Day 8 of the Essential Master Blog Tour: Welcome Home

So it looks like I finally made it back home. I'd like to say a quick thank you to all my wonderful hosts through out the tour. Without your support and giving natures, this tour wouldn't have been possible. Especialy when one considers my muse...

"Slave, why aren't you working?" Livvy taps her foot. As usual she's in another one of her damned corsets and leather minis. 

I groan. "Because it's only seven a.m. and I haven't had my coffee yet?" 

Livvy props her hand on her hip. "That's no excuse. I went out with Mistress V last night and she demands to know why you left her hanging...evidently she was about to get jiggy with Wyk and you stopped."

Great another bossy character to make my life difficult. Why did the women in my stories have to be so much like my muse? I swear her bad habits were wearing off them. But then again, I had done exactly as my muse had claimed. I started writing the love scene for Wyk's Surrender, but had been called away to deal with fighting kids and by the time I'd prevented WWIII, I'd fallen into bed exhausted, so tired I hadn't felt up to writing. "I was tired. So sue me." 

Livvy stalked over to me, and rested her wrist on my forehead. "You're not coming down sick are you? The last thing I need is my slave sick when there are so many stories to write this summer." 

"Figures." I push away her hand. "You're only worried about whether or not I'll be able to work. You know I really ought to shove your ass in a deep dark closet, lock the damned thing and throw away the key." 

A pout crossed Livvy's face. "But you love me. Without me who would give you all your wonderful story ideas?" 

"There are days I'm half tempted to find out." I gritted my teeth, because despite my current annoyance with my muse, I knew I needed her. "Look, I know I need to write. And I will, once I get this stop done...well after I go out to Sams and have a cup of coffee." I glared at her. 

She folded her arms over breasts. "Coffee...okay, but Sams? What the hell do you need at Sams?" 

Irritated, I snapped. "How about food to feed that human garbage disposal I call a son?" 

"Slave, you let that family of yours run roughshod over you....only I'm allowed to do that." 

"You know what?" I advanced on her. "Master Kaleb is going to be here any second to help me with today's stop. I'm going to tell him you're being bad..."

My muse flat out laughs at me. "Like I'm scared of some Dom that runs a youth center." She smirked. "Although I will admit he's sexy." 

That's it - it's time to pull out the big guns.  "Fine. You're not scared of my characters, nor are you scared of me. Either you straighten up, finish this stop for me or I'm calling him..." 

Livvy actually fidgeted.  "You wouldn't..."

I crossed my arms and gave her a glare I'd prefected on my three hellions. "Oh yes, I would. Straighten your ass up or I'm calling our father." 

She nibbled on her lower lip. There wasn't much that scared my muse but the threat of going to our father (don't look at me that way. Livvy is a figament of my imagination, another cranky sister to add to the ones I already have - so it makes sense she has the same dad as me.)  had her looking for the door every time. Dad was both a big supporter of my writing but was also one the strictest men I'd ever met.  But then what did you expect from a good old Midwest farm boy raised during the fifties? 

"Fine. I'll do it, just leave Dad out of it." She looked around for the prize basket. Spying it, she hefted it. "So this is the grand prize that Dakota is giving away on Monday. Like my slave's last tour..." 

I slipped out. I needed that coffee 

*****

"Is she gone?"  Looking around the room, Livvy gave a sigh of relief.  That had been a close one. "Sorry about that.  My slave has a tendency to be cranky before her first cup of coffee or three. There was no reason for her to threaten to call in Dad."  A shudder worked its way through her.  "Anyway, this basket here is  something slave calls Nicholaus's Night In.  Featured in the book, Essential Master, there is a scene that Zeb wakes up during a quiet night in where Nicky and Steph have been watching Firefly and ....well here...let me show you...." 

The soft drone of television and warmth on his left side finally woke Zebadiah. It took him several moments to catalog where he was. The cushy leather beneath him was obviously not the dreaded hospital bed he’d woken up in earlier. And the tantalizing scent of Stetson mingled with popcorn definitely wasn’t the antiseptic they used to clean his room. So he obviously wasn’t in the hospital. He slowly opened his eyes, reluctant to give up the peace he’d found in slumber. He didn’t want to move. A quick glance on the screen showed Mal, the captain of the Serenity, and Wash, his pilot, tied back to back around a coil as the villain, Niska, tortured them.

“Zoe is gonna kick Wash’s ass - after she rescues him,” Steph commented from her position on the floor in front of him. Leaning against his leg, she was munching on popcorn. There was a loud slurp as she sucked on the straw of her drink.

“Naw, she loves him.” Nicky’s voice rumbled under Zeb’s ear. “She won’t hurt him too bad. Now Niska, on the other hand, I’d say his days are numbered. That’s one girl I wouldn’t want to piss off. Not only is she sexy as hell, she can kick some serious ass.” Nicky chuckled. “In fact she reminds me of you when you try to go all dominant on me.”

She giggled. “Flattery will get you everywhere, Master.”

Zeb bit his lower lip to keep his groan from escaping as she flirted with her Master. What would it be like to be on the end of her teasing? His cock twitched at the thought of kneeling in front of her as she stepped close enough to tease him with her body, but refused to let him touch.

“I do believe our friend is finally awake.” Nicky lightly brushed a kiss over the top of his head before helping him sit up. Zeb’s cheeks flushed as he finally realized he’d not only hogged up over half of the sectional, but he’d also managed to drape himself over Nicky as if the man were his and not Steph’s, making the man’s sub have to sit on the floor. Even if he were lucky enough to be included in their relationship sometime in the future, Steph’s needs were higher up on the ladder than his.

“Sorry.” He rubbed his hand over his face. “I warned you I wasn’t fit company.” He shifted, pulling away from Nicky to make room for Steph to sit between them. “Here, why don’t you come up here, Steph?” He patted the spot between him and Nicky. “I didn’t mean to hog the couch. You should’ve woke me up or kicked me or something.”

A frown crossed her face as she placed a hand on his knee. “You know, Nicky, by the look on his face, I do believe Zeb thinks he intruded on something he shouldn’t have.”

“Really?” Nicky sounded curious, even as he tugged Zeb back against him before tilting his chin up to gaze down at him. “You wouldn’t be thinking that would you, il mio colibrì?”

“Ah well, I fell asleep and then woke up to find Steph on the floor, and me hogging you…I mean the couch.”

Nicky sighed. “Nonsense. You were sleeping when we came back in, and both Steph and I joined you on the couch. She later moved to the floor because she thought you looked uncomfortable sitting upright. And she was right. You sprawled out on top of me as soon as she moved.” He brushed his thumb over Zeb’s lower lip and dipped his head until Zeb thought he was going to kiss him, but just before their mouths met, he drew back with a muffled groan when Steph cleared her throat. “Personally I think it wasn’t just because she was worried about you, but because she didn’t trust herself to keep her hands off you, which right now I’m struggling with myself.” He shifted Zeb off him and stood swiftly. “Take care of him, Steph.” Then he strode from the room, leaving Zeb alone with Steph.

“Sure thing. Hurry back, Nicky. You don’t want to miss the climax. Zoe storming the castle, or rather the spaceship, is going to be kickass.”

Nicky flipped her off over his shoulder before disappearing down the hall. Towards the bathroom, Zeb could only assume.

Steph giggled at the sight. “Hey, Zeb, you ever wonder if he’ll ever realize giving us the finger is nothing more than an invitation to jump his sexy bones?”

"So you see what I mean?"  Setting the basket down, Livvy chuckled.  "Everything you need for your night in. So how do you enter? Well, it's easy. Just comment below. Usually slave askes a question about the excerpt for the daily contest but I'm much more laid back.  Just leave a comment below with your email address to be entered to win a copy of Essential Master and don't forget it also enters you for the grand prize as well."  Livvy moves to leave, but stops. "Crap, I didn't mention the book, did I?"  Places a hand on hip.  "Okay it's below. Now, that I'm done with promoting, I'm off to torment the slave again. Surely she's had her coffee by now..." 

BUY HERE

Blurb: 

Submissive Zebadiah Pellegrino maybe down, but he's not out yet. He knows there is a Dom or Domme for him - it's just a matter of finding him or her. But after an attack by a brutal Mistress, the owners of New Beginnings have been hovering like a pair of over protective hens. It's been over a year and he's ready to move on, but now he just has to convince them or leave New Beginnings. 

New members, Dom Nicholaus Tarquinio and switch Stephanie McKeown have a unique D/s relationship and have been searching for some time for a third member, a submissive to complete their triad. But the trick is to find a man who not only appeals to Nicholaus's domination but isn't above allowing Stephanie to have her fun too. 

When Zebadiah catches Stephanie's eye, she and Nicholaus approach the wounded sub, wondering if he's truly ready take what they have to offer him, or is Ethan right about Zebadiah not being ready? Only time will tell. 

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©Dakota Trace All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. No portion of this work may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the author.