Chilling and witty, prescient and personal, delectable and tart, these highly imaginative, vintage Atwoodian mini-fictions speak on a broad range of subjects, reflecting the times we live in with deadly accuracy and knife-edge precision.In pieces ranging in length from a mere paragraph to several pages, Atwood gives a sly pep talk to the ambitious young; writes about the disconcerting experience of looking at old photos of ourselves; gives us Horatio's real views on Hamlet; and examines the boons and banes of orphanhood. Bring Back Mom: An Invocation; explores what life was really like for the "perfect" homemakers of days gone by, and in The Animals Reject Their Names she runs history backward, with surprising results.Chilling and witty, prescient and personal, delectable and tart, The Tent is vintage Atwood, enhanced by the author's delightful drawings.

    However when a family emergency leaves him desperate, he goes farther than he ever expected. If Clive Davidson wants to pretend John is an untamed stallion in need of a firm hand, the pay is too much to pass up. Clive Davidson has enjoyed the company of any number of submissives, but he’s never found one that can fight and still crave control. It’s intoxicating to find someone whose kinks line up so well. But just as Clive begins to hope that he has found love or at the very least sexually compatible lust, his enemies try to take it all away. Clive must give up something he holds dear or lose the man he hopes to tame to his saddle.

    In this New York Times bestselling erotic enovella trilogy, a buttoned-up businesswoman takes her friend’s advice and has a fling with a stranger on a trip to Vegas—only to find herself under his mysterious, sexy power both in the boardroom and the bedroom. Kasie Fitzgerald knows who she’s supposed to be. She’s a rising-star-workaholic at a global consulting firm. She’s the fiancée of a well-connected man who’s won the approval of her parents. People know that she’s reliable, serious, proper, cautious, pragmatic, and yes, a little predictable. She’s who Dave and her family want her to be.But as her thirtieth birthday looms, buried feelings begin to resurrect. Her friend takes her to Vegas for one last wild and crazy night. In a dress much shorter and sexier than anything she has ever dared to wear before, she hits the blackjack tables. And meets him. Under the tailored clothes it’s clear that this is a man who is intense, powerful, and maybe even a little dangerous. With a touch of trepidation she accepts his invitation to get a drink, and before long, she’s in his hotel room.She never gets his full name. Perhaps his anonymity is one of the reasons she’s able to give herself over to him and to the moment so completely. Perhaps it’s why she’s just had the most exquisite and passionate sex of her life. Shaken by her own behavior, Kasie tries to chalk it up to one crazy night. But when the mysterious gentleman she’s just had a fling with shows up in her office—as the CEO of a firm her company does a billion dollars of business with a year, demanding that she handle his account, and so much more—things will never be the same again. And there’s no telling where this will go…

    Can she beat him at his own game?Lily Frazer would do anything to save the Frazer Center for the Arts--even take on the infamous billionaire Calder Cunningham. When Lily breaks onto the Cunningham estate, she only wants to find and reason with Calder. (All right, all right, she wants to punch him in the face, too, but that's Plan B.) As it turns out, the arrogant billionaire is willing to give her the money he promised, but there's a catch: she must win it from him.Lily isn't about to give up the money without a fight (or let some haughty bastard seduce her), but she quickly discovers that there might be more to the brooding Calder than she initially perceived. As their games of cat and mouse become increasingly intense, she suddenly finds herself confused by her own emotions. Can she deny her attraction long enough to win the money she needs?

    Everybody has a dark side. I just never expected mine to come out in my sexuality. But in that quiet time before I drift off to sleep the images that come into my mind shock even me. You see, I’ve always been the good girl. The steady one, the responsible one, but ever since I set eyes on Joe Carson, the dreams have turned into urges… a restlessness I can’t resist. So I don’t. No one is more shocked than me when after putting on a private show of self love for Joe, I tell him I’ll do anything for him… and he holds me to it. I admit it. I’m an addict. I’m addicted to the freedom that I find in his arms…and I’m worried it might cost me the freedom from small town existence I’ve been working towards my whole life.

    An executive in need of some temporary release. A Dom looking to cleanse his soul. A twisted college encounter. A PA and a terrorist’s unlikely meeting during an office building takeover. Four alpha males just waiting to fulfill your fantasies in these hot short stories. Are you ready to be Savaged?Includes:Same Time Tomorrow: Executive Julian Reddick is tired of his brand of hand lotion but doesn’t have time to date. What’s the solution? Call in a “nooner” from a high-class company of ill-repute. Valerie Woods is exactly the distraction he needs.Cleansing Bonds: A Dom who had hurt the one he loved and an abused sub looking for release. Both are sure they will never be able to find what they need, but they find healing with each other.Encounter: On a weekend night near campus, a college girl walks home alone from the local bar. Who is watching her from the shadows, waiting to take advantage of the situation?Want No More: Olivia’s new job takes an unexpected turn when terrorists take over her office building. Olivia is taken hostage, but Adam, the sexy head henchman, seems to be exactly what Olivia desires.BONUS STORYWhat I Want (Want No More from Adam’s POV): Adam Lebourn’s life for the past three years has lead up to this point, but to exact his revenge on the man who ruined his life, he is going to have to rely on a decent amount of luck. He never expected his good luck charm to appear in the form of a beautiful, submissive PA.

    He wanted all of her and did she ever let him have it… Vic Savian knows what he wants when he sees it. And what he wants is his sexy neighbor, Niall Chandler. When he finds her in the hallway of their building being harassed by an aggressive suitor, Vic steps in and finds himself greatly rewarded… Sleeping with her gorgeous neighbor when she didn't even know his last name was the craziest thing Niall's ever done. Now, she can't seem to get enough of Vic or the uninhibited passion he stirs in her. Suddenly, with his help, she's opening to sensual pleasures she's never known before. But when Niall's past comes back to haunt her, will she and Vic let themselves venture beyond the bedroom and explore the possibility of the love that's in their hearts?

    The other wants her dead...Holding Out for a Hero, Book 1Eleanor Owen needs to get out of Chicago and quick. It's not that she doesn't want to obey the subpoena to testify against her drug-trafficking ex-boyfriend. It's making it to the witness stand alive, should a dirty cop make good on his threats.Tiny, remote Wyattville, Oregon, looks like the perfect place to disappear, but it's hard to blend into the woodwork when one of the town's infamous namesakes sends her heart racing. Worse, Mr. Tall, Hot and Packing is the town sheriff, which means she should stay as far away from him as possible.Tyson Wyatt is positive the sexy new girl in town is hiding something. Question is, what? He vows to feel out her secrets--including what she feels like beneath him. Preferably naked. Until then, he's not buying the story she's selling.Their chemistry is sheet-melting hot, and Ellie realizes much too late that the man with the badge is as dangerous to her heart as her ex is to her life...Warning:A city girl on the run, and a small-town sheriff set to seduce. Explicit sex. Dirty talk. A hint of danger. Oral sex with a cupcake.

    The wine is bad and the decor worse. But when a sudden attack of curiosity leads her to sneak past security and into the back room, she discovers something unimaginable. The most lavish party she’s ever laid eyes on, in the most unlikely of places.But that’s nothing compared to what comes next, to the man she meets back there. Sebastian Lock. Gorgeous, commanding, and radiating charm, he is exactly the sort of silver-tongued rake Sophia has sworn to avoid. Unfortunately, he doesn’t care much for her promises.Every instinct tells her to run, but the chemistry between them is as inescapable as gravity. Soon, he’s opening her eyes to a whole new world of pleasures, pleasures she never thought she’d enjoy.There’s just one problem. Sebastian is more than he seems. Between the famous company he keeps and the almost paranoid secrecy of his employers, he’s a puzzle Sophia can’t quite solve, and his insistence on keeping things casual forces her to confront the demons of her past.Can she learn to trust again? Or will Sebastian’s privacy tear them apart?Contains light BDSM, including spanking, restraint, and anal playNote: This book is the first part of a trilogy that is designed to be read together, much like The Blackstone Affair. Sebastian and Sophia will get their happily ever after, but not until the last book.

    She’s ready to try everything. And as luck would have it, two of her good friends are more than willing to introduce her to the kinkier side of life: Experienced dominant Scott Moore wants to bring out the submissive in her. Neighbor and voyeur Matt Sommers quite literally sees the exhibitionist in her.Little by little, they open up a whole new world to her, and Kristen’s about to learn that love can be found in the most unusual places…

    With six elimination rounds, each team is required to perform a list of sexual directives that demonstrate their Dom and Domme strengths. Highest scoring team advances to the next round. Lucian Bane is paired up with Tara Reese. Not only is she the most sexually frigid woman he's ever met, she's a girl who's never even been in the lifestyle and is merely playing a role to get the money--and for what? None of his damn business, according to her. But she's not the only one with the "need" to win the money. And so, his plan is simple--dominate and win. A challenge that's turning out to be harder than he imagined when the woman is as stubborn as she is beautiful--and kick-ass strong. For Lucian, every bit of it calls to his own need and hunger to dominate, and he's laying it all on the line for the win. "Let the games begin."

    I wasn't looking for romance. Nothing like a sadistic ex husband to make me run into the arms of my two favorite men (Ben and Jerry). I never expected a hottie like Dane Hutchinson to be into me, much less take control and fulfill my every fantasy. Then I run into the guy of my dreams. Literally. (I've gotta stop rushing around in high heels). He's the yummiest thing in the coffee shop, and for some reason he's into ME. Dane looks like he lifts cars for a workout. Me? I can barely get down to the gym. I try to run, but Fate puts us on a blind date and Dane declares he's not going to let me get away again. I've got my second chance at love...whether I want it or not. Fun fact: Devil Dogs are a nickname for members of the United States Marine Corps, so dubbed by the Germans in WWII. Even funner fact: shibari is the Japanese art of bondage, and it turns out getting tied up is my favorite foreplay ever... Enjoy this sinfully sexy story chock full of Marine-loving goodness. ***Originally part of the USA today bestselling Hero to Obey boxset, Her Marine Daddy (previously titled Devil Dog) is a standalone novella with smoking hot sex scenes, kink and a sassy heroine who finds a hero who will fight for her. With HEAs x 10 (because this Marine goes above and beyond the call of duty...).

    Among its pages are a couple who becomes obsessed with their friend hearing them have sex, then seeing them have sex…until they can’t have sex without him; a ten-year-old whose birthday party takes a sinister turn when she wishes for “something mean”; a woman who finds a book of spells half hidden at the library and summons her heart’s desire: a nameless, naked man; and a self-proclaimed “biter” who dreams of sneaking up behind and sinking her teeth into a green-eyed, long-haired, pink-cheeked coworker.Spanning a range of genres and topics—from the mundane to the murderous and supernatural—these are stories about sex and punishment, guilt and anger, the pleasure and terror of inflicting and experiencing pain. These stories fascinate and repel, revolt and arouse, scare and delight in equal measure. And, as a collection, they point a finger at you, daring you to feel uncomfortable—or worse, understood—as if to say, “You want this, right? You know you want this.”Bad boy --Look at your game, girl --Sardines --The night runner --The mirror, the bucket, and the old thigh bone --Cat person --The good guy --The boy in the pool --Scarred --The matchbox sign --Death wish --Biter --Acknowledgments

    How hard can that be?My best friend is deployed and he worries about his little sister being alone. But I don’t mind taking her out for her birthday. I just have to remember one thing. 1) Keep my hands off her ridiculously curvy body.But there’s just one problem. Mara has her own ideas about what we should do for her birthday. And she wants a lot more than a Hallmark card.

    But Jameson International isn't just any company. It's owned by thirty-two-year-old business mogul and celebrity, Red Jameson.Red is known for his high flying lifestyle; dating models and hanging with the rich and famous.The powerful billionaire can have any woman he wants, and the naive college graduate can't imagine making much of an impression on her new CEO. But when Red Jameson takes notice of her and invites her up to his secluded office one day, everything changes.As it turns out, the powerful businessman also has a voracious sexual appetite, and it's been whetted by none other than Nicole herself. And Red needs to be in charge at every turn.Nicole isn't just any girl though, and Red Jameson's shocked to find that the young intern is more than a match for him in a battle of wits and will.For His Pleasure is a 30,000 word tale of lust, submission, power and ultimately--a love story for the ages.