My wife had gone to the mall in Manchester; it was around a ninety-minute drive from home, so I knew I had a decent amount of time alone. I locked the front and back doors; that meant that you needed a key to get in, and we only had three of them, so I was sure I would be undisturbed. I had a key, my wife had one, and her mother had one, and there was no reason why she would call in with Gillian out of town. This was a da...

It was the anniversary of Paul's death. I felt maudlin and had booked a 'get away from it all' Airbnb in the dales. It was at the end of a long grass track, about two miles from the nearest road. The road itself was little more than a single track. The webpage had said it had slow WIFI, it had electricity, and it had a wood-fuelled AGA wood stove that also heated the water and the cottage in winter. It sounded perfect. I...

My wife Jessie was away on business, a trip to London for a few days to negotiate the terms of a contract her company would be undertaking. We texted as she sat on the train, we FaceTimed as she walked through Euston, we FaceTimed again as she sat in the cab to her hotel, and then later, once she was settled in her room, she FaceTimed me again. "I hate being away from you, sweetheart," she said, her face close to the scre...

“Only us," Mum called as she opened the front door and walked in. Fortunately both Gil and I were dressed, which I can't say was usually the case. "How are you feeling, Gil?" Dad asked as I heard Mum fill the kettle. "Good, thanks; it seems the little scare was just that, a little scare." I heard Dad and Gil wander off, and I assumed that they were sorting out chairs in the garden. Mum, I could hear by the sink. Most peop...

The doorbell rang and the door opened. "Only us," I heard Mum call. "I'm just getting dressed. I will be down in a minute," I called back. I didn't bother with a bra — being an A cup and a half, I didn't really need one. I certainly didn’t need one around the house anyway. A pair of random knickers from my underwear drawer and a thin strapped sundress. The weather was in the twenties, that would be fine. I walked slowly d...

I stood at the sink and washed, first my face, then my arms, then my boobs and finally my groin. I felt for the plug and pulled it, listening to the water as it gurgled away. I ran the cold tap and swirled the water around the sink, hopefully washing away any suds. I could only hope. Back in my bedroom I opened my top drawer and felt amongst the knickers until I found the ones that I wanted. They were white and half lacy....