Shapely beauty Melanie Walters left Club Dante in a funk. Lately it seemed like there wasn't a man for her in the entire city of New York. Sure there were men. Plenty of those men were interested in the lively red-headed Melanie. The problem was none of the men were interesting, at least in Melanie's view. Thata was why she chose to walk home alone with pure disgust at herself and the club that she struck out again. Rumor was that unusual, exciting things happened at Club Dante. Attracted by the possibility of an unknown occurrence or a meeting with a perfectly scrumptious stranger, or both, Melanie was drawn back on consecutive nights.

All she had to show for her pursuit of adventure was a blister from walking in stiletto heels, and a feeling of unease. Melanie awakened to find herself in a basement tied hand and foot like a star in a bondage video. Her captor was Jacob Dante, the owner of Club Dante. He found himself so taken with Melanie he decided against the usual dating and went immediately to capture. Even though Melanie was shocked to find herself kidnapped, she found herself strangely attracted to the enigmatic Jacob. His continental manners and accent intrigued her while his hands and tongue set her on fire.

Melanie found herself involved with her captor to the utmost degree. He was the exotic lover she had dreamed of, the man she had been searching for at Club Dante. His ways and habits were peculiar which caused Melanie to wonder about exactly who he was, where he came from, and even how old he was. The one thing she didn't wonder about was his devotion to her. He was totally committed to her even if his wooing methods were a bit unorthodox. Melanie's only hard question was if she should abandon her regular life to live with Jacob. This question was soon forgotten with the arrival of a murderous thief that she had to battle for her life; she forgot about choices about various lifestyle alternatives. The battle led her into greater knowledge of Jacob, and ultimately herself.

Christy Poff's DANTE'S FLAMES is a short story at only thirty-two pages. It is a quick read full of action, passion and unexpected turns. It playfully hints at bondage with Melanie tied down in most of the story's erotic love scenes. Melanie is an audacious woman who knows what she wants. What she wants is Jacob Dante once she meets the elegant, sophisticated man. Jacob is drawn with a nod to the stylish vampires of the past such as Louis Jourdan. Who wouldn't want to meet tall, dark and gorgeous and hopelessly devoted to you for all eternity?

The story is short and left me wanting more. It is very straightforward and only has room for Jacob and Melanie; everything else is only supporting details. That's the way it should be when you just want a romance. A perfect read before bed, or maybe even when you are waiting for that special someone.

Reviewed by Morgan Wyatt
(c) July 2004