A story in the Tech and State Universe
A romantic/erotic fantasy: After the death of his son and a contentious divorce, Rich decides to return to school, obtain his Master's degree and reboot his life. The furthest thing from his mind is a new romance -- until he encounters a young co-ed looking for some help with an assignment.
A young girl teases a couple of rough construction workers doing a renovation project on her parents' house. She gets more than she planned for when she takes the teasing too far.
A young man saves a woman from a nasty snow storm and winds up stranded at her house over night. She feeds him and her hospitality grows as they get to know one another.
Once a year, the gate opens—for Aisha and Elior alone. The garden remembers them, and as vines part and figs split, they answer its call with sweat, laughter, and a hunger sharpened by absence. Among trembling leaves and blooming fire, their bodies meet in a ritual of rhythm and release. What begins with a pomegranate becomes worship and undoing. This is no paradise. It’s something wilder—sacred, erotic, and entirely theirs.