Seduction by Spanking Teaser

So, I've been considering changing the name of this book, mostly because Amazon has been coming down hard on a lot of stories that have something like "spanking" in their title.  At the moment, Birching His Bride hasn't been pulled, thankfully, but if it is then I'll have to change the title of that one too.  I'm considering preemptively changing the title of this one so that it doesn't get rejected when I submit it.  Once I figure it out, I'll let you all know.

I'm only a few chapters away from the finish... there's a very good chance it will be out next month rather than February, which would be fantastic because I have a ridiculous amount of work to do on the next Stronghold book (which I've barely touched, I'll admit it).  Of course, I think part of the reason this one has come along so quickly is because I've been so focused on it rather than dividing my attention... and I'm okay with that.  I'll go with whatever seems to be working for me!  At any rate, I'm really close to finishing it and I'm super excited.

A few final updates before the teaser... Chapter 5 of Taken by the Wolf should be out any day now.  I'm about 2/3 of the way through Chapter 6 which will deal mostly with Bella and Alex, their differences of opinion and a choice that Alex will have to make.  Chapter 7 is going to give Alex a different kind of choice and we'll see what wins out - his pride or his protectiveness of Bella.  Oh I'm so naughty ;) hahahaha.  I'm also going to be working on some standalone stories while I work on Taken by the Wolf, because I know it's not for everyone and I want to make sure that there's more new work to read than just that series.  Working on a story at the moment and, as usual, I'll announce on here and Twitter when it's submitted/out =)  I'm enjoying the dark stuff, but if I don't balance it out with some light then who knows where my head will go! lol.

Also, a major thank you to those of you who have sent me some suggestions for Taken by the Wolf.  So nice to know I'm not the only one with a twisted mind.  And a HUGE thank you to Gemini who sent me a suggestion which has helped me figure out the ending in a way that should make sense to everyone and that I was struggling a bit with... he made my job SO much easier with his suggestion, everything in my head fell into place and I truly appreciate it.  Since I have no way of responding to him other than this blog... just wanted to mention it.

SO.  Onto the promised (unedited) teaser!  No sexy time in this one... and no men in this one!  One of my favorite parts about the current book is that Cynthia is so very different from the other female characters.  Eleanor thought she was rebellious and brazen?  Ha! LOL.  So here's a look at those two and their burgeoning friendship:

The house that Lord and Lady Hyde had rented was in an equally fashionable part of Bath as the Countess' residence, although the decor showed it to obviously be a house to let, unlike the Countess' which was obviously a home.  Still, it was quite beautiful and Cynthia found herself very quickly relaxed as she chatted with Eleanor, who seemed to be just as interested in Cynthia as Cynthia was in her.  Today the blonde was dressed quite fashionably in a blue and cream damask that brought out the bright color of her eyes and enhanced the golden blonde of her hair, the stylish cut making the most of her rather striking figure.

In contrast, Cynthia was wearing a dark pink dress that was fashionably cut, but much less modestly than Lady Hyde's.  She'd managed to get her own way on most of her dresses when she and the Countess had visited the modiste, and it wasn't until she sat next to Eleanor that she felt tawdry in comparison.  ButEleanor didn't seem to think so, she barely paid attention to what Cynthia was wearing, she was much more interested in questioning her about Lord Spencer and the state of the household. 

"He's not generally so stuffy," she assured Cynthia, her blue eyes sparkling with amusement.  "It was quite entertaining seeing him performing as a proper gentleman yesterday.  I've never seen him act quite like that to be honest."

"I think it's me," Cynthia said truthfully.  "He seemed very different from when he was just speaking with you and Lord Hyde... I mean..." Her cheeks flushed darkly to match her dress as she realized what she had just revealed.  Fortunately Lady Hyde wasn't upset, she laughed in genuine amusement. 

"Were you listening at the keyhole?"

"Ah... yes."  Giving the other woman a sheepish look, Cynthia shrugged her shoulders.  Normally she wasn't so loose-tongued, but Eleanor made her feel comfortable in a way that she'd never experienced before; it was just so easy to talk to her.  "I was curious about the Earl, he acts so differently around me that his brothers described."

"The Earl..."  Eleanor repeated, as if tasting the words and debating whether or not she found them to her liking.  "It's so hard to think of him like that... We grew up together.  My brother Hugh, Edwin and Wesley.  Out of all of them, Wesley's changed the least I think.  At least, I thought that until I saw how stuffy he was being yesterday."  She laughed again.  "He was certainly playing the Earl in front of you.  I wonder why."  

The intelligence in those bright, searching blue eyes belied the old adage that beauty came without brains.  Not that Cynthia had ever subscribed to that belief anyway, since she knew very well that she was considered beautiful and she had never thought of herself as anything other than clever. 

"We ah... may have not had the best introduction."  Unable to help it, Cynthia giggled conspiratorially, leaning in to tell Eleanor about running into Wesley in the street.  Under the other woman's excited urgings, she even told her about Mr. Carter, at which point Eleanor's face grew more solemn. 

"I've heard of him..." she murmured, sitting up straight with a rather worried expression.  "He doesn't have a very good reputation."

"The Countess told me," Cynthia said with a shrug.  "But he's never done more than kiss me.  And a bit of touching... above my waist," she added hastily, seeing Eleanor's shocked expression.  "It's just... it's so very exciting."

"I can imagine," Eleanor said, a little smile of fellow feeling crossing her face before she turned serious again.  "But, it's so much better to have that excitement with someone who truly cares about you.  Someone who you can trust."

It was true that it was sometimes tiresome to put off Mr. Carter, and the other gentlemen that Cynthia had kissed, from further importunities.  Of course, that was half the fun, letting them convince or seduce her into going just a bit farther.  But so far she hadn't met any that she could truly lose her head to, not the way she read about in novels or heard whispered about from the maids.  Perhaps trust was the missing ingredient?  After all, if she trusted a man, then she wouldn't feel the need to constantly keep an eye out on where his hands were going.  

"And Lord Hyde?  He cares about you?  You find this... excitement with him?"

Lady Hyde blushed and hesitated. 

"I'm sorry, I know it's personal..." Cynthia put on her wounded bird look.  "It's just that I don't have any one else to ask.  I certainly can't ask the Countess, she'd probably faint."

The look Eleanor gave her said that she didn't buy Cynthia's false despair at all, but there was no denying that her words were true enough.  "He does.  I'm fairly certain he does."  A faint flush grew in her cheeks.  "And I trust him, I always have, since I was a girl.  Before we married, I thought to find a man... I thought my ideal husband would be very different from him.  But now I can't imagine being married to anyone else.  I wouldn't want to be."

"And... and what do you do?"  Cynthia asked, her insides curdling with excitement.  She'd never spoken to anyone with the warm, wistful look that Eleanor had now.  Someone who was willing to explain some of the intricacies between a man and a woman with her.  All the Countess would tell her was what she shouldn't do, and while disobeying that had led to some fascinating discoveries, there was quite a bit that Cynthia was curious about, but which she wanted some more information on before exploring on her own.  "Does he touch you on your quim?  Men are always wanting to touch me there... it feels wonderful when I do it on my own, but I'm worried none of them would know what to do with it.  And what would I do if I got with child?"

"Good God..." Eleanor stared at her and Cynthia shrank into herself, suddenly worried that she'd ruined their friendship by saying too much.  What would Eleanor think of her now?  Would she disapprove and pull away?  Cynthia waited on tenterhooks, horribly afraid now that she'd exposed herself.  She didn't think she could bear it if Eleanor rejected her now.  The other woman's lips closed and then twitched in something like amusement and Cynthia found that she could suddenly breath a little easier.  "This is really... these are things that should be discussed before your wedding night.  And you absolutely should not be letting any gentlemen touch your... your quim.  You've ah... you've touched it yourself?"

"Oh yes," Cynthia said cheerfully, reassured that Eleanor was not going to boot her from the drawing room.  "Mother told me not to, you see.  And it's quite lovely.  I've thought about letting a gentleman touch it, but I don't want to get with child."

"That won't, but you shouldn't let them touch you there anyway.  Once they do they might try to go further, and if they put their... um, their rod into your quim then you will get with child," Eleanor said rather sternly.

"Their rod?"

Eleanor blushed and gestured to her groin area.  "Men have a... a rod where a woman has a quim."

"Oh, you mean a cock."

This time Eleanor burst out laughing, covering her mouth with her hands as Cynthia stared at her, slightly confused.  The amusement was contagious though, and she found herself smiling.  It was a rather absurd conversation, as well as wonderfully revealing.  And she'd learned a new word. 

"You are the most... confusing mix of innocence and too much knowledge," Eleanor said when her giggles finally subsided, although she was still smiling rather widely.  "It's going to get you into trouble.  How do you know what a cock is?"

"Mr. Carter told me when I asked what was pressing against me so hard when we kissed."

"Good grief," Eleanor said, rolling her eyes.  "He sounds like a complete scoundrel.  That word is rather ah... crude.  Rubbing it with your hand will get you ruined, but it won't get you with child.  You really shouldn't allow him to touch you though.  I know the Countess has asked Wesley to find you a husband, and once he has then you can explore to your heart's content."

"What about my mouth?  Will that get me with child?"

"Your mouth?"