The next morning, light filtered through the bedroom curtains, soft and golden. Nicki stirred, reaching instinctively for Steve, but the bed was empty. His side of the sheets was cool. She blinked, disoriented for a moment. The house felt quiet, though not entirely silent. Muffled voices drifted up from downstairs, low and male, too indistinct to make out words. Steve and Jim, she assumed, were sharing coffee and their us...

The next morning dawned crisp and quiet. Steve kissed Nicki’s shoulder before slipping out of bed, already in his running gear. “Back soon,” he murmured. “Love you.” “Love you too,” she whispered back, watching him go. Nicki lingered under the covers a minute longer, body still humming from last night’s confessions. Eventually, she rose, slipped on a tiny pair of white panties, then wrapped the short claret silk robe arou...

The next morning, sunlight slanted through the bedroom curtains. Steve and Nicki lay tangled in the sheets, two mugs of coffee steaming on the nightstand. They’d woken early, still buzzing from the night before, bodies loose and satisfied. Nicki propped herself on one elbow, red hair a messy halo. “Do you think he heard us last night?” Steve took a slow sip, eyes twinkling. “Jim? Either he was dead to the world… or he had...