‘May I?’
She nodded.
Andreas settled down beside Annabelle on the steps.
They sat in silence, watching the harbour city below, their eyes following tiny coloured lights — boats scampering along the surface of the dark water. But it was the night sky with the stars and the moon, and the seagulls chasing insects caught in the upward lights, that held their fascination.
Finally, they turned their gaze upon each other.
‘We seem to have a profound affinity. Goethe wrote about the mystery of attraction and the atoms which link people to each other.’
Annabelle’s eyes brightened. She listened with her whole being.
‘It’s the title of one of his works, Elective Affinities,’ he continued, ‘the deep affinities between two people — that they choose each other. It’s very powerful. Have you read it?’
Annabelle felt a shiver of recognition skimming along her skin.
‘The sexual scenes are indeed very erotic. The story is hypnotic. It is a very powerful and intense read.’
— Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson
‘An immensely talented writer. This is a beautiful and compelling story for those who want to lose themselves in a tale of love, lust and betrayal, as well as those who are interested in psychology.’
— Anouska Jones
‘This remarkable author has taken her reader to a place where few writers have been before. The professional bond between therapist and patient has at last been broken; now we are able to explore its tragic consequences. The Secret Seduction glows like cobalt: its colours are often passionate, moving, and sad.’
— James Cowan
'Victoria Thompson writes erotica so well and so bravely. The sensuality of this book is outstanding. But of course this isn't its main theme. I read this as a haunting tale of two complicated, wounded, intelligent people trying to redeem themselves through each other, looking for salvation and almost finding it. This is a heartbreaking book.'
— Lee Kofman
