For this last week in Women’s History Month, I want to introduce you to Dr. Rachel Zelinsky from The Gazillionaire and the Virgin. A lone female among the “bro network” of Silicon Valley tech titans, she breaks all the gender stereotypes. She’s the gazillionaire – and equally brilliant, borderline autistic Theo Moore is the virgin.
Blurb
Trust can’t be bought—it has to be earned.
When Silicon Valley entrepreneur Rachel Zelinsky meets reclusive genius Theo Moore, she has a single objective —a deal to incorporate his AI software into her company’s popular virtual world. She finds Theo to be arrogant, sensitive and socially awkward, but his aura of power speaks to her carefully-hidden submissive side. Confused and aroused, she falls under his geeky spell.
Theo Moore can’t be bought. His past battles with poverty make him deeply suspicious of the billionaire CEO, though Rachel’s voluptuous curves and brilliant mind embody his ultimate fantasy. Too bad his knowledge about sex derives from extensive research and a stash of kinky porn rather than real-world experience.
Rachel may be Theo’s first lover, but Theo is her first true Master. One word from him, one touch, and she surrenders to bliss. It seems that love and complementary desire may harmonize their differing values, until Rachel’s unwitting violation of Theo’s trust tears them apart.
The Hook
I’m used to getting what I want. It’s not because I’m smarter than most people, or richer. (Although I am. These are documented facts, not boasts.) No, I usually succeed because I don’t give up. I’m tenacious—or just plain stubborn, if you listen to my mother. If I can’t solve a problem via one approach, I’ll try another, until it finally yields to my attack. I can be patient, if I need to be, and I’m willing to work hard. I just won’t admit defeat.
I’ve always been this way, though I’m sure my education strengthened the personality trait. One woman in a class of thirty plus men, most of whom believed that the female of the species was incapable of logical thought... If I’d allowed myself the luxury of surrender I’d never have survived.
Hence, I’m not giving up on Theo Moore, no matter how many times he refuses my overtures. I want him—his technology and his brilliant mind. I won’t take no for an answer.
And I believe I’ve finally found a wedge I can apply, or at least chink in his armor. Some might call it bribery. In my view, it’s just business.
Diane sticks her head in my office door. “He’s here, Rachel.”
“Thanks. Show him in, please.” I barely have time to run my fingers through my frizzy curls before Professor Theo Moore shuffles into the room and slumps down onto the couch opposite my desk.
I hadn’t expected him to be so big. He’s well over six feet tall, I’d guess, with the shoulders of a football player. A rumpled white shirt and loose trousers hide the details of his body, but I don’t think he’s fat, just large. His smooth, young face seems incongruous paired with his giant’s frame. Shaggy black hair overhangs his forehead and grazes his collar. Behind dark-framed, unfashionable glasses, his eyes dart from one detail of my luxurious office to the next, finally settling on the rust-hued trunks of the redwoods outside my window. He sucks in a deep breathe then releases it in a long sigh. He doesn’t look at me.
“Good afternoon, Dr. Moore.” I rise, circle the desk and settle into a chair next to the couch. “Thanks for agreeing to see me.”
He ignores my outstretched hand, continuing to stare out at the lovely view. His fists are clenched on either side of his thighs. Rarely have I seen anyone look so ill at ease.
“How far away is the sea?” he asks finally.
“About fifty meters. Most of the time you can’t quite see the water, but at sunset you can sometimes catch the glint of the reflections.
“You should have built closer,” he declares. The stark confidence in his voice is at odds with the nervousness I read in his body language. “I would have designed this place so that every office had a view of the ocean.”
“That would have been my preference, too. But California building codes are pretty strict.”
“With your money, I would think you could have arranged for a variance.”
I decide to ignore the jibe. He doesn’t seem to realize he has insulted me.
“I appreciate your taking the time out of your busy schedule, Doctor. I know Looking Glass Inc. is a bit off the beaten track. Did you have a comfortable trip?” I’ve gotten plenty of flak for establishing my company’s campus in Santa Cruz rather than in the heart of Silicon Valley, but I don’t care. This is where I want to be.
“Oh, yes indeed. That was one of the most comfortable limousine rides I’ve ever experienced.” Sarcasm drips in his reply. “With a ride that smooth, I was almost convinced that your company’s latest technology coup was an anti-gravity device.”
“Not yet.” My laugh sounds forced. His social awkwardness is affecting me. “That’s on our agenda for next year. Would you like some coffee, by the way? Juice? Water?”
“Nothing.” He yanks his eyes away from the view and stares over my head, focusing on the Klee original hanging behind my desk. “I drank my fill from the complimentary bar in your limo.”
I find myself in the unaccustomed state of being temporarily at a loss for words. Despite his lack of social skills, Moore somehow has gained the upper hand in this conversation. I swallow my annoyance and begin again.
“About your charity—”
“I don’t approve of you, Ms. Zelinksy,” Finally he looks at me, though he seems fixated on my mouth rather than my eyes. “You and your kind.”
“It’s Dr. Zelinksy, actually.” Guess he hadn’t bothered to Google me. “And what do you mean, ‘my kind’?”
“You Valley billionaires, who think your money can buy anything, including the human soul. You use technology to enslave the poor, benighted masses. You lure them into spending their time and money on devices and services they don’t need. You suction up their personal data so you can slice it, dice it and use it to sell them more trash. And then you brag about how you’re ushering in a brave new world of hi-tech miracles. Hmmph!”
Suddenly he’s on his feet, towering over my chair, his full lips twisted into a black scowl. For an instant I think he’s going to hit me. Instead he turns his back on me to stride over to the window. Sunlight filters through the boughs to dapple the earth below. The view appears to calm him somewhat. His fingers uncurl but his shoulders are still hunched and tight.
“‘Enslave the benighted masses!’ Don’t you think that’s a bit melodramatic?” I’m tempted to cross the room and stand by his side, to soothe and coddle him. I refrain. He’s too skittish.
Buy Links (Ebook)
Kinky Literature: https://www.kinkyliterature.com/book/811-the-gazillionaire-and-the-virgin-/
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09SDY5XJ5/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09SDY5XJ5/
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-gazillionaire-and-the-virgin-lisbet-sarai/1123327821?ean=2940165788888
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-gazillionaire-and-the-virgin-2
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1132432
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id1610802851
Add on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60397753-the-gazillionaire-and-the-virgin
Audio (WordWooze):
https://www.amazon.com/The-Gazillionaire-and-the-Virgin/dp/B075WZS3TN/
https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Gazillionaire-and-the-Virgin-Audiobook/B075X1XN87
Be sure to visit the other authors participating in today's Book Hooks!
3 comments:
That was a riveting excerpt. Well done.
Like the twist of the story. So often the rich one is a man and the virgin a woman.
Wow, she's got her work cut out for her to win him over. I enjoyed this excerpt. Great dialogue between the two.
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