by Cassie Ryan
“Let’s go.”
In loving memory of Judi Thoman/Brit Blaise, who was my inspiration to branch out into the erotic genre, as well as my longtime friend and mentor. I wouldn’t be here if she hadn’t befriended me back in 2003 and started our wonderful Butterscotch Martini Girls critique group.
Acknowledgments
Huge thanks to my critique group, The Butterscotch Martini Girls, and especially Cheyenne McCray and Kayce Lassiter for all the brainstorming, laughter, and wonderfully insightful and honest critiques. You guys keep me sane.
For the love of my life, Jon, and my wonderful son, Darian. Thank you for all your love, support, and patience with a woman who lives in her own fantasy world, and talks to and argues with imaginary characters. I love you both dearly.
To my wonderful agent, Paige Wheeler, for always believing in me, even in the tough times.
To my terrific editor, Sue Grimshaw, who gave me a shot at getting back into the game!
BY CASSIE RYAN
Seducing the Succubus
The Demon and the Succubus
Club Desire
My Obsession
Writing as Tina Gerow
Sleeping with Shadows
PHOTO: LOU WEGMAN PHOTOGRAPHY
CASSIE RYAN started her career writing steamy paranormal romance under the pen name Tina Gerow. However, when one of her critique partners suggested she try her hand at erotic romance, she gave it a shot—and Cassie Ryan was officially born. She lives in Phoenix, Arizona, and besides being a write-a-holic, is a frequent speaker and teacher on several writing and motivational topics.
cassieryan.com
Facebook.com/pages/Tina-GerowCassie-Ryan/163504537087060
@TinaGerow
The Editor’s Corner
July is the month for sizzling romance and Loveswept has all the books for your reading needs right here.
In New York Times bestselling author Marquita Valentine’s Take the Fall, the first spin-off novel from her successful Boys of the South series, passions run hot as a rugged, brooding marine rekindles an old flame. Elisabeth Barrett begins a heartfelt new Briarwood series with a tale of forbidden love, broken promises, and second chances in Once and Again. Club Sin returns in Commanded, a decadent new romance from USA Today bestselling author Stacey Kennedy. Next, USA Today bestselling author Claire Kent’s deeply sensual story of love, lust, and deception, Sweet the Sin, where a woman searching for the truth discovers that she’s sleeping with the enemy. Another USA Today bestselling author, Serena Bell teases all five senses in Turn Up the Heat, a poignant, tantalizing novel of fantasies long hidden…and finally indulged.
The heat is on in Cassie Ryan’s story of temptation and total surrender, My Obsession—a powerful master gives his dream girl a new beginning in the dungeons of decadent ecstasy. Violetta Rand’s explosive new Lies & Leather series kicks off with a red-hot motorcycle racer who rides hard and plays for keeps in Loving Lucas. And New York Times bestselling author Tracy Wolff poses the question: Do nice guys always finish last? In the new Extreme Risk novel, Slashed, a burned-out underdog and a vulnerable tomboy defy the pressure to be perfect and go after what they really want.
If you adore billionaire romances that are blistering hot, don’t miss Tracy’s Play Me series, now available as one book!
My, it’s hot in here. And it won’t cool down for August—just wait until you see what we have in store!
Until then,
Happy Romance!
Gina Wachtel
Associate Publisher
Read on for an excerpt from
Commanded
Club Sin
by Stacey Kennedy
Available from Loveswept
Prologue
Eyes cast down. Rope. Naked flesh.
Sawyer Quinn studied the bound submissive before him. The tight bindings squeezed her flesh in just the proper way so that the black hemp rope accentuated the curves of her feminine body. She was enticingly beautiful.
While his cock mourned the action tonight, he was mentoring Dominant Max on suspension bondage. Sawyer observed the artful ropes that captured the dark-haired submissive named Amanda. Though he didn’t linger too long on her rosy erect nipples, as she most definitely belonged to Max.
Keeping a close eye on Max’s proficiency as he bound Amanda’s knee, Sawyer leaned against the dungeon’s stone wall for support. Black leather couches surrounded glass coffee tables and wrought-iron sconces dimly lit the room. The best of BDSM equipment decorated the squared structure with St. Andrew’s crosses, spanking benches, ropes hanging from steel support beams, and much more. Club Sin was a five-star BDSM club and Sawyer happily renewed his membership each year.
Under his careful examination, Max fumbled with one of the knots and then unwrapped it to try again. Bondage required extreme patience and Max allowed himself to become frustrated, being too hard on himself for not getting it right the first time. As he corrected the error Sawyer knew Max was trying to stay focused, not an easy task when you have someone looking over your shoulder.
All in all, Sawyer thought, Max had done well.
Throughout the fifteen years Sawyer practiced BDSM, he noticed two different types of people who enjoyed bondage: people who tied up their lover to add kink into their sex lives and people who had a bondage fetish.
Those with a fetish got off on seeing their lover wrapped in rope, just as Sawyer did when he bound a woman. Even the act of applying the bindings and seeing the rope spreading across naked skin brought him arousal. He often enjoyed trying to make the high that much higher.
Sawyer first trained with knots. Then he focused on Shabari before moving on to suspension bondage. Bondage long ago had become second nature to him. He could bind a woman to increase her pleasure as well as he could tie a shoe.
The loud slaps of a leather flogger against flesh echoed across the dungeon from the spanking bench across the room. He stayed focused on the task at hand. Amanda kept her eyes closed as Max continued working over her body, knotting the rope at pressure points that he’d learned from Sawyer during their first training sessions.
Enjoying the soft music playing through the speakers above his head, Sawyer took note of the crowd. It didn’t surprise him to find newer members watching the scene. He couldn’t spot Club Sin’s owner, Dmitri. Nor could he see any of his fellow Club Masters, Kyler, Miles, Aidan, and Porter—all of whom Dmitri appointed to help run the club, oversee the submissives in the dungeon, and educate the members.
His fellow Masters were highly experienced, and the training aspect of the scene stole away the passion and intensity. Those who watched Max and Amanda tonight did so to learn.
Nevertheless, his students enjoyed themselves.
One quick look between Amanda’s thighs under the light and you could see her wetness. Sawyer grinned to himself, understanding their mind spaces. When he bound his ropes around a woman, locking her into his care, his cock always hardened. Always.
Tonight, though, his dick lay soft and unaffected in his jeans. Needless to say, since he wasn’t doing the binding a little boredom had begun to settle in. When he first earned Master status, he took great honor in teaching others. Now, though he still enjoyed playing with casual submissives, the joy of mentoring other Doms had diminished.
“There,” Max said, breaking into Sawyer’s thoughts. “She’s good, right?”
Sawyer pushed off from the wall, walking toward Max to see his handiwork. Amanda’s erect nipples indicated the level of heat burning through her. Yet her arousal was not Sawyer’s concern. “Do your bindings feel all right, sweetheart?”
“Yes, sir.” Black pupils overtook her blue eyes.
Sawyer chuckled. A breeze from the wind could make this sub come. “I’m glad to hear it. You’re doing well.” Looking back to the young blue-eyed, baby-faced Dom, Sawyer commented, “Don’t ask me the question. Ask your sub. All right?” At Max’s firm nod, Sawyer examined the bondage with a keen eye. “Excellent knots. Well done.”<
br />
“Thank you.” Max smiled with a Dom’s arrogance.
Sawyer tilted his head at Amanda, raising his brows. Max realized his misstep quickly, adding without a moment’s hesitation, “Thank you for letting me practice this tonight, Amanda. You were outstanding, darling.”
Her breath whooshed between her swollen pink lips. “You’re welcome, Master.”
Master.
That one word told everyone in Club Sin whom Amanda belonged to. It never bothered Sawyer that he’d never been addressed that way by a sub before. He never yearned for it. The responsibility of a full-time sub didn’t interest him. Casual relationships suited him more, due to his busy work schedule and busy life.
As he studied his students, the air thickened. Pleased by their enjoyment and the bondage, Sawyer returned to his place against the wall. “The more you play with Amanda,” he told Max, “the better you’ll be attuned to her. But when dealing with bondage, use your voice to ensure she’s comfortable. Understood?”
“Got it.”
Sawyer examined the couple, curious about their next steps.
Max’s posture stiffened, appearing taller, as he admired his work. He ran his palm over Amanda’s rounded stomach. She leaned her head against her bound arms stretched high above her. Smiling with pride, Max stroked her leg bound at the knee, leaving her partially suspended. “I like you this way. So beautiful. All mine.”
When Amanda shuddered, Sawyer took his cue to leave. What they both needed now: a good quick fuck. He gave Max a final proud nod, pleased by the other Dom’s use of tender rewarding words. Turning on his heels, he strode into the crowd as he moved toward the black leather couches. While his instruction might be done tonight, he didn’t trust Max enough to leave him alone with a bound submissive.
Being a Club Sin Master meant protecting a submissive’s well-being. A responsibility he’d become proud of. Respect he’d worked hard to achieve. Even if he found himself lacking the enthusiasm he once had.
Only when he reached the couch, ready to take a seat, did he realize his phone vibrated in the pocket of his jeans. Thinking it best to stay focused on Max and Amanda, he ignored the call, figuring he’d return it later. But the vibration continued, and wondering now if there could be a problem he was unaware of, he decided to answer it. “Hello.”
His father replied in a tight voice, “Son, it’s me.”
Sawyer stared at Max, who was dropping his pants to his ankles. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s your sister.”
“Is she okay?”
“No, she’s not.” A pause. “Someone beat her up. It’s bad, son. Ashlyn needs you.” His father’s voice cracked, filling with heavy emotion. “Your mother needs you. We’re at Sunrise Hospital. Please get here as soon as you can.”
Before he could even end the call, Sawyer ran for the door, somehow aware that, in this split second, his had life changed forever.
Love stories you’ll never forget
By authors you’ll always remember
eOriginal Romance from Random House
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