FLAME AND A FIREMAN Read online

  Still, something about visiting Pluto in the Underworld had Lisa intrigued. There had been numerous theme rooms at the bordello, all of which had seen her patronage. The men sent to service her were wonderful companions, but were always motivated by the hope of a huge tip. Lisa knew that and kept the visits in perspective. Nothing was ever personal about her escapades there except the safe sex. No emotions were ever involved. But no advertising she'd seen, and none of the employees of the bordello had ever mentioned, anything about an Underworld Room. Or any character portraying Pluto.

  Putting the wild invitation in perspective, Lisa snickered at the entire idea, immediately walked to the phone and dialed Cathy's number. When no one responded, she left a brief message for her friend after the tone sounded.

  "Cathy, this is Lisa. I got your little joke message, hon. Very cute!" She laughed out loud. "Pluto, huh? Give me a break, sweetie! It's very original. I gotta hand that to you. I want to know just where you got the idea and how you set it up with the director of the bordello. So, give me a call as soon as you can. 'Bye now."

  Laughing aloud at what she now believed was an intricate practical joke, Lisa went back to the movie she'd been watching. But she couldn't seem to keep her gaze from wandering toward the red card now sitting on the coffee table in front of her.

  What the hell... If Cathy had gone to the expense and trouble of setting her up with the so-called Ruler of the Underworld, she'd go along with the gag and see where it led. It might even be just the tonic she needed to get out of the funky mood plaguing her lately.

  But later that night, a fiery lover drifted through Lisa's dreams. Tall, handsome and virile, he pleased her as no man ever had. And when she woke in the morning, all Lisa could think about was the appointment at the bordello that evening.

  She had the craziest feeling, all day long, that what she'd experienced in her dreams had been real. But common sense told her the dreams were only sparked by the novelty of the invitation and the images it evoked. Still, as the day wore on and she readied herself for the bordello visit, her anticipation rose exponentially. She had to hand it to her best friend. Cathy Sullivan had found a most inventive way to work Lisa up for a full adventure.

  When Lisa left the apartment that evening, Cathy hadn't returned her call. But that didn't matter. All Lisa could think about was this Pluto guy and what a night in the Underworld theme room would be like. During the thirty-minute drive to the bordello, she felt the moisture begin between her thighs, readying her for a night of exquisite pleasure. Whoever portrayed Pluto was going to have his hands full.

  Chapter 2

  * * *

  Lisa walked into the marble-domed mansion that housed Women's Pleasure Incorporated. Nothing seemed different from the last time she'd visited. She gazed at the white marble foyer, the marble columns and high domed entrance, and the balconies leading to the theme rooms.

  Punctual as ever, she only had to wait a couple of minutes before the director of the establishment arrived. Monique Martinez knew her well. Lisa watched the petite, exquisitely groomed blond walk into the foyer. She was wearing, as coincidence would have it, a flaming red, low-cut dress that hugged her body and swirled around her ankles. Lisa grinned at the obvious attempt to pre-set the mood for the Underworld.

  Monique held out her hand. "Hello, Ms. Portelli. So good to see you again. We've missed you."

  "Uh, sorry I haven't been around lately. I've been pretty busy." She handed the director the red card. "I don't imagine you know who sent this?"

  Monique momentarily bowed her head to read the card. "As always, we have to uphold our policy of privacy. I'm sure you understand that, Ms. Portelli. If they request it, we keep the names of our gift card purchasers anonymous. We have an exclusive clientele whose wishes in these matters must be honored."

  "Okay, okay. Have it your way," Lisa said with a shrug. "But why does this guy portraying Pluto know so much about me? What about my privacy?" She was certain Cathy had set up the appointment and had told the Pluto person all about her social life, but Lisa couldn't help taking a dig at Monique and her so-called "policy of privacy."

  Undeterred, Monique simply held up a hand. "You'll understand the uniqueness of the situation soon enough."

  Releasing a slow breath, Lisa relented. "Okay, which way to the Underworld?"

  "Follow me. I'm sure you'll enjoy this new addition to our menu, so to speak. I think you're going to find it quite...different."

  Lisa tried to keep the smirk off her face while following Monique to the elevator. She couldn't help thinking Monique would make one hell of a poker player if she ever chose to take up that profession. The blond woman's face revealed absolutely nothing about the experience Lisa was about to have.

  Instead of going up to one of the balconies where the theme rooms were located, Lisa saw Monique push a basement level button on the elevator keypad. She smiled at the appropriateness of going down to get to the Underworld. At that point, she tried to prod her companion into talking one last time. "Uh, Monique?"

  "Yes?" She turned and smiled politely at Lisa.

  "Where did you get the idea for an Underworld Room?"

  Monique stared at Lisa a moment before answering. "It just came to me. And I might add that you're in for a flaming good time. We're keeping this room aside for our most old and valued customers. Only a very special few will ever see it."

  Lisa arched an eyebrow at the woman's cryptic expression, then shrugged. She surmised the unique theme room was off limits to anyone except the very wealthy.

  "Ah, here we are," Monique informed her as the elevator stopped on the lowest floor.

  Lisa held out her hand, as she had on any number of previous visits, for a room key and awaited the director's instructions as to which room in the basement level to use.

  Monique looked at the outstretched palm and simply shook her head. "You won't need a key this time. Have a wonderful visit."

  With that little bit of information, coupled with the rather mystifying grin on Monique's face, Lisa's cop instincts kicked in. When Monique pushed the button to open the elevator door, Lisa was met with a blackness that could only be described as coming from the bowels of hell.

  With her overnight bag in one hand, she gingerly stepped into the dark abyss before her, but quickly turned to Monique for an explanation as to the lack of light. Before she could open her mouth to ask anything, however, the laughing director had pushed the elevator button and the door quickly closed.

  Lisa was left standing in a void of black emptiness that had her reaching for the holstered gun she would normally carry under her left arm.

  Realizing the gun wasn't there, she tried to smile at her own fear and make light of the situation. Monique Martinez wouldn't dare do anything to her. There would be no reason to hurt her. There was no motive whatsoever in harming a client who'd spent what most folks would consider a fortune at her bordello.

  But standing there in the dark, Lisa's instincts were still geared to fight or flight mode. She just couldn't help her cop training and the total unexpected nature of Monique's actions. "Okay, would someone get the lights, please? If I can't see, I won't stay."

  For what seemed like several minutes there was no response. Lisa dropped the overnight bag she'd been carrying and shuffled her way a few steps back to the elevator doors. Her right hand came in contact was a series of buttons on the door frame, but nothing she pushed would open the elevator doors or turn on any lights.

  "This isn't funny!" she called out.

  "For most, the Underworld rarely is," came a very deep, disembodied voice.

  Lisa froze. She tried to gauge the direction of the sound, but it was impossible. The masculine voice had seemed to come from everywhere. Angry now, she squared her body and readied herself for anything that might happen.

  "Either turn on the damned lights or let me out of here. You've got to the count of three before I begin searching this place and making arrests on any number of charges, beginning w
ith a few safety code violations."

  "What's wrong, Lisa? Not afraid, are you?" the voice asked.

  "One," Lisa began to count.

  "You were promised a night in the Underworld. What did you expect?"

  "Two," she continued, but no further sound was heard. After a few seconds of waiting, she committed herself to the last number. "Three."

  Unholy darkness still engulfed her. "Damn it! When I find you, I'm gonna kick your Underworld butt all the way to the closest precinct."

  "Butt kicking wasn't on the agenda. But I'll consider it," came the voice again.

  Whoever the man was, he was laughing at her. She could hear the amusement in his voice. She angrily crossed her arms over her chest and pointlessly stared into the darkness. "Why don't you turn on a light or two, Pluto? Or were we supposed to fool around in the dark?" She started to walk forward when his sudden command stopped her immediately.

  "Stop! There are a number of obstacles in your way. Move further and you could be hurt."

  Lisa took her arms off her chest and swallowed hard. "Look, just turn on some damned lights. Okay? I came here for some relaxation. Not to get the crap scared out of me." There was a kind of resigned, fearful tone in her voice that irritated her. But she was scared. No one had ever done anything like this to her.

  "By my command, there shall be light," the deep voice uttered.

  On the floor in front of her, Lisa saw a small red light go on. It was about a foot in diameter. Then, overhead lights in hues of red, blue and even black illuminated the ceiling. It was as if they were on a dimmer switch and were being systematically turned up. The gradual lighting had the effect she was sure someone meant it to. Before her were bulky images she couldn't yet make out. Added to the ceiling lights were others on the walls and more on the floor.

  She stood, mesmerized by the scene unfolding before her.

  "Son of a..." She didn't have time to finish as hidden fog machines began to exude eerie layers of colored, billowy clouds. The bulky images she'd seen around her were rocks. And as the light came up more, she could see the huge room was meant to depict a cave. There were even stalactites hanging from the ceiling and stalagmites thrusting up from the floor. The Freudian message they sent was all too plain. Some of them were deliberately shaped to look like penises, leaving nothing to the psychological imagination at all. And the surface of the rocks had been coated with something that made them sparkle like sun on marble. But the colors were red, black, muted greys and tans. Like a sepia-toned picture.

  She could see now why the deep-voiced man had ordered her to stay put. There were boulders of different sizes and dimensions strewn everywhere. Touching them assured her some were very real. But the larger of the rocks and boulders were the fake kind she new were used in movie or television productions or landscaping.

  As her eyes became more accustomed to the dim lighting and the under-lit rock formations, she could make out small cauldrons of shimmering objects. Walking forward and dipping her hand into one, she drew forth glistening glass stones, faceted and cut to mimic gems of all colors. Some of the smaller cauldrons contained the usual supply of multi-sized condoms. This, more than anything, reassured her that she hadn't stumbled into an episode of The Twilight Zone after all.

  She took a deep breath, walked further into the room and avoided the boulders and rocks by following what seemed to be a path. The first step of it began with the one red light on the floor that had appeared before her first.

  "Damn," she whispered. "Monique spared no expense."

  She kept walking forward, wondering if the entire Underworld domain encompassed what was probably the whole basement. From the size of the rock formations, that seemed to be the case. But there was no sign of the man whose voice she'd heard in the dark. She continued to slowly move forward.

  "Hello? Pluto...anybody?"

  "Stay on the path. You'll find me waiting."

  Though the light in the room was still very dim, there wasn't any danger now of tripping over anything. Except for the suggestive penis rock formations, the man hiding somewhere in the room, the cauldrons of fake gems, the very real condoms and the colored fog, the entire place reminded her of the time she'd visited Carlsbad Caverns one summer. Okay...maybe it wasn't like Carlsbad at all except that the decorations mimicked a cave.

  Lisa began to smile. "Well, I'm sure as hell not bored anymore," she whispered to herself.

  She wound her way along the path, taking her time to look everything over. Two large boulders, each over six feet high, lay ahead on her left and right. Pausing to listen for any sound of movement, she finally zigzagged between the rocks and gasped at the sight before her.

  Reclining leisurely on a round bed on a dais was the largest man she'd ever seen. But not just any man. Except for the long, black hair falling over one of his massive shoulders, he was completely red. Only his privates were covered by some kind of red loincloth meant to look like a very short, torn curtain.

  To add to the effect, he sported pointed ears and two horns just over the outside of his eyebrows. His well-developed body was stretched out for her viewing pleasure. He smiled at her and she backed up several steps. That smile was as brilliant as any sun. His firm, square jaw was as striking as the rest of his handsome face. A strong, straight nose sat above full, luscious lips, and Lisa was entranced by his stunning presence...but not so much she couldn't speak.

  "I've heard of an actor getting into his role, but this is ridiculous," she gasped.

  "I'm Pluto, your host," the man announced. Then he stood and walked toward her.

  Lisa swallowed hard and had to look way, way up to see his dark eyes. Even when he was off the dais and standing no more than two feet in front of her, he still loomed over her five feet nine inches. Up close, she guessed he was just over six-and-a-half feet. But all of it was powerful, well-bred, demon-red man. A fine line of dark hair funneled between his breasts and down into the loincloth where a tight, delineated abdomen lay ready to explore.

  She could only guess, at that point, what was situated underneath the gauzy cloth tied low around his hips. But if it the hidden part of his body was as big as the rest of the man, whoever had funded this romp had gifted her with the best piece of flesh money could buy.

  When he crossed his arms over his chest, she could see every tendon flex, and every muscle bulge in his arms and chest. She licked dry lips and cleared her throat when her voice seemed to fail. "P-Pluto, huh?"

  He grinned. "I see my appearance has taken you by surprise." He tossed the hair off his shoulder with a flick of his head.

  "You could say that," she mumbled.

  He held out his hand. "Let me make up for my poor manners earlier, Lisa. I didn't mean to frighten you."

  Something in his black gaze softened. She shrugged and looked him over again. "Well, I guess it's all part of the illusion. No harm done." She put her hand in his. It was strong, very warm and calloused. Whoever muscle-man was, he worked very hard at something. Probably lifting heavy weights, she surmised.

  "Would you like to get into something more comfortable?" he softly asked. "The caverns of my domain can get rather warm."

  She half-smiled, knowing there was always a standard line from any of the men employed at the bordello to get the woman out of her clothing and into the night's entertainment. "Uh, could I possibly get a drink first?" she asked.

  "Of course. What's your pleasure?"

  The way he said that last part made her think he had more on his mind than just the drink. "Whatever you suggest," she quickly replied.

  "How about a concoction of my own invention. It's called a Red Demon."

  Lisa felt her eyebrows shoot up. "What's in it?"

  "A lot of gin."

  She firmly nodded. "That'll do." She watched him turn and walk toward a large rock. As he moved, the man reminded her of a wild panther. Full of grace and just as dangerously powerful, the only differences between him and that particular jungle feline were his red colo
r, that he walked on two feet as opposed to four, and he presumably wouldn't eat her. Okay, he wasn't anymore comparable to a panther as the fake cavern was to Carlsbad. But he was captivating.

  She watched him push an innocuous indentation in the rock. A full bar, lit with red and blue lights for effect, rose from the floor. Lisa shook her head in amazement. "This is one hell of a set up. Uh, no pun intended."

  He looked over his shoulder at her. "Ice or neat?"

  She looked over his body again and couldn't help it when her gaze lingered a little too long on his rounded, high butt where the loincloth didn't cover much. For some, it seemed, gravity had no effect.

  "Lisa?" he prompted.

  "Uh, ice, please."

  He nodded and went back to work on the drink. "Do you see anything you'd like to explore?"

  She pressed her lips together. He'd obviously caught her ogling his body. "Yeah. But let's have that drink first."

  "Whatever you'd like." He walked toward her with the cold beverage and handed it to her. There was a second one in his left hand for himself.

  "So, they drink gin in the Underworld, huh?"

  He nodded and took a sip of his drink. "This domain is not as terrifying or unusual as people imagine it. At least it won't be tonight." He deliberately moved closer to her.

  Knowing that intimate touching was not only permitted, but expected by the employees of the bordello, Lisa lifted her free hand and placed it in the middle of his chest. She began to move it over the bulky pectorals there and slid it down to his abdomen before moving her palm up again. "Who are you? You know my name, so how about yours?"

  "If you're inclined to use my Roman name, which I prefer, I'm Pluto. If you'd rather use my Greek pseudonym, I'm Hades."

  "Okay. You're not going to tell. I can respect that. But can you at least tell me who rigged this evening for me?"