Three spicy novellas to arouse your curiosities and stimulate your senses.

A Piece of You: In the midst of a brutal heatwave, rolling brownouts descend upon the densely populated island of Manhattan. While the beleaguered residents of New York City take to the streets, Joey, sidelined from work and unable to focus, allows his boredom to get the best of him, setting out to find a bar unaffected by scattered electrical outages. When Joey bumps into Luis, a hot stranger with an inexplicable allure, the two men quickly find a way to occupy their time without the distraction of modern conveniences.

Your Secret: Walking dogs for a living can be a tough gig when the weather is brutal, but Stevie loves his job. After situating Rocco, the last of his afternoon walks, Stevie lingers in the home of Enzo, one of his regular clients, taking a moment to bask in the air-conditioning. He knows he should lock up and take off, but something in Enzo’s bedroom catches his eye, stirring a desire in him that he doesn’t quite understand. He can’t seem to pull himself away, so, for a brief moment, he indulges his curiosity, confident his client won’t be home for hours. Unfortunately for Stevie, Enzo had left work early.

Waiting: Marco’s boyfriend travels for work, occasionally for weeks-long stretches. It’s never been a problem—their relationship is rock-solid—but during those stretches, Marco and Frankie like to engage in an erotic game. When Frankie’s away, Marco’s not allowed to play… even with himself. The torture is one-sided, and this most recent assignment has taken Frankie to Mexico for three weeks. Marco has been hard for days, desperate for Frankie’s touch and willing to do almost anything to get off. Fortunately, Frankie gets home tonight. He might even have a surprise up his sleeve for Marco.

The raves, the clubs, the dancing, the drugs… What happened to my reckless, Ecstasy-fueled youth? I used to be fun. Now, I'm on the brink of forty and in the midst of a midlife crisis I have no idea how to navigate.

I've been on my own for five years, broken beyond repair by a lifetime of abandonment and betrayal, looking for connection but unwilling to commit. I'm jaded and ambivalent, destined to sit on my condo balcony and live vicariously through the lives of my neighbors. Alone.

Then, out of nowhere, Matti stumbles in; a chance encounter on the street while walking our dogs. He's attractive, confident, intriguing. We have things in common. He's a decade older than me and he's lived my adventure. He has his shit together and a cute accent. And I can't stop thinking about him.

He says he wants a future with me. He wants to show me life can be fun, that we can still dance like we used to. He wants to love me. And I'm falling for him… hard.

But my past is clouding my judgment. I'm not sure I even believe in love anymore. Trust doesn't come easily, and Matti's bound to hurt me eventually, just like all the other disappointments. Isn't he?

My friends tell me I live in a perpetual state of self-sabotage. Maybe I do. I'm just not sure I'm up to the challenge of a new relationship—the challenge of allowing myself to be loved—even if Matti might forever change my outlook on life.