Atlantis Allure,

349 Pages·2016·1.44 MB·English

by  Calloway Paula

Atlantis Allure

An Anthology by

eXtasy’s Collective Mind
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either
are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any
resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely
coincidental.
Atlantis Allure
Copyright ã 2008 eXtasy’s Collective Mind
ISBN: 978-1-55487-025-7
Cover art by Martine Jardin

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization
of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or
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permission of the publisher.

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Atlantis allure [electronic resource] / eXtasy's collective mind.

Also available in print format.
ISBN 978-1-55487-025-7

1. Erotic stories. 2. Science fiction. 3. Fantasy fiction.

PN6120.95.E7A85 2008a 823'.0876083538 C2008-901626-2

Published by eXtasy Books
Look for us online at:
www.extasybooks.com
CONTENT

1 - A tale of a Tail - Paula Calloway
2 -Atlantis Lost - Stephani Hecht
3 - Amphibian Adventure - Madelaine Grant
4 - A Pirate’s Dream - Amelia June
5 - Atlantean Wolves: Alphas - Tianna Xander, Bonnie Rose Leigh
6 - Ningyo: Umino Otoka - K. B. Forrest
7 - Atlantis Woman Found - Adriana Kraft
8 - Crossing Over - Sarah Dickson
9 - Going Under - Viola Grace
10 - The Key to Atlantis - Sophia Danu
11 - Scorcher - D. J. Manly
12 - Poseidon’s Passion - AP Miller
13 - Shifting Sands - Celine Chatillon
14 - Sliding into the Sea - C. D. Conejo
15 - Subterfuge - Diane Layers
16 - The Eight Pearl - Evelyn Starr
17 - The Moon Dancer - Alexis Anthony
18 - The Moon Priestess - Laura Tolomei
19 - The Noble Athenian - Alexis Anthony
20 - The Whip Festival - Jackie Rose
21 - To Love a Mortal - Tonya Ramagos
22 - Vanished - Gabriella Bradley
23 - Below the Sea - Lynn Crain
To our faithful readers…
A TALE OF A TAIL

Paula Calloway

“You’re not serious. We planned this since my parents’ funeral two months
ago!” Miranda glared at the proffered masculine palm. Anger and hurt battled
for control of her response. She wanted to drop to her knees and beg him to stay
with promises of his heart’s desires, even if it meant a daily gym trip, but dignity
hindered.
“I’m very serious and the lack of sex since your parents’ funeral is the icing
on the cake. I need a shapely wife I can show off, not a cushy couch.” Rodger
wiggled his fingers. “My ring.”
“You never held me and let me cry it out!” The cool trickle of a tear down her
cheek tipped the scales in his favor. She yanked the golden band from her hand
and flung it past him toward the door. “Take it and get out! Shove it down your
new girl’s throat. I hope she chokes.” With her arms crossed over her breasts,
she turned her back and bit her lower lip to keep from falling apart.
“You cried it out on your own, darling.” He snickered. “Face it, babe, the only
man who’ll take an interest in you is one of equal size.”
Miranda decided loneliness was far better than his callous words. “I never
want to see you again. Goodbye and good riddance.”
Rodger scoffed. “You won’t, babe, but you could be nicer about this.”
“I’m not the one who dropped the bomb of a sordid affair with some scrawny
whore.”
“Angela is the trophy I can show off in public. You’re an at home hide-away,
a woman one keeps on the side for warm cozy nights.”
The slam of the door opened the floodgates. Miranda spun, rushed to the door
and grabbed the knob, but didn’t turn it. “I will not beg.” Her hand lowered to
her side, she pivoted and leaned her back against the warm barricade. “Why is it
so hard for men to understand some women aren’t designed to be thin? Some
women have… padded curves.”
Her gaze fell on the pair of sea cruise tickets tucked in the side pocket of her
purse. “What’s to stop me from going alone?” She crossed the floor and
snatched up the tickets. “I’ll just claim the refund for his ticket, add a little funds
and enjoy a luxury suite. Yeah, that’s what I’ll do.” Her decision made, she
smiled, grabbed the phone, and dialed the travel agency.

A week later.

Miranda appreciated the cabby’s help with her luggage. She handed him a
twenty-dollar bill. “Thank you.” His tipped cap and flashed smile brightened her
day until the fluttering white flags, which marked the passage to the gangway
with twin red hearts, reminded her it was a lover’s cruise and she lacked a lover.
Her silent scold a prod, she picked up her two suitcases when a steward
approached.
Derrick bowed, straightened and proffered his hand. “If you give me your
ticket, miss, I’ll help you to your cabin.”
“It’s Miranda.” She surrendered the clutched paper. “I’m in cabin seven A.”
“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Miranda. I’m Derrick. That cabin is one
of our finest rooms.” The steward collected her bags and set them on a luggage
trolley. “This way.”
Miranda followed him down the passage, up the gangway, then through a
large opening where the sight before her almost cost her footing. Overwhelmed
by the size of the ship, she halted and sucked in her breath. She peeked over the
edge of the dock. Her gaze traveled the height of the stern and the bridge
structure from the water.
She shivered. “Any taller and it might reach the sky.” Overhanging the ship
stern stood a fantail, which tiered down from numerous decks and stopped
halfway. The black hull and white superstructure verified it an ocean liner and
not a floating resort. A blare from the horn echoed across the bay when the
cruise ship signaled intent to depart.
Derrick cleared his throat. “She debarks in thirty minutes. Shall we continue?”
Miranda nodded. “Oh yes. She’s impressive.”
“One of the most elegant ladies in the fleet.”
She paused in the grand lobby. The atrium extended upward for six decks with
unrivaled elegance and regal colors. Embellished alabaster work, red-carpeted
marble staircases and glass elevators bedecked interior. Posted signs marked
offices and desks. High above, fourteen cabins overlooked the great foyer.
Chatty crewmembers lined the lobby.
Derrick cleared his throat. “This way.”
Miranda placed her hand on the luggage rack to avoid a misstep. “It’s
beautiful.”
He moved slower. “The pamphlet and other information do her an injustice.”
“Very much so.” Balconies and retro-styled décor recreated the nostalgia of
the great liner era. Striking snow tiger-print carpets adorned corridors. Staircases
boasted wall panels with integrated dark and blonde wood veneers. Common
rooms displayed a majestic style décor reminiscent of old world with crimson
carpets and dark wood veneer. Permanent exhibits of murals, paintings and
various ship models bedecked staircase landings and community areas and
depicted a nautical museum at sea.
Derrick chuckled. “And now the introductory verbal tour while on the way to
your cabin. It’s not a thrill like the guided tour, but is now required of us since
the day a passenger was reported lost at sea and later discovered raiding the ice-
cream freezer.”
Miranda almost laughed. “Such is my luck.”
“I hope not.”
She listened, while her escort rattled on about facilities, shops, location of the
best views and something about waves breaking over the bow. The rest of
gibberish included information on more important places like the medical center.
Derrick opened the door of her cabin and stepped aside. “The ship’s main
deck space is on the Sun Deck, the Promenade and the terraces at the stern.”
Miranda entered the modern and spacious room. A large window offered an
ocean view while the opposing balcony proffered an interior view. “A mini
kitchen and fully stocked bathroom, including slippers and robe. How sweet.”
Feminine giggling drew her attention to the open door. A passing couple
dampened her spirits and the rest of the room lost its appeal. Something about
laundry and dinner brought her back to her rambling escort.
“You are welcome to dine in any hall, but the best is the Oyster’s Pearl. The
daily evening menu offers the choice of five appetizers, three salads, seven
entrée’s and nine desserts with low fat and vegetarian options.”
She flinched while he unloaded her suitcases. “Thank you. I think I’ll head up
top and watch the dock disappear.”
“Allow me to accompany you.” Derrick escorted her to the promenade deck.
“Good day, miss.”
Miranda nodded at his departure, then leaned on the elaborate rail. She stared
across the depths with an occasional peek at the various couples gathered along
the railing while they waved at those on shore. The sound of the horn blared
across the bay and the ship left port. When the other people departed, she sighed
at the approach of a new steward who bowed.
“Hello, my name is Michael. May I get you anything?”
“Anything not tall, handsome, rich, arrogant or a combination thereof.”
Michael cringed. “I meant from the bar, miss.”
Her laugh soft, Miranda turned her attention back to the seawater when it
sloshed against the ship’s hull. “I’m fine. I need some fresh air to clear my
head.” His footsteps faded from her ears as the harbor faded from her sight. She
inhaled a deep breath of briny sea air and released it with a sigh. The pain in her
chest too much, she wished for the wind to sweep away her ache while the water
washed away her loneliness.

Two days later.

After almost falling over the railing the day before and saved only by the swift
reaction of a nearby steward, Miranda avoided the stern. Embarrassed by the
incident, she blamed the fresh sea air and disappeared for the rest of the day. She
shivered at the recollection of how all-too mesmerizing the ship’s long trailed
wake proved.
The full wrap-around deck provided wooden steamer chairs, but failed to hold
her interest. She slipped through the door at the bow where the open deck
allowed people to stand on the foremost point of the ship. Taken by the beauty of
the sea, she leaned on the rail and watched the hull of the powerful ship part the
water.

Reef spent many centuries swimming the cruise ship lanes and savored the
forbidden taste of human emotion. He often swam near the surface while women
walked the deck high above or leaned over the railing, their minds open. Various
emotions flooded him and he deciphered most. Hate and love seemed more a
choice than an emotion, which flared or faded.
He enjoyed his share of skinny, slender, plump and more, but always found