The elevator doors opened on the ground floor and Brogan and Mario exited into the busy lobby first, surveying the area as Henniton stepped out behind them. The atrium rose several stories high and people on upper floors could look over the railings all the way to the lobby. The south wall, where the main doors were set, was entirely glass-fronted, letting plenty of gray January overcast in, and the lush greenery, mahogany reception desk and leather couches extended a quiet elegance to visitors.
Gorgeous, but a security nightmare. Too many lines of sight, too much space and cover. Brogan’s skin crawled.
“I’ll be back at one,” Henniton told Ford. “And don’t forget, we’ve got the evening meeting tonight.”
Brogan, in the midst of sweeping his gaze around the lobby, caught the quiet nod Ford gave Henniton.
Then Henniton was striding away, Mario at his side, and Brogan only got one last glimpse of dark, cool eyes and a lovely, unsmiling mouth before Ford vanished into the crush of people bustling through the lobby.
Stop looking at him, asshole, Brogan told himself. And get focused before you get yourself killed.
Don’t miss BAD JUDGMENT by Sidney Bell.
Available now wherever Carina Press ebooks are sold.
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www.SidneyBell.com
Copyright © 2016 by Miriam Macrae
Author Note
There’s a long, problematic history of linking BDSM and trauma in popular culture. Dominants especially are often portrayed as aggressive, violent alpha-types who’ve had traumatic childhoods, which is frequently used to romanticize and excuse abusive behavior in the scene. For that reason, it was very important to me that Sullivan be a positive, healthy example of a dominant, someone who needs kink to be sexually fulfilled, but is also a decent, healthy, and normal guy who cares deeply about the wellbeing of his partner. Hopefully this last point is obvious, but when practiced correctly, BDSM is neither a cause nor a cure for trauma, and it should never be used to disguise manipulation, coercion, or abuse.
Acknowledgments
Oh, boy. Lots of folks to thank. First, my primary beta readers—to Connie Peckman for being the person who disliked Tobias in my first, deeply flawed draft and said so, repeatedly and fervently, so I knew things needed to change. And to Sasha Gore, who liked this book even in its first, deeply flawed draft and said so, repeatedly and fervently, so I knew there was something worth salvaging. To my other betas as well, of course: Damon Talabock, Dylan Perkins, and Jill Robinson. You guys never fail to point out all the ways I’m sucking, and that’s the best thing ever, really, no matter how it sounds.
Secondly, a massive thank-you to Shirleen Robinson, who not only made the book better, but also gave me excellent materials that’ll help me make future books with characters of color stronger. Particularly amazing was that article by Roxane Gay about ambition in the African-American community, because it led me to Hunger, and that book is the best thing I’ve read this year. Also, Writing in the Margins is amazing, and anyone who wants to write about marginalized characters should know about that website. Finally, while they don’t know I exist, the lovely, wonderful, excellent people who run the Tumblr blog Writing with Color helped my life enormously. They do important, incredibly beneficial work.
Special thanks to Dave Macrae for crucial security research yet again, because Ghost wasn’t in nearly enough trouble until we talked, and a big finish can never have too much trouble. And super mondo thanks to Deborah Nemeth, Anne Scott, and Carina Press, because without you guys, this book seriously would’ve been a hot mess of ick, and it definitely would’ve had less dirty talk.
About the Author
Sidney Bell lives in scraggly Southern Colorado with her amazingly supportive husband. She received her MFA degree in Creative Writing, considered aiming for the Great American Novel, and then promptly started writing fanfiction instead. More realistic grownups eventually convinced her to try writing something more fiscally responsible, though, which is how we ended up here. When she’s not writing, she’s playing violent video games, yelling at the television during hockey games, or supporting her local library by turning books in late. Visit her online at www.sidneybell.com.
Introducing the Carina Press Romance Promise!
The Carina Press team all have one thing in common: we are romance readers with a longtime love of the genre. And we know what readers are looking for in a romance: a guarantee of a happily-ever-after (HEA) or happy-for-now (HFN). With that in mind, we’re initiating the Carina Press Romance Promise. When you see a book tagged with these words in our cover copy/book description, we’re making you, the reader, a very important promise:
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Looking for more from Sidney Bell?
Check out BAD JUDGMENT
Embry Ford was a quiet, ordinary guy—until tragedy ripped his life apart. Now he’s living under the radar, desperate to hide his identity and determined to learn the truth behind what happened.
As a bodyguard to a shadowy arms dealer, Brogan Smith knows distractions can kill as easily as a bullet. But when he sets his eyes on his client’s sexy assistant, Brogan can’t get him out of his mind.
Embry was sure nothing but vengeance would satisfy him—until Brogan offered him something far more tempting. Now Embry must choose: punish the people who nearly destroyed him or fight for a future with the man who has become his entire world.
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