The house on the hill stood like a quiet queen overlooking the ocean, its white walls glowing under the warm brush of the late afternoon sun. Waves rolled lazily against the shore below, the rhythm of the tide blending with the cries of distant gulls. She sat on the edge of her wide cedar deck, one long, toned leg folded beneath her and the other stretched out, her toes painted a deep, glossy red. The hem of her loose lin...

Poolside Temptation – My Sunlit Secret The scorching sun hit the water’s surface, turning the pool into a shimmering mirror of light and longing. I stepped outside in my favorite black bikini—string ties, cheeky cut—and felt the day’s heat ripple across my skin. The air smelled of chlorine and freedom. I knew someone was watching. I had seen the curious glances from the window of the apartment opposite mine—just enough to...

I was buzzing about the flat, tidying, and getting ready for Abi. The nervousness I felt was understandable, given the escalating nature of our relationship. I was beginning to think I might be falling in love with her, though the only real time we spent together was in lessons or having sex, not really a normal basis for a relationship. I also kept reminding myself that she is 18 and about to go off to university. You ar...

The summer night was thick with warmth, the air still except for the occasional rustle of the trees. The fire crackled steadily, flames licking at the wood and sending glowing embers spiraling into the dark sky. The lake stretched out beyond them, black and endless, reflecting only the flickering orange of the campfire and the faintest hint of the moon. Eve sat reclined on the large outdoor lounger, her body relaxed but i...

Finishing up his last customer’s lawn before Miss Kittren, David loaded his equipment back into his truck and made his way down the block. In all honesty, Miss Kittren was his easiest client. With her insistence on weekly trimmings, the grass hardly had time to grow much and the majority of the trimmings were so small they didn’t need to be bagged up. He quickly ran the mower over the grass, pulled the few weeds that had...

Traffic crawled to a standstill as the sun sank lower in the sky. Inside his recently purchased, but slightly used, Honda Civic, Jacob sat mumbling expletives under his breath. The sea of brake lights seemed to stretch on forever in front of him with no end in sight. Letting out a yawn, Jacob toyed with the buttons on the radio and pondered the choices in life he had recently made. Why did I ever take this stupid job in t...

"Strike two!" shouted the umpire as he watched the pitch fly into the catcher's mitt, just inside of the strike zone. In the dugout, Jason nodded in approval as he glanced down to mark the count in his coach's book. Fresh out of his last semester of college, Jason was back home attempting to start his adult life. Graduating wasn't the only hurdle he had to jump. His mind was spinning, applying for jobs here and jobs there...

The apartment was swelteringly hot. It felt more like an oven with the stagnant air and the voyeuristic sunlight glaring into the living room through the crevices of the vertical blinds and the sheer curtain over them. Otherwise, the room was completely dark and every fan we owned was turned toward the couch bed where my roommate Sergei was sprawled out with no shirt or pants on and a sheet over his lap. He had one hand h...

I watched in horror as my two older brothers brawled in the front yard, drunkenly swearing and throwing punches at each other. My father, only slightly less drunk, stood on the porch behind me and bellowed at them to knock it off. Whirling around, I glared at Dad. "It's almost two in the morning! You have to do something." Dad merely rolled his eyes. "What got them started this time?" I didn't bother explaining that one o...

“What do you mean canceled?” Dave was putting away his credit card and ID when Sam's words cut across the bustle of the lobby. “Can I help?” He stepped across to the check in desk where Andy and Sam were in deep discussion. Obviously something was not going to plan. "I'm sorry, Ma'am." The agent pursed her lips. “This reservation was canceled weeks ago over the phone; we sent you a confirmation email." "Nonsense," replied...

This far north, the sky doesn’t fully darken in summer. Aquamarine edges circle an indigo zenith, the inkiness punctured by stars. My breath fogs on the window and I swipe absently to clear it again. The house sits dark and quiet around me. The baby sleeps, for now. I cup my tender breasts and smile. She should be down for the night now after her recent nursing. Her eyes were watchful on mine as she fed. I could gaze at h...

My eyes burned painfully from the lack of sleep. It had been a long shift, responding call after call with no rest. I was exhausted, hungry, and downright filthy. My body ached to where I just wanted to sit down and never get back up. I drifted off as our rig pulled back into the station. Two house fires, several medical calls and a bunch of false alarms made up my twenty-four-hour shift. Pleasant thoughts of my next four...