Whipped Delights [Dark Desires 1] (Siren Publishing Sensations)

by Suzy Shearer

  “I’m OK. Hope so 2. Nite xxx.”

  In a way, she felt more relaxed. Part of her was worried that he was full of talk and had just enjoyed a day’s pleasure with her. But now, he’d contacted her and she felt that this was for real. She’d been feeling a little down and knew it was probably from sub-drop but now he’d contacted her, her spirits went soaring.

  Reading for another hour or so, Emma finally went to bed. Tomorrow she had her publicist’s meeting then Thursday was her demonstration. That one was only an hour long, in the early afternoon.

  * * * *

  Emma drove to Alison’s office, arriving at ten. She sat in the reception room, about five minutes later Greg wandered in. He kissed Emma hello. While he actually worked for the publicists and other authors, he worked with her on all her demonstrations, so it made sense for him to be here.

  They went into Alison’s office together about ten minutes later.

  “Morning, people.”

  Greg almost threw himself on the couch. “Hi, Alison.”

  “Hello, Alison.” Emma took the seat opposite and pulled out her tablet, logging onto her calendar.

  “Right, to business. Emma, you have demonstrations this Thursday and then another on Saturday, and next Tuesday. Don’t forget the book signing on Thursday, then another demo Saturday week.”

  “Yes, I have them all booked in.”

  “Right. Now we had a demonstration and book signing arranged for the 26th but the venue double booked. They want to know if you can change it to either the following Wednesday, the 3rd, or do the week before—that’s the 19th. I told them you’d do the 19th.”

  “No. I’m not available that week.”

  “What do you mean you’re not available? I haven’t got you booked in for anything.”

  “I mean I’m not available. Nothing that whole week, understand?”

  “Okay, but that’s not satisfactory. I need to book you whenever I want.”

  “Well I’m sorry, Alison. We’ve had this conversation before. You have to check with me before you confirm any dates. I don’t know how many times I’ve said that to you. Anyway, while we’re on the subject from now on every third week I’m not available. So yesterday was the start of week one.”

  “What! No, no you can’t do that.”

  “Pardon? Of course I can.”

  “But if someone wants to book you during that time, then we lose money.”

  “I’m sure if they want me bad enough they’ll be happy to find a date that suits us all.”

  “This isn’t like you, Emma.”

  Greg started to laugh. “Got a new man, Em?”

  Emma blushed. Alison peered at her.

  “Is that what this is about? A man?”

  “What if it is? I’ve told you before, Alison, you take too many liberties. Now I’ve given you warning. From now on—no bookings every third week unless I say so.”

  “Ha ha, good for you, Em. Who’s the lucky guy?”

  “Wouldn’t you like to know, Greg.”

  “You bet.” He grinned over at her. They were good friends. She dined with him and his wife usually once a week. His wife, Nina, was her best friend.

  “When do I meet him?”

  She just shook her head and looked back at Alison. Alison was not happy. She had a tight-lipped expression on her face and Emma knew this wouldn’t be the last of it.

  “Fine, I’ll book in the 3rd. What about the new book? We’ve tentatively want it out for Christmas. How’s it coming along?”

  “Fine. I’ve got about twenty recipes already organised and I’ve got headnotes written for them. I’ve sourced where buyers can pick up substitutes if the ingredients I’ve listed aren’t available. Then I worked on a few more recipes yesterday. They’ll need to be test cooked and tweaked.”

  “That’s good. Your editor was hoping you could get the final to him for edits and reviews in four months. We’ve tentatively booked four days for photography. I suggest we hired the same food stylist, assistant, prop stylist and assistant that we used last time.”

  “Yes, they were very good. I’d like to use the usual photographer and assistant. We work well together.”

  “Right. I’ll shoot them an e-mail with a tentative date.”

  Emma went to speak but Alison continued on.

  “Yes, I’ll make sure it doesn’t fall on your ‘third week.’”

  “Thank you.”

  “Don’t forget the Publisher’s Awards dinner to be held on 12th. I suppose you want two tickets now.”

  Emma wasn’t sure if Simon would be interested but then figured it was easier to get an extra ticket now. She had to attend. It was their annual dinner where they gave out awards and she’d been told to have a speech ready.

  “Yes, please.” She looked at Greg. “You and Nina are still coming, aren’t you, Greg?”

  “Yeah we’ll be there. Can you make sure we’re all at the same table, Alison? Last year we got stuck somewhere else.”

  “Okay, I’ve told the organisers that you are to be placed at the same table.” Alison closed her diary. “That should be everything. Unless either of you have anything?”

  Emma and Greg shook their heads. Both stood.

  “Fine. I’ll let you know if anything changes. Bye.”

  They both said good-bye, but as they reached the door Alison called Emma back.

  “Have you got a minute, Emma?”

  “Catch up with you later, Em. Don’t forget dinner Friday night.”

  “I won’t, see you then.” They swapped air kisses and Emma walked back, standing in front of Alison’s desk.

  “Emma, I’m not happy about this every third week off business.”

  “Well, I’m sorry, Alison but it’s my life so get used to it.”

  “You could lose bookings, lose money.”

  “You mean you’ll lose out on your bonus money, don’t you?”

  “Well, yes, but I’m thinking of you, Emma.”

  “Don’t be stupid, Alison. If someone wants me, they know they have to work with me for an available date. It isn’t going to make much difference. Just means I may have to do an extra event during the two weeks on.”

  “If this is all about some man then you’re a fool.”

  “Pardon?” Emma was taken aback. “Alison, my private life is just that, mine and private.”

  “Whatever. Just know I’m not happy about this.”

  “Good. I’ll remember. Now if you don’t mind, I’ve work to do.”

  Emma walked out seething. She and Alison often clashed. Alison was after money. She tried to get Emma to work nonstop during the publicity tours, anything to bring in extra money. Alison was paid by the company but she received a generous bonus which increased depending on the amount of income generated by the tours and book sales.

  Emma was almost finished with her two-month tour. Alison had arranged it all and on some weeks, she had events on each day. Last week she’d had bookings on five of the seven days. At least now, there were only a couple left and she could get back to writing. Alison just wanted to ensure she got a big fat cheque regardless of how much Emma worked.

  Emma walked back to her car. Her ankle was holding up well but she didn’t want to push it, especially knowing she had a few demonstrations coming up. She drove home, detouring to grab a salad sub, then went inside, glad to relax and make herself a coffee.

  She took the sub and coffee into the living room and sat on the couch with a contented sigh. Lifting her legs onto the couch, she enjoyed her sub. This afternoon she would get back into designing recipes.

  She was just finishing her coffee when her phone rang.

  “Hello.”

  “How’s the most beautiful woman in the world?”

  “Gee, I don’t know, I’ll have to ask her when I find her.”

  Simon’s sexy laugh echoed down the phone.

  “How’s your ankle?”

  “Okay, a delightful shade of purple, green, and yellow.”
>
  “Oh, spectacular! Still strapped up I hope.”

  “Yes, and I iced it yesterday and once this morning.”

  “That’s my girl. Em, how are you feeling? I know about sub-drop, are you okay?”

  “Yes, I’m feeling good, especially since I got your text messages. Is it still a mad house there?”

  “Yeah, about the same. I’ve just grabbed a cup of the syrupy black stuff that they call coffee here. Hopefully I can manage to have a five-minute break before they call for me again. What have you been up to?”

  “Saw my publicist today. Told her I’m not taking any bookings every third week.”

  “You did? Em, that’s wonderful!” She could hear the pleasure in his voice. “I miss you.”

  “I miss you, too.”

  Emma could hear someone in the background.

  “Hang on a minute, Em.”

  She heard Simon groan, heard him say, “What now? Damn, okay.”

  “Hey, sweetheart, I’ve got to go. Some idiot shot himself in the foot while trying to shoot a mouse. Damn, I wanted to talk to you, to hear your voice for longer than a minute or so.”

  “It’s all right, Simon. At least I got to talk to you for a minute.”

  “I want to kiss you. I…” She could hear the frustration in his voice. “Damn I’ve got to go. Take care, my sweet.”

  “I will. You be careful, too.”

  “Bye.”

  “Bye.”

  Emma put the phone down. She hugged herself. Hearing Simon’s voice made her realise that he was swiftly working his way into her heart. She hoped he was feeling the same about her. She finished off her coffee, then went into her office to work.

  The remainder of the week went quickly. The demonstration on Thursday and the two on Saturday went over well. Simon had managed a few quick phone calls and a large number of text messages. She was counting down to the days when he would be off.

  She’d had a few more calls from Alison, wanting to make bookings during what were now her off weeks. The last call had ended when Emma told her that if she kept it up, Emma would ask for a new publicist.

  This week she only had a demonstration and then the book signing, finishing with another half-day demonstration on Saturday. That would finish off the official tour. She had managed to get a lot of recipes written and would start cooking them once her week with Simon was finished.

  The Friday before her final booking, she had dinner with Greg and his wife Nina. She always enjoyed their company. They met at least once a fortnight either at her place or theirs or at a restaurant. Emma called into a bottle shop on the way and picked up a bottle of wine before knocking on the door.

  “Hi, Em, come in.” Greg kissed her cheeks. “Nina’s wrestling with something in the oven.”

  Emma followed Greg into the kitchen. Nina threw the oven mitts on the counter and came to kiss Emma.

  “Hi trying that recipe of yours with the herb crust on the lamb. Damn thing won’t stick properly. I think I tried to lift it too early. It’s been resting for about twenty minutes.”

  Emma grinned. “It won’t matter, it’ll still taste good.” She handed the wine to Greg.

  “Oh yum.” He read the label to Nina. “A 2009 Bodegas A. Fernández Tinto Pesquera.”

  “In English please.”

  He rolled his eyes.

  “It’s a delicious red Hon.” He poured a glass for everyone. “Should let it breathe but I want to try it now.”

  Emma took a sniff, and the aromas of blackberries, dark plums, and anise filled the air with a backdrop of rich earthy scent. They clinked glasses and leant against the counter to savour the wine.

  Nina dished roasted root vegetables into a large serving platter, some steamed green beans into a bowl, then sprinkled toasted flaked almonds over them and carried them into the dining room. Greg followed with the meat. They sat around the table and watched as Greg expertly carved the lamb then everyone helped themselves. The conversation was relaxed and enjoyable.

  Toward the end, Nina looked across the table.

  “What’s this I hear about you and the Task Master having words?”

  “We didn’t have words. I just told her something she didn’t like hearing.”

  “So tell all. Who’s the mystery man?”

  “Someone I’ve just met.”

  “You’ve met someone? Really?”

  Emma looked at her friends. “Really.”

  “About bloody time!” Greg said. “You need someone in your life, Em, you’re always alone.”

  “Come on, spill.” Nina laughed. “Tell us all about him.”

  “Um…well, he’s a doctor. He’s amazingly tall and he’s nice.”

  Nina looked at Greg and winked.

  “Nice? Mm, I think there’s more to it than nice.”

  Emma blushed. She’d known Greg and Nina for the past fourteen years. They were her closest friends and they knew about her little kinks.

  “So tell us. This isn’t going to be another Andrew saga, is it?”

  Emma shook her head and rolled her eyes.

  “No way!”

  “Good. That man wasn’t for you. I know he was sweet but he was a wimp.”

  “A wimp?” Greg roared. “Yeah, I guess that would describe him.”

  “So what’s his name and does he know about you?”

  “His name is Simon and he knows I’m an author.”

  “That wasn’t what I meant.” She held her empty plate out to her husband. “Can you take these to the kitchen please?”

  Greg collected the dirty plates and left the room.

  “Did you tell him about your little kink?”

  “Yes.”

  “And?”

  “And he…oh hell, Nina, he did it. He controlled me.”

  Nina let out a scream of excitement. Greg came back into the room.

  “I gather our hero stepped up to the plate.”

  Emma blushed but Nina gushed on.

  “He did. Woo-hoo. When do we meet him?

  “Well he’s working at the moment. His last day is Sunday.”

  “Well, I hope we get to meet him during the week. Can we?”

  “Maybe. Depends on what he has planned.”

  Greg sat down alongside Emma. He lifted her hand.

  “Like Nina said, Andrew was a wimp. We knew he wasn’t for you. You shouldn’t have to change who you are for any man. Never be ashamed of what you want, Em. I hope this works out. You deserve it, you deserve someone strong and caring.”

  “Only time will tell. It’s early days.”

  The rest of the evening went quickly as the three talked about recent events. When Emma finally left she felt content. Greg and Nina thought it was good that she was thinking about a relationship. Now it just remained to see if one developed.

  Chapter Six

  The final demonstration was over and Emma was glad. She and Greg cleared away the remains of the sample dishes and packed up. Then they walked to their cars and Greg kissed her good night.

  She was tired. The last few days she had stopped strapping up her ankle. But the last conversation she’d had with Simon, he’d advised her to strap for the demo as she would be on her feet for many hours. She was glad she had listened, her ankle wasn’t sore but she knew it was there.

  When she got home, she decided to soak in the tub and wash away the stress and strains. Every time she thought about Monday, she got butterflies in her tummy. Simon had told her he finished work at four on Sunday night and would go home then sleep for at least fourteen hours.

  He promised he would be over to see her around lunchtime. Emma said she would make him something to eat and asked if he liked chicken. He said yes and sounded as excited as she did. She wasn’t sure if he had any likes and dislikes except for fish and chicken, so she decided to make a Thai stir-fry. It could be done in a few minutes once everything was prepped. She would serve it with jasmine rice.

  Monday morning, Emma got everything ready. She marinated i
n the chicken in a sweet chilli jam and set everything in the fridge. She was as nervous as a schoolgirl on her first date. She tried on a few skirts, then pants, finally settling on jeans. Then she sorted through trying to decide whether to wear a blouse or a T-shirt. In the end, the T-shirt won out. She put her hair into a single plait down her back and looked critically in the mirror.

  The woman looking back looked like a deer caught in headlights. Emma gave a nervous laugh. She wondered if Simon was feeling as nervous as she was. She wandered around the house, wasting time and trying to keep occupied without success. Finally, around a quarter to twelve the doorbell rang.

  Taking a deep breath, Emma opened the door.

  Simon stood there. He had a bunch of flowers in his hand. He just looked at her then stepped in, kissing her passionately.

  “I can’t believe how beautiful you are.”

  Emma blushed as he handed her the flowers. She took a deep breath of the floral fragrance that filled the air.

  “Thank you, but it’s these that are beautiful.”

  He followed her down the hall into the kitchen where she put the flowers into water, then carried the vase into the family room. He took her hand and then they sat down on the couch.

  “God I’ve missed you. All I could think about was this week and spending it with you.”

  “Me, too. I’ve tried to keep busy.”

  “I kept thinking I’d made you up.” He laughed. “So glad we have the week together.”

  He looked at her, his eyes sparkling.

  “So, my gorgeous cook, what shall we do? Maybe today we can plan the rest of the week?”

  “Sounds like a plan to me.”

  “Want to go for a drive tomorrow? There’s a vineyard about two hours’ drive away. It has a cellar door shop and also sells cheeses that are made around the area. Been going to go there for ages but haven’t got round to it.”

  “Sounds good to me. I’m a sucker for cheese.”

  “You are? So am I!”

  “We could see what they have on offer, maybe get some fresh baguettes then relax somewhere nice and eat cheese.”

  “Oh yes!”

  “Perfect, that’s tomorrow planned. Got anything you’d like to do?”