Chapter 1

Prelude

The scent of lilac and lavender greeted him as he opened the door. The monitor’s green lights and their reflection in the window blinked in unison in the darkened room. He walked slowly in and closed the door. There was no sound except for the beeping of the cardiac display. Flowers of various kinds leaned from their vases, their fallen petals mixed together on the mantle.

He stood by the bed and looked down at her face – a vision so pure and serene it made his heart ache.

“She’s so lovely.”

Startled, Mark turned toward the voice. In the corner was a figure, barely discernible in the darkness.

“Vivian!” he exclaimed, walking toward her. “I didn’t know you were here.”

He leaned down to embrace her.

“When did you get back?” she asked.

“I just came from the airport. How long have you been here?” he said.

“Since last night.”

“You don’t need to do that,” Mark said, touching her shoulder.

“Yes. I do.”

“It’s not as though she knows you’re here.”

“I don’t know whether she does or not,” Vivian said. “And it doesn’t make any difference. I’d do it anyway.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. Penance, perhaps. A need for absolution.”

“Absolution? Absolution for what?”

“All of this,” she said, evenly.

“All of what?”

“This whole thing. Julia, Charles, Lilith. You. It’s my fault. I’m the one responsible for it all.”

Arrival at the House; Amrita;

The house was large — far larger than it had looked from behind the elaborate wrought-iron gates, which had swung open when the driver announced their arrival. As the car turned onto the long, circular driveway, majestic stone pillars and pediments emerged. Sunlight filtered through the canopies of chestnut trees onto a fountain centered with the green-bronze curve of a half-hidden statue. As they pulled up to the house, the full statue become visible: a slender bronze girl on tiptoe, dreamily stretching her arms and tilting her face to the sun.

“Thank you,” said Julia, as the driver stood holding the open door.

“You’re welcome, Ma’am.”

They walked up the stairs to the entrance. Behind them, they heard the black limousine purr away.

“Are we sure this is the right place?” Mark said as they stared at the towering door. “This property is enormous — we must be a quarter mile from the road.”

“Well, she arranged for the car, so presumably the driver knew where to go.”

Mark looked around. “We’re way out in the country.”

“Well,” Julia said. “I suppose we should...”

But, as she spoke, the door opened.

A strikingly beautiful woman stood in the doorway, her dark-brown hair swept up into a French pleat, accentuating the elegant contours of her face. She wore a shimmering black skirt, slit up the side, revealing a stockinged slice of thigh. Her azure eyes held a blend of warmth and appraisal.

“Hello, Dr. Weston!” Julia said.

“Come in, and please call me Vivian. And, this is, of course, Mark, isn’t it?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, yes. My husband, Mark.”

“Wonderful to meet you, Mark,” Vivian said, warmly. “Even Julia’s glowing description fell short!”

“Thank you. Very nice to meet you, too.”

She led them through the entry hall into what appeared to be the living room, with warm, teak wainscoting draped in soft hues of gold and amber by the setting sun, which streamed through the large bay windows.

Vivian took Julia by the arm.

“So nice to see you again. Let’s sit over here.” Mark followed, his eyes drawn to the graceful movements of their hostess’ thighs beneath the rich fabric of her skirt.

Vivian positioned Julia in the middle of the large circular couch facing the window. Mark settled in next to her.

“Excuse me for one moment,” Vivian said, making her way to the door.

When she returned, Vivian was accompanied by a tall, elegant-looking man bearing a tray with a carafe of wine and glasses.

“This is Charles,” Vivian said. “And this is Mark ... and Julia.”

Mark stood up and shook hands with Charles, who reached out his left hand to take Julia’s.

“Always a great pleasure to meet woman of such divine beauty,” he said in a deep-toned voice.

“Oh, thank you!” Julia said, a slight flush on her cheeks.

Charles sat next to Julia, his eyes reflecting the same combination of conviviality and discernment Mark had had seen in Vivian’s.

As he did, there were four sharp beeps from somewhere outside the room.

Vivian’s body stiffened and her expression changed. She locked eyes with Charles.

Charles suddenly moved with stunning speed to the window. Mark could hardly believe it had happened – but there he was at the window, alertly scanning the exterior.

His face relaxed and he looked at Vivian.

“Just a couple of deer passing through.”

Vivian let out a sigh.

“A perimeter alarm,” she said, by way of explanation.

“How did you know something had happened in that direction?” said Mark curiously.

“The number of beeps signifies the location,” said Charles. “One for north, two for east, etc. That window faces west.” He sat down next to Julia.

“Is there a ... crime problem around here?” said Julia.

Charles and Vivian exchanged glances.

“No, not exactly,” said Vivian. “It’s a different issue that we’ll tell you about ... later. But, enough about that for the moment. You must tell us all about yourselves. Julia, you’re in marketing, right, and Mark, you’re a lawyer?”

“Yes,” Mark said.

“With a firm?” Charles asked.

“Yes. Beckham & Fuller.”

“Ah, a top firm,” said Charles. “You must have excelled in law school.”

“During the first two years, I barely saw him,” Julia interjected. “Even when he was physically present, he was mentally absent!”

“Are you in the law?” asked Mark.

“I’m not,” Charles said. “But I’m familiar with Beckham.”

“Charles is a research scientist,” Vivian said.

“Oh, what field?” Mark asked.

“I do some research in behavioral neuroscience – biopsychology.”

“Oh, that’s interesting!” said Julia. “What are you primarily researching?”

“My primary focus right now is human sexuality.”

“Oh, like Masters and Johnson?”

Charles smiled. “Same general subject matter, but very different research methods. I gather information chiefly though brain imaging — MRIs, PET scans, EEGs and so forth.”

“His focus right now is very exciting and stimulating,” Vivian said teasingly.

“What’s that?” Julia asked.

“We’ve been exploring the neurophysiological basis of female orgasm.”

“Ooh!” Julia said.

“But enough about me...”

Charles asked a series of questions about the two of them, his face reflecting unfailing interest in the responses, which came chiefly from Julia. She warmed to her subject as their hosts listened attentively, nodding and seeking further details.

As the wine flowed, the conversation eased into a more relaxed rhythm. Mark and Charles discovered a shared love of poetry, and Charles flawlessly recited an occasional excerpt from Dryden or Shelley as they discussed them. Charles had a sincere, engaging manner that complemented his obvious erudition. Julia was talking happily with Vivian, her words starting to slur slightly as the effects of the wine took hold. Mark, too, was feeling a little light-headed, a sensation partly attributable to the warm hip of the dazzling woman next to him. Before they knew it, two hours had slipped away. At some point, Charles disappeared and reemerged with a tray of delectable hors d’oeuvres.

“Oh, these are so delicious!” Julia exulted.

“Full credit goes to the store,” said Charles. “I merely reheated them in the oven.”

Julia reached over unsteadily to put her plate back on the coffee table and the fork slid off and clattered on the floor.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said, bending to pick it up. Vivian’s hand was there before her.

“Don’t give it a second’s thought.” She put the fork on the table.

Something about the feline grace with which Vivian had moved only deepened Mark’s appreciation of the sheer allure of the woman beside him. Her aura of sensuality was accentuated by her choice of attire – the slit skirt and a diaphanous silk blouse with exposed shoulders. Mark couldn’t help but notice the contours of her nipples outlined against the delicate fabric.

Vivian caught his glance and Mark found himself gazing into her captivating dark blue eyes. He saw her eyes dart down to his lap, dancing with amusement.

He looked down and realized, with a flush of embarrassment, that his own arousal was unmistakably visible against his pants. He quickly dropped his hands into his lap.

“I ... um,” Mark stammered, knowing she must have seen his erection.

“Not to worry, Mark,” she murmured, reaching over and stroking his arm.

Vivian turned to Julia and shared a hushed secret in her ear. Julia’s eyes widened, briefly flickering toward Mark before returning to Vivian. Then they were huddled together, talking in conspiratorial tones. Mark looked at Julia as Vivian whispered to her. Julia’s face was flushed with excitement, her lips slightly parted and glistening. He glanced down and could see that her nipples, too, were noticeably erect. The atmosphere was charged with sensuality.

“Mark,” Charles said over the two women. “Your mention of MacLeish caused me to think about his poem “End of the World,” which has often struck me...”

He was interrupted by a loud giggle from Julia.

Charles stood up. “Let me come over there.” He walked around the coffee table and sat in the chair adjacent to Mark. As he did, they heard Julia’s raised voice:

“I don’t believe it!” she said.

“It’s true!” Vivian said.

“It can’t be!”

“It is!” Vivian insisted.

“Don’t believe what?” said Mark.

“Uh...” Julia said, looking around at the two men. Her cheeks were pink.

Vivian turned to Charles.

“I was telling Julia about my role in your research.”

“Ah,” said Charles.

“Oh, you work together?” asked Mark.

“Yes. I have a very specific and exhilarating role,” Vivian said, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “Perhaps Charles could tell you about it.”

Charles looked at Vivian with a raised eyebrow.

“Go ahead!” said Vivian. “I already told Julia.”

“Well, all right,” Charles said. “I won’t get into the technical weeds, but there are a number of challenges in studying brain activity at the onset of orgasm. For example, PET scans require several minutes to prepare the radioactive tracer in order to coincide precisely with the orgasm. There are also typically involuntary head movements just before orgasm that make it difficult to obtain precise fMRI readings — a fraction of an inch can make for a bad day at the lab. Other methods of measurement are also compromised by the movement and timing uncertainty. All of these problems are solved if you’re able to know exactly when the orgasm will occur.”

He stopped and looked at Vivian.

“That’s where I come in,” Vivian said.

Charles laughed. “What Vivian is cryptically referring to is her rare, though not unique, ability to induce immediate orgasm.”

“What?” Mark said in surprise.

“But how?” Julia said.

“Contact through the mucous membranes,” Charles replied.

“I just can’t believe it,” Julia said. “Without anything else, nothing? It’s hard to believe.”

Vivian fixed her with a look. “Do you want to believe it?”

“Yes!” Julia said.

“Ok. Sit back, please.”

Julia sat back in the couch, looking slightly apprehensive. Vivian leaned over and put her lips on Julia’s for a moment and then drew her head back. “Sweetie, you have to open your mouth a little.”

She leaned forward again and their lips met.

Mark stared at his wife, locked in an intimate French kiss with another woman. The seconds stretched on. Then Julia suddenly tensed.

“Nnnhhh,” she moaned loudly, her head snapping back. Mark could see Julia’s entire body shuddering, a flush covering her neck ... exactly as she looked in orgasm.

Vivian leaned back and smiled.

Mark shook his head in disbelief – Vivian had given his wife an orgasm simply by kissing her. It seemed impossible, yet it had happened right before his eyes.

Breathing heavily, Julia slowly opened her eyes. They looked unfocused.

“Did you like that?” Vivian murmured.

“You made me...!” Julia stammered, her voice laced with a mixture of pleasure and disbelief.

“I did,” Vivian responded, running her fingers along Julia’s cheek. “Believe me now?”

Julia gazed at her for a moment, her mouth open. “Yes. It’s just incredible!”

She continued staring at Vivian. “So ... it’s your mouth?”

“Not necessarily. There are multiple paths. Here, I’ll show you.”

To Mark’s astonishment, Vivian reached down and undid the buttons of her blouse. She unfastened the front clasp of her bra and drew out a sumptuous breast crowned with a dark nipple. She leaned forward above Julia.

“Uh...” Julia started to say, her eyes wide. As she did, Vivian conveyed the tip of her breast to Julia’s open mouth.

“Mmh,” Julia murmured, her lips closing around the distended nipple.

A second later, Julia’s body again suddenly became rigig and she let out a loud, quivering moan. Her orgasm seemed, if anything, even more intense than the last, her body shaking with unrestrained pleasure as the climactic waves surged through her.