We tossed around some classic romance themes:
second chances, workplace, holidays, fantasies—and finally settled on mistaken
identity. The idea of wanting to be someone else for a day, a week, or for
however long, appealed to us because, well, we understood that. The grass is
always greener, and all that. Of course, our character’s thought so too, but
after only a few pages, they realize we have some consequences for them. There
are happy endings all around as well.
We settled down to the writing, got together for
write-ins and planning (cover, editing, promotion, formatting) and now, we have the anthology!
NAUGHTY LESSONS, by Isabelle Drake, from the
MISTAKEN: LITTLE LIES, BIG LOVE
Blurb
Motivational speaker and
personal improvement expert Jaya Vinar is out of control--or so people keep
telling her. When her boss pairs her with a handsome personal consultant,
things get even more out of control. She wants to scare him off, he wants her
in his bed. Only one can win. And neither one is exactly who they’re pretending
to be.
Sometimes wild, and rocky,
starts lead to even wilder, and happier, endings.
Excerpt
Jaya paused outside the
hotel room, staring at the number 726, posted on the right side of the dark
brown door. The late-night crowd had gone to bed hours ago, leaving the hall
empty and the row of rooms quiet. With the elevator only yards away, a few
steps was all it would take to head back to her own room and forget the whole
thing.
She wasn’t going to walk
away. She wanted this. Wanted him.
After several heavy beats,
the door swung open and he was there. Despite the late hour, he wore a navy
suit. He even had on the tie. The bright white shirt collar cut against his
skin, emphasizing the rough, late-night stubble. No smile, no hello. He just
stepped back and motioned for her to come in.
The heat of his body caressed her
as she passed him in the small hallway. She heard him follow her as she moved
into the room, felt him behind her when she stopped. The intensity of his
presence was so intense, so piercing; it was painful.
What a magnificent pain it
was.
His suite was larger than
hers, with a sitting room separate from the bedroom. A floor-to-ceiling window
offered a view of the glittering city. There was a balcony with two padded
chairs and a low glass-topped table. She could tell by the arrangement of the
room they wouldn’t be spending time out there, enjoying the view or the crisp
night air.
She moved forward a step
and set her fingertips on the single chair placed in front of the couch. The
chair was centered in front of the couch, its back to the window.
Jaya moved in, feeling the
heels of her pumps sink silently into the plush carpeting. She felt the hem of
her dress brush the back of her thighs and the tug of her garters on her inner
thighs.
“I see you followed the
instructions on the dress. Are you wearing everything I sent?”
Thinking about the box
that’d been delivered to her room an hour ago, she nodded. She’d followed the
instructions on the card, putting everything on slowly, savoring the moment.
Simply touching the intricate pink lace bra and matching garter belt had made
her shiver with anticipation.
“I can tell by the look on
your face, you are uncertain.” He came around, stood beside her and touched her
elbow. “You don’t have to trust me. You just have to do what I say.”
Heat skittered up her arm,
worked across her breasts, making them swell and become heavy.
Following all of
his instructions had been one of the requirements on the note. By coming to his
room, she had agreed to do the other—follow his commands without question.
With a slow, deliberate
gesture, Connor pointed to a chair. “For now, I’ll accept obedience. The trust
will come next time.”
Next time?
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