At 28 years old, Billy Sherman lost his job, his home, his pickup, his girlfriend, and his pride to the economy. His dad was a 'handy man' all his life and Billy is now taking his dad's tools and starting a new trade. He meets some interesting people along the way. A lot of them are women. Billy has a weakness for women, he's a 'butt man' and he can't resist looking or touching when opportunity comes knocking. Billy becomes a busy man at his new trade.
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.
A Two Ships Passing Story I wondered what caused me to be so impulsive'"I'm forty-nine years old, divorced for five years, and out of the blue I ask a stranger to share a meal with me.
A story set in the Pinwheel Universe
Tepin, a shy Valbaran artist, travels to the Pinwheel in search of inspiration. During his exploration of the space station, he encounters a Krell, a giant alien with an uncanny resemblance to the ancient deities of his people's past. Enamored, he attempts to make friends with the creature, not realizing that his assumptions about the alien's gender are incorrect...
A story in the Toby Wakefield Stories Universe
While Toby Wakefield continues working for St. Bart's he takes on a side job as yard boy for Irina Strelnicov who seduces him into an affair. After high school he attends Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore where he meets Samantha Onassis, manager of Sig's Diner and goes to work for her. Toby and Sam have sex. Rina comes to Baltimore to visit and introduces a new variety of sexual play and Cissy reappears.
A short story about the arrival of a new vampire to town, the fun and outgoing David, as seen through the eyes of his long-time pen pal, the gloomy (and thirsty) recluse Ashley. David is eager to meet her, but it turns out that she may have exaggerated a few details about herself, and sprinkled a few teeny tiny lies in there too. Surely this will not result in a horrible misunderstanding. Surely.
Mystery Stonestar has changed her name in order to deny her family's legacy which almost killed her little sister. The revered ghost of Grandpa Harold is nothing but a bad memory for her. Les Cayden has loved Mystery since the day he met her even though her lifestyle is the opposite from his church-rich life as youth pastor. Can true love overcome their differences and help them salve the Phantom Mystery?