Sealed With a Kiss

Maid of Dishonor Preview

THIS IS NOT AN UPDATE

Hey guys so these next few days are a little hectic for me so I won't be able to upload until next week. So I figured I would post a scene from my next story, Maid of Dishonor to hold you guys until I can get on my computer and type up the next update of Sealed With a Kiss.

So Maid of Dishonor is Dante Russo and Felicity Prescott's story. A proper synopsis is still to come but the gist of it is this: Dante thinks he still loves Elle Chevalier, but she's engaged to be married to her stollen groom, Maxton Hastings. Dante thinks he can get her to see that she has feelings for him before she says the big I Do.

This is where Felicity comes in. Think of her as a Paris Hilton meets Blair Waldorf type of character. She's smart and she's crafty, and best of all she is more prepared for war than a general. After she's cut off from her family's money, her father pulls some strings and gets her the job of Dante Russo's personal assistant. Although helping him getting Elle back isn't in Felicity's job description, she helps him because she gets a nice bonus at the end of the year if they succeed.

But things are never that easy.

I'm so excited for this one because out of all my characters I wish I were her. Rich, brilliant, cultured, beautiful, and not afraid to be rebellious.

Anyway, here's a completely UNEDITED scene from Maid of Dishonor which is all told in Felicity's point of view. Enjoy.

P R E V I E W:

The lights were so bright, the room so loud. With my eyes blinded and my ears deaf, the click of my heels on the wood were drowned out by the sound of the catchy jingle playing and the thunderous applause.

I smiled anyway, tossed a wave or two out to the audience. I walked like I was taught to, kissed the host's cheek like I was expected to. With only the grace a heiress was groomed to have, I sat with my legs crossed across from Mordecai Miller, his eyes shinning and his mouth smiling. We shared an amused look before turning our heads to the rows and rows of people. Being live on Midnight Madness was like an everyday occurrence for me--I felt as comfortable having a conversation with Mordecai Miller on a talk show as lunch out with my girlfriends.

This was my habitat.

In the limelight, brushing off another scandal, burying anything that could implement the Prescott name. This was my life and I was perfectly fine with it.

"Welcome back, old friend," Mordecai said. I pursed my lips and ignored the glint in his eyes. So sleeping with him last year at my annual end-of-summer party hadn't been such a great idea. But he was right. We were old friends. As close of friends as we could be. Ours was a friendship of lure convenience, of politeness. Boredom, even. Just because both of our circles ran together.

"Thanks Mordecai. It's good to be here."

He gave me a smile, a predatory one like the one a hyena would make before he pounced. "Alright, it's midnight and this show's on cable," Mordecai said leaning back on his chair and tapped a pen against his chin. "So let's cut the crap and talk. For real."

I smiled at the audience, sending them an eye roll. "Okay, lets talk."

"Everyone's talking about the nudes...what's the story?"

I leaned forward so my elbows rested on his desk, "You want the 4-11?"

"You know I want it." I almost laughed at his words. We both knew he wasn't talking about the inside scoop anymore.

"Truth is I was hacked. Just like any other celebrity, some asshat obtained pictures of me and splashed them all over the Internet."

Mordecai hid his smile behind his pen, "You seem to be taking this pretty well."

I raised an eyebrow at him. I could feel my blood boiling but I refused to give myself away on television. Stick to the script, that's what I was prepped for. My publicist knows best.

"You know, considering people saved the pictures even after they were taken down and there's been some...crude YouTube reactions uploaded recently. How are you managing to keep you cool with all of this?"

Okay, screw the script! It's clear Mordecai is purposely trying to get me riled up."I'm cool, as you say, because I'm not embarrassed of my body. The human form is something to be celebrated, sexuality praised. Modesty is so engrained into societal standards that things like a picture of a topless woman in black lace panties is so scandalous that it's all we can talk about for two weeks straight. It's ridiculous really."

There was a hoot of approval from the audience. "So you're saying that you're okay with the photos being leaked?"

"Of course not!" I said. "There's nothing wrong with the pictures, my problem's with hackers. Those photos were released without my consent. This was an invasion of my privacy."

"You would give your consent?" Mordecai's eyes locked with mine. His pretty green eyes were filled with disbelief and something else. A challenge.

My hands fisted, my nails bitting into my skin. "I'd rather give my consent than have it stolen from me, yes."

"Really?" His mocking smile made me grit my teeth together. What did I ever see in this loser anyway? Pretty of face and with abs to match, sure but lots of men have that. Maybe it was his eyes, or maybe I was too far gone that I would have taken just about anyone to my bed that night. Too bad it wasn't with someone nicer and less of a sexist pig.

"Yes. I think it's a powerful thing, free will and sexuality. They should go hand in hand. Women are beautiful, there's nothing wrong with showing it off in anything from ads to nudes."

"So you're saying it's not degrading to display your rack and live in a world where it's the norm to have a half naked girl on the cover of a magazine? Thank gosh we don't have another feminazi on the show, am I right?"

Applause was heard, followed by an "Amen" to which I rolled my eyes in response to. "I think it's feminist to be okay with the hypersexual female image in the industry and in every day lives. Women are such powerful creatures; you may have your strength but we have our sexually. It's a weapon that brings even the strongest man to his knees, not the other way around."

"So...nudes are empowering?" The look he was giving me, the look every man in the audience wore, angered me. It made me see red and taste blood.

"No, consent is. I could chose to flash the camera and it would be fine because it was my choice. No one else's but my own, not some idiot behind a keyboard but me."

His smile was amused and condescending. "So what, should I inform the censor team to get ready to blur out your--"

In a split second I was on my feet, and sending Mordecai my own smug look I heard myself say, "I'll prove it."

Jaws dropped when I rose my blouse to my collarbone, even my publicist's. She looked pissed and I know this stunt will be hell to pay but it was worth it to see Mordecai's face.

After all, they don't call the show Midnight Madness for nothing.