Word Play

Is it just me, or does this tickle a little funny bone?… “Standing with your shoulders back… makes you more row bust.”

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RISK gets Distinguished Favorite Award - NYC Big Book Awards 2018!!

I am so pleased to announce that Risk: Three Crime-fighting Women Risk All for Love, Lust & Justice has also won two SILVER Distinguished Favorite Awards in both the LGBTQ Fiction and the mainstream Romantic Suspense categories of the New York City Big Book Awards this year!

 

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ALICE gets Distinguished Favorite Awards - NYC Big Book Awards 2018!!

I am also so proud to announce that my latest psychological thriller Alice: A Sleeping Monkey’s Lie has won two SILVER Distinguished Favorite Awards in both the LGBTQ Fiction and the mainstream World Literature categories of the New York City Big Book Awards this year!

To celebrate I’m running an *** Amazon CountDown Promotion *** starting TUESDAY 11th December: http://Dukebox.life/Alice_promo

 

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SIMULATION wins - NYC Big Book Award 2018!!

I am thrilled to announce my #LesbianFiction #Sci-Fi book, Simulation: The Dawn of a Superhero has won the New York City Big Book Award for the best New Adult Fiction book of 2018.

Get a copy now!>> http://Dukebox.life/Simulation

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#Selfie Saturday

#Selfie Saturday. Me on Hout Bay Beach doing research for my book “Alice: A Woman’s Flight for Freedom” Find out more at SamSkyborne.com .. Related Blog posts coming soon.

 

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Alice in Wonderland meets Shirley Valentine - not quite

Last year in June I decided I wanted to write a shorter LesFic novel with a romantic storyline. I had a little idea for a straightforward lesbian Alice in Wonderland meets Shirley Valentine, set in a wonderful holiday destination that I know really well — South Africa, specifically Cape Town.

Well, those were my famous last words.

I did manage to knock out a first draft of what I thought was a pretty straightforward LesFic holiday romance, but when I read it, I hated it! It felt like it was missing something key. I tried very hard to get enthusiastic, so that I could get on and write the next draft… but, I just was stuck.

As I started to reread my first draft again, I began thinking up all sorts of plot twists which then buzzed and fluttered around my brain and I almost had to sit on my hands not to start rewriting immediately. I sat with this, mulling away for about a month last summer, while I was in Lesbos and then the Maldives, where there was enough to distract me and keep me focussed elsewhere.

But, when I got back to the UK to start re-drafting in earnest, before my research recce to South Africa, I couldn’t resist the inevitable and soon my simple holiday romance took a more sinister turn. Before I knew it a psychological drama emerged, with plot twists and turns I could never have envisaged at the start.

Although “Alice” was always intended to be another one of the Toni Mendez adventure, it really was meant to be a straightforward romance!

I think I have to come to terms with the fact that I am incapable of writing a lesbian romance without complicating the plot!!!. Meanwhile, I had another idea for a short series of Maldivian romances, based on the island where Toni and Lizbeth go on holiday just before “Alice” in their timeline, but even those have turned into something more complicated and mostly darker… so, watch this space!

You can find out more about “Alice: A Woman’s Flight for Freedom” here >> http://Dukebox.life/Alice

 

 

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"RISK" - October Count Down Deal!

Starts Tuesday 23 October on Amazon!

Risk: Three Crime-fighting Women Risk All for Love, Lust and Justicve.

Winner of the “National Indie Excellence Award – Finalist

Get your copy at http://Dukebox.life/Risk!

 
 

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EllCon 2018

I am so honoured to be participating in EllCon 2018 – European Lesfic Literary Conference in Bristol on the 23rd and 24th of August this year. It promises a full programme (http://ellconmeet.org/programme/) of all sorts of entertainment and fun, including panel discussions, author readings, book signings and informal chats with all the exciting lesfic authors present.
You can find out more about the even here:

Some of the authors who will be joining in: http://ellconmeet.org/authors/
My Author page: http://ellconmeet.org/blog/author-spotlight-sam-skyborne/
Ticket information: http://ellconmeet.org/registration-and-payment/
The Venue: http://ellconmeet.org/venue-information/
And last but not least the EllCon mission: http://ellconmeet.org/mission/

 
>>> Be sure to connect with me at http://Dukebox.life/Subscribe to hear more news and see pics from the event.

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Alice: Review

I am thrilled!! I have just received this amazing review on Amazon. Thank you Lily!

“I thoroughly enjoyed ‘Alice’ from start to finish. It is a compelling, can’t-put-it-down read. I have been waiting for more from this author since the last book, and this one does not disappoint. The characters are rich, the plot full of suspense and intrigue and the twists and turns of the story are very cleverly put together. All in all a very well written novel which I will read time and time again.”

To find out more about “Alice: A Woman’s Flight for Freedom” and get your copy look here http://dukebox.life/Alice

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Alice: A Sleeping Monkey's Lie

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RISK Sample

RISK Synopsis

Toni Mendez, an ex-cop turned private investigator in London, takes on a case to find the truth behind the violent murder of the young wife of a successful entrepreneur, Lucille Ransom-Evans. Little did she know that this case would bring to her door Maxine Bennett, a feisty, opinionated, American detective, on the hunt for a serial killer.

Maxine not only infiltrates Toni’s working life presenting a sore reminder of a profession she once loved, she also invades her private life by seducing her best friend, Lizbeth Du Cannon. As the investigation continues, Toni is immersed more and more, both professionally and privately, into a subculture she knew only from a distance – the LGBTQ+ world. She is forced to reassess everything she thought she knew about herself and the foundations of her long-term friendship with Lizbeth.

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CONTENTS

• About Sam Skyborne
• Synopsis
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Acknowledgements
• Epigraph
• Chapter One
• Chapter Two
• Chapter Three
• Chapter Four
• Chapter Five
• Chapter Six
• Chapter Seven
• Chapter Eight
• Chapter Nine
• Chapter Ten
• Chapter Eleven
• Chapter Twelve
• Chapter Thirteen
• Chapter Fourteen
• Chapter Fifteen
• Chapter Sixteen
• Chapter Seventeen
• Free Gift
• Simulation Excerpt
• Cat Sitting COMBO
• Saying Sorry COMBO
• Saying Sorry Book
• Milton Book
• The Yellow Tandem Book

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ABOUT SAM SKYBORNE

Novels

• Simulation: The Dawn of a Superhero
• RISK: Three Crime-fighting Women Risk All for Love, Lust, and Justice

Lesbian Erotic Shorts (L.E.S) COMBO Collection

• Cat Sitting: Lesbian Cat Custody Complications
• Saying Sorry: A Queer & Complex Process

Queer Shorts Collection

• Milton
• The Yellow Tandem

Be the first to know about new releases and special offers by joining our mailing list at:

http://DukeBox.life/subscribe

Website: http://SamSkyborne.com

Blog: http://DukeBox.life/SamSkyborne/blog

Facebook: Sam Skyborne

Twitter: @SamSkyborne

Instagram: @SamSkyborne

Pinterest: Sam Skyborne

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THREE CRIME-FIGHTING WOMEN

RISK

ALL FOR

LOVE, LUST AND JUSTICE

Sam Skyborne

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RISK Published in 2017 by DukeBox and Foxy Press.

Copyright © 2017 Sam Skyborne

All rights reserved.

This novel or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author.

All characters and locations in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real places or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Foxy Press

is an imprint of VolVentures Ltd.

http://VolVentures.com

DukeBox

The creative portal for queer women and those who love them.

http://DukeBox.life

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To all my girls with love!

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Acknowledgements

Thank you to all the women who participated in the Whipped Cream Production “lesbian erotica investigations” that ultimately lead to the creation of RISK. It was a load of fun and luckily the investigations continue.

Thank you to all my wonderful friends and family who have lovingly and tirelessly helped and supported me on this journey.

I love and thank you from the bottom of my heart!

---

“…and then the day came

when the risk to remain tight,

in a bud,

became more painful

than the risk it took to blossom…”

Lassie Benton^[1] 1979

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CHAPTER ONE

Thursday

Toni ran her hand through her long dark hair. Her frustration was bubbling very close to the surface. She flicked through the next folder.

“Ransom-Evans. Ransom-Evans,” she muttered, grabbing the next file from the pile. She’d been a Private Investigator long enough that already her filing cabinets, like her small office, were bursting at the seams with paperwork all filed in precise chronological order.

Toni prided herself on having a particularly good memory and somewhere in the middle of this mountain of paper she was positive she had an article about the Ransom-Evans family from a few months earlier. If only she could remember the damned date.

Detective Maxine Bennett strode into the office carrying two coffees and a large box of doughnuts. “Didn’t think doughnuts would be so hard to find, especially in a ‘world city’,” she said in a soft but recognisably American accent as she scanned the room for an empty surface.

Maxine had apparently come over from New York earlier in the week, but her accent was definitely not broad enough to have originated solely from there, Toni thought. She also suspected Maxine knew London a lot better than she’d let on.

Unable to find a suitable clear surface, Maxine nudged aside the small silver plaque that read “Toni Mendez PI” on top of one of the more stable looking paper piles on Toni’s desk.

It’s only been three days and she already acts like she owns the place. Toni slammed another cabinet drawer closed and was about to reprimand Maxine when she caught sight of the teddy-bear tucked under her arm. The incongruity of it froze the acid remark on the tip of her tongue.

“Many things are quite different in London, Detective Bennett.” Though Toni kept the irritation out of her voice, her intent was clear.

“Let’s hope that goes for this case too.” Maxine sipped her coffee and studied the large freestanding whiteboard that stood crammed into the corner of the small office.

“She looks sorta sad.” Maxine indicated the photo of an attractive young woman in her thirties with dyed red hair and dark green eyes.

Toni glanced over. Erika Ransom-Evans did indeed look sad in a troubled, wistful way. Fragile at the very least.

She gave up on the article hunt and retrieved another headshot of a more masculine looking older woman with short greying hair wearing a man’s collared shirt and a v-neck jumper and pinned it next to Erika. She grabbed the blue marker pen, ripped the lid off with her teeth and wrote “Lucille Ransom-Evans” under the photo and drew an arrow from the photo of Erika to that of Lucille and labelled it “wife of”.

Toni stood back and studied her handy work. “They were together for thirteen years.” She shook her head slightly.

“What?” Maxine asked.

“No, nothing,” Toni nodded at Lucille. “I just feel for her. It can’t be easy losing one’s wife while having to be in the public eye like that.”

“No, it can’t be.”

“I’m sometimes very glad I’m not gay,” Toni continued.

Maxine almost spilt her hot drink. “You make it sound like a birth defect.”

“No, not at all, I just don’t think anyone would choose that life if they had a choice. It must be so much harder. Would you?” Toni asked frowning.

“I think you’ll find many people do. Not everyone sees it as a curse or something to be ashamed of.”

“You really think someone would choose a life in which you are at best constantly discriminated against, and at worst victimised or brutally murdered?” There had been varying levels of tension between them since Maxine’s arrival and Toni had just about had enough of being contradicted at every corner.

Lizbeth’s head felt thick. She sat back into the one luxury item she allowed herself in her otherwise utilitarian office—her ergonomically designed desk chair. She took off her rimless glasses and rubbed her tired feet. She was looking forward to finally getting out of her heels, but that would have to wait for a few more hours yet.

She stuffed the case files she was working on into her briefcase, turned off her desk-lamp and headed out of her office.

Lawrence, a tall young man with dark eyes and a head of dark curls was making his way along the corridor towards her.

From beyond him came the strains of a heated argument in one of the other offices lining the corridor.

As she approached him, he smiled shyly at her.

“Hey Lawrence,” Lizbeth said. “I hear she’s still in.” She nodded in the direction of the raised voices.

He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I left her to it. Seems she’s met her match.” He risked a little laugh before shifting into slightly safer territory. “I should have those surveillance photos for you in a few days. I’m doing my last night-watch tonight.”

“Thank you. That’d be good. I’ll have to come along as an observer next time.”

A scarlet tinge crept over Lawrence’s barely post-pubescent complexion. “Oh, it sounds a lot more exciting than it is.”

“So you say.” Lizbeth lifted the briefcase in her hand slightly. “I’m sure it beats courtroom preparation.”

“Okay, you win.” Lawrence laughed.

“Well, good luck,” Lizbeth said, sensing she’d reached the extent of small talk Lawrence was comfortable with. “I hope it’s not a long night.”

“Thanks. You too.”

Lizbeth watched him head down the corridor to the main lifts. She liked Lawrence although he always seemed to be a bit awkward around her. She often wondered how a well-mannered, intelligent young man like him ended up as an Assistant Private Investigator. She suspected he had the aptitude to be able to pick any career he wished and the ability to blend in almost anywhere. Perhaps that was precisely the reason why he was cut out for private investigation.

She carried on towards the source of the voices.

Lizbeth knocked on the door.

Toni stood with her tall frame bent forward, her hands leaning on her desk in what would, to the uninitiated, seem like a rather aggressive pose. She was clearly trying to emphasise a point.

Toni looked at her, nodding in acknowledgement but did not miss a beat.

“No one in their right mind would choose a harder life where you would be at risk like this!” Toni said, poking at a set of photographs on the desk, out of view from Lizbeth.

“I hope I’m not interrupting,” Lizbeth said.

“No. We’re just having a friendly disagreement,” Toni said, pushing herself up from the desk.

“Need a mediator?” Lizbeth asked.

She noticed the flush on Toni’s cheeks, tainting her normally fair complexion, a side effect of her passion which Lizbeth recognised from the many ardent debates she and Toni had had. That was one of the many things Lizbeth enjoyed about her friend. She was very passionate and not to mention stubborn. She would have made a worthy opponent in the courtroom.

“I doubt it’ll help,” Toni said.

Lizbeth glanced over to see who was the cause of Toni’s vexation. She was startled to find a stunning woman, with a perfect white smile and a pair of piercing green eyes, partly obscured by a sexy long brown fringe and jaw length short hair, who was almost brazenly appraising Lizbeth from her perch on the edge of the overcrowded corner trestle table.

Thanks to years in the courtroom, Lizbeth kept her composure.

“Lizbeth Du Cannon,” she said, extending her hand.

“Maxine Bennett,” the woman said, taking Lizbeth’s hand in both of her own.

Lizbeth could almost feel the sparks sizzling in the air.

“Detective Bennett is here begging favours all the way from the United States,” Toni said. “She seems to think that people, like our vic, chose to be gay, and be victimised and murdered.”

Thankfully this jolted Lizbeth back to reality, breaking the spell that was sucking her in.

Maxine seamlessly continued. “All I said was… being gay should not be a cause for pity. No one should be victimised whether they are gay or straight. Being gay is a wonderful fulfilling thing and a free choice, to be as proud of as being straight.”

Lizbeth almost laughed at the incredulous look on Toni’s face.

“Who you sleep with should be no bigger deal than choosing what to wear or what to have for dinner,” Maxine continued.

Lizbeth found it both shocking and wonderfully refreshing to hear someone be so candid and articulate about sexuality.

“This is hardly a question of meat or no meat!” Toni looked to Lizbeth for support. “Do you believe this bullshit?”

Lizbeth inwardly squirmed at now having both sets of eyes on her, waiting for some kind of divine decree. She also could see that trying to explain to Toni that she was misunderstanding Maxine and, explain to Maxine that Toni was just feeling for the victim would take some doing.

She decided on the safer option. “So what brings you to our little island?” she asked Maxine.

Maxine smiled, clearly recognising Lizbeth’s segue. “A case I’ve been working back home has some similarities to this one.”

“Can you share the basics of this case so I have a context at least?” Lizbeth asked them both.

“My out lesbian client’s young wife got bludgeoned to death in an alleyway one night and the police have not been able to solve the case. She thinks it could be foul play since she is a high-profile person in her community. Detective Bennett here thinks my case could be related to hers,” Toni explained.

“Well, I’m here to look into that,” Maxine said, focussing her sea-green eyes on Lizbeth. The effect was almost physical. Lizbeth could imagine this woman having secret superpowers with which to mesmerise her victims, before she had her wild way with them. Suddenly images of a toned, naked, Maxine, in the throes of passion, flooded Lizbeth’s mind.

“So, what do you think?” Maxine asked.

Lizbeth’s mouth felt dry and she needed to swallow a couple of times before she could speak. “About what?”

“About a prospective bedmate?”

Lizbeth tried hard to focus her thoughts. “I would agree. Who you go to bed with should be of no consequence to anyone else and ultimately be an act of unfettered volition.” She cringed at how hammy that sounded. The effect of nerves. Luckily, in court one could more or less get away with it, but her father, a straight-talking country-man, would have accused her of trying to “baffle them with bullshit.”

“You really going to take her side?” Toni interrupted, her exasperation clear.

Lizbeth had momentarily forgotten Toni was there.

“However, sadly,” Lizbeth continued, “who one falls in love with is far less controllable. And that is single-handedly, in my view, the cause of most evils known to humanity.” How did she end up in this situation? “So really anyone who falls in love ill-fatedly should perhaps be pitied.” Lizbeth could feel the prickles of adrenaline around her temples—something she only ever experienced when arguing a high stakes case in court.

“Okay, that’s it! I’ve heard enough. It’s time to call it a night.” Toni stuffed the rest of the files of archived cuttings back into the cabinet and slammed the last drawer shut.

“Bennett, I’ll take this up with you on Monday morning. Lizbeth, you and I have a date.”

Lizbeth noticed Maxine raise her eyebrows and a look of slight amusement cross her features. Thankfully Toni missed that. When Maxine glanced over at Lizbeth, she shook her head and blushed.

Maxine gave her another breathtaking smile. “Is she always this bossy?”

“Mostly, but you get used to it.” Lizbeth was grateful to be let off the hook.

Maxine stepped closer holding out her hand once more. “It was a pleasure to meet you Ms Du Cannon.”

“Lizbeth, please.” She was distracted by the soft, warm, gentle, but assured, pressure that once again enveloped her hand. She resisted stroking the soft skin beneath her fingers. “Likewise.”

With a last gentle squeeze, Maxine let go and headed toward the door. On the way, she grabbed the box of doughnuts and the teddy-bear and, without turning back, raised a hand in a casual finger wave. “Laters, Mendez.” Then she was gone.

Damn! Lizbeth thought.

Lizbeth sipped her wine, watching Toni shamelessly tuck into her bowl of pasta. It always amazed her that Toni was so slim, considering the quantities she consumed.

Lizbeth had chosen their favourite Italian restaurant for dinner. She liked coming there midweek, after a long day at the office, because it was usually not too busy and the food was really good. Not to mention, they served her favourite Italian wine.

So far the food and alcohol had been flowing freely enough to put them both in a very mellow mood.

“So, who is this Detective Bennett?” Lizbeth asked.

Toni playfully choked on her mouthful of ravioli. “Can we really not spoil my dinner, please?”

Lizbeth laughed but waited for Toni to answer.

“She’s a stubborn, opinionated and arrogant police detective from the US What more do you want to know?”

“You two are bound to work well together then.”

Toni rolled her eyes. “Not a chance! I agreed she could ride along for a few days until she finds her feet, but after that she’s on her own. I work alone.”

“What about Lawrence?”

“That’s different.”

“Different how? He works with you.”

“Exactly! He works for me.” Toni gesticulated with her fork to emphasise the point. “He’s my assistant and knows his place.”

Lizbeth laughed at Toni’s posturing. She had known Toni and Lawrence for three years and had seen them work together all that time. She knew they were an amazing team and that Toni had a lot of respect for him.

“Why is Detective Bennett here?” Lizbeth continued, not wanting to lose the opportunity to find out more while Toni was in a sharing mood.

“The case she mentioned went cold. Then using her ‘almighty detecting skills’ she found out about my case and got in touch.”

“I detect a note of professional jealousy.” Lizbeth knew she was playing with fire.

“Hardly!” Toni scoffed and then popped another ravioli into her mouth.

“But, why come to you?”

“You mean why would a ‘Detective’ fraternise with a lowly ‘PI’?”

“No. I meant, if she thought the cases were related, why not go through official channels?”

Toni took a swig of her beer and contemplated her answer. “I don’t know,” she said. “Perhaps she also finds official channels overrated.” Toni shrugged and stabbed at another ravioli.

“We know ‘rules suffocate your creative instincts’,” Lizbeth teased.

Toni leant over and with her folk stabbed a chip on Lizbeth’s plate. “Rules are meant to be broken,” she said with a cheeky grin before so took a large bite of the chip.

“Yes, yes, ‘and that’s what gives you your edge’,” Lizbeth quoted the line Toni had used so often when defending her dodgier investigative techniques.

Lizbeth thought back to Maxine’s shameless appraisal of her. “You’re right,” she said, “Detective Bennett doesn’t strike me as someone who plays by other people’s rules either.”

“She’s too used to wielding her badge like it’s some sort of special weapon.”

“You mean she likes to call the shots?” Lizbeth could not resist.

“And some!” Toni missed the tease.

“Again, it sounds like another wannabe-superhero I know,” Lizbeth said, waiting for Toni to catch up.

This time Toni feigned a chest pain. “This superhero is wounded.” She dipped her fingers into her water glass and playfully flicked Lizbeth. “But, she can still fight back.”

Lizbeth loved times like these with Toni—relaxed and playful.

---

CHAPTER TWO

Friday

Toni checked her watch as she trotted towards the park. She knew she was late and tardiness was one of her pet-hates even though she seemed to be victim to it more often than she would have liked.

As she rounded the corner she spotted little Three, her bleached white crop making her easily identifiable from a distance. She was sitting in their usual meeting place, on a green bench, which was slightly secluded and shielded from prying eyes by a clump of rhododendron bushes.

As Toni approached, “You’re late!” Three said in a borderline petulant tone without looking up. Instead, she was studying, and only barely resisting to pick at, a new partly healed tattoo on her wrist.

“Sorry! I know.” Toni knew better than to point out Three’s teenage behaviours.

“What have you got for me?” Toni asked.

“Copies.” Three looked up and Toni saw she had a lolly stuck in her mouth.

“You really should consider giving that shit up,” Toni said. She did not approve of Three’s high-sugar diet.

Three ignored the comment and handed her an envelope.

Toni opened it. There were notes and some photocopies of photographs of a crime scene. It took Toni a few seconds to orientate herself around the black and white images before she recognised Erika Ransom-Evans’ lifeless body.

“Is this all?” Toni checked inside the envelope once more.

Three popped the lolly out of her mouth with a loud smack. “I’m not even going to answer that.”

“Okay. I’m sorry. I’m just a little frustrated with this drip feed.”

Three looked up frowning.

“I know it’s not your fault,” Toni said quickly. The last thing she wanted was to offend Three. She was one of her best contacts, and her main information channel into the police. More than that they had become friends over the past couple of years.

Toni scanned the notes and read the highlights quickly. Then it struck her. “What! The case is officially closed? You sure?”

Three sucked at her lolly loudly. “Don’t look at me. I’m only the geek and in this case, I only copied and am passing on the info.” She studied the lolly, watching the sherbet ooze from its sides. “Aiden did say to tell you to tread lightly.”

When they first met, it had taken Toni a while to get used to Three’s blunt, informal and sometimes quirky manner—not something that would normally be tolerated in the police force. But somehow, as an external IT consultant, Three could get away with it. Detective Sergeant Aiden Duncan seemed to turn a blind eye to any manner of misdemeanours in favour of having good consultants to work with, Toni thought, recalling her own little interlude with him.

“Seems my client wasn’t entirely truthful. I’ll have to have another word.” Toni slid the copies back into the envelope. “I know it’s asking a lot but could you get me the full case files, like tomorrow?”

Three resumed sucking on her lolly.

“Three!” Toni was getting impatient with the delay tactics.

“I’ll ask the boss, but it’ll take some time to get them.”

Toni recognised the informant routine Three picked up from old episodes of detective dramas she so loved to watch.

“Okay,” Toni rolled her eyes. “I could make it worth your while.”

“How worth my while?” came the quick response.

“How about a sparring session on Saturday, provided I have the files before then.”

Three made an elaborate show of considering her next move. Then swiftly she got up and stuck out her hand. “Deal!” Instantly her face contorted into the sweetest, most mischievous smile. This was the real Three that Toni had grown to love like her own little sister.

Toni had barely extended her own hand when Three, in a few expert moves twirled, tucked and flipped Toni onto her back on the grass. Looking down on Toni, Three smiled and popped her lolly back into her mouth. She then turned and started to leave, calling back over her shoulder. “See you Saturday.”

“What? Wait. You mean Aiden has already agreed?” Toni called after her. She knew that Three would have had to get permission from Aiden first and then get all the files from the archives. That normally took some time.

She saw Three shrug her shoulders.

Toni smiled to herself. She realised she had been played and that Three must already be on it. She could not help feeling a little proud.

On her way back from yoga, Lizbeth picked up a couple of DVDs she hoped Toni would like from probably the last DVD rental shop left on earth.

She did not consider herself a Luddite but she did sometimes yearn for her younger years when things were a little less instant and more valued. She often argued with Toni who was adamantly in favour of instant gratification and wanted them to download ‘the latest’ and ‘greatest’ or ‘next big thing’ from this VOD platform or that App-Store. It was because of Toni she had finally replaced her trusty tube television with the thirty-seven inch flat screen that now hung on her wall. The clincher was on account of a very compelling space saving argument that Toni had presented. However, when Toni became adamant that no self-respecting consumer would own an HD TV without a decent Blu Ray player to take full advantage of the HD features, Lizbeth did point out that what she had gained in space on account of a slimmer TV she had now lost by adding yet another box to the setup. As a result, the debate about connecting her TV to the internet was still ongoing.

When she got home she had a long soak in the bath. She had hardly slept at all the night before. She needed to make a decision. Meeting Maxine Bennett had unsettled her more than she would have liked. It had triggered something in her, something that she had hoped would never raise its cunning head again, something that had taken a good chunk of her paycheque and about nine months’ worth of therapy to bury in favour of peace, calm and an amicable friendship.

Lizbeth stood in front of a glass fronted wooden cabinet in her lounge. She did not often feel nervous. But she noticed her hands were trembling a little as she reached up onto a shelf above her head to retrieve the small key. This was the key to unlock a drawer at the bottom which housed her private collection of DVDs.

Lizbeth smiled to herself as she ran her fingers along the DVD spines. It felt like seeing old friends. Finally, she picked one out.

She closed and locked the drawer and then replaced the key in its hiding place.

She added the DVD to the collection from the store on her coffee table.

The front door burst open and Toni rushed in carrying a large pizza box.

“Hot! Hot! Hot! Okay, I got Hawaiian with extra peppers and half chilli.” Toni dropped the pizza box on the coffee table and shrugged off her jacket.

“Sounds good,” Lizbeth said. “I’ve got a Shiraz breathing and beers for you chilling in the fridge.”

Toni grabbed a slice of pizza and took a large bite. “Uh, good! I’m famished!” she said with a mouth full. She dropped the slice back in the box and headed to a cabinet in Lizbeth’s open plan kitchen where she retrieved a couple of plates and napkins which she placed neatly on the coffee table. Then she picked up her half-eaten slice and continued to chomp through it, ignoring the plates and napkins completely, while flicking through the DVD collection.

Lizbeth observed Toni while pouring herself a wine. She took a large gulp before topping up her glass. She opened a beer and brought them through to the lounge.

“What’s this? I’ve never heard of it,” Toni said, licking the tomato paste off her fingers while studying a DVD cover.

“Oh, that.” Lizbeth tried to sound as casual as possible. “I thought it might be educational considering your recent spat with that detective—maybe help you get an insight into your case.”

Toni flipped the DVD over to read the back cover.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” she said. “You know I’m not good at romances, and I certainly don’t need an education in school girl crushes.”

Lizbeth sat down on the couch and took a bracing sip of her wine. “So you’re an expert then?”

“No… but I know enough. We had one of those girls in my school.”

“Which girls?”

“Those. You know… A lesbian.”

“Oh? And how did you know she was a lesbian? Did she come on to you?”

That caught Toni’s attention. “No! There were rumours—”

“Wow rumours! I think in adult land they call that hearsay.” Lizbeth had to try hard not to let her irritation shine through. “Let’s be honest, Toni, you wouldn’t know ‘a crush’ if it bit you on the backside.”

Toni, still with the DVD in hand, came to sit on the couch next to Lizbeth.

“Seriously? You want to watch this?” she asked.

Lizbeth did not react.

“Okay, let’s watch it,” Toni said, and handed Lizbeth the DVD, grabbed another slice of pizza and her beer and flopped back onto the couch.

As calmly as possible, Lizbeth got up and loaded the DVD, dimmed the lights and took a seat next to Toni. In the dark she leant back, clutched her wine glass and prepared surreptitiously to watch Toni’s reactions.

Toni fidgeted non-stop.

Lizbeth could not take it any longer. She got up and switched off the DVD and headed to the kitchen to fill her glass.

“Why did you turn it off?” Toni asked. “You could’ve just hit pause.”

“Because you’re clearly bored and not interested.”

“Don’t be silly. I was watching.”

“You’ve hardly sat still for thirty seconds.”

Toni hesitated for a moment and then changed track. “Okay, but why the big deal? Why do you want to watch this, anyway?”

Lizbeth took a big sip of her wine.

“Oh,” Toni said, “little ‘Miss Cum Laude’ had a school girl crush?” Toni patted the couch next to her. “Want to come tell me about it?”

Lizbeth took a deep breath. She did not want Toni to make fun of her, but figured this was too important not to do. Maybe Toni will surprise her, she thought. She grabbed her glass and returned to the couch.

“Okay,” Lizbeth said, “but only if you promise not to interrupt or say anything until you have heard me out.”

Toni feigned innocence and mimed locking her lips and tossing away the key.

Lizbeth sat down and braced herself, glancing at Toni from the corner of her eye. Then she began.

“I was sixteen. Back then I thought I wanted to be a botanist. My biology teacher introduced me to a senior student who could tutor me in more advanced areas outside of the curriculum. We used to meet for a couple of hours after school in the biology lab to study organisms and do dissections… That day I was having difficulty with a particular incision… She…”

Lizbeth sensed Toni stiffen on the couch next to her. She knew Toni was busting a gut not to interrupt, but she was going to finish her story. She closed her eyes and continued.

“She came up behind me, took my hand and guided it, while steadying me with her body.” Lizbeth could remember that day like it was yesterday. The feelings still as real and tangible as if it was happening to her right then. “The feeling…Her soft breath tickled my ear as she explained the technique…It was exquisite… I’ve never wanted anything more.”

Lizbeth opened her eyes. There was a long pause.

“What happened?” Toni’s voice was hoarse.

“Sadly nothing.” Lizbeth replied as matter of factly as she could, trying to keep the regret from her voice.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t know. You never said!” Toni said softly.

Suddenly Lizbeth felt exposed and vulnerable under Toni’s gaze. “It may come as a surprise but you don’t know everything about me,” Lizbeth said with a defensive dose of flippant humour.

It worked. Whatever guard had come down between them in those few minutes snapped right back in place, with Toni back on the offensive, protecting her mate’s honour. “You were just a girl, vulnerable. She took advantage of you… How old was she?”

“It’s not about age.” Lizbeth shook her head realising Toni was not getting the point. “She was not even a year older than me, in her final year.”

Toni hardly missed a beat. “School-girl crushes aren’t real. It doesn’t mean anything.”

Lizbeth shook her head but in that instant she could not find the courage to argue further. She had hoped Toni would ask her more about it, encouraging a conversation, but in a typical Toni way, since it was something she clearly did not want to deal with, she shut it down. Maybe that was okay?

“Anyway,” Lizbeth said after a long silence, “let’s watch something else before it gets too late.”

The next film, to Lizbeth’s relief, went down much better.

Normally, after a DVD night, Toni would have stayed over in the guest bedroom but she needed to be up very early to meet Three the next day.

“Are you sure I can’t help clear up at least?” Toni asked.

“No. It’s fine. I’ll take care of it.” The events of earlier had emotionally exhausted Lizbeth and she was relieved to have some time alone. Not that she did not love having Toni around, but on this occasion she just needed some space.

“Okay, well, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Lizbeth nodded and saw Toni out.

She closed the front-door and leant back against it for a few seconds. Well, that went well! Not! She thought.

Finally, she pushed herself away from the door and went back into the lounge to assess the carnage. She started to clean up but noticed the discarded DVD on the coffee table. She picked it up and loaded it into the DVD player. The player remembered where they had stopped viewing and automatically continued to play. Lizbeth knew which scene was coming next and that, at the time, with Toni fidgeting and clearly very uncomfortable was just a bit too much to endure.

Now she settled down on the couch and continued to watch. It was one of her favourite parts. The agonising buildup of the seduction followed by the ferocious consummation by the two women, never failed to inspire her imagination and fuel her own fantasies.

She lay back and slipped her hand into her panties, gently starting to caress herself. Her eyes closed at the sweet sensations and her mind flooded with evocative and arousing images.

“Oh,” she moaned. “Oh… T—” Her eyes snapped open. Shit! Had she just…? She sat up and dropped her head in her hands. “Fuck!”

Irritated she turned off the DVD and threw the remote on the couch. She got up, turned off the light and went to bed.

THE END of the Sample.

If you’d like to continue reading go to:

http://dukebox.life/risk

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Supernatural Book Readings... Book readings boring? Ha.. watch this.

So.. some of you might have heard of the odd book reading or two.. and let’s be honest mostly they can be rather dull… but not always. Here is a clip taken of one of my readings in Skala Eressos in September during the Sappho International Women’s Festival.

Get your copy here: Simulation: The Dawn of a Superhero my futuristic lesbian sci-fi fantasy.

If you’d like to receive notification of my new posts or new book/film releases and promotions, please add your details here to my private mailing list.

And see the right side column for some of my other books. 🙂

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"Cat Sitting" Story/film COMBO on Promotion! NOW - until 30th Nov 2017

Twinkles is very pleased to announce that we are currently running a special promotion of “Cat Sitting” the short story and short film combo box, wherein she is undoubtedly the DIVA. 💅🏻

Be sure to get your eBook or Paperback copy from Cat Sitting on Amazon SOON. The promotion ends on Thursday the 30th November 2017.

What do you think? Does Twinkles’s performance is worthy of her DIVA status?

📌 Also check out the right side 👉🏻 column for some of my novels 📚.

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Holiday Snaps - Hookey and me (Follow on from Holiday Romance)

As so often happens with holiday romance stories… sometimes one can get carried away. 🙄 “He”/”she”, who seemed like “Prince/ss Charming” at the time, turns out to be a real toad as time goes by and they forget to text or write or message….

So, just to prove that I was not making it up, I thought I’d post two lovely holiday snaps of my tall dark handsome stranger.

Needless to say he has not texted or written or messaged .. 😔 .. but with climate change he has promised to come visit.
If you’d like to receive notification 📧 of my new posts or book/film releases and promotions 💫🎉 , please add your details here to my private mailing list >>

Check out the right side 👉🏻 column for some of my novels 📚.

*** Other NEWS: Promos ***

I am running a special promo for “Simulation”, “Cat Sitting” and “Saying Sorry” during the next two weeks on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. Find out more here >>

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Whaleshark - Holiday Romance

It is a true story, even though the telling of it is creative…

He was a tall (2.5 meter long) dark stranger. We met one morning in late September just off the shore of a beautiful tropical island. I can honestly say, for me, it was love at first sight.

As often happens in these situations, when they sneak up on you, I was not looking at my best. I was wearing an ill-fitting bikini which was clinging a little too snugly across the bulges that had come to rest on my midriff during the recent over indulgent summer holiday. To add to the ensemble, I had a red over sized life-jacket tightly strapped over the top making me look like a beached baby whale in a corset. I had patiently waited my turn to take the plunge off of the twelve foot luxury yacht that had brought us out for our morning snorkel excursion. When it came to it I tried, but I suspect failed, not to plop too inelegantly into the azure water.

I was still catching my breath from the shock of submerging my small rotund self in the chilled salt water, bobbing uncontrollably like a buoy, when he glided up next to me, catching me by surprise. In contrast to my frenetic splutters and splashes, his large, lithe form was confidently languid, moving with effortless grace. His wise but little eyes gave me the once-over and then with an imperceptible nod he invited me on a tour of his world. Yes, he invited me, or so it felt, even though there was a whole gaggle of snorkelers clambering over each other (literally swimming over one another, fighting, flapping fins in faces) to get closer to him.

Very, very calmly and considerately he took the lead, gently guiding our path. Like a true gentleman, he’d slow down when I could not keep up, or I got water in the spout, or I steamed up my goggles. Once I’d caught my breath or he thought I might be getting bored, he’d speed up again, alternating in just the right proportions between diving down, swimming deeper to show me interesting things on the ocean floor, and surfacing to snuggle in closer for a more intimate exchange. Together we danced an intoxicating dance through the cobalt blue of the Indian Ocean and for three short hours I felt like the queen at the prom and he was my king.

Then, when it was over and my ride was ready to leave, I thanked him and blew him a kiss. Like the mysterious tall dark stranger he is, he nodded, bid me farewell “until we meet again” and disappeared off into the deep blue distance.

And we, Hooky and I, will meet again. I’m sure of it.

It was a brief but awesome encounter – the type that will feed fantasies for a lifetime.

If you’d like to receive notification of my new posts or new book/film releases and promotions, please add your details here to my private mailing list.>>

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Milton

 
 

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RISK

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