I awoke to Mr. Greeves' touch. He lay behind me, one hand gently caressing my bottom, kneading the soft flesh, moving down slowly, his left hand on my hip, fingers pressing around the hard pelvic bone, gripping me firmly. I squirmed and pulled my knees up, pushing my bottom towards him as he explored further, between my bottom cheeks, parting them as he moved his hand towards my underparts. He slid over my anus, stopping...

As I made my way to the small office building where I worked, anxiety descended on me like an attacker. Why was I doing something so stupid? And how could Mason be so sure I wouldn't lose my job? Glancing over my shoulder, I saw my boyfriend sitting behind the wheel of his car. His smile was easy as he waved me forward. During the drive, I'd warned him that he and I would be living together if my boss decided to fire me t...

The bustling university halls echoed with the chatter of excited students, but for Ava, the first day was a whirlwind of anxiety. Her heart raced as she clutched her books, palms slick with sweat. Every unfamiliar face seemed to judge her fumbling. Mr. Blackwood noticed from the front of the lecture hall. His sharp eyes, framed by stylish glasses, tracked her nervous fidgeting as she scrawled notes, fingers trembling. Whe...

The desk gives itself away Response feeds response Breath snags Fingers claw wood Clock hammers Restraint collapses Too late to slow Bites lip, noise becomes evidence Mouth against throat Silence tightens Desk creaks once Twice Faster Nails rake, skin answers Palm over mouth Eyes locked, feral No words Slap of skin Fractured gasp Secondhand Ticks Ticks Time closes around them

Technically, it wasn’t Lyla’s fault. When she breezed into the pricey, athleisure, store, she had no intention of buying anything. Sure, her current leggings and sports bras were fitting quite a bit looser than they did a year ago, but she was making do. Yes, she had to hike her pants up between sets, but she looked at that as a sign of progress. For the last year, Lyla had been taking strength training classes at the bou...

I stepped into the general store, grocery list in hand. The place was pretty much empty, and I realized I'd arrived during the mid-morning lull. Aside from a man in bib overalls strolling the aisles, there was only the clerk behind the counter. Our eyes met, and she smiled at me. "Can I help you find something?" I ventured closer, returning her smile. "Well, I'm here for the summer, helping my grandmother fix up her house...

Tony had been stressed and under pressure for some time. Work was hard and he was missing his targets. We were heavily in debt and the annual bonus award decision was looming. In his early 50s, a change of career or even job was probably out of reach. I was really worried about him: Tony was short-tempered, putting on weight and withdrawing into himself. Our sex life, which at the best of times had been sporadic and vanil...

Charlotte made Tom wait a good while. As he sat behind his desk, listening to his other colleagues filter out of the office, his fury felt as if it was solidifying into something toxic inside him. By the time Charlotte appeared in his doorway at well after seven that evening, he could barely contain his rage. She adjusted her glasses and folded her arms over her chest, her face revealing nothing. "Come in and close the do...