Still Going Strong

I keep shooting myself in the foot with these estimates!  60K probably isn’t going to cut it either.  I still have so many scenes left and only keep thinking of new ones to add.  Sigh.  The scenes I wrote tonight are so…

*fans self*

Yowsa.

I can’t tell you yet.  *wicked laugh*

It’s something I couldn’t have written even a year ago.  Lady Blackmyre has taught me a lot.  I understand, now, why I have to write this story before I can write Mal’s book (Mine to Break) and even Mama C’s.  Lilly is breaking down the barriers in me as surely as she’s breaking them in Donovan.  Barriers I need to shed if I’m going to do these other books justice.

Another 3K tonight and I’m just under 50K in The Billionaire Submissive.  I plan to grind as late as I can tonight, but I was up until 1 AM last night and worked today, so I have no idea how long I’ll make it.

Another snippet.

God, she’s good.  So good I’d pay a hundred grand a month to have her at my beck and call.

Donovan was sweating enough that his crisp white shirt was sticking to him beneath his coat despite the air conditioning blasting into his office.  In just a few minutes of casual interaction, she’d managed to thaw him.  He wasn’t frozen any longer, but burning up.  Raging out of control.  It was all he could do not to lock his office door and demand they reach an agreement now before she had the chance to walk out.

Gathering up her portfolio, Lilly continued the innocent yet saucy facade.  She’d lied to his face without batting an eye.  That skill would serve them both well if she were ever questioned by the media.  The last thing he wanted was for any hint of his secret desire to get out.  If it cost him a million dollars to ensure her secrecy, he’d do it.  Hell, he was throbbing so hard he’d give her a blank check.

She gave him a look that said there was a time and a place, and this was neither.  And yeah, her gaze lingered on his crotch, so she had to know how aroused he was.  Just from having her press against his back for a few tantalizing seconds.  He’d wanted to curse out loud when she pulled away, but he had to admire her effort to remain professional.  At least for now.

It hadn’t been the physical contact that had made him hard.  It was her quiet yet impressive show of force.  He’d tried to intimidate her, and she’d welcomed the challenge effortlessly.  He would have been face down on that desk in another few moments if she hadn’t pulled away.

He took her arm and drew her firmly to his side as he led the way out of his office.  The corner of her mouth quirked and she gave him a knowing sideways wink that made his cock twitch in his pants.  Yeah, he was leading the way.  But only because she’s letting me.

That was the crux of his issue.  He wasn’t the kind of submissive that was going to whine and beg and crawl to his Mistress’s feet and kiss her toes.  No.  Donovan Morgan wasn’t going down without a fight.  The difficulty was finding a Mistress who’d relish the fight as much as him.  Someone who was strong enough mentally to bend him to her will, even when he hated every minute of it.  Even if he swore he was never coming back.  Never giving her what she wanted.  She had to be strong enough to make him want to bend his pride to her will.  He had to want to surrender.

Lilly Harrison might just be strong enough to make me beg.

The thought should have alarmed him.  It certainly made him tighten his grip on her arm.  He was probably hurting her, but he couldn’t let go.  He was afraid she’d slip out of his office and out of his control before he could pin her into an agreement.  He hustled her past Miss Wruthers’s desk without pausing, even when his secretary called after him waving the phone.  As soon as the elevator doors whisked shut, he flattened his back against the wall and hauled Lilly against his chest.

The little minx laughed at him.  “Mr. Morgan, I fear you’ve lost your balance too.”

“You have no idea.”  His throat rasped painfully.  “You must accept this commission.”

She tipped her head sideways and gazed up at him with a solemn weight in her eyes that chilled the fire in his blood.  “I don’t believe that’s a very good idea, Mr. Morgan.”

“You must.”

She arched a brow at him.  “I don’t believe I must at all.”

“I’ll make it worth your while.”

She laughed, a deep husky chuckle that made him think of velvet and leather and silken sheets tangled around him.  “No doubt you’re used to throwing money at everyone to get what you want, but I’m not that easy, Mr. Morgan.”

He shuddered and pulled her closer, deliberately arching his hips into her so she’d have no doubt of his reaction to her.  It went against every stubborn arrogant bone in his body, but he forced the word out anyway.  “Please.”

Her eyes narrowed.  “Release me this instant, Mr. Morgan.”

Her voice was pleasant enough.  She didn’t use her words like a whip to lash him into compliance.  She didn’t even give him a stern look from those stunning eyes.  He’d thought them more blue than gray, but this close, her eyes gleamed like polished silver.

“Now.”

Again, her voice remained level and almost sweet.  Certainly feminine and far from mean and nasty.  He didn’t want to obey.  He wanted her to get angry and harsh with him, to wrestle him into sweaty submission, but again, this wasn’t the time and certainly not the place.  Frustrated, he let go of her and made no objection when she straightened and put a polite distance between them.  The elevator dinged and the doors slid open, allowing the noise of the plaza level to separate them even more.  Running his hand through his hair, he fought to keep his mouth shut.  His ridiculous obstinate behavior certainly wouldn’t help convince her to accept his commission, let alone open her mind to pursing a more private relationship with him.  Good submissives obeyed the Mistress without question.  They certainly didn’t manhandle the Mistress against her direct order.

Which is why I’m not a good submissive and I have no Mistress.

She turned her head slightly, whispered, “Good boy,” and then stepped out of the elevator, leaving him to follow in her wake.

Stunned, he had to throw up a hand to keep the elevator doors from shutting and taking him back upstairs.  People were waiting to get on, and here he stood with his mouth hanging open and his pants tented like a randy teenager.  Lilly paused, looking back over her shoulder with that wicked little smile dimpling her cheek, all innocence and saucy attitude that made him crazy.  He wanted to make her lose that calm amusement.  He wanted to hear her voice crack with fury, her eyes sharp and cold as she punished him.  Not winking, silently laughing at him for still standing on the elevator like a dumbfounded idiot.

Grinding his teeth, he pushed his way out of the elevator and stomped after her.  His face was on fire, blazing with humiliation and yes, relief.  He’d managed to please the Mistress, at least a little, despite his stubborn pride.  Even though obeying a simple common-sense command made his spine bristle and his stomach churn.  That whispered praise gave him hope that she might consider his offer despite his numerous failings.  And he had no doubt that his failings as a submissive would give her significant pause.

If I must trick her into accepting me at least for awhile, I’ll do it.  I’ll do whatever it takes.  Even if I have to blackmail her into accepting my contract.