(C) Lorraine Kennedy 2008
Cover art (c) Alex DeShanks 2008
New Concepts Publishing
Rating: Carnal
No doctor could cure her lameness, and April had saved for years to travel to the man she’d heard of in Africa, Mabasa, believing he could perform a miracle for her. Until the night she watched him perform the fire dance, however, and felt the fire he generated within her, it hadn’t occurred to her that he would also fulfill her desire for passion and fill her heart with the love and joy life had denied her.
CHAPTER ONE
The drum called out to her … pulled at her … seduced her until she felt that her heart beat in time to its ancient rhythm. A stray breeze drifted across the African Savanna, touching her skin, soothing her after the day’s furious heat. Even with her hair pulled up, she could still feel drops of perspiration on her neck and back. April paid little attention to her discomforts. Her attention was on the man who’d entered the circle.
He wore nothing but a loincloth, revealing every curve and contour of the muscle rippling beneath his coffee colored skin. The man’s long black hair was worn in dreadlocks, adorned with a multitude of colored beads. His smooth features were marred by four stripes of white paint that ran from his forehead to the bottom of his chin.
In the center of the dance circle was a pile of green wood. The man stepped into the kindling.
The drum grew louder, more erratic. There was an explosion of color as dancers in traditional dress began to move around him, their movements synchronized to flow in complete harmony with each other.
At the center of the dancers, the man moved his hands above the wood and an instant later fire erupted. The flames surrounded him, licking at his exposed skin, but he seemed not to notice. Within the fire he danced, his body moving with the vibration of the drums.
April’s gaze followed his every movement. Holding her breath she waited for the fire to consume him, disintegrating his flesh. It felt as if she had been hit with an electrical current, and she realized he was watching her through the flames. Their eyes locked and for that fraction of a moment April became aware that he was probing her mind, his spirit connecting with hers. Heat spread through her body as sensual images intruded in her thoughts, images of lying beneath him, her flesh against his … moving to the most ancient of dances.
The Fire Master pulled his gaze away as if her essence had burned him in a way that the flames had failed to. Through the blaze he watched, marveling at her simplistic beauty that brought to mind thoughts of golden sunshine and images of carnal lust. There was something about her that set his blood on fire.
He held his hands suspended above the flames and lowered them as if he were pushing down an invisible barrier. The fire was extinguished. His body showed no signs of injury.
There had been little doubt in April’s mind that he would walk away from the ritual unscathed. It was why she was in Africa. When she’d first heard about the Fire Master April had dared not believe it. Nevertheless she had followed the stories about him.
Mabasa was a master of fire … and he was a healer. A healer … the word filled her heart with a hope that had once lain dormant within her. Did she truly have the courage to allow her faith to blossom?
Could Mabasa succeed where countless doctors had failed?
Suddenly her resolve gave way to uncertainty. Had she been foolish to dream of being healed? For the past three years April had saved every spare penny she’d earned so she could make this trip, now she found that she had lost her nerve.
A finger poked her side and she looked at the young boy who had been her guide.
“Talk to Mabasa,” Iniko said with a wide smile.
April’s heart warmed toward her guide. Since arriving in Africa, Iniko had been like a breath of fresh air. She could sense that he was pure of heart, something she had rarely come across in recent years. There was no doubt that his parents must be extremely proud of him.
She had hoped one day to have a child like Iniko, but those days of dreaming of a family were long gone. April had years ago accepted that she was damaged goods and not wanted.
Iniko jabbed her again. “Talk to Mabasa.”
Mabasa stood just outside the entrance of a thatched roof lodge. Even from this distance April could see that he was eyeing her curiously. Briefly she wondered if there was something about her that stood out that much from the other tourists.
Taking a deep breath, April tried to rise. Seeing her struggle, Iniko held out his hand to her. Smiling, she accepted his help only to the point that she was steady on her feet. April then rested some of her weight on a single crutch.
Frowning, Mabasa watched the scene unfold. Her presence had wrapped around him since the moment he’d seen her. She had sparked a yearning in him that he’d long ago forgotten. Mabasa had to cut short the show as he could not concentrate with her so close, watching him . . . silently calling out to him. Though he’d tried to block her out, his body responded to her nearness and he’d been afraid it would become obvious to all who were present.
Even now her soul was crying out to him to ease her pain and he’d known that she would approach him, though he hadn’t known what her affliction was until the moment she’d tried to stand.
He’d been taken back, for she was not the usual western tourist seeking a show, nor was she like the aging and failing bodies that usually came to him. No . . . she was like a bird with a broken wing, still struggling to fly.
The woman reminded him of a porcelain doll he’d seen once in a Victorian antique shop. Perfect pink lips and a heart shaped face framed with a mass of golden curls that came to rest on her slender shoulders. Large, luminous blue eyes watched him through thick lashes. He saw no laugher in their depths, only shadows.
Instinctively he’d wanted to reach out to her, pick her up in his arms and carry her where she needed to go, but could not bring himself to move from where he stood. Never had the urge to ease suffering been as strong as it was now. A part of him that had been buried deep within himself wanted to put the light back in her eyes. She would have beautiful eyes if they were filled with laughter.
Watching as she approached, Mabasa felt the winds of change stirring. This woman would bring change, but would it be a good thing? As she got closer, his stomach twisted into knots. He had dreamed of her on many occasions and in his dreams she was like the lioness hunting his soul.
The woman stood before him, tilting her head to look up into his face. “I am April Lawson.” She held out her hand to him.
Impulsively, be brought her small trembling hand to his lips and kissed it lightly. “Mabasa at your service.” His lips spread into a smile.
“I am in need of your services.” April pointed to her leg. “I have brought money to pay you,” she added quickly as if she was sure he’d turn her down without it.
He did not look down at her leg, but instead his gaze remained fixed on her face as he studied her in quiet contemplation. Mabasa felt a burning sensation travel through his body and he knew this woman was dangerous. Not in the sense that she would harm someone, but dangerous to his emotional wellbeing and to his control.
Instead of answering her plea for help directly, he motioned with his hand to a thatch covered awning where people were eating. “You should eat Miss Lawson.”
April shook her head, but Mabasa took her hand and led her to the dining area. “You will love plasas. It is my favorite stew.”
A woman in brightly colored clothing handed her an earthen bowl full of stew. She took several bites and Mabasa could tell that April liked the spicy food.
“This is great,” she told him in between bites.
“I knew you would like it. The spice is good for bringing life to the tongue.”
“You speak English well,” she commented.
“I attended one of your universities for many years. You are American, yes?”
April nodded.
“I came back to Africa after getting my medical degree,” he explained.
“You’re a doctor?” April asked with a crestfallen look on her face.
Mabasa laughed. “I am a practicing physician, but I need not be in your case . . . if it is not a doctor that you are looking for.”
“Doctors can do nothing for me,” she said with a frown.
“May I ask what is wrong?” He motioned toward her leg.
Her eyes clouded and she looked away. “When I was a young child there was an incident and my leg was shattered. The doctors did the best they could to put it back together, but I have been like this since.”
He sensed that there was a dark corner where the painful memory dwelled and she found it difficult to bring it out into the light.
“And you feel you need your leg healed to be happy?”
She thought about it for a moment before finally answering him. “I don’t know. I guess I never looked at it like that. I’ve never really felt complete the way I am, but I’ve had my moments of happiness.”
“Ah, is that not true for us all? Happiness comes in fleeting moments and we must grasp those moments and treasure them.”
She smiled, brightening suddenly. “You are right. Maybe happiness is not so much a state of being as a way of looking at those positive points in our lives.”
Mabasa nodded; satisfied that April had the ability to look beneath the surface. It was important if she was to be healed. Her injury was extensive and would take some time to reverse, but he wondered if it was wise to spend so much time with her. When a woman stirred his body and soul as this one did, he knew it was time to step back.
It had been so long ago that he’d let his heart believe that a woman could share his life with him. He’d been sure that love would overcome all. That was until Annette.
He’d been mystified by her reaction when he’d told her he planned to leave the states and return to Africa to help his people. She’d had it in her head that they would remain in California and live the good life.
Annette had laughed at him when he’d asked her to share his life with him in Africa. Her love had been superficial but it had taught Mabasa that the life he’d chosen must be a solitary life. He could offer no woman a life of luxury, only himself and his little house on the savanna.
He’d grown accustomed to a solitary life, so why all the sudden, was this woman tearing at his mind and sending longing into his loins?
Those startling blue eyes watched him with such faith in them that he could feel her burrowing into his mind.
He stood up abruptly. “Let us walk,” he told her, holding out his hand to help her to her feet.
April was surprised by his sudden shift in mood, but let him pull her up. They slowly made there way out into the night. They walked until the village was out of sight, but the drums could still be heard over the sounds of the night.
The moon was bright and lit their way. Like the touch of a lover, the warm breeze slid across her skin, bringing to mind things better left alone.
“Do you believe that I can heal your leg?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Why do you believe this? Is it faith in a stranger . . . someone you have never met before tonight, or is it desperations?” Mabasa had stopped and was now looking down into her eyes.
“It is both things I think,” she answered truthfully.
Her answer seemed to satisfy him and he smiled.
“I suspect that your ailments go far beyond your leg. Are you willing to let me help you put to rest your pain?”
April nodded, uncertain that this man would have the ability to ease the pain in her soul.
“You must trust me, and this will not be easy since you do not know me. Can you do this?” he asked.
“Yes,” she told him. The fact was that she had never felt so safe and secure as she did in Mabasa’s presence. April had no idea why she felt this way, only that she did. Impulsively, she put her arms around his neck and placed her lips on his in a light kiss.
It was meant to be a friendly kiss of thanks, but when she felt him put his strong arms around her waist and pull her closer, April was sure that she would melt right there and then. His bare flesh sent shivers through her body and she realized that it wasn’t just a passing fancy. She wanted this man in a sexual way.
His tongue entered her mouth and their innocent kiss very suddenly heated up. Without warning he stopped, gently pulling away.
“Please forgive me, Miss Lawson. I had no right,” he told her as he began leading her back to the village.
“I kissed you first, remember?”
Mabasa smiled but said nothing and April wondered if his regrets were because he felt it improper or did they come from someplace else?
“We will start tomorrow. Iniko will show you the way,” he told her before leaving her in the company of the little boy who had come looking for her.
The drum called out to her … pulled at her … seduced her until she felt that her heart beat in time to its ancient rhythm. A stray breeze drifted across the African Savanna, touching her skin, soothing her after the day’s furious heat. Even with her hair pulled up, she could still feel drops of perspiration on her neck and back. April paid little attention to her discomforts. Her attention was on the man who’d entered the circle.
He wore nothing but a loincloth, revealing every curve and contour of the muscle rippling beneath his coffee colored skin. The man’s long black hair was worn in dreadlocks, adorned with a multitude of colored beads. His smooth features were marred by four stripes of white paint that ran from his forehead to the bottom of his chin.
In the center of the dance circle was a pile of green wood. The man stepped into the kindling.
The drum grew louder, more erratic. There was an explosion of color as dancers in traditional dress began to move around him, their movements synchronized to flow in complete harmony with each other.
At the center of the dancers, the man moved his hands above the wood and an instant later fire erupted. The flames surrounded him, licking at his exposed skin, but he seemed not to notice. Within the fire he danced, his body moving with the vibration of the drums.
April’s gaze followed his every movement. Holding her breath she waited for the fire to consume him, disintegrating his flesh. It felt as if she had been hit with an electrical current, and she realized he was watching her through the flames. Their eyes locked and for that fraction of a moment April became aware that he was probing her mind, his spirit connecting with hers. Heat spread through her body as sensual images intruded in her thoughts, images of lying beneath him, her flesh against his … moving to the most ancient of dances.
The Fire Master pulled his gaze away as if her essence had burned him in a way that the flames had failed to. Through the blaze he watched, marveling at her simplistic beauty that brought to mind thoughts of golden sunshine and images of carnal lust. There was something about her that set his blood on fire.
He held his hands suspended above the flames and lowered them as if he were pushing down an invisible barrier. The fire was extinguished. His body showed no signs of injury.
There had been little doubt in April’s mind that he would walk away from the ritual unscathed. It was why she was in Africa. When she’d first heard about the Fire Master April had dared not believe it. Nevertheless she had followed the stories about him.
Mabasa was a master of fire … and he was a healer. A healer … the word filled her heart with a hope that had once lain dormant within her. Did she truly have the courage to allow her faith to blossom?
Could Mabasa succeed where countless doctors had failed?
Suddenly her resolve gave way to uncertainty. Had she been foolish to dream of being healed? For the past three years April had saved every spare penny she’d earned so she could make this trip, now she found that she had lost her nerve.
A finger poked her side and she looked at the young boy who had been her guide.
“Talk to Mabasa,” Iniko said with a wide smile.
April’s heart warmed toward her guide. Since arriving in Africa, Iniko had been like a breath of fresh air. She could sense that he was pure of heart, something she had rarely come across in recent years. There was no doubt that his parents must be extremely proud of him.
She had hoped one day to have a child like Iniko, but those days of dreaming of a family were long gone. April had years ago accepted that she was damaged goods and not wanted.
Iniko jabbed her again. “Talk to Mabasa.”
Mabasa stood just outside the entrance of a thatched roof lodge. Even from this distance April could see that he was eyeing her curiously. Briefly she wondered if there was something about her that stood out that much from the other tourists.
Taking a deep breath, April tried to rise. Seeing her struggle, Iniko held out his hand to her. Smiling, she accepted his help only to the point that she was steady on her feet. April then rested some of her weight on a single crutch.
Frowning, Mabasa watched the scene unfold. Her presence had wrapped around him since the moment he’d seen her. She had sparked a yearning in him that he’d long ago forgotten. Mabasa had to cut short the show as he could not concentrate with her so close, watching him . . . silently calling out to him. Though he’d tried to block her out, his body responded to her nearness and he’d been afraid it would become obvious to all who were present.
Even now her soul was crying out to him to ease her pain and he’d known that she would approach him, though he hadn’t known what her affliction was until the moment she’d tried to stand.
He’d been taken back, for she was not the usual western tourist seeking a show, nor was she like the aging and failing bodies that usually came to him. No . . . she was like a bird with a broken wing, still struggling to fly.
The woman reminded him of a porcelain doll he’d seen once in a Victorian antique shop. Perfect pink lips and a heart shaped face framed with a mass of golden curls that came to rest on her slender shoulders. Large, luminous blue eyes watched him through thick lashes. He saw no laugher in their depths, only shadows.
Instinctively he’d wanted to reach out to her, pick her up in his arms and carry her where she needed to go, but could not bring himself to move from where he stood. Never had the urge to ease suffering been as strong as it was now. A part of him that had been buried deep within himself wanted to put the light back in her eyes. She would have beautiful eyes if they were filled with laughter.
Watching as she approached, Mabasa felt the winds of change stirring. This woman would bring change, but would it be a good thing? As she got closer, his stomach twisted into knots. He had dreamed of her on many occasions and in his dreams she was like the lioness hunting his soul.
The woman stood before him, tilting her head to look up into his face. “I am April Lawson.” She held out her hand to him.
Impulsively, be brought her small trembling hand to his lips and kissed it lightly. “Mabasa at your service.” His lips spread into a smile.
“I am in need of your services.” April pointed to her leg. “I have brought money to pay you,” she added quickly as if she was sure he’d turn her down without it.
He did not look down at her leg, but instead his gaze remained fixed on her face as he studied her in quiet contemplation. Mabasa felt a burning sensation travel through his body and he knew this woman was dangerous. Not in the sense that she would harm someone, but dangerous to his emotional wellbeing and to his control.
Instead of answering her plea for help directly, he motioned with his hand to a thatch covered awning where people were eating. “You should eat Miss Lawson.”
April shook her head, but Mabasa took her hand and led her to the dining area. “You will love plasas. It is my favorite stew.”
A woman in brightly colored clothing handed her an earthen bowl full of stew. She took several bites and Mabasa could tell that April liked the spicy food.
“This is great,” she told him in between bites.
“I knew you would like it. The spice is good for bringing life to the tongue.”
“You speak English well,” she commented.
“I attended one of your universities for many years. You are American, yes?”
April nodded.
“I came back to Africa after getting my medical degree,” he explained.
“You’re a doctor?” April asked with a crestfallen look on her face.
Mabasa laughed. “I am a practicing physician, but I need not be in your case . . . if it is not a doctor that you are looking for.”
“Doctors can do nothing for me,” she said with a frown.
“May I ask what is wrong?” He motioned toward her leg.
Her eyes clouded and she looked away. “When I was a young child there was an incident and my leg was shattered. The doctors did the best they could to put it back together, but I have been like this since.”
He sensed that there was a dark corner where the painful memory dwelled and she found it difficult to bring it out into the light.
“And you feel you need your leg healed to be happy?”
She thought about it for a moment before finally answering him. “I don’t know. I guess I never looked at it like that. I’ve never really felt complete the way I am, but I’ve had my moments of happiness.”
“Ah, is that not true for us all? Happiness comes in fleeting moments and we must grasp those moments and treasure them.”
She smiled, brightening suddenly. “You are right. Maybe happiness is not so much a state of being as a way of looking at those positive points in our lives.”
Mabasa nodded; satisfied that April had the ability to look beneath the surface. It was important if she was to be healed. Her injury was extensive and would take some time to reverse, but he wondered if it was wise to spend so much time with her. When a woman stirred his body and soul as this one did, he knew it was time to step back.
It had been so long ago that he’d let his heart believe that a woman could share his life with him. He’d been sure that love would overcome all. That was until Annette.
He’d been mystified by her reaction when he’d told her he planned to leave the states and return to Africa to help his people. She’d had it in her head that they would remain in California and live the good life.
Annette had laughed at him when he’d asked her to share his life with him in Africa. Her love had been superficial but it had taught Mabasa that the life he’d chosen must be a solitary life. He could offer no woman a life of luxury, only himself and his little house on the savanna.
He’d grown accustomed to a solitary life, so why all the sudden, was this woman tearing at his mind and sending longing into his loins?
Those startling blue eyes watched him with such faith in them that he could feel her burrowing into his mind.
He stood up abruptly. “Let us walk,” he told her, holding out his hand to help her to her feet.
April was surprised by his sudden shift in mood, but let him pull her up. They slowly made there way out into the night. They walked until the village was out of sight, but the drums could still be heard over the sounds of the night.
The moon was bright and lit their way. Like the touch of a lover, the warm breeze slid across her skin, bringing to mind things better left alone.
“Do you believe that I can heal your leg?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Why do you believe this? Is it faith in a stranger . . . someone you have never met before tonight, or is it desperations?” Mabasa had stopped and was now looking down into her eyes.
“It is both things I think,” she answered truthfully.
Her answer seemed to satisfy him and he smiled.
“I suspect that your ailments go far beyond your leg. Are you willing to let me help you put to rest your pain?”
April nodded, uncertain that this man would have the ability to ease the pain in her soul.
“You must trust me, and this will not be easy since you do not know me. Can you do this?” he asked.
“Yes,” she told him. The fact was that she had never felt so safe and secure as she did in Mabasa’s presence. April had no idea why she felt this way, only that she did. Impulsively, she put her arms around his neck and placed her lips on his in a light kiss.
It was meant to be a friendly kiss of thanks, but when she felt him put his strong arms around her waist and pull her closer, April was sure that she would melt right there and then. His bare flesh sent shivers through her body and she realized that it wasn’t just a passing fancy. She wanted this man in a sexual way.
His tongue entered her mouth and their innocent kiss very suddenly heated up. Without warning he stopped, gently pulling away.
“Please forgive me, Miss Lawson. I had no right,” he told her as he began leading her back to the village.
“I kissed you first, remember?”
Mabasa smiled but said nothing and April wondered if his regrets were because he felt it improper or did they come from someplace else?
“We will start tomorrow. Iniko will show you the way,” he told her before leaving her in the company of the little boy who had come looking for her.
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