Exotica

Please be advised that this excerpt contains adult material, unsuitable for younger readers. Chapter One Live the Fantasy An exclusive fantasy resort set in the sultry warmth of Palm Springs. The place for a woman to experience her most secret desires in a safe, discreet environment, surrounded by sheer luxury. Choose your dream theme from among our five Ultimate Fantasy worlds: * Casablanca: Live the glamorous and seductive era of the 1940s. * Wild, Wild West: Guaranteed to be the wild experience of a lifetime. * The Castle: The romance of medieval times brought to life. * Pirate's Cove: A pirate adventure you'll never forget. * Kama Sutra: The ultimate in exotic fantasy. And coming soon: Arabian Nights: The sensual luxury of a sultan's palace. Relax in absolute privacy at one of the world's finest luxury resorts. Come to EXOTICA, and live the fantasy. . . . The limousine sped through the desert, the sleek length of it gliding like a snake across the hot sand. Heat shimmered on the highway, the glare of the sun warming the darkened windows of the car, even though the air-conditioning kept the limo at a comfortable seventy-five degrees inside. Still, Lilli's hands were damp as, for the tenth time that morning, she looked over the brochure her friend Caroline Winter had sent her. They'd hardly spoken the last several years, but they'd found each other through their college alumni association last year, just as Lilli was going through her divorce. They'd talked a bit through e-mail, and then by phone. Lilli could hardly believe it when Caroline had admitted what it was she did for a living, managing Exotica. But the idea had become more and more intriguing, until finally, Lilli hadn't been able to resist Caroline's repeated invitations. Was she really going to this place? Was she actually daring to do this? She shifted on the leather seat, the smooth surface sticking to her bare legs beneath the linen skirt she wore. She felt naked, somehow, just reading about Exotica, imagining what might happen to her there. Gloriously, yet shamefully, naked. But then, her life was full of contradictions lately, wasn't it? Had been since she'd found out what a sham her marriage was all these years. But that was behind her now, and coming here was a step toward making her new beginning. From now on, her life would be of her own creation, her own choices. Still, she had to stop and wonder if she'd been completely insane when she'd signed on for this adventure. Or maybe it was simply old habit, one instilled by Evan, to question herself, to worry. Stop it. She tapped her fingers on the armrest, her pulse racing as she stared out the window. Long stretches of sand dunes swept past, punctuated by tall, stately date palms clustered around the entrances to beautifully landscaped homes. She'd always loved Palm Springs; she found the desert soothing, serene. Why did she have a feeling after this adventure, she'd never see the desert in quite the same way again? The driver's voice came over the intercom. "We're here, Madame." A pair of enormous iron gates rolled back in front of the car. Imposing. Beautiful. Her stomach gave one hard twist. There was no sign here. The resort was far too exclusive, too discreet for that. Nothing more than those big gates closing it off from the rest of the world. Almost another world in itself. They drove past sweeping lawns with peacocks wandering beneath the palm trees. Gorgeous hedges of blooming bougainvillea in shades of red and pink climbed the high stone walls on either side. As they pulled up in front of a long, low building, done in the same stone that seemed to blend naturally with the jagged mountain peaks in the distance, she rubbed her damp palms together. This is it. The car came to a stop and the brochure fluttered to the floor asBradley, Eden is the author of 'Exotica', published 2007 under ISBN 9780553385106 and ISBN 0553385100.