The year is 1883. Eduard van De Lier is a Dutchman overseeing a spice plantation on the island of Java, in the South Pacific. His obsessive attraction to dark-skinned men is just one of his many secrets. His wife Marien knows of his indiscretions, but as she's content with their Colonial lifestyle, she stays silent. Until a former lover of Eduard's shows up in their parlor with thoughts of blackmail. Reza was a crewman on the ship that brought the van De Liers to Java. During the passage, Eduard spent many a night in the younger man's arms. Two years have passed, and the last person Eduard expects to find in his drawing room is Reza, a letter in hand that could destroy the life he and Marien lead. Seeing him again ignites Eduard's lust for his first dark lover. He hopes to retrieve the letter, either through seduction or subterfuge, and the longer Reza eludes him, the more his desire grows. But they're on shaky ground, and before things can heat up between them, their world explodes -- literally -- when the unstable island of Krakatoa erupts.

All Shook Up

The water stabs into my brain like an ice pick and I dump the rest of it down the drain, then refill the glass with warmer water. It’s tepid and a little nauseating, like swallowing spit, but at least it doesn’t hurt. I hunt through the drawers for the aspirin I know my mom keeps in the kitchen—when I find the bottle, I throw back four little white pills and chase them down with the lukewarm water. It makes me gag and I lean over the sink, sure this is it, I’m going to be sick, thenmy dad will have something to say to me, I bet…but I swallow back the nausea, hold onto the sink with a tight grip and wait for it to pass.


God. If I never see another Leprechaun again, it’ll be too soon.


The newspaper rattles as my father turns the page, reminding me I’m not alone. Gulping down the rest of the water, I stick two slices of bread in the toaster and lean back against the counter. “Where’s Joe?” I ask the back of my dad’s head.


Chapter 23