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
Free Shipping

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

Chapter 1

"Can you believe this place? It's amazing, and it's all
yours."

Anne Kemper nodded in agreement then sank onto one
end of the sofa. She surveyed the handful of boxes scattered
on the hardwood floor of the bare living room. Dust-coated
windows diffused the sunlight spilling into the room and
softened the grime years had layered on every surface.

"I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop." She ran her
fingers through her loose sable curls then rested her elbow on
the threadbare arm of the sofa. If it was possible, things were
going too well. "There has to be some reason this place was
so cheap."

"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. You were lucky.
Period. End of story." Debra Armstrong, her best friend, sat
on the arm of the sofa and brushed her corkscrew, dark
brown curls away from her face.

"Lucky." The word slid slowly through her lips as if she was
testing the sound of it. A distant relative leaving her a small
fortune was lucky, finding this lovely home, a Victorian
cottage in an upscale neighborhood, just seemed too good to
be true.

"And if I'm going to get lucky, I have to head out right
now." Deb grinned and stood up. She picked up her purse
from the top of one of the piles of boxes and started toward
the door. "Are you sure you don't want to come? We're going
to the Chrysalis."

"Not tonight." Anne only knew the member's only club via
its reputation for being the hottest spot in the city, but she
didn't feel like venturing into a world where culinary delights
weren't the only offerings on the menu.

Deb crossed her arms, impaling her with a look that could
only mean well-intentioned advice was about to be delivered.
"Look, Mark's been out of your life for almost three months.
It's time to plunge back into the singles' scene."

"You're right ... but not tonight. I have too much to do."
That was her defense, and she was sticking to it. Anne
pushed off the couch, hoping to signal an end to the
conversation. She walked beside her closest friend toward a
wide archway leading to a spacious tiled foyer. The soft pat of
her sneakers echoed off the bare walls. "This place might
have been a steal, but it still needs a lot of elbow grease to
make it habitable. There's no way I'm celebrating until the
kitchen has been disinfected."

"If a little dirt is the only thing keeping you at home, then
I'll be over tomorrow morning to help you clean." Deb
laughed softly. "Make that the afternoon. Trust me, a few
good lays, and Mark will be a hiccup in your past."

In spite of the knot twisting in her stomach, Anne smiled.
Deb's answer to most of life's problems was sex—the hotter
and the more frequent the better.

"Girlfriend, you're far too young to be celibate," Deb said
as she grasped the ridged glass doorknob. "He did you a favor
moving on."

It hadn't felt like a favor at the time. Hell, it still didn't, but
at least the sound of his name didn't hit her in the gut like a
sucker punch any more. Like clichéd dialogue in a two-bit
movie, he'd said he still cared for her and wanted to be
friends, but sex with her was too tame, and he needed more.

He explained that he'd been patient at first because she was a
virgin, but he'd thought things would heat up after they
moved in together, and it hadn't. So, for the sake of their
friendship, he felt it would be better if they moved on. Anne
cringed mentally. She might have believed him if he hadn't
moved right into the bed of a hot little number who had
recently joined his firm.

"Anne, if you change your mind ... give me a ring on my
cell. I'll meet you at the door."

"Thanks, but don't hold your breath." Anne gave her a
tight hug, warmed by her friend's unfailing loyalty and
friendship.

"Ciao, sweetie!" Deb strode across the threshold and onto
the covered veranda, lifting her hand in a farewell salute.

Anne stood in the doorway and watched her friend's silver,
imported sedan, back out of the driveway and start down the
quiet, tree-lined street. She grasped the edge of the door,
about to close it, when a prickle across the nape of her neck
brought her gaze around. Following the uneasy feeling, she
looked into the narrow-eyed stare of a woman peering at her
from an Adirondack chair on a wide covered veranda like her
own. Wings of white encroached on the auburn waves framing
her scowling face.

With a tentative smile on her lips, Anne lifted her hand and
offered a silent greeting. The scowling woman lifted her chin,
pushed herself out of her chair and stomped toward her front
door. A shiver slid down Anne's spine at the unexpected
display of hostility.

"What's her problem?" Anne muttered as she shut the
door. "I only moved in this morning ... hardly long enough to
offend someone."

Shrugging off thoughts about her prickly neighbor, Anne
walked down the short corridor to the kitchen. Her home was
a puzzling assortment of old and new. The layers of dust on
every flat surface confirmed the fact that the home had been
vacant for decades. Yet, according to the real estate agent, it
had been maintained with regular upgrades to electrical,
plumbing and other structural features as if the previous
owner, a globetrotting spinster, would arrive at any time. But,
she never had. Instead, she put the lovely Victorian cottage
on the market.

Anne walked over to the sink where she'd left the bucket
and several bottles of cleanser. Nothing was going in those
cupboards until she'd scrubbed them.
* * * *
Four hours later, she stepped out of the shower and
toweled down. Every muscle complained about the cleaning
marathon, but she didn't care. The kitchen shone, and the
empty dining room, her future workshop, glowed from amply
applied elbow grease.

Tomorrow, she would start setting up her workshop in the
spacious dining room. Large windows in the spacious room
supplied ample natural light for her to work on her sculptures.

As she hung her towel over the rack, she once again thanked
the childless, great-aunt who had left her enough money so
that she could quit her day job at the art shop and focus on
her own art.

Though tired when she emerged from the bathroom, a
growing sense of restlessness drew her across the room. She
followed a luminescent ribbon of moonlight that trailed across
the hardwood floor. Anne pulled the belt of her terry robe
tight around her waist and stopped in front of the window to
draw the curtains. Her mules scuffed softly against the
polished surface, the sound eerily loud in the silent room. For
all the physical exertion, going to bed would be a waste of
time because she certainly wouldn't sleep for quite some
time.

As she reached up to catch the curtain in her hand, she
glanced toward the house next door, hoping to catch a peek
of her hunky neighbor, Sam Decker. He was a masterpiece
created by the tempter's own hand—tall, blond, and
muscular.

From a brief exchange over the fence earlier that day, she
knew his eyes were just the color of the sky on a summer
morning. Unlike the disapproving, older neighbor, she and
Sam had chatted amicably over the fence for a few minutes
until the moving truck had arrived with her meager collection
of boxes and furniture and ending their conversation.

Captured by the sight of Sam's silhouette in his bedroom
window, she let her hand drop to her side. Anne sank onto
the deep window seat and watched as a woman joined him,
their forms framed by the window, their outlines softened by
a sheer curtain.

Anne peeked over the pillows covering the back of the
deep window seat. The last thing she wanted was to get
caught in her role as voyeur. Intrigued, she watched as Sam
placed his hands on the woman's waist. In a leisurely gesture,
he drew her against his body. His lady friend tilted her head
to one side, and he nuzzled her neck.

Anne placed her hand on the same spot on her neck,
wondering what it would be like to feel his lips against her
skin. The thought took her by surprise. After her experience
with Mark, she'd assumed she had a void where a sex drive
should have been.

Sam pulled his companion's top over her head then tossed
it aside. The lucky lady turned in his arms and started
unbuttoning his shirt. Anne held her breath as his partner slid
her hands up his chest then pushed the garment off his
shoulders in a deliberately sensual movement. Her hands slid
down his arms, pushing his shirt ahead of them until it
dropped to the floor. Then, the woman drew his head down,
and they kissed. Anne drew a fingertip across her lips,
wondering what it must have felt like to feel his lips against
her and his bare, muscled chest pressed against her body.

She watched as they shed their jeans. He grasped her
waist and spun her around, tugging her against his body.
Every movement was predatory and controlled.

Anne's pulse accelerated when his hands cupped the
woman's breasts from behind. Hers swelled in response to the
seductive stroke. Impatiently, she loosened the belt of her
robe then pulled it open. Mimicking his movements, her
hands curled under her breasts, her thumbs circling the dusty
rose areolas. Needy buds pinched under the light touch. Her
breasts swelled, reacting to the gentle friction of skin against
skin.

When his hands drifted lower, moisture seeped between
swollen labial lips, and the barrel of her vagina clenched. Her
robe fell to her elbows, but she didn't care. She continued to
imitate his hands' erotic safari, skimming over her abdomen,
then raking through her pubic curls until he swept the woman
off her feet and carried her away from the window.

"Damn!" The word burst through her lips at the bite of
disappointment and frustration she experienced as they
disappeared from view.

"What the hell?" Anne shook her head then glanced down
at her near naked body. She couldn't believe the view. She
was sprawled across the overstuffed pillows of the window
seat, her legs parted with her hand cupping her pubis. She'd
never done anything like this. It almost felt as if another
person had possessed her.

"Enough!" she muttered as she bolted out of the window
seat and started toward her bed. "I might not be stellar in
bed, but I'm not this desperate." Anne shook off her rob and
pulled a tee shirt and boxers from a dresser drawer. She
slipped between the cool, cotton sheets, and as she slipped
into slumber, wondered what had happened to her tonight.

"We've only just begun, Anne," the spirit standing beside
the bed thought with smug satisfaction. Virginia Marshall
watched the sleeping woman, cursing the selfish lover who
had fuelled her inhibitions and self-doubt.

After almost thirty years of chasing people out of her
beloved home, something about Anne's curious blend of
innocence and insecurity had touched her. Instead of ejecting
her, as she had all the other people who had toured her
home, she'd wanted to help her sample all the marvelous
delights sex could provide. Virginia grinned or would have if
she'd had a body. This could be a fun as well as a mutually
beneficial relationship. She could help Anne explore a sensual
new world, and Anne could help her find the person who
murdered her.

"Now, let's begin..."
* * * *
Anne woke with a start, her heart pounding in her chest.
Vaginal muscles rippled around her finger in a heated and
moist climax. With a soft exclamation of disbelief, she yanked
her hand from between her legs.

"I can't believe this." Anne tossed aside the bedcovers
then jumped out of bed. She looked down at her half-naked
body, her boxers a silky pile on the carpet beside her bed.

"That's what I get for being a peeping Tom," she muttered
as she pulled on panties and jeans. She avoided looking
toward the window and went straight downstairs.

"Coffee," she said as she crossed the kitchen. "The
stronger the better."

With shaky hands, she scooped coffee into the paper-lined
hopper then filled the reservoir with water. She watched the
first drops of dark elixir drop, then bounce across the bottom
of the glass carafe, hissing in protest. With a sharp sigh, she
folded her arms across her chest, belatedly realizing that she
had forgotten to put on a bra. She looked down at the soft
curves of her breasts. Why not just be relaxed and
comfortable for the day, an impish voice in her head
suggested.

"Why not?" Anne echoed the thought aloud.

She pulled a mug from the cupboard then filled it with the
rich brew mellowing it with healthy helpings of cream and
sugar. Taking a sip of the steaming beverage, she strolled
into her new workshop. Boxes containing shelves, supplies
and a table were piled in one corner. Today, she would focus
on setting up her workspace and savoring ownership of her
new home.

Anne spent the morning assembling shelves and arranging
supplies until the doorbell chiming stopped her. She glanced
at her watch. "One o'clock."

That seemed early for Deb, but then, she seemed pretty
determined to take her out for a hot night on the town. She
stood up, brushed her palms over the seat of her pants and
headed for the door.

"Ready to clean?" she said as she pulled opened the door,
then gasped.

"Sure." Sam, her neighbor, stood on the veranda. His
brilliantly white tee shirt clung to sculpted pecs, and snug
blue jeans molded to muscular thighs. "If you'd like me to."
Deep dimples bracketed a brilliant smile.

"I'm sorry ... I thought you were someone else." Anne
flushed. Shoot me now she silently begged any guardian
angel within earshot. Why did she turn into such a babbling
idiot when guys were around?

He grinned then held up a brown bag with the logo of her
favorite coffee shop. "I brought some donuts over to welcome
you to the neighborhood, but if you need help cleaning, I can
do that too."

"Not really, Deb, my friend, said she'd be over later to
help." Of its own accord, her hand pushed the door open
wider. "I was just about to take a break from unpacking.
Would you like to join me for a coffee to go with those
donuts?"

Anne blinked in surprise at the ease with which the
invitation slid through her lips. For a few seconds, it was as if
her words had taken on a life of their own.

"Love some." His grin, brilliant white, sparked a knee jerk
reaction of feminine appreciation. Perhaps she wasn't as
bedroom deficient as Mark had accused her of being.

"Come on in," she said and moved back, watching as he
stepped over the threshold.

Anne's pulse accelerated as he followed her into the
kitchen. She fought down images of Sam and his lover
replaying in her head. She tossed a glance over her shoulder.
He was standing in the archway that separated the kitchen
from her workshop in what had been the dining room.

"Wow, you've got quite a set up," he offered. "Are you
some kind of artist?"

"A sculptor. And you?"

"I'm a contractor, and I restore old homes in my spare
time. I buy them cheap, live in them while I fix them up, then
sell them."

"Why didn't you buy this place? It was a steal"

"It would have been too hard to sell," he said, offering a
wry grin. "It has a reputation for being haunted."

"But you braved the ghost and came over," she
challenged.

He laughed. His sapphire eyes lighting up with humor. "I
had to meet the person who could stay in the place
overnight."

"It really wasn't any great feat of courage. It felt like
home." Even more than that, it felt as if the house liked her
and wanted her there. She gave herself a mental shake.
Perhaps it was the fact that she'd grown up in small
apartments in poor neighborhoods that made the house so
welcoming.

His blue-eyed gaze slid lower and touched her pert nipples
pushing against the soft fabric of her tee shirt. At the flare of
male interest in his eyes, a moist heat started to pool
between her legs.

He looked up and warmth swept across her cheeks.

"Cream and sugar?" Her voice sounded breathless, but
thankfully, she got the words out without stammering. After
last night, her body craved fulfillment, and Sam with bulging
pecs and snug jeans would be the perfect appetizer.

"Love some."

In that instant, the lights flickered then went out. The
coffee maker sputtered to a stop.

"That's odd. The electrical was just overhauled." He moved
forward. "If you have a flashlight, I'll check out the power
panel."

She nodded. His male scent mingled with a musky cologne
and drifted toward her. It was a primal scent and heady with
promise. Without a word, she reached in a drawer and pulled
out a brand new flashlight.

Anne followed him down the stairs to the basement. Her
foot slid off the step, and a strong arm caught her by the
waist, pulling her against a solid chest, sandwiching
something equally hard between their bodies. His forearm
supported her breasts.

"Careful now," he said.

At his husky, whispered words, a quiver of need rippled
through her sex, and her crotch grew slick with anticipation.
Remembering the way he had held the woman last night her
head fell back until it came to rest on his shoulder.

She moistened her lips, caught in the heady, sensual
silence closing in on them. With his free hand, Sam brushed
her hair away from the side of her neck, and she let her head
tip to the side in a silent invitation. He touched his lips to the
spot below her earlobe, then nipped and kissed a path lower
until he reached the crook of her neck. The soft touch shot
through her straight to the apex of her thighs. If this was
foreplay, then she wanted to dive into the game.

He relaxed his hold long enough for her to turn to face
him. Her gaze moved to the fly closure of his jeans, now
straining over his arousal. The sight awoke a primal force that
guided her hands under his tee shirt. She circled his nipples,
exploring every dip and rise on his chest, savoring the soft
texture of the whorls of hair covering his chest. His skin felt
like sun warmed silk against her palms, and she wanted to
explore more intimate curves. She followed the silky trail to
his waist and lower, sliding a finger under his waistband,
surprised by her boldness, and yet unwilling to stop.

His hand caught her wrist but didn't pull her away, just
impeded her progress.

"You don't have a girlfriend or significant other who might
object, do you?" The question slid between her dry lips on a
whisper.

"No, but I didn't plan to hit on you this soon no matter
how much I wanted to." He offered a lopsided grin. "At least,
not on our first meeting."

She grasped the hem of her tee shirt. This might be
insane, but she couldn't stop. Lust held her prisoner and
guided her hands. She wanted more and was ready to make
it happen. With an impatient gesture, she pulled her shirt
upward, over her head, then let it fall beside her. Though
startled by her uncharacteristic boldness the blatantly
provocative action had empowered her as well. "Well, what
better way to welcome a neighbor to the area?"

Sam sucked in a sharp gasp, then put his hand over hers.
"Are you sure?"

He set the flashlight on the step then as he straightened
he cupped her breasts. She arched, pressing the taut nipples
against his palms.

He leaned forward and circled each areola with the tip of
his tongue.

"More," she whispered.

"My pleasure." His voice was a low growl.

She felt him grin against the sensitized skin of her breast.
He took a nipple into his mouth, sucking and tugging at the
hungry bud. Anne looked down at the top of his head, at his
sun-kissed waves and felt like two women, one observing the
scene with disbelief, the other impatient to open her legs and
feel him plough his swollen penis deep inside her.

She raked her fingers through his closely cropped hair. The
erotic pulse between her legs accelerated, and her labial lips
started to swell in anticipation. He moved to the other breast,
and she closed her eyes, enjoying each lick and tug from his
talented lips and tongue.

He lifted his head, then stroked his hand across her cheek.
A sexy, lopsided grin turned up the corners of his mouth.
"When I came over, I was hoping to get to know you better."
He laughed softly, a quiet rumble echoing in his chest.
"Though this wasn't quite the welcome I was expecting."

"Are you disappointed?" she teased, lifting the hem of his
shirt. He lifted his arms over his head then leaned over so
Anne could pull it off.

"Hell, no," he said, smoothing his hands under the curves
of her breasts. "This beats any welcome to the neighborhood
visit I've ever had before."

Anne smiled, then reached for the snap on his jeans and
then tugged it apart. She slid the zipper slowly down his
bulging erection. He sucked in a breath, his body tensing. At
the soft sound, smug satisfaction spread as fast as the lust
spreading in her belly.

She slipped her hands down the sides of his pants and
then pushed them over his hips, her palms skimming over the
soft fabric of his briefs, then down the sides of his muscled
thighs, and lower to tight calves. He kicked off his jeans, then
pulled the snap of her jeans apart. He pushed both her
panties and jeans down in one smooth stroke and then
tugged them off.

"I want to feel you inside me." The words came out on a
ragged whisper from somewhere deep inside her, from a
different woman, who was wanton and bold. Her body ached,
craving fulfillment so badly it hurt. She'd never felt anything
like this before.

"Your wish is my command." He nudged her legs apart
then leaned forward, grazing his nose across her pubic hair,
before separating the lips of her sex with his fingertips. "But I
want to taste you first."

"Taste me?" The first moment of hesitation filtered through
the wild abandon leading her forward in this sensual
adventure. "But."

"But what?" he murmured. The heat of his breath skimmed
over inflamed flesh.

"No one's..." The words failed to come.

"No one's ever touched you like this?" His tongue slid
between the slippery folds.

Anne sucked in a breath.

"Or like this?" His lips closed around her clit, and he
suckled the sensitized nub.

"Oh, God." She arched again, letting her legs fall further
apart. Embarrassment succumbed to breathtaking awe. She
rocked with him, gasping out mews of pleasure, then a growl
of frustration when he pulled away.

She rested on her elbows on the step behind her and
watched as he disposed of his briefs. The dim light filtering
through the small windows softened his features. Perhaps it
was best this way. She'd never been able to make love in the
daylight, something Mark had grumbled about. Now, she was
half-naked with a man she'd just met, thrilled and alarmed at
how easy it had been to yield to the demands of the lust
welling up inside her.

Sam's erection stood out from his body. A bead of
moisture formed on the helmet-shaped tip of his penis.
Curious, she slid her finger over the tip, collecting the sticky
drop, then smiled when he sucked in a quick breath.

She licked it off her finger, surprised by the salty taste.
She slid her hands down his rigid erection, to the nest of
golden curls circling the base, then lower to the soft but
uneven skin covering his genitals. She dragged a fingertip
lightly over the textured skin of his scrotum. Perhaps it was
the darkness or the fact he was almost a stranger that made
her feel like an adventurous stranger in her own body.

He pulled back.

"Is something wrong?"

"Wrong? This is perfect," he said. "But I'm about ready to
cum."

Anne savored the sight of the tanned, rippling muscles of
his legs and butt, content to enjoy the view as he leaned over
and dug his wallet out of his jeans pocket, then pulled out a
small foil packet.

"Here, hold this." He passed her the condom package then
grasped her by the waist, lifting her off the step. He turned
around and sat down, settling her between the v of his legs.

"Let me put it on," she offered. Another first. She'd always
insisted that Mark put on the condom. The quick rip of a
condom package seemed loud in the silence. She took it, then
smoothed the latex sheath over the bulging head, then slowly
over the rod and the veins standing out along its length. God
he was large, she thought. A lot larger than Mark who was
excessively proud of his manhood.

"I thought you were in a hurry," he growled. He put his
hand over hers, smoothing the plastic sheath the rest of the
way along his shaft.

Sam grasped her waist again, lifting her and sliding his
legs between hers, spreading her legs wide and drawing her
close until his penis rested against her pubic hair. Unable to
look away from his sex, Anne felt his hands at her waist move
her until the tip of his arousal slid along her moist sex. He
was so large; she couldn't imagine him fitting the whole
length of it inside her. Mark's smaller member had at times
been uncomfortable.

He eased her down over the quivering pole until their
bodies met. She sucked in a gasp of air, dizzy with the ripple
of sensation, warming her insides. A murmur of pure pleasure
rose in her throat.

He lifted her then lowered her, each time rising to meet
her, setting a primitive rhythm. Anne rested her knees on the
step on either side of his hips to participate in the primal
dance he'd begun. She started to rock, using her hips to grind
against his body. She arched backward, his hands supporting
her while she rose and rocked, gulping for breath until her
vaginal walls finally clenched around him in an explosive burst
of sensation.

"Oh, God," she gasped as she fell against his chest and his
arms closed around her.

"Double ditto on that," he murmured against her neck.

Anne wasn't sure what to say or do. Nothing in past
experience could compare. This sampling of sex had sated her
and left her hungry for more all at the same time.

"Lady, you can come and borrow sugar at my place
anytime," he said, then kissed her shoulder.

A soft laugh bubbled up from deep inside her as
aftershocks rippled through her sex. "I just might take you up
on it." She wasn't sure she'd ever be able to do this again, to
fall into a glorious sexual union, but she wasn't about to close
a door on a place she might want to revisit.

She straightened, looking down at the base of the v where
their bodies were still joined. His crisp blond curls mingled
with Anne's golden brown pubic hair. His tanned skin
contrasted against her pale limbs. Her gaze climbed higher
over a tight rippled abdomen and rounded pecs with dusty
brown, dime-sized nipples. Male beauty swept away
embarrassment.

"Hello! Anybody home?" Deb's voice came from
somewhere above them.

Anne straightened; a fiery blush burned her cheeks. Once
again, she was caught in that eerie, what-have-I-just-done
sensation.

"Downstairs," she returned. "Just checking out the power
panel. Hold on, we'll be right up."

Sam grinned as he lifted her quickly off his body. She
picked her tee shirt from the step where it had fallen, then
pulled it quickly over her head. Sam pressed her jeans into
her hands. She pulled them on with trembling hands, still a
prisoner of the feeling of disbelief.

She didn't look at Sam but heard the rustle of clothes,
then a zip. He picked up the flashlight before he walked over
to a metal box in one corner, then immediately after a click
the bare light bulb suspended on a wire overhead came on.
Deb stepped into view at the top of the stairs. "Anne?"

"Hi, Deb. The power went out, and my neighbor, Sam,
arrived just in time to help out."

Deb started down the steps, then paused about half way
down. Anne flushed, aware of the musky scent of sex still
suspended in the air. Speculation lit her eyes, and her lips
twitched, promising a ribbing later.

"Sam," Anne said as she turned toward Deb who had
reached the bottom of the stairs. "This is Debra Armstrong,
my friend."

"The one who was coming to clean?" He extended his hand
toward her friend.

"One in the same. Although, it looks as if Anne has most of
it finished."

"I can still find a floor or two that needs scrubbing," Anne
returned, starting to feel like her world was returning to
normal. "But first why don't we have a mug of coffee and
some of the donuts Sam brought over?"

"That would be great," Deb replied, squinting as she
looked past Anne. "Why is that section bricked in?"

Anne turned. "I'm not sure. The real estate agent said that
it used to be a cold room, but he wasn't sure why the
previous owner had sealed it off."

"Maybe there's a dead body." Deb's eyes shone with
mischief.

"More likely a crack in the foundation," Sam said. "You
should probably take a look just in case it is and so you can
have it seen to."

Virginia leaned against the wall and watched as Anne's
tawny-skinned friend came down the stairs. She felt stronger
than she had in years. Not since randy teens had made love
several times in one night on the bare living room a decade
ago had she felt this powerful. The force of their explosive
climax had fed energy to her, just as Anne's coupling with her
sexy neighbor had.

She moved toward the trio, willing them to look toward her
resting place, where her murderer had buried her alive. The
real fun could only begin once her body, or at least when
what was left of her body was found and Anne took
possession of the necklace that held her here on the mortal
plane.

Instead, the mortals climbed the stairs, their laughter
trailing behind them. Frustration nipping at her hopes,
Virginia watched them go but didn't go after them.
Soon, she promised, soon....

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.