Silken Knights, page 1
Silken Knights
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After a long dry spell, how does a single person find sexual satisfaction?
Davina’s not looking for forever, just for tonight, but finding the perfect squeeze without using a professional is a turnoff. After all, no woman in her position could afford the risk to her image. The lonely-hearts listings in the paper trigger an idea—sign up to yoga and find a like-minded and available male to meet her needs.
Micah’s dry spell doesn’t just affect his sex-life, but the passion in his paintings. He’s tired of the friends with benefits agreement he has with the agent and wants more—but without strings. A chance opportunity to enrol at Knights Meditation Haven and participate in yoga classes could be the answer to his problem.
Davina captures his attention, and she can’t help the pull toward Micah either. By agreement, they both decide to explore sensuality together, along with the practice of Tantra. Davina’s history, though, becomes a major stumbling block to the growth of any emotional attachment.
Can they discover a sensual world, one that surprises with the depth of emotion attachment and love? Only time will tell.
Please note:
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The UK and USA share the English language, but there are many words that are spelled differently. Some words have extra letters in the British spelling, such as the word cancelled. In American English, it is spelled canceled. There are also words that interchange the letters c or s and sometimes z. For example, in America, you spell offense and in Britain, it is written as offence.
Examples of words you’ll see in the book include: kerb, litre, centre, manoeuver, travelling and colour.
These spellings are not incorrect.
This book is written in UK English to reflect my Australian/English background.
Welcome to Tantra
Dan Brennan M.D. describes tantra as, “an ancient Indian practice that dates back more than 5,000 years.” In Sanskrit, the word tantra means woven together.
Many who have experience of the Kama Sutra as authored by Vātsyāyana, an ancient Indian philosopher, have likely heard of this practice, which uses sensuality and sexuality to reach a form of enlightenment. Many practitioners are introduced to this practice via meditation. (Please note, I am using very broad terms to describe the background for those with little to no understanding of tantra.)
Tantra also uses its own language, which you will see described throughout this book. Some of the terms you’ll see, appear odd and are likely unknown. Below I’m listing some of the names and descriptions of what these parts or practices are.
Lingam: the phallus (penis)
Yoni: the vulva
Yab-Yum: Yab-Yum is a position where both partners are equally upright, the woman sat in the mans lap, her legs wrapped around his waist.
Note: There is a whole language associated, but these are terms I may use throughout the story of Davina and Micah.
Tantra is more than just sex, however. Should you want to know more, it is suggested that you take a look at any range of books dealing with this broad subject. Some titles to begin with include:
Introduction to Tantra: The Transformation of Desire by Thubten Yeshe
Tantra: Introduction Guide Tantra, Philosophy and Traditions by Avaya Alorveda
Urban Tantra: Sacred Sex for the Twenty-First Century by Barbara Carrellas
You may even wish to look at Pillow Books (sacred texts often gifted to couples upon marriage, as a form of sexual primer) for some basic practices. The original Pillow Book is so called because the author tells about the Empress receiving a "bundle of notebooks" that she didn't know what to do with, and Sei Shonagon asked if she might then make a pillow of them.
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Imogene Nix
Kingaroy, Qld
2022
Copyright © 2022 by Imogene Nix
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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Cover Art by Dexpress Covers
Editing by Sassie’s Editing
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EBook ISBN 978-1-922369-53-6
Paperback ISBN 978-1-922369-54-3
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Inheritance Of The Blood by Imogene Nix
The Celtic Cupid Trilogy
BioCybe by Imogene Nix
Also by Imogene Nix
About the Author
Chapter
One
The clatter of Davina’s bag hitting the floor of the restaurant had every head turning. She ducked, trying to avoid the scrutiny of dozens of eyes as she lowered herself into the seat.
The burn of gazes left her skin tight, heated with a searing blush. It took every ounce of willpower not to raise her hand and check, because she was sure it radiated from her skin. Instead, she let the silky curtain of her blue-black hair swing down, granting her some form of anonymity.
Her fingers wrapped around the arms of her chair, scraping it on the tile floor while sliding forward. Davina winced, wishing she’d been more careful. More like her elegant friend on the opposite side of the table. Especially since she knew which subject Elyse would investigate first.
“Made it, huh? How was last night?” Davina cringed at the interest in Elyse's voice.
There it was. Last night’s abortive date. “Awful. I don’t want to talk about it.” Davina’s muttered words barely travelled the length of the wooden table.
Elyse leaned forward, a harsh taskmaster for all her carefully up-swept blonde hair and piercing sapphire eyes. She craned and narrowed her gaze in the way she had since they’d been besties at school. “But he was hawt!”
“He also loved talking about himself more than he was interested in—” Her fingers twisted in the napkin she tugged from the table… On a deep breath, she stilled them, then exhaled.
Elyse rolled her eyes, stopping Davina’s careful release of pressure. “You’ll never get lucky if you don’t drop your expectations, Dav. I mean, you’re not auditioning prospective husbands. You were checking him out to see if he was worth the roll you need.”
The single dirty fact was that she was looking to get laid, but her inner goddess refused to let her accept just anyone. No matter that she was only looking to burn off the sexual tension that welled in her belly every day.
“I’m not sure any of the men I’ve met could be the ones I want to get into a horizontal hoochie with Elyse. I want romance and—”
“Davina,” the tone dripped with suppressed sarcasm, “you said it yourself. You’ve got a job, responsibility. At no point did you say you desired a guy who needs the regular seven o’clock booty call. You want sex without strings. The bang without the clang.”
The stare of the woman seated directly behind Elyse had Davina’s face flaming once again. Heat scorched her cheeks, and it took every ounce of willpower for Davina to ignore the accusatory stare.
“I…”
“Come on. You need to get laid, and we’ve tried just about every source of a respectable male who meets your requirements in this town. We’ve tried the online match making sites. You’ve tried the shopping centre and friends of friends. There’s not much left. Unless you want to rent a body for the night?” A sparkle filled Elyse’s gaze.
Oh God, no! Elyse was right, of course. Well, except for renting a guy for sex. She shook her head, but the seed of an idea flared as she remembered something she’d read on multiple dating profiles.
She was embarrassed to raise the idea and sighed.
“Dav?”
Davina squirmed in her seat, gaze sliding away from Elyse toward the entrance of the restaurant.
“We should order.”
“Stop prevaricating, girl. Tell me what you’re thinking, because I know that look.” Her hand shot across the table and grabbed Davina’s in a tight manacle.
“Look, I noted a lot of the guys on the dating sites said they meditated.”
Elyse’s mouth curved upward, her blue eyes twinkling. Thoughts fled as Davina watched the flare of her gaze grow deeper. “Meditating?”
Davina swallowed the ball that suddenly formed in her throat and nodded. “Yeah.”
“Let me think about it.”
As if by magic, the waiter appeared at Elyse’s shoulder. “Are you ready to order?”
Micah McKay turned with slow and measured movements. In this space, he was in charge, of himself, his destiny and his vision. His pieces covered every shelf, as did prepared sheets of watercolour paper, silk paper, and even canvas. Light filtered down above him as he surveyed his kingdom.
Completed works sat on easels and others, framed and completed, fought for space in corners, stacked in preparation for the next gallery showing. The usual sense of completion and satisfaction he gained when surveying his work area failed to ris
The small ball of mirth melted while his belly tightened with agitation. “Face the truth, Mic, your work simply isn’t enough to kill whatever you’re missing.” That had to change, because nothing could interfere with his work.
Clenching his teeth, Micah stalked to the piece he’d been hoping to complete—a room, redolent with shades of blue and peach, furniture draped with satiny fabrics… Right now, it resembled slashes of grey. His gaze moved to his initial sketches based on the photo he taped to the wall beyond. “What a waste.” The pressure inside his brain swelled, turning his thoughts to mush.
Containing the frustration that grew and blossomed in his chest, he reached out, hand folding around the canvas, and yanked it from the easel. “I can do better than this!” His growl echoed, and he sighed, well-aware he sounded like a petulant child.
Karen had scurried from the room not five minutes ago, and he could still detect the angry tattoo of her heels at the far end of the house where she stomped to the kitchen.
His mind conjured an image of long red hair, tossing wildly against the hard slash of her jaw. The glint of fury in her eyes.
She hadn’t coped well with his announcement that the casual sexual arrangement between them no longer met his needs. “I tried to do the right thing by both of us.” His words floated into the atmosphere.
He remembered the way she’d flung her fury at him verbally. Words like careless, egotistical, and vile had tumbled over his head, and failed to do more than irritate him.
For the last four years, she’d been his agent and at some point, they’d moved to a friend’s-with-benefits arrangement. He’d never promised her more than the relief she’d gained from an array of orgasms. He owed her honesty, but it wasn’t like she was his wife. Her rage left him bamboozled. They’d both agreed at the outset of the relationship that if it was no longer meeting their needs, they would end their sexual association. That’s exactly what he’d done.
He wanted more. A new challenge, a different way to fulfill his own needs. The sex had been hot, but his interest in her waned, burned away over the years, until all that remained was a casual connection and a semi-professional agreement.
“I’m not looking for a life partner and relationship. I don’t have time or energy for that.” His art usually filled him with a sense of completion. It was the source of his passion. Yet, right here and now, it couldn’t fill the strange void in his soul.
His fingers itched to reach for… something. Usually, he would categorically say it was the tiny chalks, but not today. Which was the same as yesterday and the day before that.
“This is untenable.” His voice filled with the unease that had wracked him for weeks.
His frown grew, and he felt the creases of his forehead deepen.
He’d have to go out and make his peace with Karen before she left. She was at least owed that courtesy.
Davina scoured the online groups listed locally on the social media site. There was more than she’d expected in the dearth of advertising mixed meditation classes, and she had the added challenge laid down by Elyse, which continued to ring in her ears.
“Go join a group, for heaven’s sake. If they’re mixed groups, you’ll meet a guy. If those profiles are true, there’s a plethora of single hungry males looking for a woman like you.”
Oh yes, she thought. She really needed a man…sometimes. Her battery-operated-boyfriend— Bob—was buzzing slower in the last few months and in serious need of replacement. Sadly, though, the latex-covered vibrator couldn’t wind its arms around her after a rotten day of representing soon-to-be divorcees!
Picking at the nuked meal, she bit her lip and scrolled through the pages of listings.
“Find Inner Healing at Meditators R’Us,” she read aloud and flinched at the thoughts that rocketed through her mind. Visions of long aisles of people in similar poses and impersonal instructions had her stomach contracting. “Uh, no.” No way could she go into a large group like that to seek a guy for ‘personal growth!’
“Navigate your Personal Growth with Meditation, not Mediation.” Noodles dripped as she snorted. “Nope, I don’t think so.”
Pushing the tablet to the far side of the breakfast bar, she sighed… Her phone burped and even knowing who it would be; Davina reached out, tugged it before her, and groaned. Pressing the answer button, she waited.
“So? Have you found a group yet?” Elyse.
Davina stabbed the plate, the sound shattering her composure further as she rolled her eyes. “No, I haven’t Elyse. I’m reading through the listings and they’re woeful.”
“Woeful describes your sex life, Dav. You find one today, or I’m going to choose one and sign you up.” She would, because Elyse was one of those take-charge kind of woman, where life was a challenge to be shaken by the hair roots.
“I’m looking,” she groused. Not that she wasn’t committed to finding someone, just this process seemed so cold and unnecessary.
“Well, I’m heading out on a date with Doctor Delicious, but I will check in on you and will be looking for a message once you sign up, girl. Nothing less than decisive action. Today, my friend.” Elyse sighed, the echo on the line unmistakable. “Look, if you really don’t want to do this, I understand, but nothing else has worked, and you said it yourself…”
Davina rubbed at her aching brow while surveying the efficiency of her kitchen. It was as empty as her life. “I know, Lys, but I can’t look for a guy when every day all I see is the reality that marriage doesn’t last.” She’d known that since her earliest days, when her father had left their house and her mother had promptly installed another guy in her bed within a week. The carousel revolved so often, Davina had taken to calling the new men in her mother’s life Alfie one, Alfie two and so on. Her father? He’d taken the hint, hit the road, and never looked back.
Marriage was nothing more than a reason to throw a massive party, according to her mother.
She should know she’d been married at least three, or was it four times? Currently, Maeve was on the upside again.
“Dav, you can’t let your work dictate your life.”
The little snort that erupted almost sounded like a laugh. “True, but it’s hard to be enthusiastic when I see how relationships go wrong every day. Now go enjoy your date, Elyse, while I keep looking, and I’ll let you know when I settle on one. I said I would and when have I ever not kept my promise?”
When Elyse hung up, Davina looked down at her phone. “Life would be so much easier if I were a lesbian, then we could hook up with each other.” For a moment she contemplated the thought, then snorted, they both liked men and the sexual connection that came with them far too much. The bright side of that, though, was she’d always been able to count on Elyse to always be there.
Chapter
Two
Micah looked up at the bland exterior of the building. It might be called ‘Knights Meditation Haven’, but there was nothing even remotely sanctuary-like about the cinder block frontage, the heavy glass and metal doors or the half-filled carpark. No, it reminded him of a bland office building without a soul. He almost turned around. Instead, he squared his shoulders because he’d been assured women loved men who meditated.
“Way to go,” he told himself as he clambered out of his vehicle and glancing around. The meditation for beginner’s session was full, Karly Knights had informed him, and he’d been lucky to squeeze into the last spot. Right now, though, it looked pretty darned empty. Perhaps they were already inside?
