The Crimson Z
Robert Cloud
Lee Rush
Richard Savage
Abby Blythe
Kara Elsberry
ISBN 0-9774682-8-3

Collection Paranormal
Stories
688 paperback pages
Multi-format ebook $6.99
Paperback $29.99
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The Crimson Z has it all, contemporary, historical, sweet, sexy, erotic.

The Crimson Z Includes:

Love of a Pendant's Heart
A Short Novella
by Lee Rush

The Anniversary
A Short Novella
By Richard Savage

Incorrigible
A Novella
by Abby Blythe

On The Wings of a Dream
A Novelette
by Kara Elsberry

The Blood Ritual of the Crimson Z
A Novel
by Robert Cloud

The Awakening
A Long Novella
by Robert Cloud

EXCERPT 1

The brilliant white headlights from Evelyn's Jaguar cut
through the darkness as she drove through the night. Her
only companion on this cold night was a single red rose,
which sat on the passenger seat. Her knuckles were tight, as
her nervous fingers gripped the leather-covered steering
wheel.

Her sumptuous, silk stockinged, thighs rubbed together
pleasingly as she changed gears. Wearing silk stockings had
always aroused her. The tightness of the darker band at the
top of her thigh and the way it hugged her securely made her
legs feel lovingly restrained, making her whole body pulse
and tingle with excitement.

It had been twelve months to the day since she had last
met with her clandestine lover. The tension that was coiled
within her was beginning to show as she neared her
destination. She checked her clothing for the thousandth
time, since getting dressed that afternoon.

Peter's instructions had been precise, what to wear, and
when to change into it. This had done nothing to help her
nervousness and anticipation of their meeting.

Peter was a stickler for detail, and she found it easy to
comply with his dress code. Her crisp white, linen blouse and
smart black A-line skirt did not look out of place from her
normal office attire. For many years now, she had worn
stockings and garter belt, so that was not unusual either. Late
in the afternoon, she had changed into the final items. These
she only wore on this day of the year now. Their touch on her
skin felt unusual now, yet strangely comforting.

She squirmed against the Jaguar's leather seat, as the
chain caressed her intimately. She looked at the amber
lighted digital clock. She looked at the mileage counter willing
it to speed up. Time passed incredibly slowly making her feel
like a small child on her way to the seaside; constantly asking
are we there yet?

Her mind drifted back over the challenging day she had
spent at the office and the assortment of problems she had
tackled. She contemplated the duality of her nature, her
assertiveness in the office and the passivity when she was
with Peter. She drew similar parallels between Peter and
James, the two men she loved, but who were so different.

This early evening meeting had been her main focus for
the past week and she had hardly been able to think of
anything else. As the amber digits ticked relentlessly by, and
she neared her destination the tension she felt rose to a
crescendo.

As she drove, Evelyn went through her mental checklist.
Had she dressed correctly? Was she fully prepared? God she
hoped so. Peter had always been a stickler for detail and
would notice a hair out of place. Yet again, as she went
through her cerebral preparations, she felt a moistness, a
liquid glow, like her very core was melting and with these
feelings of desire, came a gut wrenching pang of guilt.

Suddenly a cold rush, swept over her. How could she
betray her husband? How could she be unfaithful to such a
good man, for this one night of passion? With a lump in her
throat, she thought of James, and their three-year marriage
and the vows she was breaking. Yet tonight, as she had done
for the past four years, she would give herself totally to Peter
and nothing on earth could or would stop her from making
that rendezvous.

She loved James dearly. Their three-year marriage was a
happy one. James was a good man, a loving and caring
partner. He was a very straightforward man, uncomplicated.
He was the type that if he said something, you knew he
meant it. If he promised to do something, he would do it. She
loved James for all that he was, yet there was one thing he
was not, and could never be. He was not her Master. She had
only ever had one Master. Peter.

Her love for Peter was not the same as her love for James.
She loved James with her heart but Peter she loved with her
very soul.

The one thing that had united her two lovers was their love
for her, but the two men in her life were entirely different in
nature and temperament. There was a hard edge to Peter,
something uncompromising. He had a natural authority about
him. He was and always had been every inch the man in
control.

The flash of a rabbit darting across the road brought her
back to the here and now. The rumble of the tires on asphalt
lulled her back to her thoughts.

Evelyn had been married to Peter when she had met
James. She had known James for years before she had
married him and until then had always thought of him as a
good friend. Their three-year marriage had only deepened her
feelings for James.

James was altogether softer and a much more tender
person, a man that loved her unconditionally just as she was.
In return, she loved him. She knew he loved every inch of her
soft rounded body, by the attention he lavished upon her.
Yet, he was not a demanding man. He always put her needs
first, which was very nice, though slightly irritating at times,
as she much preferred assertive men.

Her mother had described him once as "Low maintenance"
He was a man that despite her flaws would always be there
for her. Making love to James, was soft and tender, he never
neglected any morsel of her. His tastes though were pure
vanilla, missionary with the occasional oral gratification,
which he was happy to reciprocate.

They first met at work. James worked in the same office
block as she did, though not for the same firm, and their
lunch hours had coincided. She soon came to think of him, as
the big brother she had never had. Their shared lunches had
been a pleasant thing to look forward to each day. They
laughed freely over a coffee and sandwiches for years. That
had been a happy time, which she always looked back on with
fondness.

Then there was a time when they no longer met for lunch.
Dark Clouds had descended in her life. It had been a bleak
and stormy time, and Evelyn had retreated to a place deep
within herself. It had been a time when there was no light in
the day, a time when she had wanted to die. A time when she
had been a soulless shell. It was in this that depth of despair
that James had found her. He had breathed life into her
again, bringing her back from the edge. He had brought her
back into the light, helping her to see the joy of the new day
and helping her to laugh again. That was four years ago now.

The engine growled and Evelyn changed to a lower gear,
as the road became more winding. She knew she was close to
her destination now and she felt the pang of hunger in her
stomach and the all too familiar ache between her thighs. She
could not wait to be with Peter.

Peter, had been and still was, her passion. Evelyn had
known him for what had seemed like forever. She had known
him for years before she had ever met James. Theirs had
been a whirlwind romance, flowers, candle light dinners,
moon light trysts. As their relationship deepened Peter's
nature and his strength came to the fore. Evelyn swallowed,
as she heard the words in her head "Love, honor, and obey."

Evelyn had been brought up to believe in sexual equality,
and she did believe, but there had been something missing in
her life when she met Peter. From the very start, there was a
power with Peter, not a menacing power to be sure, but an
authority. This was not a simple macho manifestation, but a
deep-rooted natural power, a light that drew Evelyn like a
moth to a flame.

It had started easily enough at an electronics trade show,
she was there as the personal assistant for a corporate buyer.
The meetings that she had attended had finished and she was
free to browse around the exhibition. She looked around
curiously although in truth electronic gadgets left her a bit
cold. Across the room, she saw Peter. Their eyes met and
there was an instant connection. There was a delicious
flirtation as they played from across the room. Eventually
Evelyn made her way to the stand where Peter was giving a
demonstration of a highly complicated piece of equipment.

The customer moved on, Peter stepped up to Evelyn and
introduced himself. His smile that day would be burned into
her memory for all eternity.

Evelyn's partners before Peter had been few. In those days
of stick thin models, not everyone appreciated her fuller
figure. Those who had, had left her feeling unfulfilled and that
sex was overrated. The early dates and dinners with Peter
were much like those she'd had in the past, with the
exception that Peter had not pounced on her at the end of the
first date. A simple tender kiss had sufficed at the end of the
date. In fact, after the third date she had begun to worry that
Peter was not as attracted to her as she was to him and it
had been Evelyn that made the first move.

After dinner, she had invited him back for coffee. He
browsed her CD collection as she rattled coffee cups in the
kitchen. She asked him how he liked his coffee; he replied
strong, black and no sugar.

Evelyn returned with a tray, with cups and a café tire.
They sipped coffee for a while. Peter looked totally at ease as
he sat on the couch. Evelyn, by contrast was nervous and
fidgeting. What was he waiting for? Surly he could see she
wanted him, yet there he sat, pleasantly smiling and making
small talk. She flirted with him, trying to add suggestive
snippets like, "I have always been into bedroom design, it
allows you to express yourself," into the conversation. She
had expected a response like "I would be interested to see
how you have decorated yours." However, no such response
had been forthcoming.

It was obvious to her that Peter was interested, yet he
took none of the opportunities to follow up with a suggestive
comment of his own. The attraction was obvious yet he did
not make a move.

They finished the coffee and she felt it was now or never.
She wanted Peter and she knew that Peter wanted her. With
a tremble in her voice, she said, "I would like you to stay."

"I would like that very much," he answered, his tone
warm, yet authoritative. His tone made her tingle.

"Shall I slip into something more comfortable?" There was
a noticeable quaver in her voice.

"I think you are fine as you are." There was something in
Peter's voice that put him firmly in control. "I would like you
to stand." The politeness in his request did not hide the fact
that it was an instruction.

She smiled and stood, a little shakily. She had always been
a little self-conscious about her body. Her teenage years had
done nothing for her self-esteem. Back then, she had dreaded
going to the swimming pool, even though she loved the water
and loved to swim. In a swimsuit, she had felt so exposed,
vulnerable, and very aware that her body was not the type
found in the glossy teen magazines. As a teenager thoughts
of communal showers with the other girls, had made her feel
physically sick. Many nights she had cried herself to sleep,
dreaming of the sylph like body she would never have. The
cruel jibes made her frustrated and angry.

This was before therapy. During the many hours of
therapy, she had come to realize her size 18 dress size was
not at all abnormal and her Monroe like curves were not bad
although they simply did not comply to the stereotypical
pencil thin models in Vogue.

Yet even with her new layer of confidence, there was a
tingle of apprehension that climbed up her spine, as the fear
of being judged reasserted itself.

She looked at Peter, who was passively, yet happily,
looking at her. Her confidence grew again, as she
contemplated her own figure. She was well proportioned, her
figure resembling an hourglass. She had always been proud
of her trim well-turned ankles and shapely calves.
She loved the curve of her hips and the swell of her
bottom that had attracted more than one wolf whistle from
construction sites. It was her ample breasts that seemed to
attract most men though. She had no need of silicone, her
breasts were totally natural and they were still firm at 30.

Sure, there were things she would change if she had a magic
wand. She would wish away an inch or so from her upper
thighs, maybe tighten and tone in the odd area, but there
would be no going under the surgeon's knife for her.

As Evelyn stood before Peter, she assessed her own looks,
more critically than any partner would. She looked at Peter,
trying to read his mind. What was he thinking? She felt more
than a little self-conscious. It was like stripping away the
therapy sessions and going back to her days at school. She
felt the weight of her nerves once more. Confidence ebbed
and flowed, like breakers on the shore.

She looked to Peter for reassurance. As she looked more
deeply into Peter's eyes, she bathed in the warmth of his
smile. She could plainly see now, that far from judging her,
he looked more like he was about to eat her up. She
wondered if he knew that she could see a flick of tongue as
he licked his lips. He looked as if he planned to devour her,
and she hoped to God that he was going to do it soon.

She became less self aware as she turned her attentions to
him. She felt drawn to his handsomely rugged features. He
looked impressively strong and she wondered how his body
would feel pressed hard against her.

Evelyn was hungry and she wanted Peter. The wait was
making her feel impatient. The anticipation was torture, the
tension building, making her want to scream, if only inside.
Her eyes had been fixed on his intense gaze, and suddenly
her attention switched back to herself. She was standing
there like a schoolgirl. She found herself fidgeting, smoothing
her skirt to remove the creases that didn't exist; she looked
at herself fiddling with the buttons on her cuffs, then played
with her hair nervously and smiled at him. Yet now, in a
strange way, she was beginning to enjoy this feeling of
unease. In fact, she found this to be a big part of this brand
new experience.

Her reflection was interrupted by Peter, "I like things a
certain way, I hope you don't mind." Peter was calm and sat
still, totally relaxed with the situation, a smile playing across
his lips, "I have a feeling that you and I are very compatible."

"I hope so." Evelyn felt the blood rush to her cheeks as her
heart pumped madly. She looked into the eyes of this tall
handsome man, trying to see into his mind. She was nervous,
yet more excited by this, than she had ever been with any
man before. She felt her nipples dilate and was sure Peter
could see just how excited she was. Her eyes flickered for a
moment to his trousers; there was no mistaking the bulge.
She was pleased to have this effect on him.

His eyes fixed on hers, "I hope so too." Peter's lips curled
into a natural smile. There was a flash of white teeth and the
soft edge of affection in his voice. He leaned back in the chair
and crossed his legs. "I would like you to do something for
me, but it must be done freely." His eyes never broke contact
with hers as he spoke.

Toy's Story:
Aquisition of a Sex Toy
By Robert Cloud

Bound By Fate
By Lee Rush

Fool Me Once
By Jessica Joy
(Jessica also writes as Abby Blythe)

1 Fan -- Books given this rating include very minimal sexual activity between hero and heroine. Sexual activity that does occur is described without the use of graphic terms. These titles will be found in our Tender Destinations line and in our Amorous Adventures line.

2 Fan -- Books given this rating include a moderate amount of sexual activity between hero and heroine, however it is described in romantic as opposed to graphic terms. These books will be found in our Tender Destinations and Amorous Adventures lines.

3 Fans -- Books given this rating include a lot of sexuality between hero and heroine. The activity may be described graphically but will not include fetish elements. Books with this rating will be found in our Sensuous Journeys line and in our Amorous Adventures line.

4 Fans -- Book given this rating include a lot of sexuality between hero and heroine and will typically include fetish elements. Sexuality in these books is described graphically but with a softer touch than our 5 Fan titles. Books with the 4 fan rating will be found in our Forbidden Experiences line as well as our Amorous Adventures line.

5 Fans -- Books with this rating include a very high degree of sexuality between hero and heroine. These books include fetish elements which are described graphically. Books with this rating will be found in our Forbidden Experiences and Amorous Adventures lines.

Tender Destinations
Are poignant stories of meeting and falling in love. They contain a minimal level of sexuality.

Sensuous Journeys
Are emotional and poignant but include explicit descriptions of the lovemaking between hero and heroine. There is no explicit fetish component in these books.

Forbidden Experiences
Are powerful and emotional love stories with explicit sexuality which includes fetish content.

Amorous Adventures
Are love stories with an element of suspense or danger.