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150+ Romance Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest. From the thrill of a first date to a snapshot tour through an entire relationship, our collection of romantic short stories will give you everything your heart desires.

Romance Short Stories – Page 6 of 10

A Sensuous Scent

Submitted to Contest #313

Oh, it was intoxicating. As he climbed the four flights back to his office, the aroma wafted lazily up the stairwell. A sensual whisper of perfume lightly encircled him as he neared the third floor. It wasn't an overbearing scent, but the sensation sparked a surge of euphoria and a continuing desire to find its owner. The woman had exquisite taste, no doubt about it, exuding a perhaps expensive fragrance. She knew just how much to apply without overwhelming others. However, she was unaware of the profound impact her perfume had on Jason. Thi...

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Water voles and other endangered species

Submitted to Contest #313

Water voles and other endangered species “Looks like we’re back in our usual spot.” Val traced a delicate pattern on the slats of the old bench. “It’s been er… a while.”Jack flinched, hoped she hadn’t seen it.“You mean, after last time…”“Yeah, sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. What I meant was I’ll try not to put my foot in it this time.”“I’m not sure you did put your foot in it, but sometimes the things you say…”“I didn’t mean anything. I didn’t mean that!”“You didn’t?“Er… not exactly”.“Oh! Right. Well, anyway. Moving swiftly on.”“You kn...

19 likes 13 comments 13
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The Love Seat

Submitted to Contest #313

She lifted her head from his shoulder, her soft brown curls swaying slightly with the motion. Slowly, she looked up at him. Her blue eyes searched the corner of his, the part just barely visible while his gaze remained fixed on the TV. A rerun of Seinfeld played on the small screen in front of them.A laugh track murmured in the background.A sound too familiar now to mean much.His face squeezed gently, the kind of almost-smile that wasn’t meant for laughing, but for listening. His brow lifted slightly, the muscles around his eyes softening. P...

5 likes 2 comments 2
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Mosquito Bites

Submitted to Contest #313

Playa El Zonte’s sweltering sun licks at my skin, burning up every pale bit not hidden by my bikini. Brick-red mosquito bites crowd my unshaven legs, from toes to thighs. Resisting the temptation to scratch the fresh one blooming on my knee, I open my beaten-up copy of The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, held together by a bobby pin. Cross-legged on a towel stretched over the hot wooden deck, I lean over the yellowed pages, my stomach folding into rolls. A few pages later, a tall shadow appears over me. I place a finger next to the word I last rea...

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Would You?

Submitted to Contest #313

“Would you love me when I am weak, just as you do when I am strong?” The Knight Francis asked The Princess. His eyes met hers with a mix of anticipation and worry, for he did not know how long he had left. His dreams were to ride into battle with her blessing of love, knowing that he captured her heart and lived valiantly. Her eyes, however, remained dispassionate in his ask. Clearly, from his perspective, she was deep in thought in response to his request. Of course, he was a knight, but he was also her knight. To protect and love her as a ...

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Are You Gonna Be My Girl?

Submitted to Contest #313

“So, one two three…Take my hand and come with meBecause you look so fineThat I really wanna make you mine Four five six…Come on and get your kicksNow you don’t need the money when you look like thatDo ya, honey?” - Jet The text from Jimmy came in around 1:30 on that Saturday afternoon; Hey Man, we should be there at Stan’s in about a half hour. Come join the crawl! First round is on me. If you are not familiar with a “pub crawl”, it basically works like this. A group of friends and/or like-minded people who enjoy a nice Saturday afternoon o...

18 likes 28 comments 28
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Evolving in the Light.

Submitted to Contest #313

"Are you there, God? It's me, Lennox. Do you ever hear my prayers?" Lennox wondered. Long ago, he believed. Lydia was his mother, and she took him to Sunday School along with his older sister. There he learnt about Jesus, and God blessing all the children, never too busy to hear anyone praying. Lennox learnt about the wonder of Heaven and Eternal light and love.But Lydia passed away too young, always yelled at by his father. His sister wed very young, so Lennox was brought up by his father, Joachim. Due to his own paternal survivor baggage o...

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THE GITCHIGUMI AFFAIR

Submitted to Contest #313

Roland "Roly" Winarski was a star athlete at Gitchigumi High School. He was the star running back on the football team since his sophomore year. He was also a starting point guard beginning in his junior year and played first base on the baseball team every Spring. Tall, blonde, and muscular, he was the heartthrob of every teen girl in the county. Although he dated several of his classmates, there was one who was his favorite. He even fantasized about marrying her and raising a family. Jeanie liked Roly but had no intention of marrying a "jo...

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The Consequences of a Well-Timed Drive

Submitted to Contest #313

“You can’t avoid this forever.” Her words break the silence like a hairline fracture in the thin skin of ice between us. The fissure spreads delicately and thoroughly like veins. It won’t support weight now. If we had just ignored it a bit longer, let the quiet deepen, the ice would have been able to withstand some poking and prodding. With even more time it could have thickened in the barren cold until everything underneath was unreachable and could be forgotten. But she wouldn't leave it alone. The sigh I release sounds like aggravation bu...

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Joy 3.0

Submitted to Contest #312

This story contains themes related to grief. My hands feel like mine, but they don’t look like mine. I’m back to the last time I saw Ma’s hands. Her fingers are so thin.Perfectly manicured purple cat-eye nails, fidgeting with the clasp of her favourite Ndebele bead bracelet. But these are my hands. When did I lose so much weight? I blink and make eye contact with my reflection in the mirror.Joy. Focus.Ma would laugh at me if she knew what I was doing now. But even when she laughed at me, I felt warm. Disarmed. I don’t know how she could laug...

7 likes 1 comment 1
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SoulMatch

Submitted to Contest #312

The drug was called Somnex. It was distributed by the Lovelee’s Corporation. The company was paying people to trial run the drug for their new performative virtual reality program. Many were nervous; even more were weary. Few had a choice in the Alliance District where poverty was more than just a threshold, it was the medium. Benjamin was one of those few who started the trial drug. At $200 per dose, it was a no-brainer to participate. There was little work in their District, shops either did not make enough to survive, or were robbed to th...

2 likes 3 comments 3
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Real

Submitted to Contest #312

Ok, you two. Chat's on. Have at it! 👍 👌 I'm out. MixMatchOrg261 has left the conversation. Hey. Hey! ... How are you doing today? ... Fine. Fine? Yeah. What does that mean? ... It means nothing unexpected has happened. That's an interesting definition. Why? Unexpected things aren't necessarily bad.What about surprises? ... In my experience, surprises haven't really led to good things.👎 ... Fair enough. ... … So what did you do today? Um, well...I went for a walk around my neighbourhood. Oh. Yeah, I live in the north district.Where there's ...

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The Wedding

Submitted to Contest #313

Sarah woke with a start and checked the date on her phone. Nerves and excitement coursed through her body, vying for attention. Her first thought was for Mike. How was he feeling? Voices drifted up the stairs, the words indistinct but the noise familiar. Her mother’s fast, high-pitched instructions and her father’s low monosyllabic responses. The doorbell rang and light footsteps tapped along the hall. The front door swung open with a squeak, almost directly below her. More voices, low, but with an urgency about them. Sarah lay in her childh...

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Late Bloom

Submitted to Contest #313

The diner was nearly empty, save for the soft clatter of cutlery in the kitchen and the occasional hiss of something meeting a grill. Rain tapped steadily against the windows, tracing lazy, downward paths like half-formed regrets. A neon sign from the gas station across the street pulsed red and blue against the glass, washing their booth in flickering hues.Claire wrapped both hands around her coffee mug, though her drink had long since cooled. The porcelain felt solid, grounded. She wasn’t cold—she just needed something to hold. Her fingers...

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Robert's Memory Loss

Submitted to Contest #312

When Robert Garrity regained consciousness, he groaned in pain, opening his eyes and gradually sitting up on the couch. Earlier that evening, he was involved in a hit-and-run incident with his former gang member “friends”, with the rest of the neighbors as witnesses. After the lowlives—including the de la Rosa cousins—struck him with their car, Robert went flying into the air and crash-landed headfirst on top of a woman’s Honda Accord, cracking open the windshield. As a result, he suffered a severe head injury and according to the doctors,...

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RBE | RBE Romance | 2024-03

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