Chapter 1

During the years my girlfriend and I lived in New York, we shared a place with a middle-aged couple to save money.

One room. Two beds. Nothing but a curtain between them.

Late that first night, strange noises suddenly started coming from the other side…

My name is Ethan Carter. Last December, I got engaged to my girlfriend, Hannah Brooks.

We wanted to earn more money, so we took the advice of someone from our hometown and moved to New York together.

Rent in New York was outrageous. Most places cost several thousand dollars a month.

After thinking it over, my girlfriend and I decided to save money by sharing a place with another couple.

It was a one-bedroom apartment with two beds, separated by a curtain.

The beds were practically pushed together. If you rolled over in your sleep, you could end up bumping into the person on the other side. And you could hear every little sound. There was no privacy at all.

But it was the cheapest place we’d found, so we figured we would put up with it.

Our roommates were a middle-aged couple. I’d assumed older people would be more conservative. Once we moved in, I discovered they were far wilder than either of us!

The husband’s name was Richard Blake. He was in his fifties, with an ordinary face and deeply tanned skin. He looked like an honest, hardworking farmer, but he was nothing of the sort.

His wife, Vanessa Morgan, was stunning. She looked barely past thirty, mature and seductive. She wore so little that one glance was enough to make my face burn.

She also loved costumes. Every night, she and Richard would role-play without the slightest concern for the other people in the room.

I was only twenty-two, with a healthy sex drive. How was I supposed to resist that? Just imagining Vanessa on the bed in one of those outfits was enough to torture me.

Hannah wasn’t doing much better. Since we’d started living together, she’d discovered how much she enjoyed intimacy. Hearing Vanessa and Richard going at it left her restless, too.

But we were both too shy to do anything with them right there. We could only hold back and sneak in some time together whenever they went out.

Their energy seemed endless, though. They hadn’t taken a single night off all week. They also seemed determined to be as loud as possible, making our lives miserable.

Then they got even bolder. Every day after work, they brought home strange-looking toys. Hannah had never lived in a big city before and had no idea what those things were for.

She found out that night, when Vanessa started using them with Richard. Her face turned scarlet.

And tonight, they were pushing things even further.

On the other side of the curtain, Richard urged her on with a wicked grin. “Come on, honey. Put the restraints on. And the stockings. You’re the prisoner, and I’m the guard. Tonight, I’m going to give you a very thorough interrogation.”

Richard slapped Vanessa’s full backside, and she let out a playful little cry.

“Oh, you’re terrible,” she teased. “You come up with something new every night. You’re going to wear me out.”

“There are people right next to us. Aren’t you embarrassed to say things like that?”

“Don’t play innocent, honey. You like having an audience.”

The curtain was thin. They were like silhouettes in a shadow play. Whatever they did, I could see it clearly.

Vanessa stretched out one long leg and slowly rolled on a stocking. Then she slipped into a pair of elegant high heels. My heart pounded as I watched.

Next came a collar and restraints around her wrists. Wearing nothing else, she knelt on the bed like a prisoner. Her curves and the way she held herself sent images racing through my head.

Then their role-play began. Their silhouettes pressed together. The crack of a whip filled the room, followed by Vanessa’s cries and pleas for mercy.

My mouth went dry, and heat spread through me. I couldn’t help pulling Hannah into my arms. Her skin was hot, her breathing quick. The longing in her eyes told me the scene had affected her just as much.

Just as I was about to lose control, a long silicone object somehow landed on me. I picked it up and stared.

It was one of Vanessa’s toys!

“Sorry, Ethan. This is my first time using that model. I’m still getting used to it. Could you give it back?”

The curtain slowly parted. Vanessa made no effort to cover herself as she appeared in front of me. Her lovely face was flushed, her eyes heavy-lidded.

The torn stockings on her legs nearly made my heart skip a beat.