After that night, I didn't again profess my love for Gabe, but those words had their own resonance, filling silences like the sound of our breathing. Despite Gabe's warning that we should be realistic about the future of our relationship, he kept me close, either at his side or with calls and texts. As weeks passed, I realized I didn't need to give voice to my feelings, for he understood them well. I only wished I could b...

Maybe it was only my imagination, but I sensed stares on me and Dennis as we left work later that day. Walking with me toward the elevator, he rested his hand against the small of my back, his touch light but possessive. Even after we were alone, with the elevator doors firmly closed, Dennis maintained that contact. I could easily feel the warmth of his palm through my blouse. His eyes were bright while he chatted about t...

2004 “Tim, I can’t believe we’re finally back here.” It was all I could say as I waded through the waters. Knee-high, they lapped coolly against my bare thighs, fresh and anchoring me in the stark reality of this moment. It was every bit as sunny and picturesque as the last time we had made the mile-long crossing, several years before. Weaving through the reeds and willows as I finally hit dry land again, I climbed the hu...

The intensity of fucking for the first time in a shower was exhilarating. No, you could not call it making love, no matter what Malcolm's plan had been. Now I DID want to make love—time to leave this hot, steamy location for something less frantic. I disentangled myself, reluctantly, from my boss’s embrace and turned off the shower. I stepped onto the tiles and reached for the towels warming on the towel rack. I handed on...

The Stables of Desire It was 1811 on a warm, golden summer's evening. The sun dipped low over the rolling hills of the countryside, casting long shadows over the lush green pastures. The distant hum of crickets filled the air, blending with the soft sound of hooves striking the earth. In the quaint village of Holbrook, nestled between meadows and forests, the stables had always been a second home to Thomas. Thomas, a youn...

Countless times, Landon had imagined what he might say if he ever saw Alice again. He'd tried to think of the words which would make her explain why she left, and which would convince her to return. But now, with her standing in the shadows before him, he could only sputter, "You've missed me?" Taking a step back, he shook his head. "That won't fucking cut it, Alice, not when you left without so much as a goodbye." She he...

The bass pulsed through the club, a relentless rhythm that mirrored the pounding of my heart. My eyes scanned the throng of bodies, searching for something, someone, I didn't even know what. Then I saw him. He was leaning against the bar, a silhouette against the neon lights, his gaze sweeping the room with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine. Dark hair, a hint of stubble shadowing his jaw, and eyes… oh, those e...

As Luke sped out of town and toward the Hall place, he feared he'd made a mistake by allowing Vanessa to come with him. The situation with Celeste had reached a crisis point, now rapidly spiraling out of control. He was willing to accept the potential risk to himself, but he had no idea how much danger Vanessa might face simply because she was at his side. Yet when he'd told her she should stay at the clinic, she wouldn't...

Lilah sulked into the bathwater with a frustrated sigh, trying to forget the humiliation of today's performance evaluation as the soothing heat enveloped her. Three. Hundred. YEARS, Lilah! - not one soul? You are an embarrassment. Her horns nearly steamed from the memory. The demon queen hadn’t been subtle: This is your LAST chance. Return without a soul again, and your bones will make excellent toothpicks. Lilah shuddere...

Human beings crave love and intimacy, or so I'd read and been told. Maybe I'd grown more susceptible to that craving, and that was why I finally accepted Matthew's invitation to have coffee with him. He seemed surprised when I said yes. As for me, I was surprised he'd been so persistent in asking. Everything about me—my boring hairstyle, my plain wardrobe, the extra weight I carried—it all served to render me invisible to...