Snippet Sunday: Command Performance

Whheeee! Less than two weeks until Mason’s story, Command Performance, is released. I’m so excited about this because it’s the final book in the Comfort series (along with Comfort Object, Caressa’s Knees, and Odalisque) and Mason is such a sweet, wonderful guy. (Well, mostly.)

Today I’m sharing a little snippet that shows his sweeter side. Honestly he made me laugh a lot in this book, but it has its serious moments too. In this snippet, he’s picking her up at her dad’s house for their very first date–a trip to the Golden Globes.

     Oh, that smile. How could he be the sexually deviant monster of those stories with a smile like that? His handsome charm was so Hollywood, so blinding, she almost didn’t notice the large bouquet of flowers in his hand. He waved it sheepishly, then looked at her dad and back at her.

     “Hi, Miri. Ready to go to the prom?”

     She burst out laughing and then cringed as the full body girdle of torture dug into her ribs. She crossed and took the flowers, a riotous tissue-wrapped arrangement of roses, lilies, daisies, and carnations. “Wow.” It was all she could come up with. “Wow.” He was so tall, so overpowering there in their living room-slash-foyer.

     “Wow is right,” Mason said. “You look amazing.” He glanced at his watch and then at her dad again. “I’d love to stay and chat, but we’re running late. Maybe your dad can put those in a vase with some water?” He took the flowers from her and shoved them at her father. Miri thought she saw a vein pulse in the older man’s forehead, just next to one of his more impressive scars. Before her dad could open his mouth to reply, Mason reached for her elbow, guiding her to the door.

     “You have your clutch? Damn, but those diamonds look lovely.”

     And somehow he had her out the door and down the walk before her father could do much more than call out goodbye. He frowned from the porch as the limo pulled away from their sad brown stretch of lawn.

     Mason raised his eyebrows and gave her a woeful look. “I think your dad doesn’t like me.”

     Again, Miri burst into unreasonable—and painful—laughter. She held out an arm. “Please don’t make me laugh. I can hardly…even…breathe.”

     “I wasn’t trying to make you laugh. Literally, I sensed his hatred.”

     Something about his offhand tone, his combination of humor and hurt feelings sent her off into more breathless peals of laughter. “Stop…for real…”

     He watched her with twinkling eyes and a subtle quirk of his lips. “Don’t pass out. Or die. Although I think these limos all have defibrillators now.”

If you’re wondering why she still lives with her dad, you’ll have to read the book, but it IS L.A., y’all. Real estate is bad. 🙂

Anyway, next Sunday I’ll post one last snippet before the release on October 31, and at that time I’ll give everyone the details about an awesome flash sale on all my Comfort series books. Let’s just say if you don’t have the previous three in your library yet, I’m going to make it very affordable to correct that, at least for a day or two. If you’re active on any BDSM fiction chat groups or loops, please help me spread the word! And if you’d like to add Command Performance to your TBR pile on Goodreads, just click the book cover below for the Goodreads page and blurb.