The air in the living room crackled with a different kind of energy than usual. It was the anticipatory buzz of the Super Bowl, yes, but layered thickly over it was the electric, unspoken promise of something far more intimate. Matthew adjusted the massive television one final time, his large, confident hands making minute calibrations to the sound system. His eyes, however, kept drifting to his wife. Jamie stood by the f...

Matthew and Jamie had been making the annual trek to Gary and Susan’s chalet for a solid decade now, and it had become one of the most anticipated events of their year. Along with Ben and Tessa, the three couples made the snowy escape a tradition, leaving their kids with grandparents for an extended weekend of freedom and fun. The chalet was the perfect retreat, nestled in the mountains with ski-in, ski-out access to the...

The air in the living room was already electric with playoff energy, but Jamie was determined to be the main event. For the Divisional round, she’d chosen her weapon carefully: a vintage, midriff-baring Lions jersey, knotted just above her navel, paired with impossibly tight yoga pants that left nothing to the imagination. She moved through the room, a whirlwind of intoxicating perfume and confident smiles, delivering bee...

Matthew and Jamie were buzzing with excitement. In just about an hour, the Super Bowl was going to start, and for the first time in what felt like forever, their team, the Detroit Lions, were in it! The energy in the house was electric, but it hadn’t always been this way. Jamie, who had never been much of a football fan when the season started, used to see Sundays as her day to catch up on errands or indulge in some retai...

The first sensation was a thick, insistent pressure against the small of her back, a solid heat that pulsed even through the layers of their shared sleeping bag. Jamie surfaced from sleep slowly, the deep, even rhythm of Matt’s breathing a warm breeze against her neck. A sliver of dawn’s pale, gold-orange light peeked through the tent’s mesh window. She smiled into the darkness, a slow, languid curl of her lips. He was st...

The walk back to their campsite was a languid, buzzing affair, their bodies humming with the aftershocks of pleasure and the thrilling rush of being seen. The forest was deep velvet now, the only light coming from their headlamps cutting swaths through the inky darkness. Jamie leaned into Matt’s side, her arm wrapped around his waist, her fingers tucked into the back pocket of his hiking shorts. She could still feel the p...

Chapter 1 The afternoon sun was a brutal, brilliant gold, casting long shadows across the trail they’d been navigating since dawn. Jamie’s skin glistened with a fine sheen of sweat and sunscreen, her breaths coming in steady, rhythmic puffs as they pressed forward. They had planned this three-night weekend hike meticulously—packing light but ensuring they had everything they needed for the rugged terrain and secluded nigh...