Enchanted Desire

By Paul Lonardo

I had my life all planned out...until I met him. Kenny Honana is sexy and alluring. Mysterious. I'd always been drawn to the Native American heritage, and now I found myself dream-deep in a supernatural tribal ritual. Little did I know, his vision quest would involve me in a sexual odyssey beyond my wildest dreams. But when the quest is over...what becomes of us?

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
• Release date: Jun 17, 2016
• ISBN: 9781509209248

Paul Lonardo

Paul Lonardo has published both fiction and nonfiction books, including numerous collaborative titles. He studied filmmaking and screenwriting at Columbia College, Hollywood and earned a B.S. in English from the University of Rhode Island. A freelance writer and author, he lives in Lincoln, RI with his wife and son.

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Enchanted Desire

by

Paul Lonardo

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

Enchanted Desire

COPYRIGHT © 2016 by Paul Lonardo

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Contact Information: [e-mail]

Cover Art by Rae Monet

The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

PO Box 708

Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708

Visit us at www.thewilderroses.com

Publishing History

First Scarlet Rose Edition, 2016

Digital ISBN 978-1-5092-0924-8

Published in the United States of America

Chapter One

The shrill tone woke me out of a deep sleep and some half-remembered dream of a sexual encounter with a stranger. My eyes opened and cold awareness hit me, like a bucket of ice water. I saw his uniform hanging in the closet, and my smile instantly dissolved. I only wished I could have returned to that nocturnal vision rather than face the reality I was living.

Shut that fuckin’ thing off, David grumbled and rolled over onto his stomach, burying his face in the pillow.

God, I wish I could just hop back into that dream.

I fumbled for my cell phone on the nightstand, hitting a bunch of buttons until it stopped. I didn’t bother to answer it. I knew who it was. It was my wake-up call. I sighed, lying there in the dark for a long moment before grudgingly accepting what I was getting out of bed so early in the morning to do.

Black freakin’ Friday! Need I say more?

The day after Thanksgiving was practically a holiday itself. Among the females in my family, it was certainly a tradition. This annual pilgrimage took us all around Greater Boston. From dusk to dawn, we would invade the local malls and factory outlets alongside other insane people searching for bargains and just about anything on sale. Even items of no particular need or value were not safe if they were significantly discounted.

Personally, I would much rather have bought everything online and slept in. When I was younger and my mother was still alive, I didn’t mind the fast, frenzied shopping and the aggressive crowds. I actually enjoyed the experience. Now, it was more of a chore, an inconvenience, and an annoyance. The five a.m. ringing only reminded me just how far my life had changed and veered off in a direction that I didn’t seem to have any control over.

I eased out of bed so as not to disturb David and tiptoed into the bathroom, taking my phone with me. I needed a quick shower and a cup of coffee before my eyes were fully open, but first I called my sister back to let her know I was up.

It’s a perfect day, Courtney said, much too enthusiastically.

There was only darkness beyond the partially frosted-over bathroom window. The late November chill that made my skin break out into goose bumps crept slowly into my bones. That’s easy for you to say.

You’ll see, Shanna. Something good is going to happen today, I can feel it. I’ll be by in a half hour. I’ll bring some fruit. You want anything else?

Get me a black coffee. And a donut.

You don’t want a donut. You work out too hard.

I feel self-destructive at this time of the morning. Before hanging up, I added, Anything with sprinkles.

I languished in the shower. The heat and steam was comforting, and the force of the water rejuvenated me. My skin was overly sensitive to the pulsating water, though it was not any kind of pain or discomfort. Just the opposite, in fact. It was shockingly stimulating, like tiny massaging fingers all over my body. A sudden rush of blood to my crotch made my clit throb, and that really startled me. This level of arousal was not something I was used to feeling lately, especially not so unexpectedly.

I wanted to attribute it to my ovulating. While David, and most other men, blamed a woman’s menstrual cycle for any kind of variation in mood or emotion which they did not appreciate or understand, the truth was I had no clue what was responsible for this heightened sexual response, but I was sure it had nothing to do with my cycle, or David.

I got ready as quietly as I could, careful not to make too much noise. I didn’t want to wake David. I didn’t want to see him, talk to him, or anything else. I just finished dressing when Courtney pulled up outside. The headlights illuminated the apartment, making it appear even smaller, casting away the shadows, exposing the present state of my life. I turned my back on the bed where David lay sleeping, and I walked slowly toward the front door on the balls of my feet, careful not to strike my heels against the wood flooring.

Easing the front door open, I was about to step through when I paused suddenly. I stood on the threshold momentarily, my fingers gripping the door handle, and then I proceeded outside, slamming the door shut behind me as hard as I could. The loud bang even made me jump.

What the fuck!

I smiled as I walked out of the house, David’s high-pitched shouts indistinguishable. Courtney handed me my coffee as soon as I got into the car. I grabbed it and took to it like a newborn to a nipple. The first sip produced almost instant euphoria. I thought that the chemicals in this hot, black silken elixir worked as well as any antidepressant meds I’d ever taken, and with a lot less side effects. When I looked up, I saw Courtney looking at me with a Cheshire cat smile and a mischievous sparkle in her eye.

Don’t say it, I warned.

Are you ready to shop till you drop?

You had to say it?

I say it every year.

I know. And every year I hate it more and more.

Oh, come on. What’s eating you? We’re going to have some fun today.

Let’s just go and get it over with.

As she pulled away from the curb and drove out of the apartment complex, I imagined that I was leaving and never coming back, not to this apartment, not to David. I wished I could just run away from it all. If only it were that easy. Just hit the reset button and start over. No fuss, no muss. But there was always muss.

Hey, where’s my donut?

Courtney kept her left hand on the wheel and reached her right hand into the side pocket of her jacket, rummaging around for something.

That better not be my donut.

She removed her hand and held out something round and red in front of me.

That’s an apple.

It’s a Macoun. They’re so sweet. I have some protein chips, too. They’re in the bag in the backseat.

I’m good, thanks.

Halfway through my coffee I felt a lot better. Now, at least, I could deal with the crazed