Genre: BDSM Steampunk Romance Heat Level:4 Word Count: 26, 630 ISBN: 978-1-926950-73-0 Editor: Dana Horbach Cover Artist: LF Designs

The Promise of Silk by Lilith Duvalier

Heat Level 4
$3.99
SKU 978-1-926950-73-0
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The Promise Series, 1

An airship pirate who ran away from his soul crushing London life, finds himself at an infamously decadent carnival out in the English countryside. A fellow pirate does his best to convince him to go and sample the lovely women of The Row, but Buck isn’t sure he ever wants a woman again.

That is until a mysterious woman in a red dress and mask sits down across from him, entrancing him instantly. He follows her back to her red silk tent, where she puts him through his paces, whetting his appetite for more erotic delights. Each time he returns, she brings him further beyond his boundaries, while learning that he can help her break her bonds.

Be Warned: bdsm, brief m/m interaction, sex toys.

 

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Excerpt:

A small white hand appeared to one side of the tent flap and pulled it aside. The masked woman stood, still and silent, with the red silk of the tent flap draped over her arm. She said nothing.
    She did look like a demon now, with deep shadows carved into the ruches of her dress by the far off carnival lights, her mask rising over her head like devil’s horns. Buck hesitated under her stony gaze, and then, with a gulp, he stepped out of the light and into the black interior of the tent.
    A spicy, sweet smell filled his lungs the instant he stepped inside. He wondered why he hadn’t been able to smell it from the outside but continued in, shuffling carefully in the darkness. The woman walked behind him, the fabric of her dress making a soft sound as it moved over the ground.
    “Who are you?” he asked. She didn’t answer. There was a light scraping noise and a match flared in the darkness, illuminating her face and throwing the edges of her mask into sharp relief. She lit a candle, shedding light on nothing more than a stretch of red silk and the corner of a table, then stepped forward and lit another candle, bringing a muddled shape of something standing on the table into view. She walked farther into the room, lighting another candle every few steps. Buck stood by the tent opening, heart throbbing as though he were still running. Bit by bit, the room came into view.
    A rug was spread out over most of the bare ground, grass peeking around the edges of it. A large wooden box sat on top of it, occupying the entire middle of the tent. A small wooden vanity, with a large round mirror attached, stood against the back wall, directly across from the box. A few trunks were neatly arranged in a corner. The table with the statue of the woman on it, incense burning in front of it like it was an Eastern idol, was near the tent entrance.  
    The Red Lady stood across from Buck, eyes drilling  into him just as they had at the pub.
    “Tell me your name.” Her voice was soft, deep, and steady.  It was like a river speaking.
    “Buck.”
    She tilted her head, the corners of her mouth tipping upward in contrast to the dripping points of her mask. “Tell me your real name.”
    “Alaric,” Buck admitted. He hadn’t used it since that last day at the factory. Alaric was a clerk and a doormat. Buck had some status, even if it was only among criminals. He had gone out of his way to make sure none of his fellow pirates ever found out he wasn’t called Buck. Not that pirates bothered about a man’s real name.  
    The Red Lady’s expression returned to blank beneath the mask.   
    “What’s your name?” Alaric asked.
    “I haven’t decided what you’ll call me yet.”
    His heart beat picked up again, and a tremor started in his legs.
    “Why did you follow me here, Alaric?”
    He shrugged, not sure of the answer. “Well…this is The Row isn’t it?”
    “It is.”
    “And you’re a woman on the Row right?”
    She didn’t reply. Alaric felt his face heating, a faint prickle starting in his cock despite it.  This was worse than in China, when that beautiful girl pretended to react to his clumsy fumbling and then tried not to laugh when he paid her for an hour and only lasted a handful of minutes.
    “Look, my ship’s just back from a long tour. I can pay you.”
    “We’ll see,” the Lady said, a small smile quirking her lips up. “You’ve accompanied a prostitute before?”
    “Of course.” He pointed at himself with a touch of bravado. “Pirate.”
    The Red Lady let a silence land there, stretching out before him.
    “Just once.”
    “It didn’t go well.”
    Now she was reading his mind. He should go, simply turn around, leave, and never see a prostitute again. Maybe she really was a demon. Maybe the mask was hiding the demon parts of her face.  
    His mind was trying to move his limbs, turn his feet, push him out the door, but his body was entranced. The tremor in his legs climbed up to his groin, making him very aware of the way the dim candle light moved across her rounded body.
    “No.”
    “Why didn’t it go well, Alaric?”
    His mouth was starting to go dry. His hands were beginning to shake.
    “She laughed at me,” he told her, dropping his eyes to the floor.
    “Why?”
    “Because I…I couldn’t,I didn’t…,” He stopped, gulped, wondered again what magic he had run across.
    “Look at me when you speak, Alaric.”
    He lifted his gaze up from the pattern of pomegranates running along the border of the red rug and met her shadowed eyes.
    “I couldn’t.... I barely got inside her before….”
    The Red Lady didn’t reply. Alaric suffered a terrible moment of fear she would throw him right back out of her tent and let him find a lower class prostitute who would welcome a quick trick like him between the carnival crowd.
    “Fortunately, that won’t be a problem here,” the Red Lady told him, a smile spreading over her red lips. “Undo your trousers, Alaric."


 

Other Books in The Promise Series:

 


The Promise of Silk

 

Cherry Dreams

 

 

Product Reviews

Score: 4 out of 5 (based on 6 ratings)
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3/5
Coffee Time Romance Reviews
Written by undefined on 25th Apr 2012

Buck is a pirate now but he used to be a clerk in a factory and a bit of a doormat. When the airship he helps crew stops at a carnival, Buck does not even know if he wants to obtain a woman. Then he hears about The Red Lady. Anisette is ready to leave her life in the Carnival behind. When she meets Buck, she knows he is the perfect specimen to take on her journey. There is something about The Red Lady that calls to his need to be dominated. When she finally reveals her name as Anisette, he feels cherished. As she binds him to her both physically and mentally, he feels loved. When it is time for the airship to leave, will Buck go with it or will he stay with the woman who has shown him the way to true passion? The Promise of Silk had some enticing moments that left you craving more. The way Anisette seemed to know exactly what Buck needed added extra components to the plot. Add in the sensual encounter between Buck and Anisette’s previous lover and you cannot help but feel the pages heating up. Ms. Duvalier has written an adventure that is sure to attract the BDSM fans as well as the Steampunk fans. Nicely done!

4/5
Nocturne Romance Reads Reviews
Written by undefined on 13th Apr 2012

An airship pirate who ran away from his soul crushing London life, finds himself at an infamously decadent carnival out in the English countryside. A fellow pirate does his best to convince him to go and sample the lovely women of The Row, but Buck isn’t sure he ever wants a woman again. That is until a mysterious siren in a red dress and mask sits down across from him, entrancing him instantly. He follows her back to her red silk tent, where she puts him through his paces, whetting his appetite for more erotic delights. Each time he returns, she brings him further beyond his boundaries, while learning that he can help her break her bonds. (Goodreads) A mysterious woman with a knack for dominance, a young handsome pirate with hidden potential, brought together by a piece of red silk. This is an interesting read. Going into it you may expect a simple short erotic tale. The Promise of Silk is true to its title as there is definitely more than just that. Jane is a strong woman who knows what she wants from life, what she needs to achieve, and has now found the person that will bring everything together. Alaric (Buck) is perfect for what Jane has in mind, a man with skill but also willing to follow orders and please her. Alaric is more than she bargained for as he stands his ground when she needs him to and takes control when she doesn’t even know she wants him to. Not as steamy as expected but the story more than makes up for that. Now, does anyone feel like finding an expensive silk dress?

5/5
TBR Pile Reviews
Written by Luta Wolf on 9th Dec 2011

Buck couldn’t leave London quickly enough but now that he’s out in the world, he finds that perhaps losing control isn’t what he was really looking for. Jane is a woman of the night, one that holds the reigns tightly in hand. In each other’s arms they find sublime submission and control. The plot takes place in a futuristic Victorian world with a heavy dose of BDSM. With a plot like that, I knew that I’d either love the story or hate it. I’m picky about my Dom/sub and have come away more than once with a bad taste in my mouth from an author not truly understanding the lifestyle. That was not the case here as the author proved quit knowledgeable about the subject. I admit to being hesitant about the alternate universe as well. I needn’t have worried though as the author provided amazing details to the point that I felt she was literally painting this world for me. What I loved most about the story though is the fact that the woman is the Dom. Who doesn’t love a woman that knows what she wants and has full intention of getting what she wants. Don’t get me wrong though, Buck isn’t any less of a man, just that he also happens to be a man that knows when to let go of control. My only complaint with the story is that, I personally felt that it could have been drawn out a little bit longer. I loved everything else and look forward to more from this author.

5/5
Reviewed at The TBR Pile
Written by thetbrpile.weebly.com on 9th Dec 2011

I’m picky about my Dom/sub and have come away more than once with a bad taste in my mouth from an author not truly understanding the lifestyle. That was not the case here as the author proved quit knowledgeable about the subject. I admit to being hesitant about the alternate universe as well. I needn’t have worried though as the author provided amazing details to the point that I felt she was literally painting this world for me

5/5
Highly reccommended!
Written by Caitlin on 4th Sep 2011

A very promising first novella from Lillith Duvalier. The Promise of Silk is set in an alternate reality, a Victorian Steampunk world, where pirates rule the skies rather than the seas. Buck finds him and his crew stopped for repairs outside London, at a carnival that boasts a variety of sins of the flesh. Buck, still recovering from an embarrassing incident, is a little gun-shy until he meets a woman in red silk that it too enticing to resist. I don’t really read or get into Steampunk culture that much, sometimes the world doesn’t make sense to me. This one was done incredibly well, I thought. Of course, the point of the story isn’t the Steampunk, rather it is about the characters—specifically that of Buck and Anisette. The story really focuses in on Buck, the hero, and his struggles with intimacy. I have to say, I have read a lot of romance in my day, and this novella has really surprising and unique twists that I have never read before, I would highly suggest this as a read, especially if you like your women strong. The ending is a bit abrupt, but when I get invested in the characters, I always want there to be more.

4/5
Sizzling Hot Book Reviews
Written by Stacey on 22nd Aug 2011

Buck wanted to escape his mundane London life and decided to see the world by becoming a pirate. When the crew lands at a carnival, it is time for these pirates to meet a few women. Buck is enthralled by a masked woman and follows her. The Promise of Silk is intoxicating for Buck, but will it be enough? Buck is a young naïve man that has only had one experience with a woman and it ended badly. Now, he is not sure he is ready to attempt it again, but the woman in red captures his attention fully and he has to follow her. She gives him a taste of things he has only heard stories about. I actually began to like Buck even though I usually like my men more in charge. Jane is the woman in red. She has been doing this for many years and all her men know she is the boss. She wants a normal life, but society won’t let her become a lady without a man. So, she is searching for one that might fight the bill. When she meets Buck, she isn’t sure but he shows his passion, his desire to please, and his skills to her over the course of several nights. Jane knows she wants to be with Buck longer than the time at the carnival. Will she push him away with her desires? The Promise of Silk is a BDSM, steampunk story that is different from most of what I read. I usually like my men more in charge and more alpha than Buck is. But, I have to admit that he really grew on me. He is still independent and does what he needs to, but enjoys the freedom he feels with Jane. Jane is a woman schooled in the art of pleasing men and a woman who enjoys being in control. She doesn’t abuse it, just gives men pleasure on her terms rather than theirs. The concept and characters in The Promise of Silk got my attention pretty quick and pulled me in deeper and deeper. As Jane and Buck explored pleasures they both enjoyed, they started to learn a lot about each other and themselves, even though Buck never got to see her face. The Promise of Silk is a good story about finding the person who will give you want you want and realizing making someone happy makes you happy as well.

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