Read Online Escape From Reality by Adriana Hunter - Free Book Online

and leafing
through the pages. She’d thought writing long-hand was going to be difficult,
but she’d found that the rhythmic flow of the ink over the page lulled her into
some kind of writer’s trance and the words flowed almost effortlessly.
    The scene
between the hero and heroine, their first meeting, had been rewritten. It was
better, more organic, based on her experience that afternoon, but not exactly.
    Of course, in
her version, the heroine didn’t faint. And the hero made passionate love to her
on the beach.
    Leila wrinkled
her nose. Sand…sand would get everywhere. She crumpled the last piece of paper.
He’d carry her away to her room. Only not up so many stairs.
    A soft knock on
the door broke her concentration. She set down her pen, walked across the room,
and opened the door. The hallway was empty, but on the floor near her door was
a tray with several covered plates. She bent and retrieved the tray, silently
thanking Dominick for remembering her dinner before carefully setting it down on
the wide padded window seat, laying out the feast on the deep green brocade. She
found a lovely salad, fresh fruit and cheese, and a very decadent looking
dessert. A small carafe of wine accompanied her meal. Her stomach rumbled in
anticipation and she wasted no time in diving into the food. The open window
let in the soft evening breezes, scented with the tang of the ocean and a hint
of tropical flowers. It was warmer than the previous day and while the hearth
in her room was clean, no one had lit a fire tonight.
    The salad was
fresh, the dressing light but full of complex flavors. Leila quickly finished
the salad and dessert along with a glass of wine. She carried the fruit and
cheese, along with a second glass of wine, into the bathroom, setting them on
the wide marble edge of the tub. She found several fat candles and lit them,
the glass and marble reflecting the flickering flames.
    Tonight was the
night, finally, for the bath she’d craved since coming home from the writer’s
conference. The thought of soaking by candlelight, mulling over the next scene
she was going to write, seemed the most promising way to spend her evening.
    Leila ran the
water and poured in a stream of bath oil labeled Dragon’s Blood. She’d never
heard of the fragrance before, but soon the bathroom was filled with exotic
scents, spice and floral and a hint of incense, intense and mysterious. She
drew a deep breath, imagining how relaxing this bath was going to be.
    There was a
wealth of sleepwear to choose from, and tonight she pulled a sleeveless gown
with a plunging neckline from the dresser. The material was a lightweight
satin, deep red, obviously not as sheer as the previous night’s choice but
sensuous in its own right. Definitely a nightgown for an evening of sex, even
if it was just on the written page.
    The bathroom
was filling with fragrant steam and Leila eagerly shed her clothes, sinking
with a sigh of contentment into the warm silky water. The tub was deep enough
that she could almost soak completely submerged. Whoever had designed this
masterpiece had been a genius. The porcelain surrounded her, held her at the
perfect angle to relax, letting her head rest against the edge, seeming to
cradle her body. Her body felt weightless, suspended, finally relaxing.
    It was the
perfect place to sip wine, nibble on fruit and cheese, and muse about her hero,
imagining the scene she was going to write. The nuts and bolts of the scene
came together quickly, the where and when. The rest was hazy at first, but soon
her mind became as relaxed as her body and the ideas crystalized, flooding her
mind with details and her body with sensation.
    Stepping out of
the tub, she dried herself quickly. The bath oil had left her with soft
deliciously scented skin, and she pulled the satin gown over her head. The
brush of the fabric against her flushed skin was like the caress of a lover.
She bit her lip, a sudden intense ache springing up deep inside.
    She