by Remy Landon
Unzip my pants. I think you know what I am asking.
Lie across my lap, Cassandra. I'm going to spank you.
Are you ready?
Oh, God. Yes, Carlo...I am ready.
Mostly, she wanted to see him to know that everything would be all right. That they would be all right, even though they technically weren't a “they.”
Yet.
She pushed the cart full of pre-measured pails of grain down the aisle and stopped at the next stall. What would she wear tonight? Maybe the jade green, silky blouse that complemented her hair color. Carlo would like the feel of it, and she could unbutton it to reveal some cleavage...
Her inner slut had certainly been awakened. If Carlo only knew the hold he had on her. Then again, Cassandra thought wryly, he probably did.
One more horse to feed, and then she'd put away the grain cart, do a quick sweep of the aisle and head home to shower. She was tipping the pail over a grain bucket when movement in the barn doorway caught her eye. The late-day sun was blinding, and she could just make out a tall silhouette. Carlo? Her heart leapt.
Shielding her eyes, Cassandra could see as the man came closer that it was not Carlo. The visitor was very handsome—tall, blond, rugged, in a flannel shirt and jeans—and he looked familiar.
He was smiling as he approached. “Hey, Cassandra—I was hoping you'd still be here.”
She put the empty pail in the cart, smiling back at him hesitantly. And then she remembered who he was. “Hey—it's Brock, right?”
chapter thirty-eight ~ Carlo
Stepping out of the shower, Carlo was struck by how much better he felt. He'd gone into the office to tie up some loose ends (even though it was Saturday) and then had an invigorating workout at the gym. He felt cleansed. Everything seemed brighter, lighter, and he was eager to make a fresh start not only with Cassandra, but with his life in general. He was following Gianna's advice and considering that it might be time. Time to shed the heavy cloak of guilt, regret and the past, and look to the future—possibly a future with Cassandra Larsen.
He couldn't wait to have her in his arms again, to cover her mouth with his and listen to her whimpers and sighs, feel her body as she molded herself to him. He couldn't wait to make love to her and show her the tender side of him, although given how badly he wanted her, he suspected that the first time might be more along the lines of hot, raw passion.
He toweled off and looked in the mirror, pleased to see that he appeared more rested and relaxed. Last night, after texting with Cassandra, he'd slept soundly, dreamlessly, and had woken up feeling hungry. It was incredible, really, that just knowing he would see her again boosted his spirits so dramatically—that, in and of itself, was telling. But there was a long way to go...there were some significant issues that needed to be addressed, one being the reason for him seeking her out in the beginning. He had been deceitful, if he wanted to be brutally honest with himself. But things would be different from here on out. He didn't want any secrets between them, and he would find a way, somehow, to tell her about the game. Which would include telling her the why.
It would be painful—painful for him to say, and for her to hear. But if their relationship was to move forward, it needed to happen. And hopefully she would understand. Maybe not right away, but in time. He would work like hell to make her see how much she had come to mean to him...and he would take care of her sexually. He still wanted to explore submission and domination with her, for the pure pleasure it could bring them both—without any ulterior motives.
Carlo sat on the edge of his bed and pulled on his jeans, grinning as he remembered Cassandra teasing him about the holes in them. Her bold wit was one of the sexiest things about her. He needed more of that—simple laughter and flirting. The kind of things that boys and girls who like each other do. He grinned again, thinking of what Gianna had said.
Maybe he could take her to Maine. Walk the beach in the brisk, salty air and go for a long drive to see the foliage, which would be at its peak in mid-October. Cassandra would love the vibrant, fiery colors of reds, oranges and yellows. A change of scenery would do them both good.
Pulling on a cream-colored sweater, he went to the nightstand to get his watch and flinched when he saw the alarm clock. Jesus. He'd been so preoccupied with all that had transpired this past week he hadn't yet taken care of the video evidence. But he would do that now.
This model had an SD card that he could remove and destroy. Turning the clock around, he found the slot.
With nothing inside.
chapter thirty-nine ~ Cassandra
The way Brock was standing there smiling was kind of creeping her out. She was a little annoyed that he had shown up when she was almost ready to leave, but hopefully he wouldn't stay long. She'd be nice, though, of course—seeing as he worked with Carlo.
“How are you?” She'd start with that.
“I'm wonderful. And you?”
“I'm good, thanks. How did you know I worked here?”
“Your boyfriend told me a while back.”
Blushing, Cassandra gave a little laugh. “Oh—Carlo's not actually my boyfriend...we've just gone out a few times.”
“Gone out? Is that what you'd call it?” Brock's smile broadened.
He really was very attractive, but something in his eyes...kind of a cold gleam. She curled her toes inside her shoes. “I guess so. We're just getting to know each other.”
“Tip of the iceberg, you could say.” He chuckled softly, folding his arms across his broad chest. “We didn't get to talk much at Gianna's engagement party.”
“No.” She was becoming more and more confused by the minute at the total randomness of this conversation.
“I wish we had, because I wanted to find out more about the girl who Carlo was so intrigued with.”
She was blushing again as she shrugged, not knowing how to respond. Was there a point to all of this? If so, she wished he'd hurry up and get to it, because she still needed to sweep before she left. Maybe she could move things along. “Is there anything I can help you with?”
Annnd more staring and smiling. Awkwarrrd.
“That's actually very ironic, Cassandra. It's more about how I can help you.”
“Help me?”
“Yes. I can tell you're quite naïve, and where Carlo's such a private person, I thought it might help if you had a little insight from one of his old friends. Just to put you on more even playing ground with him in the game.”
Her brow wrinkled in confusion. Game?
“I was going to just tell you, but showing you is so much better.” He reached into his pants pocket and brought forth a small white envelope.
Taking it, she thanked him hesitantly.
Brock waved his hand at her. “No need for thanks—I felt it was the right thing to do. There are directions for you to read. My phone number's there as well, if you want to chat later. And Cassandra—give my best to Carlo.” He flashed her a dazzling grin before turning to walk away. She could hear him whistling as he headed out the barn door into the sunlight.
This was sooo very sketchy. Why would—
She halted in mid-thought. Oh, God—could it be that Carlo was behind this? Doing something to surprise her, and having Brock be part of the plan? She scolded herself for being so clueless and not thinking of this sooner.
A small smile playing with her lips, Cassandra opened the envelope and removed the contents: a note, and what appeared to be a small computer card.
She had no idea what was going on, but she couldn't wait to find out.
••••••••••
Gotta love those cliffies :). Thank you so much for reading POINT OF SUBMISSION. I'm currently at work on the sequel and plan to have it released in early fall of 2014. Please come visit me on Facebook and Twitter for updates. I love to hear from readers—and I do giveaways from time to time ;). I would be very grateful if you'd leave a review on Amazon and tell your friends about my book. Reviews and word-of-mouth ar
e so important to authors. Again, thank you!
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Acknowledgements
An additional thank you to my husband, because he deserves it. I’d also like to express my gratitude to him for putting up with the pet hair, the dogs on the bed, the things the cats hack up, and the repeated requests for goats. It’s a wonderful life <3.
Thank you to my children for being the wonderful people they are. But you can’t read this book until you’re 35. At least.
Pamela Carrion of The Book Avenue Review is a heaping portion of amazeballs with a side of awesomesauce. She has been my cheerleader, blog tour coordinator, kick-ass promoter and secret spouse. She held my hand and walked me through the scary pre-release days with humor and kindness, and I am immensely grateful for all the time she put into helping a newbie she didn’t even know.
I’m so glad to have worked with graphic artist Michelle Preast who created my gorgeous cover. Plus, when I told her I wanted a sluttier font, she knew just what I meant.
Thank you to my long-time friend Angela who read the book first. Thank you also to Happy Driggs and Jennifer Roberts-Hall for being early readers, and to authors Beth Ehemann, Melissa Brown, Jessica Park for their enthusiastic support, advice and pimping. Beth gets major bonus points for recommending Pam and Michelle to me. I also greatly appreciate author Christopher Smith’s words of wisdom and encouragement.
I am fortunate to have had some wonderful teachers in elementary school through college who were so important in nurturing and encouraging my love for writing.
Finally, thank you so much to the readers and bloggers who support indie authors and spread the word about books they love. You are incredibly important and incredibly appreciated!