My latest book materialised at no 5. in Amazon’s Sci-fi erotica ranking – thank you to those who have made the purchase. Not everyone is into science fiction genre, so when I set out to write Bound by Her Promise, I didn’t want it to be sciency book. I glossed over the techie glossary and came up with my own – isn’t fantasy wonderful?
It might be easier to describe this book using other sub-genres, but I don’t think Amazon have them listed. This is my preference:
Futuristic-alternative-reality involving mail order wives, sexy miners, spanking, an intimate examination and a spot of gardening.
(I do try to appeal to all types and if you’re curious about the gardening, you might want to read the book)
A little wordy perhaps, but it sums up the book quite nicely. Unfortunately, due to Amazon’s limited offering for sub-genres – not even spanking romances has made it up there – it is appearing as Sci-Fi, which is fine, as what else could it be.
Blurb.
When twenty-two-year-old Lysa travels to the Outer Rim Colony on Callisto to be a miner’s wife, she isn’t in it for love or even for the fairly generous pay. She undertakes the voyage because the government refuses to let women into technological fields, and the mining colony is her only chance at learning in secret. But upon reaching the colony, it isn’t long before Lysa wonders if she is in way over her head.
Blake, the man she is to marry, brings her almost immediately to the colony doctor for an incredibly thorough, humiliating medical examination. Even more disturbing is the fact that apparently her marriage contract gives Blake the right to discipline her when he feels it necessary, including by means of a bare-bottom spanking.
After Lysa confesses to Blake the real reason she came to the colony, he reluctantly agrees to help her as long as she promises not to neglect her wifely duties. To her surprise, despite her new husband’s less-than-enlightened views on how a misbehaving wife should be dealt with, Lysa soon find herself both enjoying his company and craving his skilled, dominant lovemaking. But when the head of the colony learns that Lysa is illegally studying to be an engineer and that Blake is helping her, will they be forced apart forever?
Publisher’s Note: Held by a Promise is an erotic novel that includes spankings, sexual scenes, medical play, anal play, elements of BDSM, and more. If such material offends you, please don’t buy this book.
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Here’s an excerpt from the first chapter. Lysa has just arrived on the moon and Blake is taking her to his quarters.
***
They passed several doors and other corridors branching off, forming a network of tunnels. Blake directed her down one. “There are some formalities to complete, then you can rest.”
“Formalities?” She expected some, but the word made her edgy, fearful of the unknown, the strange environment she’d entered, so different to Earth. Even the air had a humid heaviness to it, a reminder how everything was recycled or shipped in on cargo vessels, including herself—a requested bride.
“Best to get it over with.” Blake stopped at a doorway. “Don’t worry.”
She opened her mouth to enquire what he meant, but before she could speak the door of his pod unlocked. He nudged the door with his foot and pressed a hand to her back.
“This is what I call home, not much, but it’s comfortable.” He propelled Lysa across the threshold.
Small. It was to be expected, she’d come prepared for the lack of space. But privacy? One room with no partitions, nowhere to hide or seek sanctuary. The door slammed shut behind her and Blake drew across the bolt. Everything was rudimentary and lacked finesse or decoration. Having doors with hinges instead of automatic sliding ones seemed bizarre and archaic.
In one corner, the galley kitchen with a few cupboards and a stove. No food processor to prepare dishes and cook them. A small table and chairs for dining, a seating area for relaxation with a bank of screens, which made up the comms and entertainment systems—she prayed it had some decent music stored on it. A fair sized bed that dominated the quarters occupied another side. Behind it was a solitary window, thickly glazed and a metre squared.
She touched the cold glass and peered into the darkness. All she could see were a few stars.
“I’m lucky to have a pod on the outer wall of the habitat. Although, there is nothing to look at. The sun barely makes an impression and Jupiter isn’t visible from this side.” Blake rapped the glass with his knuckles. “Sorry to say, nothing to look at other than ice and rock.”
“The crater?”
Blake pointed to another corner of the room. “About there. The asteroid crashed into Callisto hundreds of thousands of years ago, buried itself. The minerals inside it are rich and we’ll be drilling for centuries to come. Like all the other mining colonies, it’s not the moon itself which has the resources Earth so desperately needs, but the asteroids that crashed into it.”
Lysa was well aware of the reason the colonies had been built on such an inhospitable terrain. Back on Earth natural resources had been so depleted that off world colonies had to be constructed before there was nothing left. Water remained relatively abundant due to the erection of vast desalination plants, but precious minerals and iron ore were all but extinct on Earth. Technology couldn’t keep up with the loss of resources; new ones had been sought.
The impact on the planet had been far reaching. The rise of powerful corporations had led to the downfall of politics and government. Whoever had the mining rights on the Outer Rim held the power. With the Corporation firmly in control, they dictated the shape of society. Jobs were harder to obtain and the decision had been made—only men could work for the Corporation, no women could become miners, engineers, scientists, pilots… The list was endless. What was left remained the role of cheap labourer, or if lucky, a child carer, nurse or teacher. Women were forbidden from applying for employment at the Corporation, except as wives.
Lysa backed away from the window. The miserable sight of nothingness wasn’t what she wanted to see. What lay beneath the surface remained her interest.
He showed her the closet used for storage. Inside were clothes hanging up and weights for lifting and body building. “You can put your things in here. The other door leads into the bathroom.” He chuckled, “Although there is no bath, just the shower. Water is a premium here on the colony. Would you like a drink?”
Lysa smacked her dry lips together and nodded. “Please. Water will be fine.”
“It doesn’t taste great, all recycled.” He walked over to the kitchen and picked up a beaker. “I would suggest adding a taster.”
“Taster?” she enquired, following him.
“Mint or ginger flavour syrup.” He held up a bottle. “One drop is enough.”
“Mint, please.”
He added a small drop of flavouring to the water and handed the beaker to her. Lysa sniffed the water and wrinkled her nose. It did smell of mint and something else. She took a sip, just enough to wet her lips. Thirst drove her to swallow more and she managed to gulp down the contents in one go. Only after it had slipped down her throat did she notice the brackish taste lingering on her tongue. “Thank you.” She handed the beaker back to Blake.
“You’ll get used to it.”
“I’ve quite a lot to get used to,” she remarked with a wan smile.
Blake stepped towards her and before she backed away, he snatched both of her hands in his. “You’re trembling.”
She couldn’t help it. Since she’d arrived on the colony, she’d been in a constant state of trepidation. He encased her hands in his meaty ones, which were cool and dry. When he pulled on them, she stumbled forward, almost landing against his broad chest.
“I’m going to kiss you,” he stated. He lowered his head and puckered his lips.
Lysa’s thrumming pulse deafened her ears as if all the blood had rushed into her head. Already tense, she waited with curiosity for his touch on her lips. What if he had terrible breath? Would he shove his thick tongue in her mouth? Those doubts seeped into her mind with ease, pushing aside other ones, those she used to help motivate her to comply to his request.
She sniffed, not quite a snivel, and she caught a waft of his masculine scent. She tingled about her nipples and sex, a slight reaction to his aroma and one she couldn’t ignore. It drew out an act of spontaneity. She tilted her head up, rose up on her tiptoes and met his lips.
His moist mouth pressed on her own. A light caress of his lips and nothing else. By the time she registered his presence on her flesh, he’d released her mouth. Inadvertently she sighed. For what little contact she’d experienced, he tasted good. Minty, like her own breath.
He squeezed her hands—she’d forgotten his grip on them. “I’ve made you tremble even more.” Blake grinned.
The heat of blood bloomed across her cheeks. She needed to compose herself. “Would it be all right to freshen up? The shuttle had even less water.”
Blake freed her hands from his trap. “No problem. A good idea, in fact.”
She rummaged in her bag and found a clean set of clothes, sticking to her choice of pants and T-shirt. The bathroom contained a small sink, a toilet and a glazed shower cubicle. To call it a shower was laughable, because unlike on Earth where she would stand under a drenching spout of water, this showerhead sprayed a mist. She undressed and stood in the cubicle, shutting the door behind her. She flicked the switch and a vapour mushroomed about her body.
It took time for the water to condense on her skin and form a sufficient number of droplets for her to cleanse and rinse. Her hair went damp, rather than wet and clung to her face. The glass fogged over and she could no longer see her reflection. It came as a relief, because the sight of her bare mound still made her uncomfortable. She’d shaved it prior to departure and managed to keep it hairless throughout the journey. A compulsory requirement for all Corporate wives—keep themselves naked of hairs ready for their prospective husbands to inspect them.
Inspect. She knew it would happen soon, perhaps today. He’d want to see her in the flesh and not on some screen. She didn’t feel ready, she needed more time to come to terms with her decision. Seeing him, having him touch her, filled her with dread. However, she needed to talk to him and get to know her future husband.
She flicked the water off and pressed the button for the dryer. A blast of cool air hit her body, swirling about her limbs and fluffing up her hair. She rotated, allowing the air to dry her skin. Towels didn’t exist on the colony, what with limited resources for washing clothes, everything had to be dry cleaned.
She dressed, combed down her wild mop of hair and tied it back into a ponytail. Staring in the mirror, she sucked in a lungful and chanted her mantra—you can do this, Lysa, think of your future.
She stepped back into the living area. Blake lay on the bed, reclining. Not now, not yet, please. He sprung up and sat on the edge. “Better?” he asked.
“Cleaner,” she replied. She wasn’t sure about better; that implied something else.
“We need to go.” He stood up.
“Go where?”
“Your medical assessment.” Blake grasped the door handle. “Lysa?”
She’d frozen to the spot. “Medical, but I’ve had one, back on Earth before I left.”
“Yes, that was to check you were fit for travelling and not carrying any diseases. This examination is for your sexual health.”
Sexual. Her legs jellified and she wrapped her arms about her chest as if to add an extra layer of protection. She’d pushed aside all thoughts of sex and what was required from her the moment she’d signed up to be a Corporate wife. While others she’d met during briefing sessions spoke eagerly about pleasuring their husbands, she’d kept quiet and ignored the lurid discussion. “It has to be done today?” She sought an escape route.
Blake let go of the handle and walked over to her. “Lysa. This is a compulsory requirement. If you don’t, you’ll be sent back and fined for wasting time. I can’t fuck you until you’ve been given the all clear by the medic.”
Her eyes widened into spoon shapes. How calmly he referred to her impending role in his life. Reality sunk in and smashed its way past her barriers of denial. This marriage wasn’t about love. Not that miners were forbidden from bringing wives to the colony, but love wives were not common. Most miners were encouraged not to marry back on Earth and wait to be provided with a wife, as it guaranteed the Corporation remained in control, and keeping emotions out of relationships made for a less volatile workforce. She knew all of this, yet, she had hid the truth from herself. Fucked. That was all she was to him—a sexual plaything.
He held her chin between a finger and thumb, raising her face and forcing her to look at him. His eyes twinkled under the lights. “Don’t be afraid, Lysa. The sooner we address this the quicker we can get to know each other and marry. You do still want to marry me?” He spoke in a soft tone, almost a low growl. It made her belly fizz and she couldn’t understand why it had that effect on her.
Lysa nodded, unable to articulate the word yes.
“Because if you don’t, you can go back to Earth, but I would be disappointed. I picked you for a reason. There is something about you and I want to know what it is that makes my cock go hard every time I look at you.” He snatched her hand, dragged it lower, past his waist and shoved her palm against his crotch. She felt the hardness under the clothing, the bulge of a cock growing in size—neither inert nor fully erect. What lay there had the potential to be huge. Her skin prickled with fresh perspiration and she rammed her thighs together. He let go, reached out and stroked a finger along her cheek, a caress, almost affectionate in nature, then he snatched it away.
“Let’s go, then,” said Blake.
***
Another extended preview, which follows on from this one, is available at Stormy Night Publications and you can sign up for their newsletter and future previews here:
Congratulations on reaching No5 Jaye, that’s awesome 🙂 I’m not generally a fan of sci Fi, but I love the sound of this and really enjoyed the excerpt. Definitely on my TBR 🙂
Hugs
Roz
Thank you 🙂
H Jaye, congratulations on such a fantastic start of your book! And you can add amazon Germany to your list, they have your book there too. 🙂 Imagine what surprised faces you would have caused if you could have put your book into the gardening category too (sorry, I am just a bit silly). Great snippet, although I’m still not a sci-fi fan, I love the setting of this and the detailed sub-genre strikes a chord in me.
hugs
Nina
Unfortunately Amazon won’t let publishers assign sub-genres if they come under Erotica, so no chance of adding it to gardening! I always appreciate my German readers – danke schoen (sorry no umlaut to be found on my keyboard)