Releasing the Dragon: Myths and Legends Book One Read online

  Releasing the Dragon

  Myths and Legends, Book One

  By

  Stacie Simpson

  Releasing the Dragon: Myths and Legends, Book One

  Copyright 2013 Stacie Simpson

  Smashwords Edition

  All right reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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  Adult Reading Material

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  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author's imagination and are used fictitiously.

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  Acknowledgements

  Many thanks to my friends and family for all their love and support. Without all of you cheering for me I never would have finished this book. I'd especially like to say thank you to Marcia and Lin for reading the earlier drafts and providing much needed feedback. Finally, since we all know every book is judged by its cover, a special thank you goes out to Fiona Jayde Media for the wonderful cover that epitomizes the erotically romantic essence of this story.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Disclaimer

  Acknowledgements

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  About the Author

  More to Come

  Connect with Stacie

  Chapter One

  The most erotic dance experience a nightclub can offer! - The catchphrase used most often to describe Mystique, a nightclub located within the Myths and Legends Casino Resort on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

  I stood by the railing on the upper level of Mystique watching the writhing mass of bodies on the dance floor below. Based on everything I'd heard and read about Mystique I expected to see provocative dancing, but this... This was beyond anything I could have imagined. There was far too much nudity to be legal in a public place, and if I wasn't mistaken, some of the men down there should be wearing condoms.

  Instead of being appalled by what I was seeing, like I told myself I should be, I was intrigued. How could a place like this exist? - Especially in one of the highest ranked resorts in the world? Why weren't the cops in here busting everyone for indecent exposure or public fornication?

  I looked out over the club, taking in the sights and the sounds and decided - I don't care how they get away with it as long as I can join in the fun.

  Misty darkness filled most of the club with the exception of colored spotlights used to illuminate the bars on both levels and the elevated stages and pedestals around the dance floor. On those stages and pedestals talented dancers moved their bodies seductively wearing minuscule costumes that transformed them into sizzling hot demons. Stimulating music filled the air tugging at my body with its thumping beats and erotic rhythms. Everything came together to create an atmosphere of mystery and lust worthy of the name Mystique. It was the perfect place to shed my inhibitions, to move in time with other bodies and feel the hypnotic pull of my deepest desires.

  The moment I stepped into Mystique, I felt an exhilarating sensation rush through my body. It was lust in its purest form, no thoughts or feelings, just a physical craving for carnal pleasure. The craving had been strongest near the entrance but lessened when I climbed the stairs to the upper level. Now, as I drifted down the spiral staircase leading to the dance floor, waves of desire crashed over me, threatening to pull me under with every step I took. I didn't understand what was happening to me, but I knew I wanted to feel more of the sinful heat building inside of me.

  By the time I reached the bottom of the stairs the music was flowing through my body, guiding me the way a snake charmer compels a serpent. I danced my way to the center of the floor with slow, sensual movements, brushing against hot, slick bodies as the heaving crowd closed in around me.

  Within seconds strong, masculine hands smoothed over my shoulders heating the bare flesh left exposed by the thin, strapless dress I wore. The hands traveled slowly down my arms, then gripped my hips and pulled me roughly against a hard, male body. A thrill went through me as I threw my hands in the air and danced, my body undulating suggestively against the bulge I felt in the front of his pants. When the hands on my hips suddenly tightened, his fingers digging in with bruising strength, I looked over my shoulder into deep, blue eyes glazed with lust so intense it stole my breath. I gave a little twist of my hips that made his eyes close, his head fall back with a groan of pure need.

  Tingles of pleasure turned to jolts of electricity as our bodies moved together. Public sex had never seemed like a good idea, but here in Mystique, I couldn't think of anything I wanted more. All around us men and women were pressed together, grinding their bodies against each other in a writhing frenzy. Many of them were half dressed; all of them were mindless in their pursuit of sexual fulfillment. Ecstatic moans broke through the music, mingled with the sounds of bare flesh slapping together. The musk of sex and the salt of sweat filled my head with their intoxicating aroma.

  Soon we were joined by another man. My eyes drank in the sight of his bare chest and the jeans he wore unbuttoned, riding low on his hips. As he moved in closer, dancing in front of me, his sculpted muscles brushed against my breasts, teasing my nipples into throbbing peaks of need. I strained forward lifting my breasts higher, begging for more. Taking that as an invitation, he skimmed his hands slowly up my sides, grazing his thumbs over the tight buds, testing to see how far I would let him go. When I didn't protest, he eased the front of my dress down exposing my breast for his hot, wet mouth to devour. At the first touch of his tongue desire took over my body completely, had me quivering as I burrowed my fingers through his thick, blonde hair. He licked and sucked with ravenous hunger while my breathing grew more labored by the second.

  The man at my back must have taken the other man's actions as a signal to move forward
because I felt him working to free his erection behind me. His calloused hands returned to my body massaging my thighs with increasing pressure. He was dragging the hemline of my dress higher with every pass of his hands on my overheated flesh. His hips moved behind me with erotic intent, making my womb clench with anticipation. Warm hands slid up over my bare ass, then down along my hip bones and pressed against my lower abdomen just above my black, lacy thong. He paused for a moment, waiting to see if I would stop him.

  A tiny voice in the back of my mind screamed that I shouldn't let him do this. That I shouldn't let the other man fondle my breasts in clear view of all these people. I opened my mouth to tell them to stop, but the only thing that came out was a harsh demand for more. Nothing could penetrate the fog clouding my mind except the pleasure their hands and mouths brought me.

  I closed my eyes and let my head fall back with a moan when I felt his hand slip under my panties... and then I was alone on the dance floor. There were still people all around me, but there seemed to be an unseen barrier that blocked everyone from touching me.

  I looked around in confusion, my mind so muddled by the haze of lust that I couldn't make sense of anything. That was when I looked up and realized I was being watched. A tall man with dark hair stood on the balcony overlooking the dance floor. His intense gaze was focused on me, piercing, as if he could see straight into my soul. I was frozen in place, like prey caught in the sights of a predator. I couldn't move or look away. I could only watch as rage and lust blazed in his dark, hungry eyes.

  The nightclub dissolved around me. I saw myself in his arms, pinned to the wall with my legs wrapped around his trim waist, my hands gripping his broad shoulders tightly while he drove his aroused flesh into me over and over again. On some level I knew the vision wasn't real, but my body reacted as if it was. The fire the other men had been stoking suddenly burst into flames drenching my panties with a violent orgasm that left me trembling while I gasped for air. As the orgasm ripped through my body I saw him thrusting harder, deeper, frantically pounding into the wet center of my quivering body. Through it all his eyes bore into mine, holding me in place while the fantasy played out. With a final thrust of his powerful hips he growled savagely and buried himself inside me while his cock pulsed with his own release.

  Before I could catch my breath the dance club came roaring back into focus shattering the vision and leaving me wet and aching alone on the dance floor. When I looked up at the balcony the man had vanished. I went to the upper level in search of him but found no sign he had ever been there. I wondered if he was even real or just a fantasy born of the raging lust threatening to consume me again. I took one last look at the dance floor below and fled while the thought to do so could still form in my mind.

  Chapter Two

  Upon waking the following morning I could hardly believe my behavior the night before. I shuddered when I thought about what I had almost done. My love of dancing has compelled me to spend hundreds of nights dancing in clubs without ever taking a stranger to bed - let alone having sex with two strangers on the dance floor. But last night was different, it wasn't about dancing, it was about a total loss of control, about letting go and drowning in sensation. Within the walls of Mystique there was no holding back, no rules of propriety or social norms to follow. Not a single person stood on the periphery afraid to dance, afraid of what people might think. Everyone seemed to be in the same hazy, lustful state that I was in, responding as if the air we breathed was an aphrodisiac. Every touch, every sensation was amplified, left me eager for more. It was exhilarating and frightening, and completely unexplainable since I hadn't consumed a drop of alcohol or ingested a single illicit drug.

  When I first walked into Mystique heat flashed through my body with a blast of unexpected desire so intense it nearly took me to my knees. I should have taken that as a warning and walked back out the door, but something drew me inside, and whatever it was, I couldn't deny its pull.

  I went upstairs to get a better view of the club and discovered that the higher I went the more the desire for sexual pleasure lessened. I remained on the upper level, gliding around the balcony admiring the dancers on stages and pedestals encircling the dance floor. I was impressed by how effortless they made their use of poles and aerial silk appear. Their movements were so flowing and graceful, so sensual, so mesmerizing. I didn’t realize until it was too late that watching them dance in the swirling mist and fluctuating colored lights brought the sexual energy I’d felt before back to life.

  The next thing I knew, I was downstairs again, mimicking their movements on the dance floor, surrounded by a kaleidoscope of faces. I lost myself in that sea of writhing bodies, allowed myself to be overwhelmed by the erotic sensations. I would have done anything if it meant the pleasure would continue. My mind didn't come back online until I locked eyes with mister tall, dark and oh-so-sexy. After losing track of him I got out of their as fast as my feet could carry me.

  Now I had to wonder if all the clubs here would have the same effect on my libido. Mystique is after all only one of many attractions to be found in the Myths and Legends Casino Resort. A resort located on the Mississippi Gulf Coast with a theme revolving around mythical legends including vampires, werewolves and demons. On the outside, the building itself looks like a medieval castle complete with a drawbridge and a glowing green moat. The inside contains restaurants and dance clubs along with a hotel, casino, and several other amenities. The various attractions are decorated with images and memorabilia displayed in a style reminiscent of a Hard Rock Cafe. Guests of the resort are welcomed into the world of dreams and nightmares by staff members wearing surprisingly realistic costumes.

  Promotional advertisements for the resort promise a magical experience filled with mystery and excitement. After what I experienced last night, I could almost believe in magic and supernatural beings.

  Pushing aside the lingering effects of my enchanted evening, I stepped into the shower and began getting ready for what could possibly be the most important day of my life.

  A week ago I was sitting in my office thinking there has to be something better, that this couldn't possibly be the life I was destined to live. When I was a child I'd always dreamed of being a dancer. But growing up with a single parent taught me that sometimes you have to bite the bullet and take the job with a guaranteed paycheck instead of the fun, exciting job that could either lead to fame and fortune or leave you sleeping under a bridge.

  My mother never had a lot of money but she knew how much I loved to dance. She always scraped together enough money to pay for lessons and buy my costumes. I danced from the time I was born through high school and even tried to continue dancing while I attended college. Then one day the director called me into his office and tried to get me to sleep with him. When I said I wasn't interested he wouldn't take no for an answer and came very close to raping me. After that he spread enough rumors about me that I was blacklisted from every dance production our small town had to offer. Not even the local strip club would've hired me if I'd chosen to try that route. So when I received a mysterious package in the mail later that day I just had to take a leap of faith. The package contained a round trip plane ticket, prepaid rental car and hotel accommodations, and most importantly, an invitation to the dance auditions here at Myths and Legends.

  On the first day of auditions I had a little problem at the check-in table. After standing in line for thirty minutes I was told that my name wasn't on the list. I insisted that I had been invited and I even showed Harrison, the annoying keeper of the list, my invitation. He was a slender man of average height with a superior air and when my invitation failed to impress him, I asked that he confer with his supervisor. When he returned, he grudgingly apologized for the confusion and said I should find my place with the other dancers. I did as he instructed, thankful to have the matter resolved so I could shift my focus to the tasks ahead.

  When I joined the rest of the candidates on the stage I listened closely as Scarlett
, a tall woman in her early thirties with fiery red hair explained what would be expected of us and what the people judging us would be looking for. Once those instructions and tips were given she began teaching us the first routine. Later I would learn it was the first of many increasingly difficult routines designed to challenge us in every way possible. By the end of the day I believed we had attempted every form of dance known to man. Scarlett announced we were done for the day and posted a list of candidates who were invited to return the next day. My heart skipped a beat when I found my name, Serafina Leroux, about halfway down the page.

  Each day the dance routines we learned during the auditions were more complicated and physically demanding than any we attempted in the days before. Scarlett showed us each routine only one time and expected us to know it without any mistakes. She turned out to be more demanding than a drill sergeant. At the end of every day I found my name on the list of dancers invited to return for more torture the next day. Today was the final day of auditions. In just a few hours either my dreams would come true or I would know for certain that they never would.

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  Chapter Three

  "I was just walking through the lobby where I overheard some very disturbing news," I told Rook, my security chief, as I joined him in his office. He rose when I entered and I gestured to the chairs near the wall of monitors at the back of the room.

  We took our seats as Rook inquired, "And what news would that be since so many disturbing things happen here on a daily basis?"