Smoke, Fire and Desire
Desires of the Lamp Tales, Book 4
Scientist Rhylie Dawson works hard, but when it comes to play she’s pretty reserved. Until her friends take her to The Cave of Pleasure in New York City. She’s there to celebrate her birthday, and maybe, just maybe, get lucky.
What Rhylie doesn’t know is The Cave of Pleasure is run by Djinn, and they’re eager to show her that there’s more to life than just work. On stage in front of a bevy of male dancers, Rhylie is told to choose one for her special birthday dance.
She picks the fireman, and quickly learns that where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and a great deal of desire.
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Excerpt:
Inside the club they found a festive atmosphere, much like the way she’d pictured a Sultan’s harem. Brightly colored swatches of cloth hung from the rafters, and braziers provided low lighting. Rhylie wanted to go and examine one, to determine its source of energy. Instead, she allowed Cassidy and Elise to lead her to a table where they ordered Cosmopolitans from a well-built waiter.
“Yummy,” Elise said. “Bodes well for the ladies’ night show, doesn’t it. These men are gorgeous.”
“So are the women. Maybe they’re all already taken, with each other.” Rhylie tired not to feel out of place, but her limited ‘par-tay’ experience, and her size sixteen body, currently stuffed into a brand new “little black dress” that was much shorter than she was used to wearing, made it difficult to relax. They’d spent the day at the spa, though, so her nails and toes were freshly done, and her blond hair was perfectly coiffed.
She had sat completely still while a professional did her makeup, and the results were spectacular, if she did say so herself. But underneath it all she was still the same Rhylie, the woman who spent the majority of her time with other scientists, trying to figure out why temperatures were changing so rapidly, why weather patterns had altered, and what, if anything, could be done about it.
Her drink arrived and she guzzled it down, fast. Cassidy’s eyes widened and she grabbed a passing waitress. “Another one, please. Heck, bring her two.”
The waitress nodded, and by the time she’d finished the second drink, Rhylie felt no pain. She imagined herself in the nursing home, telling her roommate, “I got slammed on my thirtieth birthday and had sex with a stripper. Top that one.”
Cassidy and Elise both rushed to the dance floor. Rhylie stayed at the table, and had just started on her third drink when warm sensations spread up her back. It was as if someone touched her, stroking her hip lightly. She turned to find nothing but empty space.
She took another sip of her drink before pushing it away. “Slow down, Rhylie. You’re starting to hallucinate.”
Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling of someone, or something, standing beside her, studying her, probing her mind, body and soul. The shivers increased, pleasurable tremors that made her nipples tingle and wetness form between her thighs.
There were fingers on her, touching her lightly. She moaned once, and there was one final feel of them over her neck, tracing down to her breast, caressing her.
“Oh yeah,” she whispered as the fingers moved just a little lower, then disappeared, leaving behind a trail of warmth and pure bliss. She glanced around and saw that she was still alone, except for the hundreds of people milling about, ignoring her. She didn’t believe in supernatural things, didn’t believe in mind reading, or instant connections, or déjà vu, or auras or any of that stuff. And she didn’t believe in visits from ghosts or spirits. There was just no logical explanation for things like that.
“Too much alcohol,” she said, pushing her glass away so she wouldn’t be tempted to go back to it. She held up a finger, intent on asking the waitress for a soft drink.
“Here you go,” she said, putting one in front of her.
“But I didn’t ask for it yet.”
“No, but I had an extra one and you looked like you needed it. Better grab your friends and hurry in for ladies’ night. Tonight’s theme is men in uniform. Yummy.”
She flitted away and within seconds, Rhylie followed Cassidy and Elise into the Pleasure Hall, where the action had already started. Seductive music with loud beats blared from the speakers, and half-dressed men gyrated around tables, some of them standing on top of them. They were all beautiful, well-built specimens who looked as though they could stand in for Atlas.
Suddenly, the room went wild. A spotlight fell on Rhylie, and two sets of powerful hands came under her, forming a chair and picking her up in their arms.
The crowd started to chant ‘birthday girl,’ and embarrassment flooded her face, the heat feeling as if it would melt any ice formed outside the building. The two men trotted toward the stage, and she held on to their shoulders, praying she didn’t fall off. They deposited her next to Anya, who spoke into a microphone.
“We have a special treat for the birthday girl,” she yelled to the crowd. “One special dance from one special dancer. And who shall it be, hmm? It’s your choice, Rhylie, so choose wisely.”
Rhylie wheeled around to find a line of men standing behind her, dressed in everything from a policeman’s uniform to a sailor suit. All the armed forces were represented, along with every manner of civil servant. She surveyed the group, wondering what she was supposed to do.
Every last one of them gave her a seductive look, winking and moistening their lips as if in anticipation of a kiss.
She turned back to Anya. “What am I supposed to do?”
“Go with your heart. One special dance, which one attracts you the most?”
“Um, I’ve never done anything like this.”
Anya stepped behind her and gently touched her shoulder. “Close your eyes, and think of one of these men you’d like to see dance for you, and only you.”
Rhylie followed her instructions. Images of the men danced before her eyes, their uniforms disappearing to reveal gorgeous, toned bodies. She ran through them once, then centered on one.
Fire. She worked with the elements, knew about the elements. Fire. The fireman.
Before she could voice her choice, though, flames shot up on either side of the stage, seeming as if they would singe the ceiling. Smoke curled around her feet and she was lifted up by two of the men and deposited in a throne at the center of the stage.
The fireman moved toward her slowly, his head down, his hips swaying to the beat of the music. Her heart pounded as he stepped in front of her, his gaze fastened on the floor. Then he lifted his head slowly, and as the music sped up she found herself staring into a pair of smooth, chocolate brown eyes.
“Welcome to my world, Rhylie. May I light your fire, and then use my hose to soothe your burns?” He cupped his crotch and Rhylie’s mouth feel open. Before she knew it, a soft yes escaped her lips, and he started to dance as the flames shot up again.