My slender calf brushed against his muscled, thick one underneath the desk. Any more contact would have revealed too much to anyone watching. Trying to distract my anxiety, I glanced about the courtroom, admiring the polished wood of the dark paneled walls, desks, and jury box. As with every case, while we waited for the black-robed judge to enter the chamber, all the pertinent players — conservatively dressed yet fine-su...

1971, New York City I scraped the heel of my boot on the concrete, afraid to look at what I’d stepped in on the dimly lit street that smelled of piss and booze. Sounds of grunting came from the shadows and crevices even a cop wouldn’t dare investigate. And especially that night, I kept my head down and walked with purpose, something I’d learned when venturing into the city's seedy underbelly. West 42nd Street was part of...

I told him the truth. “You’re the only reason I came to the reunion.” “You know, I didn’t think I could want anyone as badly as I wanted you back then,” Chase admitted, flashing me that brilliant smile I’d fallen in love with ten years ago. “But I want you even more now.” My legs trembled. “God, Chase, you don’t know how much I need you.” I couldn’t help it. Desperation seeped into my tone. He kissed me again. When his to...

Thirty-nine years old 1519 Master’s dead. Master’s dead! I still can’t believe it’s true. My stomach knots and coils while I drag myself along the winding, hidden passageways leading to his workshop within the bowels of the monastery. I steady myself before opening the door, thinking about the way I’d left him. Regret tugs at my heart. Once inside, I slowly walk around the room. Everything is still as I remembered, yet it...

Despite its strangling grip, I’m attempting to outrun the darkness again, as futile as that may be. Even when the sun shines, I feel no warmth. But what choice do I have? No one sees the tempestuous clouds hanging over my world, urging me to think there’s no hope. But I refuse to give in to despair. And so, I tell myself, This time will be different. I glance down at my sandals. They are clearly the wrong choice as I stum...

Fearing judgment, she lived secluded within the raven-filled forest. When injury befell a lone huntsman, she revealed herself, and he woke to her magical touches. “I know what you are…” he said, losing his thought in her widening green eyes and black satin-and-lace dress molded to deadly curves. “…a beautiful soul,” he finished. Bewitched by his open heart, she bravely offered herself to him. He gently caressed her virgin...

Thursday, February 1 It proved an undesirable coincidence that today, I planned to discuss secrets and their effects on mental health with my psychology students, and today, I was meeting him for the first time. I began my lecture with, “Everyone in this room has a secret.” “Even you?” A cheeky young male student asked me. I hesitated before answering, avoiding eye contact with him, fearing I’d reveal too much. “Eyes are...

With my cheek on the cool pillow, I’m staring out the window, thinking about how autumn changes are approaching, when my husband's brawny arm crosses my line of sight and grabs the belt from the nightstand. An unexpected breeze through the open window billows the curtains. A sign, maybe. I wonder if I, too, need a change while Samuel raises my hips and palms my soft cheeks before striping my ass with leather. As my ass co...