I’m still hard at work on WARRIOR MINE, which will be the 4th book in the Dream Dominant Collection.  Here’s a little synopsis.

Dominant Scott Nielsen has left his job as a youth counselor in the Canadian wilderness to pursue a new dream–starting his own outdoors survival school.  He visits his friend Blake Walker to propose leasing part of Blake’s family’s remote guest lodge property as a base of operations.  That’s where he meets Blake’s sister Jackie.

Now that Daddy Dom Blake has found his own baby girl, Scott wonders if maybe it’s time to give up casual Dom/sub scenes played at the BDSM club in favor of finding a permanent submissive.  And he can’t stop thinking about Jackie–she’s strong and smart, nobody’s baby girl.  But maybe a warrior princess is exactly the submissive he’s been looking for.

Here’s a little (unedited) snippet from WARRIOR MINE.

Facing south, the small log cabin sat at the crest of the tiny island.  Jackie figured that in total, the island was about an acre, but it was long and thin, narrowing to points on either end.  Situated at the widest part of the island, the cabin had been there longer than the lodge had been, and it held happy memories for Jackie.

She walked to the west side, where a huge fallen tree still rested.  While she’d been away, it had blown over in a storm, crashing into the small bedroom where Amy had been sleeping.  Although Scott and Blake had replaced the window a few days ago, Jackie hadn’t been to the island since the accident.

“That could have been really bad.”  She lightly touched the new window frame.  “You guys did a nice job,” she observed.

“I was happy to be useful.”  He smiled at her.

Jackie unlocked the cabin door and walked inside.  Clearly, Blake had cleaned up the mess from the storm.  Everything in the living area with its fireplace to her right was in order, and the kitchen area to her left was neat and tidy.  She peered into the cabin’s tiny bedroom, noting that the ruined mattress hadn’t been replaced, and making a mental note to speak with Trina about rectifying the situation.

Scott rested his backpack on the kitchen table in the center of the room and dug out a thick spiral notebook and a pen.  “Now here’s what Blake and I talked about,” he said.  “This area will be perfect for making meals and hanging out.  We might need a few more chairs, but you get the idea.”

He walked to the back wall, where a cast iron wood-burning stove stood.  “And I had this idea.”  He looked back to Jackie, brow furrowed a bit.  “Suppose we move this wall back another fifteen feet?”  He waved his arms demonstrably.  “That would create room for bunks, two sets on each side, for a total of eight beds.  We place tall cupboards on the back wall, so everyone has a place to store their stuff.”

Jackie tried to imagine how the cabin would look at twice its current size.  On the one hand, she was hesitant to see it changed at all.  But what Scott said made sense.  She walked toward him, seeing his vision.  “With the stove where it is, it would be a great source of heat for the extra space,” she allowed.

“Right!  I thought so, too.”

Absently, she chewed the corner of her thumb.  “To move the wall back, we’ll have to take down a handful of trees that are in the way.”

Scott nodded.  “They’ll become the logs that extend the east and west walls.  We’ll take apart the existing back wall we’ll and reassemble it in the new location.”  He hooked a thumb toward the front door.  “Add those trees we have to remove to the tree that’s already down out front, and we’re nearly there.”

Jackie walked back to the cabin’s small bedroom.  “Will you be staying here?”

“I thought we might use that space for storing all the equipment we’ll be needing.  You know, hatchets, climbing ropes, that kind of thing.”  He took a few steps towards her.  “I was hoping to rent one of your cabins or even a room in the lodge.”

“Don’t be silly.  You don’t need to rent anything.  You’re welcome here.”  Jackie crossed her arms uncomfortably, Amy’s comment about Scott moving in resurfacing in her mind.

“Well I aim to earn my keep.  And obviously, the cabin remodel is my expense.  I wanted to make sure that everything was okay with you first, though.  We need to discuss how much you’d like for room and board for my students.”

Jackie frowned.  “Room and board?  I hadn’t even thought about it.”

Scott walked out the door and she followed.  “Part of the tuition is to cover the school itself,” he explained, “but they’re staying on your property, eating the supplies provided to the cabin, so it’s significant.”

Hands on her hips, Jackie shook her head.  “Scott, I’d have no idea what to ask for.  I imagine you’ve researched the business, so whatever you think appropriate is fine.”

A slight smile played on his lips.  “You see, Jackie?  Do you see how simple it is?”

She frowned.  “How simple what is?”

“Releasing control.”  He watched her expectantly.

Feeling embarrassed, she dug into the soft soil with the toe of her shoe.  “Oh.”

“Again, Jackie,” he sank onto one of the quartet of green Adirondack chairs flanking the stone fire pit in front of the cabin, “I’m not trying to talk you into anything.”

Not knowing what else to do, she sat in the chair opposite Scott.  “I just don’t know what you think you see in me,” she shrugged.

“You’re such a strong lady.  You take care of everybody, and everything.”  He leaned forward, his forearms resting on his thighs.  “I’d like the chance to take care of you.”

Jackie snorted.  “Take care of me.  And for that, I’d be expected to give up my power?”

“I’m not talking about a 24/7 arrangement or anything.  But it’s a power exchange, yes,” Scott nodded, “and you don’t give up anything.  Rather than losing your power, you gain mine.  As a Dominant, it’s my position to protect, to care for, and, when necessary, to correct my submissive.”

“Correct?”  She laughed humorlessly.  “Why on earth would I agree to be beaten?”

“Not beaten.  Corrected.”  He watched her for a moment.  “You’d be surprised how sensual a spanking can be.”

Feeling unbalanced and confused, Jackie abruptly stood and stalked back into the cabin.  Facing the wall beside the fireplace, she heard him come in.

“Jackie,” he said softly.  When she didn’t turn around, he came up behind her, lightly stroking her shoulders.  “I don’t mean to scare you.”

She turned around.  “You don’t scare me.  I just don’t think I want the same things you want.  I don’t think it’s for me.”

He nodded.  “Fair enough.”

And there he was, standing there, looking down at her with those clear blue eyes that seemed to gaze into her very soul.  She couldn’t stop herself from reaching up to cup his jaw, run her thumb across those soft lips she knew to be a perfect fit to hers.  He waited, though, allowing her to lean up on her tiptoes to kiss him.

Placing his hands on her hips, he deepened the kiss, slowly backing her to the wall, where he pressed into her.  Reaching up, he moved her arms from his shoulders, raising them over her head against the wall.

“Jackie,” he murmured against her lips.

“Mm-hmm…”

“I’d like to touch you.  Would that be okay?”

Surprised, she leaned back to look up at him.  Desire made his eyes sparkle, and she knew her own eyes matched his.  She bit her lower lip and nodded.

Permission given, he plunged his mouth to hers, while pressing her arms against the wall overhead.  His other hand snaked down her body to between her thighs.  As he pressed at the juncture there, she moaned into his mouth.

Slowly, he increased the pressure, beginning a circular motion over her jeans, and Jackie felt a flood of arousal.  Her breath hitched, and she released his lips.  “Oh, God,” she moaned.

“It’s okay, Jackie, just enjoy,” he encouraged, amping up his movements.

She struggled to move her arms, but he firmly held them in place as he continued to stroke her.

“Oh, shit, I’m so close,” she whimpered.

“Just let go, Princess.”

He leaned forward to nip along the side of her neck and Jackie fell apart, crying out in release.

As she panted, trying to catch her breath, Scott gently lowered her arms and scooped her up.  He walked them over to the sofa facing the fireplace and sat, gathering her onto his lap and holding her against his chest.

Coming down from her orgasm, Jackie burrowed against him, adoring the feel of his broad chest against her face.  She breathed in deeply, relishing his clean masculine scent.

He rocked her, murmuring to her softly, lightly stroking her long dark hair.  In that moment, Jackie realized she’d never felt safer or more cared for.  She released a deep sigh.

“How are you doing, Princess?” he asked.

She struggled to sit up a bit.  “I’m, well…  Wow.  That was—” she glanced up at him through her lashes, “unexpected.”

Brow furrowed, Scott lightly stroked her cheek.  “But okay?  I didn’t overstep?”

Jackie shook her head.  “No, you asked, and I said yes.  It was nice.”  She pressed a kiss to his jaw.  “Maybe I can return the favor?” she asked, sliding off his lap.

“No.  This was for you.”  He stood and took her hand.  “But thank you.”  He lifted her hand to his lips and left a gentle kiss there.

Jackie blinked, not knowing what to think.

Like all my Dream Dominant books, WARRIOR MINE is stand-alone, BUT it is a spin-off from LOST & BOUND.  You can read that while you’re waiting for the early summer release of Dream Dominant Book 4.

books2read.com/LostandBound