Beauty Ravished by Celeste Anwar

 
     
    Beauty Ravished
    by
    Celeste Anwar
     
     
     
     
    © copyright, Celeste Anwar
    Cover art by Alex DeShanks, © copyright April 2008
    New Concepts Publishing
    5202 Humphreys Rd.
    Lake Park, GA 31636
    www.newconceptspublishing.com
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter One
     
    There was more beautiful male flesh on the estate lawn than you could see in a month of Fridays in any club in Atlanta. Cherry Roman had heart palpitations just looking at their bodies glistening in the dwindling sunlight on a white sandy beach. Her best friend, Sheri, would weep when she found out what she’d passed up, Cherry thought with an uncomfortable spurt of guilty happiness, thrilled at the prospect of adventure she was facing and, at the same time, deeply regretful that Sheri would miss out on it.
    Breathing in a deep, calming breath in an effort to dismiss the jitter of nerves about coming to such a place solo, Cherry dragged her gaze from the scenery on the beach and scanned the island and it’s surroundings.
    The horizon was beautifully striped in gaudy colors in every hue. The setting sun perched above the golden sea like a ball of fire, clouds rippling out from its center domination of the sky in bold streaks of scarlet. A breeze carrying the scent of salt and sand swept across her damp skin, offering some relief from the nearly unrelenting humid heat of a Southern summer. Though she was nearer to the equator here than in her apartment in North Georgia, the air coming off the water made the weather seem cooler than it actually was.
    Her skin itched slightly from sea salt and dried perspiration, making her long for a shower. She could forget her discomfort though, gazing upon the scene laid out before her.
    Feeling a little wobbly legged after having the rolling sea under her, she hefted her overnight bag on her shoulder, leaving the dock and retreating ferry behind as she strolled up the pathway to the hotel that looked more like an enormous private beach house than a commercial property. There wouldn’t be another ferry until Monday—no going back now, not that she particularly wanted to. She thought perhaps Sheri was right in passing off her own invitation to Cherry—a weekend at this retreat would certainly put the hideous outcome of her life into perspective. Or, at the very least, there was plenty of eye candy to distract herself from her problems. She didn’t have to worry about work. She’d been laid off from her job indefinitely due to severe cut backs, but at least she had enough severance for this little vacation.
    Cherry tried not to think about how dumb it was to spend any of it when her future was so uncertain. She wasn’t prone to behaving so irresponsibly, which was why she couldn’t even remember the last time she’d had an actual vacation. If she was working, she couldn’t afford to take the time off for one and if she wasn’t, she couldn’t afford to spend the money.
    That certainly hadn’t changed, but she’d felt a near desperation to escape her worries, if just for a little while.
    Resolutely, she shrugged the disturbing thoughts off, determined to enjoy herself while she could.
    As Sherri had pointed out, there was always going to be something to worry about.
    She lost sight of the glittering beach and half naked men as she progressed up the hill to the lodge. The trees stooped and curled over the path like tired, noble sentinels, twisted from the heavy, almost constant caress of ocean air. Traversing the lane, she could see a pine forest lay beyond the hill and could make out the edges of a concrete patio and pool spread at the back clearing around the building. There, a buffet of undeniably male forms lounged, as well, soaking in the dying rays of sunlight. She frowned and quickened her step, cresting the rise to the hotel’s entrance, eager to check in and get started relaxing.
    A large screened in porch, decked with padded, wrought iron chairs faced the view of the ocean. Ferns ascending the stairs