Her body relaxed into the mattress as she closed her eyes. A short nap would do her good and help clear her mind. She pulled the scarf from her face and let her fingers fall open.
Somewhere between a sleepy haze and consciousness, soft flutters of desire flickered between her legs, gently arousing her. With eyes half open, she glanced down to see the scarf loosely coiled around her thigh, disappearing beneath her slip. She blinked and looked again, this time more aware of the object. A shiny red snake slithering along her skin. Goosebumps raked her back. Its black eyes watched her intently. Tongue flickering from its thin mouth, tasting air and then disappearing again.
The snake raised its head and moved side to side like a pendulum. Berlin tried to look away but couldn't unlock her gaze. The same garnet she'd seen on the scarf illuminated from the snake's forehead, right above its eyes.
Berlin.
She recognized the voice she'd heard earlier as it echoed around her room. Her eyelids lazed to half-mast as fatigue infected her body. All her internal coaxing couldn't shift her gaze away from the garnet.
Don't be afraid.
The low, ethereal voice stilled her fears.
In frozen fascination she watched its mouth open. Ivory fangs sparkled like stars against a moonless sky. Berlin waited for the ultimate pain as its fangs broke her skin, but it didn't strike. Instead, the snake grew in length beside the bed, becoming an impossible size. Its tongue flickered, a faint hiss barely audible. Transfixed, she watched the red shiny layers of the snakeskin split, and a handsome man took its place.
Berlin drew a breath inward. Why didn't she scream? Why wasn't she afraid? She stared into his blazing emerald eyes, searching for any rhyme or reason why she didn't scream bloody murder and kick him in the balls. But she couldn't concoct a reason. An unbelievable calm settled over her, seeping into her blood and veins. Complete and absolute tranquility. Her body grew so light she wondered if she'd float right off the bed.
The same desire she'd felt when she'd first seen the scarf carried over and filled her with a wanton lust. Fear refused to surface. All she could summon up was an undeniable yearning. A rapacious desire to be intimate with this man. To let his lips part hers. She focused on his lips, set in a firm stance with a strong jaw. Long, dark hair caped his prominent shoulders. His captivating eyes were framed with dark lashes, and in the middle of his forehead, the garnet , identical to the one she'd seen on both the scarf and snake.
From the neck up he looked like an Indian prince, regal and proud. Berlin wet her lips and allowed her gaze to follow the muscular curve of the man's arms, chest, and stomach, and casually dipped low enough to see him dressed in nothing but a white cloth trimmed in gold. In a brusque voice, he greeted her.
"Hello, Berlin."
"How do you know my name?" Her voice sounded far away.
He smiled briefly, his eyes sparkling. "I know many things about you."
Was it possible she'd spoken to this man and couldn't remember? It didn't seem like something she would do. "Did I invite you in?"
"Yes, you brought me to your home. You couldn't wait to be alone with me."
She snickered at his air of confidence. "What do you think you know about me?"
Face lowered, he gazed directly into her eyes. "I know exactly what it is your heart desires. I can sate your appetite more times in one night than a thousand men put together. I'm willing to prove it right now."
His seductive words stroked her in places that had shut out all signs of affection and pleasure.
"Now beautiful. Will you let me show you?"
Her body answered with a liquid sigh. Yes she wanted him. Only him.
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