Black Lover

The hour of midnight arrived when all the guests were engaged in their own activities. Making her move, Venus asked Mitchell if he would like a private tour. He had been enjoying his conversations with other men and women, but he eagerly accepted her offer. They descended a winding staircase into the lower level of the mansion until they reached what appeared to be a heated swimming pool.

Mitchell's heart began to race as he took in all the luxury around him. The pool was bathed in lavender and blue lighting that gave the pool an aura of seduction. Would it really be appropriate for him to go for a swim if he didn't even own a suit?

As if reading his mind, Venus asked him whether he'd like to jump in. He smiled meekly and replied that he hadn't brought any clothes suitable for swimming. "We really don't need suits," she smiled.

New York City, 1935, at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, Mitchell Marlowe has become bewitched by a lovely goddess married to Gerald Hart a wealthy oil tycoon. He finds himself smitten when he encounters her at St. Patrick's Cathedral where he goes for weekly prayers.

She is there to ensnare a man to help kill her husband, Marlowe is the perfect victim. Over time he cannot live without her and will stop at nothing to have her. He works as the Records Keeper for the Waldorf Astoria Hotel and his Assistant Dora Palmer loves him secretly. She receives an antique book exposing the spirits and ghosts who have long dwelt at the Waldorf Astoria and seeks to find out more about them opening doors that should have been kept closed.

Dillon Chesterfield, the hotel Assistant Manager, is a rival of Marlowe's. Both men are ensnared by their lust and competitiveness. Dillon steals, Dora Palmer, the woman who truly loves Marlowe. Together they move to Savannah and restore the plantation home of his ancestors into a boutique hotel. The hotel has ghosts and spirits, and the story grows deeply with their manifestations.

The story is wonderfully written in the style of Patricia Highsmth.