Breathe on Me

Ekine’s collection of amateur erotica.

West African native Ekine’s (Gay, Black, African, GenderQueer and Proud: The Story Behind the Masked Smile, 2012) 15 erotic stories range across the sexual spectrum. The author provides fantasy fodder for just about every gender, sexual orientation and kink: gay, straight, transgender, BDSM and more. His various characters demonstrate myriad erotic themes: Katherine the Choker works in higher education by day and as a Mistress who likes to “choke people” with her breasts during her down time; Sonia, the Desperate Housewife of Luepink, is a bored homemaker who gets a makeover and falls into a steamy relationship with a transvestite named Vivian. Though the concepts vary, many of the stories share similar attitudes and turn-ons. One popular conceit references the title: Breathe on me, we don’t have to touch. Scenes often read at a slow, somewhat drawn-out pace—a result of being slightly overwritten rather than sexually tantalizing. The tone can often be stilted and overly formal, and the work needs additional editing, as well as an overhaul to liven up clunky dialogue. For example, in the first story “Katherine the Choker,” Katherine proclaims, “I know this may come off weird, but I’m a Mistress and I like to choke people with my breasts,” to which her sexual quarry Mohan eventually responds, “I’m sorry, but I’m hard right now. I can’t control it.” In addition, the descriptions of the sex itself can seem almost clinical rather than racy. While Ekine makes a valiant effort to develop his characters, they just don’t seem to develop the dimension they need to give the stories the necessary plausibility.

Infused with creativity, but the overall effect falls just short of titillating.