She
is committed to serving her country. He has other duties in mind.
Excerpt:
“What
do you think you’re doing?” a man said from behind her. His voice was as deep
as thunder, authoritative, and vaguely familiar.
Pepper
smoothed her lavender midi-dress and tucked a loose strand of hair under her
modesty cap before turning to face him. Her hands went cold when she saw who
had spoken.
Looking
down at her from a lofty height stood a stately man, a blue-skinned Devmaerean.
He was dressed in the gray uniform and shiny black boots worn by all male
members of the country’s ruling Tribunal. But the red cuffs on his jacket and
the scarlet scarf at his neck were worn by only one person: the country’s
leader.
Commander
Quinn Garrick’s face was impassive, and his amethyst eyes glittered with
something like amusement. “Are you planning a burglary?”
His
rich voice made Pepper’s insides tighten, but not from fear. The hair on her
arms stood on end. Her toes curled, responding to his aura of power and
authority. She couldn’t take her eyes off him.
Her
face burned with embarrassment at her body’s primal response to him. Wasn’t she
the woman who could say no? And usually did
say no. Wasn’t she the one
who was rarely tempted by desires of the flesh?
Until
now.
Her
breath came fast and shallow as the axis of her world shifted.
“Uh.
No, sir.” She gulped.
She
glanced around for the Tribunal Guards who should have been close. Curiously
there were none nearby. Neither was there was a film crew on hand, recording
their encounter. It was just the two of them standing in front of Lily’s place.
Pepper
swallowed as icy fear edged out her initial sensation of lust. The commander
was known to be a rigid enforcer of the rules that made their country safe and
stable. And he’d just caught her peeking into a house that wasn’t hers.
Dread
fluttered in her chest. As she broke eye contact with him, she noticed the
broadness of his shoulders. A cinched belt emphasized the trimness of his
waist. She glimpsed the healthy bulge at his groin. In spite of herself, her
fingers twitched at the thought of touching that beautiful muscle, teasing it
to its magnificent fullness. His strong thighs flexed under his tailored
trousers.
“Step
out of the flowerbed, please.” An order disguised as a polite request.
Pepper’s
heart tried to hammer its way out of her ribcage as she moved onto the lawn.
“Please
look at me when I’m talking to you. What do you think happens to burglars?”
She
raised her eyes back to his and shrugged.
He
folded his arms, nodding at her to speak.
“Detention?”
Her voice squeaked, betraying a mix of fear and wonder.
“At the
very least. Women offenders often get the switch.” The corners of his mouth
twitched in a small smile.
Flames
of embarrassment burned up Pepper’s neck as she imagined this man baring her
bottom to stripe it with willow branches. Now another part of her body was
swelling and clenching. As his eyes bored into her, she dropped her head to
study her feet. The toe of her right boot was muddy from the garden. She rubbed
it against her left ankle.
“What
do you have to say for yourself?” Before she could answer, he said, “Let’s
start with our names. I’m Quinn Garrick, Commander of Elsinania.”
Everyone with working eyes and ears knows who
you are. Pepper bit back the sarcastic reply. The man
appeared hourly on the viewing screens that ran nonstop in all the public
buildings in every street in the entire country. “I’m Piera Elin Thornback,
massage therapist, citizen grade four. People call me Pepper.”
He
nodded again, indicating he expected more of an explanation. She wondered if he
would demand to read the CitizenBand on her left wrist. The fine gold and
silver bracelet carried her name, address, education, occupation, blood type,
along with the day of her last cycle and the fact that the contraceptive option
had been activated.
“It’s
my sister, Lily. I can’t wake her.” She jutted her chin toward the window as
her voice drifted off. Somehow her explanation sounded flimsy when spoken out
loud.
“Let me
have a look.” He touched her lower back as he stepped around her. As quickly as
he removed his hand, she wanted it back on her again.
Pay
attention. She noted the way he didn’t have to trample
the garden to get close like she did. He was tall enough to see in the window
from three feet back.
As he
turned, she saw that his thick blue hair was tied back with a leather thong at
the base of his neck. The length of it took her breath away; it was almost as
long as hers.
The Handbook for Proper Conduct, which set
out the rules every person in Elsinania was supposed to live by, decreed that
men’s hair shouldn’t reach past their shirt collars. Quinn’s would fall to his
elbows when it was untied. Members of the Tribunal made rules; they obviously
didn’t follow them.
“There’s
no one in there,” he declared, regarding her with a look of gentle concern.
Suddenly
the autumn sun felt unbearably hot. A bead of sweat ran down the back of her
neck. She longed to tear off her modesty cap, loosen her long heavy hair, and
let her scalp breathe.
Blurb:
When rumors of twenty-three-year-old orphan
Pepper Thornback’s incredible healing abilities reach the ruling Tribunal,
Commander Quinn Garrick sets out to bring her to the capital. Pepper is given
no choice in the matter, and when she attempts an escape during the journey she
is taken over his knee for a sound spanking and then stripped bare for a
painful, embarrassing switching.
More humiliating still, upon reaching their
destination Quinn informs Pepper that she will be his ward for the duration of
her stay and he will not hesitate to deal firmly with any disobedience.
Despite her blushing indignation at being
treated in such a shameful manner, Quinn’s stern dominance arouses Pepper
deeply, and when he takes her in his arms and claims her properly she is left
utterly spent and satisfied. But when Pepper makes a shocking discovery
concerning the fate of her parents, will the revelation strengthen her bond
with Quinn or tear them apart forever?
Publisher’s Note: Bound to the Commander is
a stand-alone sequel to Bound to the Admiral. It includes spankings and
sexual scenes. If such material offends you, please don’t buy this book.
Learn more about the planet Devmaer and its
sizzling people with the prequel novella Bound to the Past. It’s
available FREE at all major ebook sellers.
FREE ON KU
Don’t
miss any of Libby Campbell’s great books:
The Lighthouses of Devmaer, a fantasy-sci fi romp:
The Lighthouses of Devmaer, a fantasy-sci fi romp:
Bound to the Past, prequel
Time Travel:
Christmas romance:
Contemporary Romance:
About the Author:
My romance novels feature strong, self-reliant
women and the powerful men who love them. Romantic by nature, I write the
stories I want to read: those that feature a spicy power exchange and deliver a
sting in the tale.
Canadian by birth, I also lived in Australia
for a couple of decades. While living there I overcame my aversion to saucer-sized
spiders and, as a condition of marriage to my Aussie Prince Charming, I swore a
lifelong allegiance to the Melbourne Football Club.
Then family called and my husband and I packed
up and moved. We now live on a rocky island on Canada’s West Coast, close to
beaches that once were frequented by smugglers and rumrunners.
My passions are reading and writing. I adore
all animals and love hiking, beachcombing, and an occasional night of dancing.
Connect
with Libby Campbell:
Find her on BookBub – https://www.bookbub.com/profile/libby-campbell
Visit her Amazon author page: https://amazon.com/author/libbycampbell
Pinterest: https://nz.pinterest.com/libby3054/
Join her in the Facebook group Sexy Spanking Authors & Readers group
Join her in the Facebook group Sexy Spanking Authors & Readers group
Find her on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14925906.Libby_Campbell
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Thank you for sharing Quinn and Pepper's story!
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