Lily rolled over, grabbed her phone from the bedside table, and then her glasses. She looked at the time. “Shit,” she said aloud. Thankfully, today was Sunday, and she didn’t have anywhere to be, but it was still late. She felt groggy as she tried to recall the events of the night before. She and her bestie, Nicole, had been dancing at Mad Myrna’s till late. Several women and men had bought the two of them hopeful drinks....

Luke tied his running shoes on the bungalow porch to the sound of waves crashing on the beach and a light breeze in the palm trees above. He sat up, closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply through his nose, enjoying the warmth of the early morning sunrise. He was on the beach in a few steps and began jogging with the waves gently lapping at his feet. The morning heat betrayed a hot day ahead, but the early morning warmth felt...

The Ramones were blasting in my earbuds, and I was feeling hopeful about my chances of making up with Mindy. I’d fucked up. Again. My only hope was that she would forgive me. I needed another chance. Our wedding was in two months, and I’d been caught making out with my high school boyfriend on Saturday night. Sure, we’d all had too much to drink, but Mindy wanted to know she could trust me, and she was getting tired of pe...

I was late again. It was the third time this month and my boss was pissed last time. I pressed through the rotating doors in the high-rise office building, cursing under my breath at the throng of humans in front of me waiting in the lobby. One of the damn elevators was still out, creating a backup of office workers to the front doors. “Excuse me,” I said, pressing past the line in front of the lobby coffee stand and garn...

“How is the salmon, Luke?” Erin asked as Luke came in from the backyard with a plate full of grilled zucchini. “It’s almost done, it needs just a few more minutes. How is everything else?” Luke asked. “We’re almost ready. I really hope we like Stacy’s date. She seems excited about him, but I hope we get along with him, too. I don’t know why I feel a little nervous,” Erin said. “You said they’ve been out a few times now, r...

Erin, Luke, Julie, and Stacy spent the afternoon in the bedroom in various stages of undress, telling stories amid affectionate touches and smiles. Eventually, hunger won out and they headed back downstairs for an impromptu dinner of grilled burgers and zucchini roll-ups. Stacy and Julie finally said their goodbyes with hugs and laughter and returned to their homes to continue their respective unpacking. Erin flopped down...

“Well, I desperately need a shower,” Luke said. “My hike was more than I expected. I’m going upstairs, I’ll join you all in a little while.” “Sounds good, Darling,” Erin said. “Take your time. By the way, I’ve had quite a day so far. I can’t wait to tell you all about it.” Luke kissed Erin on the cheek, smiled at his new neighbors Stacy and Julie, and headed upstairs. He needed some time to clear his head after his moment...

The restaurant’s bright yellow walls looked warm and inviting in the dim lighting as Luke and Erin entered from the beach. All the windows were open to the warm evening breeze with views of the myriad of tiny fishing boats on the water, each one with a small light. The twinkling from the dozens of boat lights shimmering off the water magnified the effect and made it difficult to distinguish the starry night sky from the o...

Erin arose shakily from her erotic nap in the Adirondack chair. She’d lost count of how many orgasms she’d had already but knew it was a lot. She was surprised to hear voices from the front yard. She was sure that one was Luke but didn’t recognize the other voices. Female voices. She rose shakily, smiling as her dream of the redhead and the massage parlor was still fresh in her mind and playing across her vision in fleeti...

The grin on Erin’s face remained with her back to her BMW on the short drive home and through the door to her immaculately clean home empty of children for the weekend. The sunlight shone through the clean high windows, giving her a sense of warmth and joy that she could never quite explain. Luke’s truck was gone; he’d mentioned he was going hiking and would be gone for a while. Erin’s eyelids closed, and she took a deep...

Erin leaned back against the warm lounge chair and sighed. The morning sun warmed her to the bone, and the fresh ocean breeze cooled her face and tussled her hair. Her tiny white bikini contrasted against her tan, smooth skin. Her legs were parted over both sides of the lounge chair, and she curled her toes in the sand. “Would you like another Mai Tai, Erin?” Luke asked from his beach chair just a few feet from Erin. “I’m...

Luke was enjoying his morning hike on Mount Baldy with the sunshine warming his skin and his panting breath coming in deep, regular intervals. Sweat was glistening on his forehead, arms, and legs as he steadily climbed higher on the beautiful mountain in the morning sun. There was nothing better than an Alaskan summer, and he knew that today would be one of the nicest days of the year. His thoughts were focused entirely o...

Erin was feeling a little guilty about the long weekend without the kids. She and Luke had such a good time with their leisurely morning of sleeping in, a sexy shower together, and amazing sex. Then came the long and interesting conversation over breakfast about opening their relationship. Erin was still in shock that they both felt open to the idea and enthusiastic about it; they were making the decision together and it...

“How much cheese would you like on your eggs?” Luke asked as he flipped the omelet. The scent of fried onions and peppers filled the kitchen. “Do we have goat cheese? I love lots of creaminess in the morning,” Erin replied, then laughed at her own entendre as she sipped her coconut cream and Bailey’s latte at the table. Her silk robe was wrapped loosely around her slender frame. She had purchased the short kimono-style ro...

Chapter 1: Morning Erin awoke to the sunshine streaming through the slats in the window blinds. She smiled as her eyes closed again, enjoying the warmth and the memory of her dream. Her warm skin felt good against her silk baby doll nightie, knowing her panties were somewhere across the room where Luke had tossed them the night before. She was feeling cozy beneath the thick down comforter and atop the comfortable bed she’...