Hi, KD, thanks for giving me the chance to talk about One Night In Brussels. Actually, the topic I’m going to discuss is one that’s raised by a lot of erotic romance, and that’s the question of trust. By that, I don’t necessarily mean the trust between a dominant and a submissive, though that’s certainly one of the elements that comes up in the story.
On a more basic level, I’m wondering how far you can ever trust someone you’ve only just met. The concept behind the City Nights books is that all the action in the story has to take place over the course of 24 to 48 hours. In some cases, the characters are rekindling an old love affair or spicing up an existing relationship, and so obviously they already know each other. But One Night In Brussels, in common with many of the other novellas in the series, features two characters getting together for the first time, and that creates its own set of issues.
Insta-love has become a popular theme in erotic romance. Indeed, we’re almost hardwired to believe in love at first sight thanks to the fairy tales we’ve grown up with. In Prince Charming’s case, all it takes is one dance and a piece of exotic footwear for him to decide Cinderella is the woman for him. In the real world, however, the emotion we’re most likely to feel on meeting a stranger for the first time is lust, which helps to power the erotic elements of a story. But what about trusting a person enough to make a strong and lasting connection? After all, you can’t really love someone you don’t know, and trust is a big part of the getting-to-know-you process. When you give your heart to someone else, you need to be confident that they’re not going to break it – and that helps to create the tension in a romance.
When One Night In Brussels begins, Saskia is bored and needs to get out of a rut. She craves adventure, but finding it isn’t that easy. When she meets handsome businessman Dominic, there’s an obvious sexual attraction between them. She’s comfortable acting on that attraction at first, because she thinks she’s heading for a night involving a nice dinner, a few drinks and whatever might come after that. Then Dominic behaves in a way that makes her question everything she assumed about him, and she has to decide whether she trusts him enough to keep her safe as danger threatens.
And what about the domination and submission scenario I mentioned earlier? Well, as the night progresses Saskia begins to explore some of her wildest erotic fantasies, including letting a lover take control of her for the very first time. But if you want to find out more, you’ll just have to read the story – I can trust you to do that, can’t I?
Excerpt:
“I want you to undress for me, Saskia.”
His voice holds a low, commanding tone—one that compels her to obey. With her back to him, she can’t see his face, but it doesn’t matter. She doesn’t need to know his name, his profession, his favourite foods or any of the mundane details on which relationships are formed. This is to be one night of shared bliss, and nothing more. They will give each other perfect satisfaction then go their separate ways, taking only their memories with them.
She pulls the zip of her tight-fitting black dress all the way down, then pushes the thin straps off her shoulders. From the view she’s presenting to him, he’ll be aware she isn’t wearing a bra, but she’ll tease him a moment longer before letting him see her full, bare breasts. By the time she’s naked she wants him so hard his erection will be threatening to burst the zip of his faded jeans.
The dress slithers to her feet and she steps out of it. She stands in only a pair of thong-backed panties that leave most of her bottom cheeks exposed, and tall black come-fuck-me heels. She’s tempted to sneak a glance over her shoulder to see whether he’s stroking himself through his clothing. Excitement ripples through her at the thought that she’s already got him so excited he needs to play with his cock.
“Oh, that’s nice,” he murmurs.
Saskia assumes he’s talking about her barely clad bum and gives it a saucy wiggle. “You like it?”
“I love it. But you need to lose those panties, too, sweetheart.”
She feigns coyness, hooking her fingers into the waistband of her underwear and pulling them down a fraction before stopping, as though she’s gone as far as she’s prepared to. The idea that he might leap from the bed and rip the flimsy garment clean off her body has her juices flowing and her rosy nipples stiffening into peaks. But he seems content to stay where he is, happy with the show she’s putting on for him.
When she cups her mound through her panties, heat radiates through the wet fabric. She bends forward a little way and slides her hand lower, pressing it into the seam of her swollen lips. He has to be able to see her fingertips peeping from between the gap in her widely parted thighs, touching herself in the place he must ache to, and it feels so deliciously rude to torment him like this.
“Oh, you dirty little minx,” he groans.
There’s a harsh rasp as his zip comes down and now she’s sure he has himself in hand. She risks a peek and her suspicions are proved right. He’s easing his big fist slowly up and down his length. His eyes are half-closed and his head rests on the pillows piled high against the wrought iron bedstead.
To the steady rhythm of his palm slapping against his cock, Saskia eases her underwear all the way down. Then she turns round and throws the damp scrap of silk in his direction. She doesn’t know which of them is the more surprised when he catches them in his free hand without missing a stroke with the other.
He puts the panties to his nose, breathing in Saskia’s scent. “Come here, gorgeous,” he growls, and she does.
She yearns to sink down on the fat, upstanding column of flesh he’s gripping so tightly, but he appears to have other things in mind.
“Lie down,” he orders her, climbing off the bed so she can take the place he’s vacated. He undresses in haste, letting his jeans slide off his slim hips. He isn’t wearing anything beneath them, and once his T-shirt is peeled off, he’s as naked as she is. She can’t help but notice he has no tan lines, and she pictures him relaxing in the nude on a sheltered sun terrace, or maybe some secluded beach, letting his skin turn that gorgeous shade of honey-gold.
“I’ve got a treat for you,” he tells her.
When she looks in his direction, he’s picked up a small bottle with a vaguely Aztec design on its label.
“Massage oil.” He runs his hand through his dark hair. “A blend designed for pure erotic pleasure…”
Blurb:
Saskia van Gaal works as a translator for the European Commission, dreaming of a life filled with excitement and hot sex. When she bumps into suave, sexy Englishman, Dominic May, and offers to be his tour guide in the beautiful city of Brussels, she doesn’t realise she’s about to embark on the wildest night of her life.
A stolen necklace is only the beginning of the adventure, and when Dominic and Saskia are threatened by a knife-wielding robber, things threaten to spiral out of control.
Has Saskia misjudged Dominic? Should she trust him? And as their sex games grow hotter and ever more inventive, can she ever guess how this night will end?
Buy links:
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1k4BSdD
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1PPBJqX
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/561799?ref=cw1985
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/one-night-in-brussels-1
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/one-night-in-brussels-elizabeth-coldwell/1122360825
Bio:
Elizabeth Coldwell is a multi-published author and the former editor of the UK edition of Forum magazine, where she was responsible for publishing a number of now very well-known authors for the first time, as well as honing her own writing.
She lives in East London, is a season ticket holder at Rotherham United and a keen cook. Her recipe for peanut butter brownies is available if you ask nicely…
You can find her at The (Really) Naughty Corner (http://elizabethcoldwell.wordpress.com) and Goodreads (http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2896146.Elizabeth_Coldwell)
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GIVEAWAY!
Make sure to follow the whole tour—the more posts you visit throughout, the more chances you’ll get to enter the giveaway. The tour dates are here: http://www.writermarketing.co.uk/prpromotion/blog-tours/currently-on-tour/elizabeth-coldwell/
Thanks so much for hosting me today, KD!
Liz xx
Thank you, Liz! It’s always a pleasure to have you on mine!
K xx