came down from the high she was on.
Maybe if she found the right partner tonight she’d let herself get tied up. She had no problem being a sub for the right Dom, but it would take a special man for her to give up that amount of control. For the time being, she planned to check out the other features. The bench wasn’t going anywhere.
Following the flow of the crowd, Tegan moved past the bar toward what looked to be a large cage. There were two female subs chained to the outside of the cage, one facing in and one out. Inside, a male sub was plastered to the side, doing his best to suck the nipples of the woman facing in.
She stopped to watch the scene, fascinated by the look of desperation on their faces. Their Dom was giving them a run for their money tonight.
“Tegan?”
She turned to face a tall man wearing just a leather vest and pants. It took her brain a second to recognize the man in front of her. He was a year older and just as sexy as ever. “Oh my God, Eli.” She jumped up and gave the Dom a hug. “How are you doing?”
“Better now that this place is opened again. Not that I wasn’t enjoying the other clubs, but Mavericks is—”
“Home,” they said together. She’d spent several memorable evenings with Eli, both as a submissive and a Domme. There was nothing better than when two switches got together to play. “I see you’ve already found company tonight.”
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