S is for Safeword

By Linzi Basset

The journey of Grace Forrester and Ralph White began in THE INTERVIEW, with Grace searching for the dream job and Ralph interviewing for a new live-in submissive. The story is a slow burn from the start of their lives together and sets the background of the series to follow. This is where their journey continues...

Grace Forrester
Life is full of curveballs. I just wish they’d bypass me on the odd occasion. Throwing me a lifeline just to yank it back doesn’t count. I had my chance at turning around the ever-deepening mire of debt. I was sucked in... and I messed it up. What sane woman would agree to a certifiable proposal by a prospective employer on the day of the interview? Not this one.

The threat of losing the house I inherited from my parents forced me to reconsider my options. Except... would the formidable Ralph White consider my counteroffer?

Ralph White
I’m not well-liked in the corporate world, not that I care. I worked hard to achieve success and became a self-made billionaire, something no one can take away from me. Except it leads to a lonely life, one I counter by carefully selecting a new live-in submissive every year. Grace Forrester ticks all the boxes, but she’s stubborn and spurned my offer.

She’s the one I want, and I always get what I’m after. Besides, I have the power and money to bend her to my will.

Amid a suspenseful backstory of money, power, and corruption, will this sassy woman give in to the pull of the natural submissive yearning to be set free?

PLEASE NOTE: Although the blurb is in first person, the book is written in third person.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Linzi Basset
• Release date: May 10, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005792039

Linzi Basset

“Isn’t it a universal truth that it’s our singular experiences and passion, for whatever thing or things, which molds us all into the individuals we become? Whether it's hidden in the depths of our soul or exposed for all to see?” Linzi Basset is a South African born animal rights supporter with a poet’s heart, and she is also a bestselling fiction writer of suspense filled romance erotica books; who as the latter, refuses to be bound to any one sub-genre. She prefers instead to stretch herself as a storyteller which has resulted in her researching and writing historical and even paranormal themed works. Her initial offering: Club Alpha Cove, a BDSM club suspense series released back in 2015, reached Amazon’s Bestseller list, and she has been on those lists ever since. Labelling her as prolific is a gross understatement as just a few short years later she has now been published forty-one times; a total which fails to take into account the three other published works of her alter ego: Isabel James who co-authors—nor does it include the five additional new works marked for imminent release. “I write from the inside out. My stories are both inside me and a part of me so it can be either pleasurable to release them or painful to carve them out. I live every moment of every story I write. So, if you're looking for spicy and suspenseful, I'm your girl... woman... writer... you know what I mean!" Linzi believes that by telling stories in her own voice, she can better share with her readers the essence of her being: her passionate nature; her motivations; and her wildest fantasies. She feels every touch as she writes, every kiss, every harsh word uttered, and this to her is the key to a never-ending love of writing. Ultimately, all books by Linzi Basset are about passion. To her, passion is the driving force of all emotion; whether it be lust, desire, hate, trust, or love. This is the underlying message contained in her books. Her advice: “Believe in the passions driving your desires; live them; enjoy them; and allow them to bring you happiness.” Follow Linzi everywhere: https://linktr.ee/LinziBasset

Book preview

Author’s Note & Synopsis

Dear Reader,

The journey of Grace Forrester and Ralph White began in THE INTERVIEW, with Grace searching for the dream job and Ralph interviewing for a new live-in submissive.

The story is a slow burn from the start of their lives together and sets the background of the series to follow. This is where their journey continues...

Grace Forrester

Life is full of curveballs. I just wish they’d bypass me on the odd occasion. Throwing me a lifeline just to yank it back doesn’t count. I had my chance at turning around the ever-deepening mire of debt. I was sucked in... and I messed it up. What sane woman would agree to a certifiable proposal by a prospective employer on the day of the interview? Not this one.

The threat of losing the house I inherited from my parents forced me to reconsider my options. Except... would the formidable Ralph White consider my counteroffer?

Ralph White

I’m not well-liked in the corporate world, not that I care. I worked hard to achieve success and became a self-made billionaire, something no one can take away from me. Except it leads to a lonely life, one I counter by carefully selecting a new live-in submissive every year. Grace Forrester ticks all the boxes, but she’s stubborn and spurned my offer.

She’s the one I want, and I always get what I’m after. Besides, I have the power and money to bend her to my will.

Amid a suspenseful backstory of money, power, and corruption, will this sassy woman give in to the pull of the natural submissive yearning to be set free?

PLEASE NOTE: Although the blurb is in first person, the book is written in third person.

I hope you’ll enjoy this story.

Warm regards,

Linzi Basset

Meet Ralph & Grace

Grace Forrester

Imagine your life changes in a blink of an eye... not possible? I didn’t think so either, yet here I am, standing at the precipice of a new chapter in my life. Do I know what I’m doing or what the devilishly gorgeous hunk intends? Am I scared witless? Am I going to back out, turn tail and run? Only time will tell.

When he takes me on a tour of my new home, I seriously consider changing my mind. A dungeon in his garden? What was I thinking?

Ralph White

As a businessman, I’ve been called an emotionless prick and a stoic monster, among many other colorful descriptive characteristics. Does it bother me? Do I intend to change my ways to be better liked? Am I going to make my newly-acquired submissive’s life the best and the worst she ever imagined? Only time will tell.

Agreeing to become the billionaire’s submissive wasn’t planned, but it happened.

What Grace never expected was Ralph would put her through an intense initiation to prepare her for the position he had proposed as his permanent, live-in submissive.

I never expected to give in to the inner submissive inside me, but I took the plunge, and now I know.

My life will never be the same.

Chapter One

Sea Cliff, San Francisco...

NO! No-no-no! The frazzled woman frantically grabbed towels and attempted to stem the flow of water, arcing like a spring fountain into the air. Fountain, my ass. It’s a damn full-on blow-out!

By the time she knotted the towels around the broken kitchen faucet, she was soaked. Grumbling a string of expletives, she stomped outside to turn off the water supply. It was a path she walked too often over the past months.

Am I ever going to get a break?

Saturday was cleaning day for Grace Forrester, but lately, it consisted more of constant fix-it problems than cleaning. Over the years, the upkeep and repairs had sucked her dry. She didn’t know why she hung onto the house.

Who was she kidding? She knew exactly why. The good daughter of a respectable minister and his wife would never squander her inheritance. Imagine the shame!

Pfft. Who the hell cares about that? It’s not as though anyone from the old congregation is still around. I’ve just about had it with this house. Hands on her hips, she stood in the doorway, glowering at the flooded kitchen floor.

A whiff of breath blew the tendrils of silky ebony hair that had escaped the loose knot on top of her head. Dressed in a paint-stained, oversized, sleeveless denim jumpsuit over a white crop top, she was disheveled but had a sexual allure that came naturally—one she was completely unaware of. As was the norm when she was home alone, she was barefoot. Not that her dress code mattered. She rarely received visitors. Besides, who dressed up when you intended to spend the day with a duster and polish in hand?

At the rate the kitchen gets flooded, the cabinet skirtings will soon rot. Which means more money to replace them, so I guess I’ll have to... Her voice trailed off, the conclusion inescapable. She would have to fork out money to have it fixed professionally. She had already replaced the faucet three times over the past five months. Clearly, her plumbing skills were lacking.

What the hell were you thinking, leaving an already dilapidated house to me, Dad? she mumbled as she fetched more towels from the hall closet to dry the floor.

We don’t have much, Grace, but never fear. This house will always be your safe haven.

Tears burned her eyes at her father’s orotund voice echoing in her mind. There were days she missed him so much, but other times, she wished he hadn’t stuck to his promise to leave her the home when he was gone. He had been a beloved minister in the community. He’d offered all his time, attention, and money to those in need—to the detriment of his own family.

If only I hadn’t strapped this damn place around my neck like a chain. I should’ve sold it right away, no matter that I would’ve walked away without a cent, and Samuel...

The sigh that crawled from her lips was as heavy as a sunken ship bogged down to the ocean floor. Just thinking of her twenty-five-year-old brother depressed her. He had been her father’s one failure. It was because of him Grace had been saddled with a house she had no way of sustaining any longer.

It’s open! she yelled as the doorbell echoed through the house.

Where are you?

In the kitchen, she responded as she continued the laborious task of scooping up the water. Goddamn it, I should have Herculean muscles by now, she complained as she struggled to wring the water from the large towel before slapping it back on the floor.

Ah, so is it flood day again?

Grace shot a sharp glare at the blonde woman leaning against the doorway.

Rather than pointing out the obvious, why don’t you grab a towel and help me?

You’re kidding, right? In case you missed it, these are my favorite Guess skinny jeans. There is no way I’m crawling in a pool of water. She daintily skipped over the puddles to perch on one of the counter chairs. But I’ll happily keep you company while you finish.

Gmphf, and you call yourself a friend.

Your only friend, mind you, so be nice.

The Bloom family had been their neighbors growing up. When Amy’s father got a promotion, they had moved to San Mateo to be closer to his offices, but the two of them had remained best friends ever since. Amy had realized her dream of becoming a dentist and opened a private practice in Noe Valley three years ago, which meant she lived close by, and they saw each other regularly.

Remind me, didn’t this happen a month ago? I thought you had the faucet fixed?

"Correction, I fixed the faucet. Grace snorted as she sat back on her haunches and wiped the hair from her forehead. As you can see, I grossly fail at plumbing."

This place is not worth the money and effort you put into it, Grace. Yes, I know it was your father’s wish for you to keep it, but,—she gestured around—just look at it. You’re breaking your back, not to mention the bank, just to keep it standing. Face it, my friend, it’s falling apart around you.

It’s not as easy as selling, Amy. You know that as well as I do.

Ten years... the stipulation her father had added to the will. If she sold the house before then, all the proceeds would go to Samuel, who would squander the money on booze and drugs. She would get nothing—no return on every penny of her savings she had already sunk into its upkeep.

I do, but come on, Grace! Haven’t you given up enough?

Grace forced down the bitterness boiling inside her with difficulty. Perhaps resentment was a better word. However well-intended John Forrester’s intention had been, he had imposed his failure with his son on her, a young woman of twenty-four, studying part-time for a law degree. Dealing with her brother’s problems and keeping his claws from the proceeds the sale of the house would bring had destroyed her dreams of a career as a conveyancer.

You’re right, I have, and to be honest, I don’t know if I have the strength to keep fighting much longer.

It had been heartbreaking to stop her studies, but she had learned early on, she would have to give up something if she honored John Forrester’s wishes. He had feared Samuel would end up in jail or worse, die if he had so much money at his disposal. His assumption hadn’t been wrong since, even without the money, it hadn’t kept her brother out of prison.

How much longer do you have to hold on to this place?

Two years.

So, you have to live in poverty and despair for another two years to at least recover the money you had spent on it for the past eight?

Yeah, except now, I’m totally broke, she mumbled as she threw the wet towels in the washer and switched it on. I can’t do this for another two years, Amy. I just can’t.

"Then don’t. Sell the damn place, and be sure to make an account of