So, this is a sort of stand alone Star Trek novel-ish (although it was published under the ‘Next Generation’ name. It’s set around in the Next Generation movie, Generations, when the Enterprise-D crashes on the planet. It’s about six characters. Some of who may (or may not) be Starfleet Academy’s best and brightest. They all definitely think that they will be the best of the best. But, of course, in the book, they get knocked down, and get back up and learn about themselves. And, they find out how to work together as well as being life long friends.
Ack, I really wish that it had been a series instead of one short book. To take time with all these characters and watch their growth in an even closer way. Maybe a book focusing on each of them (with the others in the book too of course). But, that aside. Oh, such a great book. And, I’m always a sucker for a book that’s full of callbacks to all the awesome characters from the serieses of the 90s. Such a fun and great read.
You may like this book If you Liked: Acts of Contrition by Kirsten Beyer, By the Book by Dean Wesley Smith, or Broken Bow by Diane Carey
Susan Wright was born on the 24th of April, 1976, in Houston, Texas. She briefly worked as a topless dancer before finding employment as a restaurant waitress in Galveston. It was here that she met her future husband, Jeff Wright. The couple eventually welcomed two children into their lives.
However, the tranquility of their relationship would soon shatter on the evening of January 13, 2000. What Jeff anticipated to be an ordinary night took a harrowing turn when Susan bound him to their bed. Immobilized and defenseless, he became the victim of a relentless onslaught.
Susan stabbed him a staggering 193 times, using two different knives. Once the gruesome act was complete, she buried Jeff's lifeless body in their backyard. Ironically, the hole he had previously dug in the patio, intended for a fish pond, served as his final resting place.
The following day, Susan proceeded to file a domestic abuse report, aiming to obtain a restraining order against her now-deceased husband. Upon returning home, she embarked on an effort to conceal the ghastly crime by painting the entire bedroom. Days later, Susan summoned her attorney, Neal Davis, to her residence and confessed to the murder.
The grim discovery of Jeff's partially unearthed corpse, with ties fastened around his wrists and red wax adorning his body, added another layer of macabre details to the case. The intensity of Susan's stabbings was so severe that the tip of the blade was found lodged in Jeff's skull.
During the trial, Susan pleaded not guilty by reason of self-defense. Her defense attorney asserted that she had endured years of physical and mental abuse at the hands of her husband, ultimately resorting to killing him in an act of self-preservation for herself and their children.
Susan claimed that she had not tied Jeff to the bed but had been present in the bedroom when he confronted her with a knife. In a startling display of strength, she alleged that, despite the significant physical disadvantage of being 5'5" compared to Jeff's 6'3" and 220lbs, she managed to overpower him, seize the knife, and deliver over 100 stab wounds.
The prosecution, however, painted a contrasting picture, portraying Susan as a conniving spouse who orchestrated her husband's demise in pursuit of a $200,000 life insurance policy. Testimony from a friend of Jeff revealed that Susan had berated him over incorrectly filling out the insurance forms, causing delays in the process.
The prosecution acknowledged that Jeff had his flaws, including struggles with substance abuse, but vehemently denied he was abusive toward Susan or their children. They argued that Susan's allegations of abuse only emerged after she had already taken his life, emphasizing that the domestic abuse report was filed a day after the murder.
In the end, the jury aligned with the prosecution's narrative, rejecting Susan's claims of self-defense. She was subsequently sentenced to 25 years in prison, which was later commuted to 20 years.
In this time of COVID-19, I present to you a little bit of fluffy smut to maybe make your day a little better.
___________
Susan’s lips were soft against Anthony’s. What was it about men and their lips never being this soft? It felt so odd kissing her like this. But so very good.
She wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him closer. He wasn’t hard, but that wasn’t entirely necessary at the moment. She was kissing him and she didn’t seem to care to be doing anything more than that.
Anthony cupped her cheek and Susan smiled against his lips. He smiled back.
“Are you sure you want me to stay?” He asked softly.
“I am. I’ll have them set up your room. And then you can come to me.”
He giggled. “Come, eh?”
“That is the idea.” She kissed him again and then moved away to ring the bell. “How much time do you need?”
Anthony looked down and sighed. “It could take a while.”
“We have plenty of time.” Susan pushed up on her toes to kiss him, but the door opened before she could.
The footman who answered the bell gave a slight bow. “Ma’am?”
“Please have a room prepared for Lord Anthony for the night.” Susan said.
“Of course, ma’am.” He bowed again and left the room.
“Wait here. I’ll have them send someone for you when your room is ready.” She completed the kiss she’d tried before and then left.
****
Susan was shaking when her maid finally left her. She wrapped her dressing gown tightly around herself as she paced the floor of her room. She wasn’t sure how the rest of this night would go. But if he kissed her some more, she was sure it would go well.
The knock made Susan jump. She tried to say, “Enter.” She tried to say, “Come in.” She even opened her mouth to say, “Yes?”
But nothing came out. She cleared her throat and walked slowly toward the door.
Anthony stood there wrapped in a dark dressing gown. “There is a crate of your grandfather’s things, apparently.” He smoothed his hands over the robe. “I’m also wearing his nightshirt. But I don’t think it will be on for long.”
“How presumptuous of you.” Susan took hold of the front of the dressing gown and pulled him into her room.
He kicked the door closed. “I merely meant that the shirt is very itchy and I don’t generally wear anything to bed when I am alone.”
“And do you plan on being alone?” She pushed the dressing gown away.
“If you decide this isn’t what you want.”
“You could decide that too, you know.” She kissed him softly as she removed her robe and dropped it on top of his.
He took her hand and led her toward the bed. Moving the blanket aside, he sat down and pulled her along with him. “Do you know I love you?”
“Do you know I love you too?” Susan cupped Anthony’s cheek and pressed a kiss to his lips. “Is this odd for you?”
“So very odd.” He kissed her. “But I think I like it.”
She slid her fingers up into his hair as she moved to straddle his hips. Her lips were insistent as she tugged at his hair. She pressed her tongue between his lips.
He moaned and allowed her entrance. He slowly reclined on the bed.
She took hold of his wrist and placed it on her thigh, but he pulled it away. “I don’t want to touch you there yet.”
Susan got a very lascivious look in her eye and took hold of both his wrists. “In that case,” she lifted them above his head, “you’re not allowed to touch me at all.”
Anthony laughed. “You are controlling me.”
“Do you mind?”
“I don’t.” He lifted his head for a kiss and she move away.
“No, my lord.” She stood and gathered their robes from the floor. “Move up on the bed.” She waited for him to do as she asked and then she wrapped his dressing gown around his wrists and then around the intricate carving of her headboard. “Is that all right?”
“It’s fine.” And it really was. Something about the way she was handling him was new and exciting. He could feel himself growing hard. “It’s more than fine.”
Susan sat beside Anthony’s prone form on the bed and trailed her fingers down his cheek. They continued down his chest and over his stomach. She moved her hand to the side down his hip and squeezed his thigh before she leaned over and pressed her lips to his.
“You can tell me to stop at any time.”
He was only able to let out a small sound of understanding.
Susan wasn’t entirely sure where the idea to tie Anthony up came from, but she loved it. And she loved that he was playing along so easily.
She unbuttoned his nightshirt to his waist and pushed it to the side. Her fingers played across his chest. She marveled at the amount of hair he had. She rather liked it and started to think about how it would feel for his bare chest to rub against hers.
“You like what you see?” He managed to ask.
“I do. I very much do.” She spread her palm over the center of his chest and felt his racing heartbeat. She smiled. “Do you want me? Or should we stop?”
“What if the children hear?”
“You weren’t loud last night.”
“I can never make a guarantee.”
“I am always quiet.” Her hand moved down his stomach and stopped just shy of where his erection pressed his nightshirt up.
He panted and pressed his hips up so her fingers brushed against him. “What a shame.”
She trailed a slow finger up his length as she leaned down to kiss him softly. “If you can make me give up all my discretion, then I will never take another woman again.”
He laughed. “That will be a lie.”
“It will be a lie. But don’t you want a challenge?” She wrapped her hand around him and started stroking him. His skin was soft in her hand. “How is this?”
“Just a little tighter, please.” He was panting even more now.
She tightened her grip around him. “Better?”
“Shit!” His eyes fell closed and his hips thrust up into her touch. “I don’t know. I don’t know.” His head moved from side to side.
“Don’t know what, darling?”
“I don’t know what I want.” His voice was full of anguish.
“Do you want me to stop?”
He hesitated and then nodded. “Please. I’m sorry.”
She saw tears in his eyes. Her hands made quick work of the cloth tying his hands. He sat up and turned away, wiping at his eyes.
“I’m sorry.” He said again.
“Don’t apologize to me for this.” Susan reached her hand out, but stopped herself. “What can I do?”
Anthony stood and buttoned his nightshirt. “I need a few minutes.”
She watched him walk through the door that led through her dressing room and into the bedroom he was going to occupy for the night. She waited a few minutes before she followed.
She looked through the open door and saw Anthony pacing the floor muttering to himself.
“This is a normal thing a body does. You aren’t lying to yourself. This is okay. Men and women do this all the time.”
Susan started to back away, but he caught sight of the movement.
“I don’t know what was different last night.” He admitted softly.
“It’s fine.” She assured him.
“It’s not. You wanted this.”
She walked in and took his hands in hers. “I just love you, Anthony. I want to do whatever I can to show you that I love you. And it doesn’t mean we have to join together. We can share a bed fully clothed. Or just hold hands. Or share an embrace and retire to our separate beds.” She kissed his hands. “You can come to bed with me if you want. But you don’t have to. You never have to.”
“I was overwhelmed.” His voice was timid. “You were touching me and my hands were tied and I couldn’t touch you back. And I’m so scared of all I’m feeling. I’ve never wanted something like this. I never wanted a lover more. No one has ever made me feel like this inside. I want you. I want you so badly.”
She pushed herself up on her toes and kissed him hard on the mouth. “Take me, Anthony. I’m all yours.”
“Are you, um, ready?”
“I am very wet.” She tugged at the hem of his nightshirt.
“That is very disgusting to hear.” He walked backward toward the bed.
“It is very disgusting to feel, but it makes the loving so much better.” She pushed him onto the bed and straddled him.
“Please don’t tie me up this time.” He rolled her underneath him and kissed her hard.
“It felt good to do it.” She pulled and pushed at her clothes and his until they were finally connected.
“It did for me, too. At first.”
Anthony started moving slowly and the sensation nearly drove Susan to madness. “Oh, fuck, that feels good!” She pulled him in for a deep kiss.
“It does.” He leaned on his elbows and wrapped his hands around her shoulders.
“Tell me something.” She kissed him again. “Or do you need to focus on the act?”
“Talk to me, I’m fine.” He rested his forehead against hers. “Are you fine?”
“I am.”
“So talk to me.”
They continued to move together at a slow, steady pace.
Susan’s hands gripped the back of Anthony’s shirt as a wave of pleasure shot through her. She cursed again and shut her eyes.
“No, please, don’t shut your eyes.” Anthony begged. “I love looking into your eyes. I need them.”
It took her a moment before she was able to lift her eyes to his again.
“Now, what did you want to ask me?”
She smiled. “I honestly don’t remember.” Her head dropped back and her eyes closed again. “I’m close.”
“Thank god! I’ve been holding back.” He pushed up on his hands again and moved faster. “Now, tell me, what was that about not being quiet?”
She shook her head and bit her lip.
“Come along, love. Moan at least.”
She let out a long groan and gripped the back of his shirt again. “Fuck. Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck.” She rocked against him as her body pulsed through the orgasm. She eventually grew limp.
“Are you done?” He asked softly.
“Yes.”
“Fantastic.” He slid out of her and sat on the edge of the bed.
Susan rested her hand on Anthony’s back as he finished himself off. She sat up and rested her head on his shoulder, her arms wrapped around his chest. “All right?”
He nodded and patted her hand. “Yes. You?”
“Yes.”
They sat that way for several silent moments.
Eventually Susan said, “The maids will be extremely angry if they have to clean up that mess.”
Anthony snorted. “I will get to it in a moment. Lie back and I will get the basin.”
“You don’t have to clean me every time.”
“I want to. Lie back.” He walked across the room to his water basin and poured water in from the pitcher. He walked back over and sat on the side of the bed. “Pull up your nightgown.”
“You don’t have to.” She said, even as she followed his directions. The water was cold on her thighs. “You’re far too kind.”
“You can do me next if you want.” He assured her. He paused.
“What is it?”
“I’ve not given you a proper look.”
She grinned and spread her legs wide. “Come have a look then.”
He laughed and pushed on her knee. “Not tonight.” He handed her the rag. “My turn.”
“Ah, so I get to see all of you and you won’t give me more than a cursory glance?” She took the rag from him. “I see how it goes. Mine is beautiful.”
“So is mine.” Anthony pulled at his nightshirt to expose his cock. “I am quite long compared to some men.”
“I don’t see where that will ever matter to me.” Susan quipped as she dipped the rag into the basin. “The water is cold. Thank you for giving me a warning.”
“Sorry.” As soon as the cloth touched him, he gasped. “Holy shit, that’s cold!”
“I told you it was.” She made quick work on him and then dropped down to the floor to wipe up his emission. “Do you want to come sleep in the other room with me?”
“I would very much like that.” He blew out his lamp and then slid his hand into her waiting one and followed her through to her bedroom. “What about the morning?”
She smiled over her shoulder. “We can always move up the wedding.”
“I wouldn’t mind it, but I don’t want us to generate rumors.” He climbed into the bed after her. “How do you want to do this? I don’t sleep with other people.”
“Can I hold you from behind?”
“All right.” He faced away and she moved in behind him.
Susan draped an arm across Anthony’s side and pressed her nose into his hair. “Do you know I love you?”
DS9 #19: The Tempest by Susan Wright
Book Jacket’s Summary:
“When a ferocious plasma storm strikes the entire Bajoran system, Deep Space 9 becomes a port under siege, filled to overflowing with stranded space travelers, unpredictable aliens, and Klingon smugglers. Worf and Odo find themselves tested to the limit as they struggle to control the chaos that has consumed the station. But even greater danger faces Dax and botanist Keiko O'Brien when they must fly a runabout into the very heart of the storm – and encounter a strange new form of life!”
Yeaka’s Notes:
The Tempest is one of those could-be-an-episode novels set right after Worf’s transferred to the station, and at first, it even contemplates his transition and reminisces on the Enterprise. In its frequent downtimes, this book is a good character study on him, Odo, Sisko, and the O’Briens. One of this book’s unique features is that it gives Keiko central stage—her and Jadzia wind up off together on an important mission, where they science it up, get sick, and talk relationships. As the main plot is an in-coming plasma storm, a lot of the dialogue is technobabble. There are a few easier-to-understand side-plots going on with rowdy Klingons and difficult aliens bothering Worf on the station. Easily the most charming plotline is Odo’s small babysitting adventures with Molly—who knew he was really a big softie inside.
Despite the constant threat of danger, this book doesn’t feel particularly dark. The scientific nonsense gets a tad difficult at times, but mostly, the characters are well used and enjoyable. It has a lot for Worf fans and gives more of the O’Brien family than most. All together, it’s a good read.
Noteworthy moments: (below cut)
Ch1/p18 Worf protects Dax from a console fire
Ch2/p22 Keiko picks Molly up from holographic horse riding lessons, Molly’s now dressed obsessed with ponies, they run into Leeta who fawns over Molly, Quark tries to sell Keiko massage programs
Ch3/p45 O’Brien and Keiko visit and talk parenting while Molly has a tantrum, O’Brien gives Keiko higher computer clearance to her delight
Ch4/p57 Klingons mock Worf and tell him his family’s lands and possessions have all been given away
Ch5/p78 When Keiko wants to go on an away mission, Sisko asks what her husband will think, she just looks at him and he corrects himself; Sisko keeps worrying about Kasidy
Ch8/p108 Worf has a bad Klingon drink that’s a gift fro Deanna
Ch8/p118 O’Brien has Rom emergency beamed over to help him
p121 O’Brien rescues Molly, then leaves her with Odo to babysit without asking
Ch11/p155 Odo babysitting Molly, he grows fond of her and is vaguely disappointed when he thinks O’Brien’s taking her back
Ch13/p192 Sisko has a cute moment with Jake, Jake offered their quarters to Kasidy when hers were taken
Ch14/p199 Dax talks about how joint Trills are often exhibitionists, Keiko mentions directing plays on the Enterprise, they discuss the last gratitude festival (DS9: “Fascination”)
p209 Dax and Keiko question if she should really be with O’Brien
Ch15/p225 “Worf felt something and looked down. Molly was standing right next to him. “Nice pony,” she told him, patting his knee. “Good pony.””
Ch16/p239 Because reasons, Dax insists Keiko leave O’Brien, but Keiko thinks “she and Miles belonged together.”
Ch17/p245 Bashir medically treats Dax; O’Brien comforts a sick Keiko
Ch19/p263 Odo thinks of Kira and hopes they can be together someday; Sisko visits Kasidy
