Authors: Cassidy Browning

Tags: #BDSM, #Erotic Fiction, #Exhibitionism, #Contemporary, #Ménage à Trois, #Voyeurism, #Romance

Writes of Submission (37 page)

“I know what’s wrong.” Ernie put a hand on her shoulder and Nikki reluctantly turned toward her, aware that her face was going bright red with embarrassment.

“It’s the sex, right?” Ernie’s voice was so analytical that Nikki nodded, relieved she wouldn’t have to try to explain herself to someone who looked like she’d never had an embarrassing emotion in her life.

Ernie gave her a reassuring smile. “Every author goes through this, to one extent or another. Even Kane. Don’t believe him if he says he didn’t. The first time that people read or discuss your work in public is always traumatizing. You imagine that everyone is going to be as critical of your writing as you are, and that they’ll find all kinds of flaws that you never recognized yourself. Trust me, that’s not going to happen. We’ve all read your entry and loved it, and so will Candee’s fans. You are the perfect complement to him, and the readers will adore you for it. I know that writing about sex is incredibly personal, but somehow, once you release it to the world it stops being about you and becomes about them, the readers. Don’t feel like they’re judging you as a person based on the sex you write about. To them you’re a rock star who can write the things they love to read. That’s all.”

Nikki glanced around the room. It was all so businesslike, except for Burt, who was now chewing his nails and moaning about something that sounded like “signing boobs” and “arrested—would we have to provide bail money?”

Ernie followed her gaze and then shook her head, grinning. “He’s a great boss,” she confided to Nikki.

“Really?” Nikki tried to imagine working for someone who was so obviously neurotic, but couldn’t. It must be like some kind of roller coaster, she thought.

“Oh, yeah,” Ernie murmured confidentially, watching her boss. “He’ll believe anything you tell him. That can be a bad thing, but mostly it’s good. Even when he gets pissed at me, he’s always forgotten all about it by the next day. It’s kind of like living with someone who has no long-term memory.”

Nikki picked up the booklet containing her contest entry. “Are people really going to want this autographed? It’s not like I’m famous or anything.”

“You will be as soon as the book comes out,” Ernie assured her. “Now sign those and we’ll leave them for the store. You can personalize the ones you sign for people later. We’ll be opening the door in about fifteen minutes. Listen to that crowd gathering out there. You guys are going to be busy. Would you like anything else first? A soda, snack?”

“No, I’m good, thanks.” Nikki took a sip of her coffee, her stomach tingling with the excitement of what was about to happen. Now that Ernie had pointed it out, she could hear a low murmur from somewhere in the distance. It had been gradually getting louder until it became recognizable as the voices of many people waiting to be let into an event. Nikki looked past Burt to the far wall, where she could see the front door of the building. Sure enough, dozens or even hundreds of people were milling around outside or peering through the glass, trying to see what they could beforehand.

Her eyes widened, causing Ernie to laugh as she began to click away to see to her own responsibilities. “Have fun!”

Kane finished the papers he was signing and pulled over the glossy book cover mockups, squinting at it. “Where should our names go on these?”

“Here and here, I think,” Nikki said, feeling suddenly important. It was as if she hadn’t actually believed that she was writing with Candee Appelbaum. Now, seeing a cover with both names on it, she couldn’t deny anymore that her dreams had come true. Not only had she gotten to meet her idol, but she had turned out to be a gorgeous man and he’d actually fallen in love with her. The room swam for a couple of seconds with the enormity of it all and she surreptitiously wiped away the moisture in her eyes before it could turn into tears of joy. Now wasn’t the time to get emotional. Now was the time to accept her new career and begin to build her own fan base. She could do this.

* * * *

“Here’s to great partnerships!”

Nikki held up her champagne flute, clinking it with Kane’s and Dante’s before turning to where Allie and her guys were toasting as well. It took a few minutes for everyone to make the rounds of clinking, but then they all held up their glasses in unison and smiled at each other before lowering them to drink.

“It’s been a productive month,” Kane said, leaning against the dining room table.

“I can’t believe we got that whole book written,” Nikki agreed. “Those lessons you’ve been giving us—I mean me mostly—over the last few weeks have really given me a sense of what the lifestyle is all about. I wouldn’t have believed before that it was possible to get all this done in so short a time.”

Dante scoffed. “Of course it was possible. I never doubted it for a second.”

Allie smiled at him. “I’m just grateful you took on our marketing before leaving your job.”

“Yes,” Brad agreed. “Great work there. Our sales are increasing steadily and it’s all due to your efforts, those television interviews you set up, the new story in
Exotic Travels Magazine
about the food party—and Allie’s incredible cooking, of course.” He squeezed her shoulders and she laughed.

“If I’d known how much easier writing was with a good writing partner, I’d have come out of the closet years ago,” Kane said. “Not to mention having someone to keep us both on track when we start arguing. This book is ten times better than anything I’d written before.”

He pinched Nikki’s cheek as she turned an indignant expression on him. “It’s true, sweetie. I appreciate your loyalty to my earlier work, but this book has so much more substance and depth that it makes the others look like the annual reports of a particularly boring company.”

Nikki smiled at him. His T-shirt today said, “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success —Albert Schweitzer.” It seemed to her a remarkably appropriate sentiment for the situation. He’d had some success with his previous books—and she would always love them—but they shared a special feeling for this new book. It contained all of the emotion and the happiness that she felt now about their new partnership and the love that they’d found here at Clifftop. Candee’s fans seemed to share their excitement as well. They’d been writing and calling the publisher nonstop, Ernie had told her the day before, demanding the release as soon as possible. Ernie had promised her that the editing would go quickly. Kane’s always did, she’d said.

Nikki had believed her. For all his pretending that he was a dissolute, undisciplined lush, he was the hardest worker she’d ever met. They’d spent hours going over the manuscript, debating about word choice, punctuation, and point of view. She’d never realized how much work—or how interesting—editing could be. If she was sure of anything, though, it was that the story had been polished to within an inch of its life before anyone at the publisher’s office had ever laid eyes on it.

“What time is the party starting?” Dante asked, checking his watch.

“Around seven,” Allie told him, putting her drink on the table. “That reminds me. I’d better go check the hors d’oeuvres.”

Brad followed her into the kitchen and Karl excused himself to go finish his preparations in the barn.

“So, what’s next?” Dante pulled out a dining room chair and straddled it, tilting his head a little as he scrutinized his partners.

“We do it again, and again, and again,” Kane said. “With you as our manager and marketer, Nikki’s amazing ability to write great emotional scenes and my overall genius, we can’t go wrong.”

Nikki grinned, wondering how she’d ever seen his playful boasting as anything but funny. Now that she wasn’t as intimidated as she’d been in the beginning, she could see his joking as amusing and endearing. God, she thought.
I really was a tightass. Thank goodness I got over that.

“Your fitness manager, too,” Dante said. “As soon as we all get settled, we’re starting a yoga class to get you both more flexible. I can think of several places that will come in handy.”

Kane shrugged, draining his champagne and looking around for the bottle. “Suits me. I seem to recall that yoga had some definite advantages, at least in terms of scenery and positions.”

“I think it’s a great idea,” Nikki said. “As long as you don’t make me get on a mountain bike again anytime soon. My ankle is just barely back to normal now.”

Dante’s face lit up. “That reminds me. I have something for you.” He jumped up and went out to the hall closet, coming back a minute later with a black leather jacket. He held it up to Nikki, who stared at it openmouthed. “I figured you were going to need some better protective gear for when we ride again. Plus, if we’re going to be part of the leather community, you need to look the part. Don’t you think so, Kane?”

Nikki fingered the jacket, fascinated by the soft feel of the leather under her fingers. Dante turned it around so she could see the back, and laughed at the expression on her face.

There was a large patch on the back of the coat. It consisted of a round symbol that she had learned was the BDSM symbol, pierced by a long quill. The letters
LE
were written at the bottom in an elaborate script.

“It’s beautiful,” she breathed, tilting her head to admire it. “What’s
LE
mean?”

“It stands for Leather Edition,” Kane said, coming to stand behind her and look over her shoulder. “Dante and I thought it would be a good name for our leather household. What do you think?”

“I love it.”

“This brings up a compromise I think we should talk about,” Dante said. “I propose that we do get back on bikes, but this time I’d like them to be motorized.”

She stared at him. “Motorized?”

“Yes. I love bicycles, but I’d actually rather be on a motorcycle.” He ducked his head as if a fitness manager should not be advocating non-human-powered forms of transportation. “Would you guys consider riding with me?”

Kane gave a shout of laughter. “Now that’s the kind of biking I can get into!”

Dante turned to Nikki with a tentative smile. “Would you be interested?”

She hesitated for a minute, thinking about the possibility of dying on the back of a motorcycle. Then she looked at the excited expressions on Kane’s and Dante’s faces and grinned at them. “With Doms like you two, what’s a girl got to worry about? Let’s do it.”

THE END

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cassidy Browning is the pen name of Reggie and Kasi Alexander. They live in Colorado as a part of a poly quad and are active members of the BDSM and polyamorous communities. The family can be found selling their chainmail jewelry and presenting at national Master/slave events around the country. They dream of the day they can have their own Clifftop Fantasies.

For all titles by Cassidy Browning, please visit

www.bookstrand.com/cassidy-browning