Oh, my beloved King, know that in a distant village by the whispering sea, where the waves sang lullabies to the stars, there lived a humble fisherman named Hassan and his beautiful wife, Layla. Hassan’s hands were calloused from years of battling the waves, though his nets often yielded more hope than fish. Layla, with raven curls cascading like tides and curves that turned heads in the souk, her laughter a siren’s call...

“Well, that’s everything.” Manuel looked around at the piles of crates and furniture spread around the apartment. He would likely injure his back just opening all those boxes. “Will you stay for dinner? I’d offer you a room, but, well, no bed yet!” “It’s fine, Dad. We need to be going. We both have work tomorrow,” his daughter, Irene, said. “Yes, of course. Well, thank you to you both. I couldn’t have managed this on my o...

It was going to be our last night, and I did not see it coming. I rapped gently on Tommy’s apartment door. It was very late or very early, whatever, and I didn’t want to wake his neighbors. I didn’t want to wake him either, if he was asleep. I’d find somewhere else to crash if I had to. I was relieved when I heard the locks and the door open. It almost always opened. “Taylor,” he said through a sleepy smile. He seemed rel...

The glass is cold against my forehead, unforgiving and sharp, whilst beneath my skin, feverish heat coils and burns. Outside, the autumn night lies still and shadowed. The only light spills soft gold from his window across the dark lawn. My room is a cave of darkness, a guilty secret I wear like skin. He doesn’t know I'm here, watching him. That furious, wicked thrill tightens beneath my ribs, a yearning both wrong and im...

During the first few years of this century, I had the opportunity to visit the Paris Theater in Portland, Oregon. I had read many stories from other people's visits. What I experienced was beyond my imagination. The Paris Theater was a traditional-style old-time downtown theater that had been converted to a porn theater. Standard theater seating, except for a roped-off couples-only section. On this occasion, I entered the...

The sand shifted under Carrie's bare feet, warm and fine as powdered sugar. She adjusted the wide-brimmed straw hat shading her face, squinting against the glare. Her skin already tingled from hours under the open sky, smelling faintly of sunscreen and salt. Steve stretched beside her, muscles taut as he arched his back. He didn't speak, just traced idle patterns on her thigh with a fingertip. His touch lingered, delibera...

This story took place at the old Cinema West theater on the west side of Houston in about 1985. I was 24 at the time. Having recently moved to the big city, I was fascinated by the abundance of sexually oriented businesses. Strip clubs, adult book stores, massage parlors, and porn theaters. I entered the Cinema West theater and wandered around the bookstore portion for a bit before entering the theater. Walking in from th...

Sunday Obsession Merril sits among the congregation, pulse quickening, panties damp beneath her skirt. Reverend Elias stands at the pulpit, collar stark white, voice rolling like thunder. A bead of sweat glints on his upper lip, catching the church light. August heat presses heavy, box fans stirring it from pew to pew. His wife gets him every night. Why should she have him all to herself? Merril doesn’t need vows or forev...

The Next Morning The morning light filtered softly through the blinds, casting lazy stripes across the cluttered dorm room. Nia lay tangled in the sheets, sore and dripping from the night before, her body humming with memory. A low groan escaped her when Cam’s thick fingers slid beneath her pajama waistband. She stirred, smiling sleepily, spreading her thighs to invite him closer. The cold contrast of his touch made her s...

Sarah, tall and fit from her religious yoga and spin class routine, felt the pressure build in her bladder as she drove home from a long day at the office. The setting sun painted the sky with soft pastels, casting a serene glow over the winding country roads. At 27, she had worked hard to build a career as a solicitor and looked the part in her sleek business suit. The satin lining felt smooth against her skin, but the t...