Inside the massage parlor, a hearth stood sentry between two expansive picture windows that faced southeast and overlooked the grotto entrance. The wind had picked up, making the snow rage against the glass, but it was powerless to affect the unclothed people inside. Rosalind’s daughters lounged amongst four padded tables. They were easily distinguishable by their shared lineage: a small screw tail, plump bodies, and dark...

The Summer of seventy-five was a rough one. I was still licking my wounds after a bitter divorce at twenty-three and trying to regain my footing. I was staying at my childhood home while my parents were on an extended summer-long European vacation. Barbara had lived across the street from us since I was in junior high. She was the proverbial early sixties California surfer girl that the Beach Boys immortalized in song. Ir...

How could something make me sick and turn me on at the same time? That was the question I asked myself while watching Alistair touch my wife. Bianca knelt on the bed—our bed. Her eyes were bright with anticipation. Behind her, Alistair knelt as well, and his hands snaked around to squeeze her breasts. They were both naked, just as I was, but I was relegated to a chair beside the bed. I still couldn't believe Bianca had ch...

Since Celeste had only socks on her feet, Luke decided to carry her the short distance to his car in the back lot. The young woman thought this was amusing but unnecessary. Still, she allowed him to gather her in his arms, and she held onto him as they made their way through the darkness. Inside the vehicle, Celeste seemed fascinated by the dashboard's glowing lights. Furtively studying her reactions, Luke decided that if...

It was four weeks after the flying visit to her parents that Emily had cause to phone her father for assistance. It wasn’t that kind of assistance, just that the garage roof was leaking and she wondered whether he would help fix it. Emily promised him bed and breakfast as a reward and Maggie sat opposite him, with the phone on speaker, looking at the broad grin on his face. She could see the cogs turning and imagined him...