The tension ebbed slowly, like the tide pulling back from the shore after a storm. They sprawled across the bed, tangled in each other—bare skin, warm breath, and the lingering sheen of what they’d just done. Lucy lay between them, head resting on Ray’s chest, one of Grant’s hands still brushing lazy strokes down her thigh. The sheets were wrinkled, the room dimly lit by the soft hotel lamp that cast everything in gold an...

Lucy stood at the bathroom mirror, her toothbrush dangling between her lips as she stared at her reflection. Her eyes were a little darker lately, a little bolder. There was a new glow to her cheeks that no amount of makeup could fake. She knew exactly where it came from. Twice now. Two stolen, filthy, unforgettable nights. And both of them under Eric’s nose—while his son laughed, grilled burgers, splashed in the pool, an...

The scent of sizzling burgers mingled with chlorine and sunblock. Laughter echoed across the backyard, blending with the splash of bodies diving into the pool and the low thrum of classic rock pulsing from the speakers on the deck. It was the kind of summer day that begged to be remembered—perfectly warm, deliciously careless. Lucy sat sideways on Eric’s lap at the edge of a lounge chair, her smooth thigh draped over his,...

Eventually, the cool air began to cling to their damp skin, and Emily gave a soft shiver as she pressed closer to Ron’s chest. “Alright,” he murmured, dropping a kiss into her hair. “Let’s take this inside before one of you catches a chill—and I’m not done feeding you yet.” They gathered themselves with lazy smiles and tangled limbs, still completely bare and unbothered as they wandered into the house. The girls didn’t ev...

It had been a week since that night at Claire’s. Well—technically, since that morning. The sun had already started slipping through the kitchen blinds when Claire and Henry and Sarah and Amy walked in, both looking flushed and rumpled, wearing each other’s clothes and smug grins. Emily and Jessica were still catching their breath on the couch, legs tangled and flushed from hours tangled with Ron. No one was shocked. No on...

Eric was sweet. Good-looking too — tall, sandy-haired, and safe. Safe was the problem. At first, dating him had felt like stepping into the dream — weekend getaways, lazy kisses under the covers, promises whispered late at night. But somewhere between the soft kisses and the clumsy groping, something inside me had started to stir. Something darker. Something hungrier. It didn’t help that his dad, Ray, was around so much....

Claire glanced at the alarm clock on her nightstand. 1:54 a.m. She laughed softly. And then—from the other side of the wall—another sound filtered through. The unmistakable creak of a bedframe. A breathless gasp. Then Amy’s voice, muffled but unmistakable, “Harder— oh my God, Sarah—” Claire slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggle. Henry chuckled low in his chest. “Thin walls,” he murmured, pulling her closer. “...

It was barely noon, but the July sun had already turned the air thick and heavy, the kind of heat that clung to skin and made everything move a little slower. Claire was two weeks into helping Henry around his place, scrubbing down patio furniture, organizing tools in his garage, wiping the dust off windows he never bothered to open. It was supposed to be a simple favor for her dad. Henry played poker with him on Thursday...

The dorm room smelled faintly of lavender and sweat—half from the plug-in air freshener stuck stubbornly into the wall, and half from hours spent at practice under a late September sun. Four girls crammed into a double room, thin walls, barely any privacy, and yet somehow… it felt like no one else existed when Cat looked at Leah. It was late. Past midnight. The soft hum of a box fan droned in the corner, stirring the thic...