Novels by Alexis. D. Sterling

Alexandra, Edward’s stepmother, was up before anyone else.The house was still dark when she padded downstairs barefoot. She went to the kitchen and prepared a simple breakfast: eggs, toast, and a pot of tea. Nothing fancy.By the time Mr. Charles and Edward came downstairs, the table was already set. It looked like a photograph of a family that had always been there.Edward stopped in the doorway, glanced at the table, then sat in his usual chair and picked up his fork.He moved the eggs around the plate. Pushed the toast to one side. Made circles with the tines of his fork through the yolk until it bled across the white.Mr. Charles. Wiped his mouth with a napkin."Edward. Eat."Edward put the fork down. Across the table, Alexandra watched him; she'd expected this.She took a sip of tea. She set the cup down.Fine, she thought. If he wants to hate me, let him. I'm not going to beg a grown man for a smile. I live here now. I'm his father's wife. Whether he likes it or not, I'm his

Edward was sprawled across the living room couch, one leg hooked over the armrest.The television threw blue-white light across the walls. Gunfire crackled through the speakers. The volume was up high—which was why he didn't hear his father come in at all."Edward."He didn't look up. "Yeah.""I'm bringing my new wife here tomorrow."The controller went still in his hands.For a second he didn't move at all; he just stared at the frozen screen.He turned his head, as if he hadn't quite heard right. His father stood beside the couch in his work shirt, sleeves rolled to the elbow."For what reason?""That's none of your business." His father walked past him toward the kitchen. "And for your information, she's living with us from tomorrow onward. So get used to it."Edward sat up. The controller slid off his lap and hit the cushion."Living with us?""You heard me.""I'm twenty-three years old," Edward said; he could hear his own voice climbing, "I don't need a…""“Edward!”That was enou

Two officers had my arms pinned behind my back, hands cuffed so tight my fingers had gone numb, and they hauled me down a corridor that smelled of bleach and old sweat. My shoes squeaked on the linoleum. Somewhere behind us, a metal door slammed shut with a sound like a car crash."I didn't put it there," I said for the eleventh time. "It wasn't my bag. You have to check the cameras."Nobody checked anything.The bag had been under my seat at the bus terminal for four minutes. Four minutes while I bought a ticket. That's all it took for someone to slide a brick of heroin into the side pocket and walk away, and for me to pick it up and carry it three blocks before a patrol car pulled alongside me.Four minutes of me buying a ticket turned into six months of likely jail. They processed me in a room with no windows. Photographed me. Took my belt, my shoelaces, my phone, my wallet, the silver ring my mother gave me. I watched each item disappear into a plastic bag and felt myself getting

The confined space of the elevator seemed to shrink further around them, though the closeness now carried a charged, welcome heat rather than fear. Lucy’s body molded against William’s, the soft press of her breasts evident through her blouse.His hand rose to cradle the back of her neck as the kiss deepened. She pulled back after a moment, breath coming in quick bursts.“William… I know this is reckless. But it’s the only thing keeping me from losing my mind in this metal box.”He answered without words, claiming her mouth again, tongue sliding against hers. His hands traveled down her back and drew her fully onto his lap. Her pencil skirt rode higher along her thighs as she straddled him, settling against the growing hardness beneath her.A soft moan escaped her as she ground against him, feeling him stiffen even more. “God, Lucy,” he murmured against her lips. “You’re driving me crazy.”Trembling fingers worked at the buttons of his shirt until she could push the fabric open and

The power failed at precisely 8:02 PM.William knew the exact moment because he had been staring at his phone for the last twenty minutes, watching the seconds crawl past like they had a personal grudge against him. Another late night. Another pointless round of revisions on a proposal that would almost certainly be rejected. He just wanted to get out of the building, go home, and collapse.Instead, he was trapped in a metal box hanging somewhere between the thirteenth and fourteenth floors.“Shit,” he muttered, jabbing the emergency button. Nothing. He pressed it again, still nothing.A moment later, the emergency lights flickered to life, bathing the small space in a reddish glow. It was just enough to see by, revealing the control panel, the scuffed floor, and much to his surprise, the woman sitting in the far corner whom he hadn’t noticed until then.She was curled against the wall, knees drawn tightly to her chest. Half her face was lost in shadow, but her eyes were clear: bright

His hand found her waist and gripped it firmly, Iris stiffened. "Is this... is it really necessary for you to hold my waist?"Daniel's voice went low. “I'm trying to balance myself here."She paused for a second. "Well... all right."His hand began to wander against her skin. Her stomach tightened.Then his fingers found her nipple.She gasped. "Daniel... are you sure what you're doing is part of the bathing?"He leaned closer, his breath warm against her ear. "Just calm down. There's nothing to fear. This is just normal stuff."He continued to rub her nipple gently, then with more pressure. Little by little, the sensation shifted from strange to something that made her knees weak and her head hazy.I shouldn't be doing this, she thought. This is wrong.But her body didn't care.Her hand moved on its own, reaching up to cover his. But instead of pushing him away, she pressed his hand harder against her breast. Daniel's breath hitched. He cupped her fully, squeezing gently, his thum