The Mammoth Book of Best New Erotica 4 Read online

  MAXIM JAKUBOWSKI was born in England but educated in France. Following a career in publishing, he opened London’s famous MURDER ONE bookshop. He has published over 70 books, won the Anthony and Karel Awards and is a connoisseur of genre fiction in all its forms. His recent books include ten volumes in The Mammoth Book of Erotica series, as well as The Mammoth Book of Pulp Fiction and more recently The Mammoth Book of Pulp Action. Other well-received anthologies include: London Noir, three volumes of Fresh Blood, Past Poisons, Chronicles of Crime and Murder Through the Ages. A regular broadcaster, he is the crime columnist for the Guardian. His fiction includes Life in the World of Women, It’s you that I want to Kiss, Because She Thought She Loved Me, The State of Montana, On Tenderness Express and Confessions of a Romantic Pornographer. He lives in London.

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  THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF

  Best

  New Erotica

  Volume 4

  Edited by Maxim Jakubowski

  ROBINSON

  London

  Constable & Robinson Ltd

  55–56 Russell Square

  London WC1B 4HP

  www.constablerobinson.com

  First published in the UK by Robinson,

  an imprint of Constable & Robinson Ltd 2005

  Collection and editorial material

  copyright © Maxim Jakubowski 2005

  All rights reserved. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  A copy of the British Library Cataloguing in

  Publication Data is available from the British Library.

  ISBN 1–84529–075–5

  Printed and bound in the EU

  2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Maxim Jakubowski

  INTRODUCTION

  Amanda A. Gannon

  WINGS

  N.T. Morley

  MEMORANDUM

  O’Neil De Noux

  BLUEGUMS

  Lisette Ashton

  PET SHOP GIRL

  Molly Weatherfield

  LILITH BROKEN TO BRIDLE

  M. Christian

  EVERYTHING BUT THE SMELL OF LILIES

  Alison Tyler

  TEN MINUTES IN THE EIGHTIES

  Charlie Anders

  A DAY WITH THE BERNSTEINS

  Zoe Constantin

  BASSAI DAI

  Tara Alton

  THE END OF DAPHNE GREENWOOD’S TRAVEL CAREER

  John Edward Ames

  CRY OF THE LOOGAROO

  Debra Hyde

  UNDER THE FROG BRIDGE

  Mark Timlin

  EYE OF THE BEHOLDER

  Cheyenne Blue

  INDIGO WHITE, BURNT UMBER

  Tom Piccirilli

  WHEN CALLS ED WOOD

  Stephanie Schaeffer

  THIS HURTS ME MORE THAN IT HURTS YOU

  Simon Sheppard

  AMSTERDAM

  Karen Taylor

  NACHT RUCK

  Maria Dahvana Headley

  EVE SCALES THE WALL

  Mike Kimera

  AMERICAN HOLIDAYS

  Cecilia Tan

  BODIES OF WATER

  Claude Lalumière

  DREGS

  Madeleine Oh

  AT LONG LAST

  Elizabeth Coldwell

  UNDERNEATH YOUR CLOTHES

  Geoff Cordner

  MEAT AND POTATOES

  Michèle Larue

  EYEWASH

  R. Gay

  THIS FAR INSIDE

  Michael Bracken

  FEEL THE PAIN

  Maxim Jakubowski

  THE SUMMER OF GRANT LEE BUFFALO

  Riain Grey

  LOOK AT ME

  A.F. Waddell

  CASHMERES MUST DIE

  Nicholas Urfé

  THE ARB

  Sage Vivant

  THE KEY

  Cara Bruce

  TOO BAD

  Donna George Storey

  SPRING PICTURES

  Mark Ramsden

  NICK/NICOLA

  Catherine Lundoff

  THE PERMANENT

  John Grant

  NO SOLACE FOR THE SOUL IN DIGITOPIA

  Patrick Califia

  SWIMMER’S BODY

  Lisabet Sarai

  COMMUNION

  Kate Dominic

  CONTENTED CLIENTS

  Nola Summers

  THE LESSONS

  Debra Gray De Noux & O’Neil De Noux

  NUDE IN MAGENTA

  Rachel Kramer Bussel

  DOING THE DISHES

  Thomas S. Roche

  AVRIL’S NAME

  Acknowledgments

  WINGS by Amanda A. Gannon © 2003 by
Amanda A. Gannon. First appeared in Scarlet Letters.

  MEMORANDUM by N.T. Morley © 2003 by N.T. Morley. First appeared in Good Vibrations Magazine. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  BLUEGUMS by O’Neil De Noux © 2003 by O’Neil De Noux. First appeared in City Slab Magazine. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  PET SHOP GIRL by Lisette Ashton © 2003 by Lisette Ashton. First appeared in Forum. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  LILITH BROKEN TO BRIDLE by Molly Weatherfield © 2003 by Molly Weatherfield. First appeared in The Big Book of Hot Women’s Erotica 2004 edited by Marilyn Jaye-Lewis. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  EVERYTHING BUT THE SMELL OF LILIES by M. Christian © 2003 by M. Christian. First appeared in The Bachelor Machine. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  TEN MINUTES IN THE EIGHTIES by Alison Tyler © 2003 by Alison Tyler. First appeared in Wicked Words 8, edited by Kerri Sharp. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  A DAY WITH THE BERNSTEINS by Charlie Anders © 2003 by Charlie Anders. First appeared in Suspect Thoughts. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  BASSAI DAI by Zoe Constantin © 2003 by Zoe Constantin. First appeared in Clean Sheets. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  THE END OF DAPHNE GREENWOOD’S TRAVEL CAREER by Tara Alton © 2003 by Tara Alton. First appeared in Scarlet Letters. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  CRY OF THE LOOGAROO by John Edward Ames © 2003 by John Edward Ames. First appeared in Hot Blood XI:Fatal Attractions, edited by Jeff Gelb and Michael Garrett. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  UNDER THE FROG BRIDGE by Debra Hyde © 2003 by Debra Hyde. First appeared in Scarlet Letters. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  EYE OF THE BEHOLDER by Mark Timlin © 2003 by Mark Timlin. First appeared in The Erotic Review. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  INDIGO WHITE, BURNT UMBER by Cheyenne Blue © 2003 by Cheyenne Blue. First appeared in Clean Sheets. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  WHEN CALLS ED WOOD by Tom Piccirilli © 2003 by Tom Piccirilli. First appeared in Leather, Lace and Lust, edited by Sage Vivant and M. Christian. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  THIS HURTS ME MORE THAN IT HURTS YOU by Stephanie Schaeffer © 2003 by Stephanie Schaeffer. First appeared in Clean Sheets. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  AMSTERDAM by Simon Sheppard © 2003 by Simon Sheppard. First appeared in Lovers Who Stay with You, edited by David MacMillan. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  NACHT RUCK by Karen Taylor © 2003 by Karen Taylor. First appeared in Leather, Lace and Lust, edited by Sage Vivant and M. Christian. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  EVE SCALES THE WALL by Maria Dahvana Headley © 2004 by Maria Dahvana Headley. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  AMERICAN HOLIDAYS by Mike Kimera © 2003 by Mike Kimera. First appeared in Clean Sheets. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  BODIES OF WATER by Cecilia Tan © 2003 by Cecilia Tan. First appeared in The Big Book of Hot Women’s Erotica 2004, edited by Marilyn Jaye-Lewis. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  DREGS by Claude Lalumière © 2003 by Claude Lalumière. First appeared in Interzone. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  AT LONG LAST by Madeleine Oh © 2003 by Madeleine Oh. First appeared in Best Lesbian Erotica 2004, edited by Tristan Taormino. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  UNDERNEATH YOUR CLOTHES by Elizabeth Coldwell © 2003 by Elizabeth Coldwell. First appeared in Leather, Lace and Lust, edited by Sage Vivant and M. Christian. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  MEAT AND POTATOES by Geoff Cordner © 2003 by Geoff Cordner. First appeared in Scarlet Letters. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  EYEWASH by Michèle Larue © 2003 by Michèle Larue. First appeared in The Big Book of Hot Women’s Erotica 2004, edited by Marilyn Jaye-Lewis. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  THIS FAR INSIDE by R. Gay © 2003 by R. Gay. First appeared in Scarlet Letters. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  FEEL THE PAIN by Michael Bracken © 2003 by Michael Bracken. First appeared in Flesh and Blood: Guilty as Sin, edited by Max Allan Collins and Jeff Gelb. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  THE SUMMER OF GRANT LEE BUFFALO by Maxim Jakubowski © 2003 and 2004 by Maxim Jakubowski. First appeared in Suspect Thoughts and in a revised version in Confessions of a Romantic Pornographer. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  LOOK AT ME by Riain Grey © 2003 by Riain Grey. First appeared in Clean Sheets. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  CASHMERES MUST DIE by A.F. Waddell © 2003 by A.F. Waddell. First appeared in Leather, Lace and Lust, edited by Sage Vivant and M. Christian. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  THE ARB by Nicholas Urfé © 2003 by Nicholas Urfé. First appeared in Scarlet Letters.

  THE KEY by Sage Vivant © 2003 by Sage Vivant. First appeared in Naughty Stories A to Z, vol 2, edited by Alison Tyler. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  TOO BAD by Cara Bruce © 2003 by Cara Bruce. First appeared in Suspect Thoughts. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  SPRING PICTURES by Donna George Storey © 2003 by Donna George Storey. First appeared in Scarlet Letters. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  NICK/NICOLA by Mark Ramsden © 2004 by Mark Ramsden. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  THE PERMANENT by Catherine Lundoff © 2003 by Catherine Lundoff. First appeared in The Big Book of Hot Women’s Erotica 2004, edited by Marilyn Jaye-Lewis. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  NO SOLACE FOR THE SOUL IN DIGITOPIA by John Grant © 2003 by John Grant. First appeared in Live Without a Net, edited by Lou Anders. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  SWIMMER’S BODY by Patrick Califia © 2003 by Patrick Califia. First appeared in Suspect Thoughts. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  COMMUNION by Lisabet Sarai © 2003 by Lisabet Sarai. First appeared in Sacred Exchange, edited by Lisabet Sarai and S.F. Mayfair. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  CONTENTED CLIENTS by Kate Dominic © 2003 by Kate Dominic. First appeared in Leather, Lace and Lust, edited by Sage Vivant and M. Christian. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  THE LESSONS by Nola Summers © 2003 by Nola Summers. First appeared in Clean Sheets. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  NUDE IN MAGENTA by Debra Gray De Noux and O’Neil De Noux © 2003 by Debra Gray De Noux and O’Neil De Noux. First appeared in Hot Blood XI:Fatal Attraction, edited by Jeff Gelb and Michael Garrett. Reprinted by permission of the authors.

  DOING THE DISHES by Rachel Kramer Bussel © 2003 by Rachel Kramer Bussel. First appeared in Best Women’s Erotica 2004, edited by Marcy Sheiner. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  AVRIL’S NAME by Thomas S. Roche © 2003 by Thomas S. Roche. First appeared in Erotica Writers and Readers Association. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  All efforts have been made to contact the copyright holders, either through their last-known email address or care of the editors who published them. Should anyone who could not be reached thus wish to make themselves known, please contact Maxim Jackubowski c/o the publisher.

  Introduction

  Maxim Jakubowski

  Another year, another bountiful handful of erotic stories covering the whole gamut of human sexuality, fantasies and entertainment. This time, our tales come laced with wit, desire, danger, irony and dollops of lust given a free rein and most definitely out of control.

  The popularity of erotic writing keeps on growing and in the twelve years I have been editing these groundbreaking anthologies, I have never been faced with such an embarassment of riches.

  To select the stories included here I have read over 1,500 stories – some from direct submissions, some previously published in rival anthologies (a few of which were only available to US book club members) or single author book collections, and yet others from countless magazines and websites. This represents an increase of almost
40 per cent on the previous year and proves a fair reflection of the current boom happening in the realm of the literary senses.

  And yet again I am particularly proud to be able to introduce a brace of new authors who haven’t appeared in previous volumes in the series together with many favourites whose imagination and talent show no sign of drying up.

  As ever, I am amazed by the variations our erotic writers spin on what is commonly (and mistakenly) thought of as a subject where the limitations in sexual positions and sexual combinations lead to a dead end. They all manage to be sexy without resorting to vulgarity and their characters come alive as real people and not cardboard characters with sexual bits attached. Emotions as well as humour banish the spectre of mere pornography and the ensuing results are both fascinating and enchanting.

  After months of reading erotic stories, I must confess I am already looking forward to seeing next year’s offerings and how they will invariably bring new angles and dimensions to a subject that will never cease to live in the hearts and genitals of men and women: desire, lust, curiosity, call it what you will.

  Adam and Eve (and the serpent, of course) have much to be blamed for.

  Enjoy this delicious apple of a book . . .

  Maxim Jakubowski

  Wings

  Amanda A. Gannon

  “I want wings,” Sara said, laying the sheet of paper on the glass. “Black ones.” The case held glittering rows of body jewelry and pierced anatomical models like strange orchids.

  The man behind the counter looked at her design, the swords of the black feathers slashing down the paper, stark and gorgeous, then turned an experienced eye to Sara. He, with his several facial piercings and close-shaven head, looked like he belonged here. Sara, in her work clothes, with her black hair pinned up smartly, did not. She returned his stare evenly.