Book Hooks - 9/20/17 - Acting Lessons - Kate admits she has a "frover" #KissMeKate #DD

He'd taught her how to act in college, now he intended to teach her how to behave.

Welcome back to Book Hooks, a regular Wednesday feature! In this blog loop, we hope to provide you with some tantalizing tidbits in our books.

My submission for this week's Book Hooks is from my 5th novel, 

Acting Lessons.

He was a strict and demanding college professor turned professional director who excelled at giving acting lessons.  She was his shy and uncertain former student who became a professional actress under his tutelage.  They fell in love, married, and won two Tony Awards before tragedy struck and a simple kiss ripped them apart.

After a six month separation, Peter Thorton decides to take matters into his own hands by making his famous wife, Kate, an offer she wouldn't refuse.  Plainly put, he wants her back and he intends to do whatever is necessary to achieve his goal, even if it means giving his stubborn, willful leading lady a daily reminder over his knee that she promised to obey him.

In this scene, which occurs near the start of chapter seven. Peter is taking Kate to see her doctor after she'd injudiciously injured her knee in a pique. She's seated on his lap in the back of his limousine, and they've just resolved an issue regarding the dissolution of their divorce after they had finished making love for the first time since their separation. And, now, Peter wants to know about the huge sparkling diamond she's wearing on her left hand. A diamond he didn't give her.

            "What are you thinking?" Peter asked, breaking into her thoughts. When she started to shake her head, his hold on her hip tightened. "I never want you to fear being honest with me."

Meeting his concerned gaze, Kate wrapped her fingers around his, then gasped when Peter gripped and raised her left hand. "So, what's the deal with this rock on your finger?"

Kate gazed at the sparkling stone and gave a small wince. The ring was rather gaudy, but she hadn't wanted to offend Thomas by refusing his gift, and her finger had felt naked without her wedding band. "A present from Thomas for our one-month anniversary," she admitted, watching the light play against the handsomely-cut, but garish stone. Quartz most likely.

"Thomas?" he repeated with an arched brow. "Care to tell your husband who Thomas is?"

Drawing her hand from his, Kate twisted the ring. "Well, I said I hadn't made love with anyone else, but I didn't say I hadn't dated."

"All right. Tell me about him."

"Now?" she asked, not bothering to hide her surprise. Peter had never asked about her past boyfriends before, probably because she'd never had any. Not serious ones.

"Why not now? We have time to kill." He checked his watch. "At least twenty minutes. If all you did was date the guy, your story shouldn't take that long."

She winced. "Well, we did more than date. I just didn't have sex with him. We had a sort of everything, but … kind of deal going."

"I see. Did you love him? And you'll notice I used the past tense in that question."

Kate continued to twist her ring until Peter laid his hand over hers. "I liked him. He was a polite, considerate, and attentive partner, as well as attractive. I enjoyed dating him, but I can't say I ever loved him. We were 'frovers,' I guess, except more friends than lovers."

"Really?" At her nod, he slipped the 'gift' from her finger and held the stone up to the light. "This is an awfully expensive piece to give a lover, darling, let alone a 'frover.'"

Frowning, she plucked the ring back to examine it more closely. "No…. It can't possibly be real. That would be insane."

"Actually, although I hate to admit it, I think your boyfriend's anniversary present is real and rare. We can have the jewel appraised to be sure, but from its size, I suspect your 'frover' is toting around a huge hard-on for you. I gather he's loaded?"

Kate recalled Thomas's home and clothing and said, "I never gave it much thought, but yeah, I guess so. He's certainly well-off, if not Kennedy wealthy." She put the ring on again, choosing the right hand this time.

"Better, although I'd prefer you wore your wedding band. Did you get rid of it?"

"No! Of course not. I keep it in the jewelry box on my dresser. I'll pick it up when I pack for our trip."

He bent forward to nip her ear. "I'll consider that a promise." Leaning back, he stroked her hip as if he sought to remind her she still belonged to him. "So, did you and lover-boy have a standing arrangement of sorts? See each other every Friday and Saturday night and return to the real world on Sunday?"

She laughed. "No. Our dates weren't that steady or regular. He'd check his calendar and schedule a get-together for us about a week in advance."

"Ah, a true romantic, and a spontaneous 'frover,' too," Peter remarked, his tone bordering on snide. When Kate smacked his shoulder, he raised one eyebrow. "So, when was this passionate Lothario due to take you out next, may I ask?"

Kate thought back to their last conversation. "We had an arrangement to meet Thursday night."

"Tonight?" Peter asked, his expression reflecting an unusual interest, which caught Kate off guard until she realized what he'd said.

"Oh, shit. Yes, I was supposed to call him yesterday to confirm, then meet him later at the Rockefeller skating rink," she muttered, worrying the ring on her finger again. "I never called him. I totally forgot. I'll bet he's worried sick and furious with me."

Peter curved his fingers around the nape of Kate's neck in a soothing, yet possessive gesture. "Easy, sweetheart. I'm sure 'frovers' can't get furious. It's not in their job description."

"Funny man," Kate said making a face at him. "I didn't bring my cell with me. It probably needs charging anyway. Let me borrow yours, okay?"

"What? So, you can call your ex-boyfriend? I'm a lenient and understanding man, darling. But trust me, not that understanding."

Despite Peter's possessiveness, Kate doesn't feel guilty about dating Thomas. He was her staunch supporter when she was in sore need of someone. She'd made no promises to Thomas, though she knew he expected to marry her once her divorce was final. Problem is she'd never fallen out of love with Peter, and, now, due to her own shortsightedness,  she has an angry "frover" to deal with.

M/F, DD and a staged production of Kiss Me, Kate.

If you're 18 or older, you can read the first three chapters at Acting Lessons

Buy the book directly from Blushing Books, Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes&Noble

Blushing Books caters specially to those who love spanking stories in all genres.  So, if you enjoy stories with characters who have their bottoms warmed on occasion, for a variety of different reasons, I urge you to pay them a visit. Blushing Books.

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