Book 10 of 12 - GIVE ME A BABY...NO STRINGS ATTACHED Melanie Parker is at the top of her game. Thirty-three years old, owner and CEO of Parker Broadcasting Corporation, with assets totaling over a billion dollars. There are many who would die to be in her shoes. But there's one thing Melanie feels is missing from her life. A child. She's always dreamed of one day being a mother but just never found the time to fall in love. And now time is running out. So she seeks out the one man who she knows can give her what she wants and will demand nothing in return, a man who's a billionaire himself. Sloane Quest can't believe it when the owner of Parker Broadcasting Corporation - his biggest competitor in the media business - makes him the craziest of all proposals. The decision he makes is quick, and it probably defies all reason, but he has an ulterior motive which will not be denied. Complications, intrigue and a baby bargain in the middle. Can love conquer all?
Reviewers have called it "powerful" and "brilliant." Newly released for its 25th anniversary edition, Jack Engelhard's novel "Indecent Proposal" has found its place alongside such classics as Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" and Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina." "Indecent Proposal" remains one of the most widely-read and discussed novels around the world, due to the strong writing and riches that include a moral dilemma for the ages. The novel was translated into more than 22 languages, and Hollywood produced a mega-hit movie based on this book starring Robert Redford and Demi Moore. The novel stands as a remarkable achievement from a great and legendary novelist. Though Hollywood only skimmed the surface of Engelhard's masterpiece, the theme is eternal, even biblical - temptation The plot has riveted the world's readers and moviegoers. A destitute couple tries their luck in an Atlantic City casino. The wife, Joan, is utterly gorgeous. She attracts the attention of an oil rich sultan who can buy anything he sets his eyes on. Can he buy people? Can he "buy" Joan? What would you do for a million dollars? Reviews "Precise, almost clinical language...is this book fun to read? You betcha " "- The New York Times" "The prose is vivid, cool and muscular, the story is great. In all, the fine tension between desire and high moral principal make "Indecent Proposal" a well-crafted book...well-wrought characters, exhilarating pace...it's beautifully written." "- The Philadelphia Inquirer" "A gut-wrenching study on love, money and trust." "- National Public Radio (NPR)" "Written with the sparseness of Hemingway but the moral intensity of I.B. Singer." - Michael Foster, author of "Three in Love" (HarperCollins) About the Author Contemporaries have hailed novelist Jack Engelhard as "the last Hemingway" and of being "a writer without peer and the conscience of us all." "The New York Times" commended the economy of his prose... "precise, almost clinical language." His bestselling novel "Indecent Proposal" made him internationally famous as the foremost chronicler of moral dilemmas and of topics dealing with temptation. Works that followed won him an even greater following, such as "Escape From Mount Moriah," his book of memoirs that won awards for writing and for film. His latest novel "Compulsive" draws us into the mind of a compulsive gambler in a work stunningly brilliant and original, and seductively readable. Engelhard writes a weekly column for "The Washington Times." His website: www.jackengelhard.com
Sophie Specter was as beautiful and alluring on the outside as she was damaged on the inside and men were drawn to her as quickly as she rejected them. But one day, overwhelmed by her life and desperate for a merciful moment of escape, she saw HIM. He was beautiful and mysterious. His charm and style were beyond anything that she had ever known. Needing him like the air, she fell for him unaware that he had secrets of his own. And losing herself in his world of secrets and sex, he made her a proposal that could change her life forever. 10,000 words. *Please note that this story contains erotic and sexual situations tastefully written for mature readers only.
GIVE ME A BABY...NO STRINGS ATTACHED Melanie Parker is at the top of her game. Thirty-three years old, owner and CEO of Parker Broadcasting Corporation, with assets totaling over a billion dollars. There are many who would die to be in her shoes. But there’s one thing Melanie feels is missing from her life. A child. She’s always dreamed of one day being a mother but just never found the time to fall in love. And now time is running out. So she seeks out the one man who she knows can give her what she wants and will demand nothing in return, a man who’s a billionaire himself. Sloane Quest can’t believe it when the owner of Parker Broadcasting Corporation – his biggest competitor in the media business – makes him the craziest of all proposals. The decision he makes is quick, and it probably defies all reason, but he has an ulterior motive which will not be denied. Complications, intrigue and a baby bargain in the middle. Can love conquer all?
From USA Today bestselling author of Rule's Obsession and Rule's Property, Lynda Chance brings you a novella of heat and passion. Blurb: When Jenna Hardin is approached with a business proposition that involves a short-term marriage arrangement, she hesitatingly agrees. It doesn't take long before she realizes that the business involved is only a smokescreen and that she is the ultimate commodity. Excerpt: Jenna sat in first class and fiddled with the platinum band on her left ring finger. She watched David sitting next to her from the corner of her eye. His hand still held hers loosely, even in sleep, his fingers laced between hers in a hold of ownership, a hold of possession that he’d rarely allowed her away from the entire day. They were approaching the Greater Cincinnati airport and her mind raced over the day that had just passed. It was almost midnight, and everything had been accomplished in one day. When they’d left his house that morning, they'd met with his lawyer, the handsome blond man who'd been with David in the break room that day, and she’d signed a pre-nuptial agreement. He’d promised her a hundred grand when the knot was tied, and she took him at his word. The meeting had been accomplished in less than an hour. A quiver ran through her stomach when she realized the pre-nuptial agreement had already been drawn up; he must have planned everything in advance. Then they’d left the lawyer to board a flight to Vegas, and the minute they’d arrived, he’d hustled her into a twenty-four hour wedding chapel. They’d gotten married quickly without benefit of rings, but he’d located a jewelry store when they left the chapel. He’d had a ring on her finger with what seemed to have been an obscene lack of consideration and time. Leaving the jewelers, they went into a hotel restaurant and had a quick meal, and her mind shied away from what had happened next. They hadn't packed for an overnight stay, and she hadn't understood why he checked into the hotel after they ate. Her stomach had been tied in knots through the meal anyway, and apprehension and nerves screamed in her bloodstream as he pulled her by the hand up the elevators to a room. The minute the door had clicked shut, he turned to her and began unbuttoning her blouse. Panic attacked her and she put her fingers over his to stop him. "What are y-you doing?" He brushed her hands aside and continued to strip her. "Consummating the marriage," he answered sharply. "Why? Can't w-we wait?" "No. I want it consummated now." Disturbed by what they were doing and his reasons for it, she tried to slow him down and lighten the atmosphere. "Why?" Her voice was soft, trying to soothe him. "I'm not going anywhere." His gaze lifted from her buttons and stared into her eyes. "No, you can bet your ass you're not going anywhere." His voice dripped ruthless possession. Her pulse went spinning as he unhooked her bra and pushed it out of his way. He pulled her over to the king sized bed, and unhooked her skirt. "Step out of it." Her mind in a daze at the speed of his actions, she stepped from her clothes and moved onto the bed. He quickly stripped and pushed her legs apart and climbed on top of her. Her heartbeat going wild, she spoke in a whisper of defiance, referring to their agreement. "Just for two years." It was a mistake. His nostrils flared at her words and he grabbed her wrists and lifted them over her head. Huge and pulsing, he began to push into her. He stretched her completely, transferred her wrists to one strong hand, and lifted her face to his with the other. "When I'm good and ready, and not a day before, understand me?" His Indecent Proposal: Keywords: romance, contemporary romance, novella, steamy romance, office romance, boss-secretary romance
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "My Body offers a lucid examination of the mirrors in which its author has seen herself, and her indoctrination into the cult of beauty as defined by powerful men. In its more transcendent passages . . . the author steps beyond the reach of any 'Pygmalion' and becomes a more dangerous kind of beautiful. She becomes a kind of god in her own right: an artist." —Melissa Febos, The New York Times Book Review A "MOST ANTICIPATED" AND "BEST OF FALL 2021" BOOK FOR * VOGUE * TIME * ESQUIRE * PEOPLE * USA TODAY * CHICAGO TRIBUNE * LOS ANGELES TIMES * SHONDALAND * ALMA * THRILLEST * NYLON * FORTUNE A deeply honest investigation of what it means to be a woman and a commodity from Emily Ratajkowski, the archetypal, multi-hyphenate celebrity of our time Emily Ratajkowski is an acclaimed model and actress, an engaged political progressive, a formidable entrepreneur, a global social media phenomenon, and now, a writer. Rocketing to world fame at age twenty-one, Ratajkowski sparked both praise and furor with the provocative display of her body as an unapologetic statement of feminist empowerment. The subsequent evolution in her thinking about our culture’s commodification of women is the subject of this book. My Body is a profoundly personal exploration of feminism, sexuality, and power, of men's treatment of women and women's rationalizations for accepting that treatment. These essays chronicle moments from Ratajkowski’s life while investigating the culture’s fetishization of girls and female beauty, its obsession with and contempt for women’s sexuality, the perverse dynamics of the fashion and film industries, and the gray area between consent and abuse. Nuanced, fierce, and incisive, My Body marks the debut of a writer brimming with courage and intelligence.
BONUS: Includes a complete Elizabeth Hayley novel from Bookshot Flames! Manwhore. That's what the board of directors--and the tabloids--thinks of billionaire bachelor Reese Crane. Ordinarily he couldn't care less, but his playboy past is preventing the board from naming him CEO of Crane Hotels. Nothing--and no one--will keep him from his life's legacy. They want a settled man to lead the company? Then that's exactly what he'll give them. Merina Van Heusen will do anything to get her parents' funky boutique hotel back--even marry cold-as-ice-but-sexy-as-hell Reese Crane. It's a simple business contract--six months of marriage, absolute secrecy, and the Van Heusen is all hers again. But when sparks fly between them, their passion quickly moves from the boardroom to the bedroom. And soon Merina is living her worst nightmare: falling in love with her husband.
I should have seen it coming. Sexy? Handsome? Trouble? Check, check, and check. Is he messing up my life? Hell yes. All the signs are there: he is a bad boy. Even his name is a lie. Too bad I married him. I can't wait to get divorced. Does this make me sound crazy? I know I should avoid him, run as fast as I can. However, when a harmless misunderstanding lands me in a foreign prison cell, my dear, lying husband is the only one who can get me out. Crap. I shouldn't accept. But how to say no to trouble when said trouble is the one who makes me fantasize all the dirty things he could do to me?
Indulge in a seductive tale of desire, secrets, and a life-changing proposition. Julianne, trapped by debt, embarks on a provocative journey with two enigmatic men, Erik and Keegan. Erik's scars bind him to the shadows, while Keegan yearns to rescue his friend from the darkness. When Erik proposes an unconventional arrangement, Julianne finds herself torn between financial freedom and unexpected passion. As their clandestine encounters unravel, Julianne's heart becomes entangled with both men. Can she unveil their hidden depths and lead them into a brighter future? Uncover the allure of forbidden love in this captivating tale of romance, redemption, and self-discovery.
The highway collision had brought together more than their two vehicles. Suddenly businessman Nick Carlino was face-to-face with a woman from his past…and her five-month-old baby. Though they hadn't seen each other in years, Nick offered Brooke Hamilton and her child shelter after the crash. It was the right thing to do as they got back on their feet. But how could something so right feel so wrong? Having Brooke under his roof brought back memories the billionaire would rather have kept forgotten. And passions he needed to control. Nothing short of Carlino Vineyards' legacy hung in the balance….
