Nora Olivia pulled a chair out, ushering Nora to sit. As she took her seat, Nora caught that now-familiar scent of sea salt and sage. She breathed in deeply, wanting to commit the luxurious fragrance to memory. “You look incredible,” Olivia said, her eyes scanning up and down Nora’s body as she took the seat to her left. Her gaze lingered for a fraction longer on the exposed skin of Nora’s thigh. The high slit in her dres...

Laura’s eyes gleamed with a mischievous glint as she led me to the center of the room, where strange crystals glimmered softly in the candlelight, their edges casting flickering shadows on the walls. The air was thick with the scent of incense, a heady mix of sandalwood and something darker, almost intoxicating. “Now, Mistress,” she said, her voice a sultry whisper, “the first lesson in controlling dark magic is harnessin...

Faith knew the moment she pulled into the driveway, that she was possibly making the biggest mistake of her life. But what else could she do? There was a cry for help. She either would or wouldn't. In a way, she blamed herself. She let herself get too close... too trusted. If only she maintained her distance... like any good teacher would. It all started just a few weeks earlier, but really it had been a problem from day...

I sat in the Academy’s cafeteria, staring at the untouched food in front of me, still shaken from everything Frank had told me. The room around me was alive with laughter, clattering plates, and the hum of conversation, but all of it felt distant, like I was in a bubble. The savory smell of roasted meats and herbs barely registered as I sat there, lost in thought, trying to make sense of it all—darkness. My Affinity was d...

Chapter 12 Nora “Alright, what about this one?” Nora walked over to her kitchenette where she had her phone propped up on the countertop. She spun around, letting Charlotte see every angle of the form-fitting dress she had on. It was a deep red silky slip dress that hit just below her knees with a slit up to her thigh. The thin straps at her shoulders showed off the dainty gold necklace laying delicately across her collar...

Sometimes a body would be found in a hotel room, but usually those hotels were in a shadier part of town. And when female bodies were found in such circumstances, they didn't look like someone's mother-in-law. The call had come in that morning, and it hadn't been from the hotel, it had been from the Assistant Commissioner of the Met, personally. They had called him directly, and by the time he had arrived, a hand-picked t...

Initially, I wasn’t on schedule for today, but since I was a manager now, I had to come in for paperwork and to fill in for Katie, who was officially the General Manager. I dropped Noah off at Sadie’s place. Out of all my bandmates, she was the most responsible one. The theater was calmer today, and along with Lewis, Mack, another manager, was also on staff. “Congrats on the promotion,” Mack said when I walked into the ma...

“Hey, what are you going as?” Mia asked me out of nowhere, looking up from her desk. It was close enough to Halloween for me to catch her meaning. “Nothing.” I tried to sound offhand, and not pathetically homesick at all. “Oh, come on.” she swiveled her chair to face me. “You’re not a ‘this is my costume’ orange t-shirt type of girl, are you?” I aggressively wasn’t, but I shrugged like those t-shirts didn’t make me gag, a...

The recessed bulbs cast a comforting yellow glow around me. The heater creaked and groaned, sounding alive as it kept the lava rocks super-hot. I lifted my ass, one cheek at a time. Relieving the pressure of the hot pine bench. Every so often, there would be a hiss of steam, and my skin would sting from the heat. The dry air had a distinct eucalyptus aroma. I took long, slow breaths, letting my head clear as my body relax...

The night pulsed with laughter and the heady rush of alcohol as Chloe and me stumbled back to my flat. An electric current of anticipation crackled between us. We'd been friends since our school days, but tonight, something shifted. We teetered on the edge of uncharted territory, both terrified and exhilarated. I collapsed onto the couch, my body heavy with liquor and unspoken desires. Chloe sprawled on the floor, her eye...

And then one hot, lucky day when I was hopping into my car, suddenly I spotted Julia. She was unlocking her car as she parked just next to mine. My heart started pumping fast with overwhelming excitement. She was in her casual dressing, wearing shorts, a T-shirt, and a pair of white sexy sandals. I waived my hand with a smile, and she responded. I was excited and I was desperate deep inside to have her company again. I as...