Loveswept | October 27, 2015 | Romance
Club Sin, book 7
★★★★★
SOURCE: PUBLISHER
TOUR HOST: TASTY BOOK TOURS
Dmitri and Presley—the scorching-hot couple who started it all in Claimed—return to save Club Sin in the exhilarating new short novel from USA Today bestselling author Stacey Kennedy.
Dmitri Pratt is living out his dream. Not only does he own the ultimate playground for the BDSM lifestyle, he’s found a special connection with his deliciously sexy sub, Presley Flynn, the woman who complements him in ways that go far beyond the bedroom. But when an anonymous blackmailer threatens to expose the elite, high-profile members of Club Sin in a notorious tabloid, Dmitri’s perfect world spirals out of control.
Before she met Dmitri, Presley never imagined she would find a Master who could deliver on all her hottest fantasies. Dmitri’s love and his sensual artistry surprise her every day, until he suddenly turns distant and cold. For the first time, Presley wonders where Dmitri’s heart truly lies: with her, or with Club Sin. As the life they’ve built together begins to crumble, Presley can only trust that Dmitri has what it takes—to defend what’s his, and win back the woman he cannot live without.
Mine is intended for mature audiences.
{ about stacey kennedy } .
Stacey Kennedy is the USA Today bestselling author of the Club Sin series. She writes deeply emotional romances about powerful men and the wild women who tame them. When she’s not plugging away at a new story, she’s either hiking, canoeing, relaxing around a campfire, or obsessing over Penny Dreadful, Game of Thrones, andOutlander. Stacey lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband (who puts any of the heroes in her books to shame), their two young children, and her other babies: a mini labradoodle named Jax and a chocolate labrador named Murphy.
{ excerpt } .
“What’s going on?”Presley Flynn frowned at her best friend and fellow submissive, Cora, who stood beside the black leather couch in the dungeon. Cora rubbed her round belly, only partly concealed by a purple teddy; she was in her sixth month of pregnancy. “I don’t know.”
Presley knew that Cora, too, felt the odd energy throughout Club Sin. The dungeon seemed darker somehow, as if it were in a state of confusion.
Most nights Club Sin opened its doors on Fridays and Saturdays. This Sunday night Dmitri had allowed attendance in order to celebrate a few birthdays of Club Sin members. Now Presley wondered if that had been a mistake, though she couldn’t figure out why.
Presley dropped down onto the couch near the bondage area, absentmindedly adjusting her black corset. An hour ago, she and Dmitri had been playing together when Sarah had suddenly interrupted their scene. One short private conversation later, Dmitri had pulled all the Club Sin Masters from the dungeon, saying nothing to Presley.
Cora lowered herself onto the couch next to Presley. Her bright blue eyes radiated the same concern Presley felt. “I’ve never seen the Masters leave the dungeon like that.”
“Yeah, I know. It was beyond strange.”
Presley scanned the dark dungeon. Without the Club Sin Masters in attendance, the dungeon lacked order; the members moved around, looking a bit lost. Something bad must have happened, she thought.
Swallowing her worry, she glanced around the room. The couches and chandeliers remained the same, as did the BDSM stations decorating the room. But the members were only chatting among themselves, refraining from playing. And that never happened.
“Do either of you know what’s going on?”
Presley glanced to her right, spotting Ella and the other pregnant submissive in Club Sin, Kenzie, dressed in a black lace bra with panties. Three months along, Kenzie hadn’t started to show in any significant way. “Nope, I haven’t a clue. But don’t worry, I’m sure it’s not that bad.”
Their anxious faces disagreed.
Ella, dressed in cherry lingerie, took a seat across from Presley. Ella had given birth to her daughter, Andie, nearly a year ago, and Presley noted subtle changes to her body: her hips were wider and her face was fuller, radiant with natural beauty. “I hope the guys come back soon,” Ella murmured. “Things are . . . tense.”
“No kidding.” Kenzie took a seat. “Everyone is on edge.” Her eyes scanned the crowd as she gathered her strawberry-blond hair in one hand.
Noticing the alarm in Kenzie’s hazel eyes, Presley attempted to stay positive. Nevertheless, one question lingered in the air: why had Dmitri called for a private meeting of the Masters during Club Sin hours?
Luckily, she didn’t need to wonder long. The dungeon’s steel door opened, and in stepped the one man who could make Presley’s heart flutter, even from a distance. Powerful and enigmatic, Dmitri entered Club Sin, his stride sure. Blond, tall, muscular, he was gorgeous.
The crowd silenced as Dmitri stepped onto the stage, gesturing the crowd to come toward him. Presley rose, unable to look away from her Dom, as the other Masters circled behind him. Her man had that authoritative power. When he walked into a room, either in the dungeon or in his professional life, he commanded attention. People respected him. They admired him. Presley loved him for those reasons and more.
She rose from her seat, moving toward the stage without thinking. The closer she got, the more evident the dark worry in Dmitri’s eyes became, causing her steps to falter. Because she knew him so well, she saw that when he glanced out over the crowd, he took a deep breath. It made her nervous, because she’d never seen him rattled before.
Just then, he called in a strong voice, “Friends, I have news that disappoints me.” His piercing blue eyes briefly flicked to Sarah, the submissive who had interrupted their scene, before returning to the crowd. “It’s been brought to my attention that an unknown source has captured photographs of the Club Sin Masters, their submissives, and a few other members, whom I will talk to separately.” Loud gasps cut into the air, and Dmitri inclined his head, acknowledging their concern. “These photos and our names have been sold to a tabloid magazine that intends to publish them.”
“Who would do this?” the Dom Max called from the crowd.
“I’m afraid I don’t have an answer to that.” As voices around Presley rose with urgency, Dmitri raised his hand, hushing them. “Believe me, we will find out who’s behind this.”
Presley’s heart went out to Dmitri as he lowered his head. He never averted his gaze from anyone. Ever. When he raised his head again, his face wore a wrath that she hadn’t known existed in him. “I’ve always promised you the highest level of protection, but this is out of my control. I will do everything in my power to ensure that those pictures are never published and your identities are kept safe.”
When those eyes that could arouse Presley with a simple look met hers, her heart sank further. His look was so disconnected that it shook her bones. No warmth exuded from him. No love was visible in his eyes. She swallowed the sudden tears prickling her eyes. He’d been something solid in her life. Yet now he eyed her like a stranger would, disconnected and drawn into himself.
Cold shock blasted through the room; Presley could almost feel the chill. She wrapped her arms around herself. Someone wants to expose us? Sickness rolled through her at the horror of this terrible reality.
{ review } .
With the end of the series, we go back to the couple that started it all -- and while the others have all gotten hitched, Dmitri and Presley are still simply living in sin -- something that's starting to bother Presley. Dmitri, though, needs to be sure everything is well in business and life before he takes that next step -- a step he knows, without a doubt, will happen. Presley is it for him.
This book gives us some suspense, some romance, some questions... It was a great way to end the series. I loved watching Dmitri in his full, protective element, and I appreciated Presley's concerns about where life was taking them. Dmitri goes into full business mode in this book, but with it comes his protectiveness -- of his people, his club, but most importantly, Presley. But equally, Presley shows us how much she has grown since we first met her, and I loved the changes in her.
Everything about this end was done well -- except the fact that is the end, of course ;) I'm certainly going to miss this group of people, but am excited about her next club series.
{ previous reviews in series } .
no reviews for CLAIMED and BARED
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