Page 5 of Rub

And an earthquake hits.

No. Not an earthquake. A…

What the fuck is happening?

The ground under my knees and feet trembles, sending tingling ripples up through my body. The glass jar grows warm, warmer, hot. The heat radiates though my palm, up my arm and deep into my chest. My heart quickens, my nipples pinch hard, and pleasure like I’ve never experienced before rushes through me. For a surreal moment, I feel like I’m in the cusp of a freaking orgasm, and then a plume of deep iridescent purple smoke erupts from the tip of the glass jar, billowing up in front of me, higher, higher, blocking out what little light there is in the cave of Wunders alley.

I gasp. No, I squeal and land on my arse.

The smoke clears, and the most gorgeous guy I’ve ever seen in my entire life stands in front of me, naked save for a pair of baggy black pants. He’s tall, at least six-five, and built like a Renaissance sculptor’s dream. Intricate tattoos cover one armand shoulder, their designs intriguing and mysterious in the shadows. His muscles ripple, and oh boyo, those muscles are chef’s kiss perfection. As is his square jaw, his hawkish nose, his thick shaggy dark hair that falls to his broad shoulders and over his forehead, his eyes…

Eyes the colour of thunderclouds lock on me, and I swear to God, they glow. Glow.

Another rush of concentrated pleasure rushes through me, and I gape at him. Where… Where…

“Where did you come from?” I croak.

Those glowing thundercloud eyes regard me as his lips curl with the hint of a smile. I notice a tiny dimple in his right cheek and a small purple gem in his right earlobe.

“What year is it?” he asks, and once again, I almost orgasm at the deep, smooth timbre of his voice.

“Twenty twenty f?—”

He clicks the fingers on his right hand, and before I can finish raspingfour, a pair of faded Levis and a snug black T-shirt covers his body, a pair of well-worn Doc Martens on his feet.

I blink and gasp. Or squeal again? I make some kind of what-the-fuck noise, that’s for certain.

He looks down at himself and then grins at me. “Okay, master, let’s have some fun.”

Master?

“What?” This can’t be real. Perhaps I ran headfirst into the brick wall, and I’m now hallucinating? A stunned laugh bursts from me. I sound like I’m on helium. “What?”

He casts the alley an askew inspection and then arches an eyebrow at me, dimple flashing. “Not going to lie, master. This is a grim place for introductions. Shall we depart?”

“What?” I yelp. My head is roaring and spinning, and my heart is a cannon in my ears. Staggering to my feet, I stare up at him. Damn, he’s tall. And cute. Stunning, in fact. “What the hellis… Who the hell are… Master? What do you mean bymaster? Where the hell did you come from?”

He arches his eyebrow at me again, the dimple in his cheek creasing deeper. “See that lamp in your hand?” He points at the glass container in my hand. “I came from that. Although to be fair, the last time I saw it, it looked more ornate. It’s clearly disguising itself. But you rubbed it anyway. And now I’m here. Out of it. Ready to grant you whatever it is you want. Well, three whatevers it is you want. Or is it three whatever it is youwants? Grammar’s not my forte. Wishes. Wishes are my forte. I’m good at granting wishes.” His nose crinkles as he takes in the dank alley. “Although not here.” Pointing at the graffiti on the wall, he chuckles. “Cave of Wunders? Someone’s deluded. And a bad speller. Although I am completely agreeable with the have-fun part. Let’s do that. Where do you want to have fun?”

I have no words. My brain has stopped working. Wishes? Master? Wishes? Fun? “Errr…”

“Hmmm…” If he notices my stunned stupor, he doesn’t show it. Instead, he winks. “I think I know just the place.”

He lifts his right hand and grins. “Ready?”

He snaps his fingers, and we’re in the middle of a rave. On all sides of me, people are thrashing and grinding to a wild base rhythm, the lights flashing in time to the beat. The smell of sweat and alcohol stings my nostrils. The music punches my ears.

Opposite me, the guy from the alley is dancing, his body moving like sex was a dance. The guy… The…the…genie? Is he a genie? He said three wishes before he clicked his fingers and we arrived here. But genies aren’t real, right? Oh God, am I hallucinating for some reason? Is the air in the alley toxic?

The guy opens his eyes and regards me with a dark, steady stare. “Not dancing?”

“I don’t dance,” I shout back. Yeah, I’m definitely hallucinating. Have to be.

He slides closer to me and smooths his hands over my hips. An electrical jolt zaps through me, pooling like liquid heat between my thighs.

Oh God…

“Dance with me,” he murmurs, his lips brushing my temple. “I haven’t danced for over a century.”

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