Dressed as she was in a clean white blouse and tartan pleated skirt, no tights and black sensible shoes she looked as pretty as a picture. She leaned forward and stuck out her jaw inspecting her lips which bore a fine sheen of " Ruby Red's Lust Lipstick..!!" rubbing them together and with a final smack she nodded.
I was born with noble blood in my veins. Heir to a powerful dynasty. Wealth. Power. Aristocracy. Temptations too dangerous to resist. Until someone tried to steal it all. Scarred and broken, I emerged from the flames. Now I’ve returned to take what’s mine. Revenge. The first item on my agenda? Make Ivy Moreno my wife. Second? Bend her until she breaks. Includes: mafia romance, dark mafia romance with a happy ending, alpha hero, billionaire romance, possessive hero, Natasha Knight books, Arranged marriage mafia romance, happily ever after dark romance, secret society
Lucia It all started with a contract signed by him, then by me, while our families watched. While my father sat silent, a man defeated, giving his daughter to the Benedetti monsters. I obeyed. I played my part. I signed my name and gave away my life. I became their living, breathing trophy, a constant symbol of their power over us. That was five years ago. Then came the time for him to claim me. For Salvatore Benedetti to own me. I had vowed vengeance. I had learned hate. And yet, nothing could have prepared me for the man who now ruled my life. I expected a monster, one I would destroy. But nothing is ever black or white. No one is either good or evil. For all his darkness, I saw his light. For all his evil, I saw his good. As much as he made me hate him, a passion hotter than the fires of hell burned inside me. I was his, and he was mine. My very own monster. Salvatore I owned the DeMarco Mafia Princess. She belonged to me now. We had won, and they had lost. And what better way to teach a lesson than to take from them that which is most precious? Most beloved? I was the boy who would be king. Next in line to rule the Benedetti Family. Lucia DeMarco was the spoils of war. Mine to do with as I pleased. It was my duty to break her. To make her life a living hell. My soul was dark, I was hell bound. And there was no way out, not for either of us. Because the Benedetti family never lost, and in our wake, we left destruction. It’s how it had always been. How I believed it would always be. Until Lucia.
Sofia I didn’t know Raphael Amado when he turned up on our doorstep demanding restitution for an old debt. My grandfather knew him well, though, and he quickly conceded. That restitution? Me. Six months later, on my eighteenth birthday, Raphael came to claim me. He stole me from my home, taking me to his Tuscan estate, where from the crumbling chapel to the destroyed vineyard to that dark cellar, the past stalked him like a shadow. Even the walls held secrets here and I’d need to uncover them all to survive. Because taking me was only the beginning of his plan. Raphael Sofia was the sacrifice to pay for her grandfather’s sins. She accused me of being the devil. And she’s right. But the truth was, he betrayed her. And when the time came to promise to love, cherish, and obey she spoke the words that would seal her fate. I do. We have a common enemy, though, my unwilling bride and I. But even the devil protects what’s his. And she’s mine. She just doesn’t yet know how much protecting she needs.
We’re a match made in hell, Stefan and I. He took me to exact his revenge. I went from being a pawn to my father to being a pawn to Stefan. The only difference is I have a ring the size of a boulder on my finger and a husband I don’t want. And the hardest part is I thought he was different. I thought I was falling in love. I guess my father was right. I’m not a very smart girl. Stefan is a powerful man. He doesn’t play nice, not if you’re his enemy. But I’ve learned one thing about my husband. He takes care of what’s his. And I am his. His enemies have become my enemies, but he’ll never let anyone hurt me. He’s fiercely protective. It’s the predator inside that scares me.
This duet contains both books of the Collateral Damage Duet! Gabriela Stefan Sabbioni showed up uninvited in my bedroom on my birthday. He stood in the shadows smelling of whiskey and death and wrapped a broken, blood-crusted necklace around my neck. I thought he’d strangle me with it. That night, he left a message for my father. He said he’d be back to take something precious. I never delivered that message, though. I wonder if things would be different if I had because now, two years later, he’s back. And he’s not hiding in any shadows. He’s come to make good on his promise. He’s back to take that something precious. Me. Stefan Marchese is the manipulator of my family’s tragedy. I won’t just bring him to his knees. I’ll bury him for what he did. Taking his daughter is only the beginning. I’ll do it knowing I’m starting a war. I’ll do it knowing my enemies will become his allies. They’ll stop at nothing to destroy me and he’ll stop at nothing to get her back. I’ve never shied away from war, though. I’m not one to play nice and I don’t share my toys. I’ll demolish you if you touch what’s mine. And she is most definitely mine.
"The scientist has the habit of science; the artist, the habit of art." -- Flannery O'Connor This collection of stories contains some of the best new short fiction from America. The stories display a wide range of styles, settings, and themes. In addition to being among the country's most talented, prize-winning writers, the authors gathered in The Habit of Art also share a common bond as former members of the fiction workshop at Indiana University, which celebrates its first 25 years with the publication of this book.
Hunter Monroe needs a smart woman who can defend herself. The only woman he knows to meet the criteria is his former cop partner, Regina Arrigoni. She saved his life, so he knows he can count on her. She’s fit, strong and wily, but can she be feminine, soft and a submissive wife to him, requirements for the job infiltrating The House of Christian Love to retrieve his quarry? Regina’s a cop, She is strong, smart, independent, and able to defend herself. When her former partner, Hunter Monroe, now a P.I., asks if she can work a job with him as his submissive wife, she has her doubts, for the first time in her life, of being able to successfully complete a job. But Hunter knows she’s the world’s worst money manager and makes her an offer she can’t refuse—if she partners him in the job he’ll pay off her credit cards, which are way out of hand. Also, her chief wants her to take the job with him and offers her a promotion from beat cop to detective once the job is completed to Hunter’s satisfaction. So what’s not to like about being debt free and a promotion? But Regina worries about acting the part of a submissive wife to Hunter’s dominant husband role. Can she play a part that is so foreign to her and be believable?
The #1 New York Times–bestselling author’s “groundbreaking” work on women’s sexual fantasies (Publishers Weekly). First published in 1973, My Secret Garden ignited a firestorm of reactions across the nation—from outrage to enthusiastic support. Collected from detailed personal interviews with hundreds of women from diverse backgrounds, this book presents a bracingly honest account of women’s inner sexual fantasy lives. In its time, this book shattered taboos and opened up a conversation about the landscape of feminine desire in a way that was unprecedented. Today, My Secret Garden remains one of the most iconic works of feminist literature of our time—and is still relevant to millions of women throughout the world. “The author whose books about gender politics helped redefine American women’s sexuality.” —The New York Times