But after his powerful godfather is assassinated, the unwitting Cornelius becomes caught up in deadly political intrigue and is falsely accused of high treason by a bitter rival. Condemned to life imprisonment, his only comfort is Rosa, the jailer's beautiful daughter, and together they concoct a plan to grow the black tulip in secret. Dumas' last major historical novel is a tale of romantic love, jealousy and obsession, interweaving historical events surrounding the brutal murders of two Dutch statesman in 1672 with the phenomenon of tulipomania that gripped seventeenth-century Holland.

    That escape comes in the form of sexy, confident and commanding Clay Nichols, who captivates her mind AND turns her inside out with pleasure. The attraction is electric and they share one scorchingly hot night together, but they also discover there is more than just off-the-charts chemistry; the connection between them runs deep. Clay never thought he’d return to New York with this woman still on his mind. But he can’t get her out of his system, and he needs more of her…He wants more than just the first night…*This is a prequel novella to the erotic romance NIGHT AFTER NIGHT.*

    We wanted to make a book that charged people with telling real stories about sex but didn't pressure them to turn anyone on. Coming & Crying aims not for conclusions about sex but for the truth that is found in our shared experience of it. We recognize each other as human not through a singular narrative, but in our own particular stories.There are twenty-four stories in this book and we hope all of them will knock you out or wake you up or make you feel less alone. You'll encounter at least twenty-four people in a way one does not usually. Some of the names you'll recognize, because they are established writers or your friends or people you follow on the Internet already. That's how we know them, too.

    Originally published in France in 1958 and immediately banned, this novel concerns the sexual games of domination and punishment that take place between two women to which only the narrator has access.

    As the storytellers in this book start careers, build homes, and raise families, we witness the life-affirming joy of partnership, the comfort of shared sorrows, and profound gratitude in the face of loss.These stories are also testament to the heart’s remarkable endurance. In ALL THERE IS we encounter love that survives discrimination, illness, poverty, distance—even death. In the courage of people’s passion we are reminded of the strength and resilience of the human spirit. This powerful collection bares witness to real love, in its many varied forms, enriching our understanding of that most magical feeling.

    Losing her beloved husband after only seven years of marriage, heartbroken widow Nathalie steels herself against emotional attachments until she unexpectedly falls in for her offbeat, guileless co-worker, Markus, who represents the opposite of everything.

    Enjoy the season with the first half, books 1 to 6, of this omnibus of festive romantic (and hot!) tales ...Book 1: Angel In Moonlight by Ashleigh RaineBeing a Polgaran Pleasure goddess isn't all it's cracked up to be. Sex isn't exactly boring, but it is just sex, limited emotion involved. Lita craves the intrigue of strong human emotions. Her wish is granted, to spend a year among humans, learning and experiencing their emotions. Then destiny throws her for quite a loop when she's pulled into Ben's arms and discovers just how wonderful love is. But the clock is ticking. If she stays, she'll lose everything, but if she leaves Ben, she'll lose even more.Book 2: August Heat (Men of August) by Lora LeighJoin the August Family for Christmas. It's been a little more than a year since Cade, Brock and Sam wrestled their lives back from the woman determined to destroy them. Join them in this first August family Christmas celebration and see if their wives have been naughty or nice, or if the brothers must show them once again how proper August wives should act.Book 3: Make Me Believe by Shiloh WalkerChelly is going nuts - she thinks. And she's fighting for the right to keep her little boy. Right before Christmas, her ex announces he is going to sue for custody of their child. Because she is losing her mind. She is talking to a man who doesn't exist. A tall, sexy creature with wicked blue eyes and magic in his hands. And he can't possibly exist. After all, elves aren't real.Book 4: Just A Little Magic by Kate DouglasBeth Adams expected a proposal of marriage on Christmas Eve. What she gets is a wanna-be Santa Claus who's just gotten pink-slipped. Dominic Claus isn't merely good looking, he's perfect - he's just not Santa material. Beth could care less, especially once she discovers that Dom is a lot more than a good looking guy in a Santa suit - he's the lover of her dreams, toys included.Unfortunately, he actually thinks he's an elf. Differences aside, Beth discovers that all it takes is Just a Little Magic to find true love. Book 5: Ringing In The Season by Rachel BoChristmas is only two days away, and Traci Campbell has never felt more miserable. Her seventeen-year marriage seems on the verge of failure. Rick makes no time for the kids, for her - they haven't made love in four months. She can't stand the thought of losing Rick, but her heartfelt appeal a month ago appears to have meant nothing to him. But a determined husband can make a lot happen in a few short weeks, and a very unusual treasure hunt leads Traci on an erotic journey down memory lane. Can love, determination, and five tiny golden rings save a marriage?Book 6: The Toymaker by R. CasteelSamantha, widowed with two small children on the Missouri frontier, struggles to survive through the harsh winter. When she gives the small toymaker named, Claudius, shelter from a storm, little miracles begin to happen. But, are they enough to restore love, and her belief in the Magic of Christmas.If these stories lighten up your season, look for 12 Quickies of Christmas series, Volume 2 - available now!

    In 1,200 words or less, these authors explore every which way you can "get it on," including threesomes, sex toys, public sex, BDSM, fetishes, and much more. Get "Anal-yzed," learn "The Advantage of Working from Home," and spy some risqué "Vacation Pictures." There are pecan rolls dripping in caramel and meals where lovers feast on nothing but each other. From crossword puzzles to Godzilla, these tales are perfect for reading aloud before you live out your own frisky fantasy. For those who like their sex quick and naughty, Gotta Have It has a host of erotic offerings to get you going.

    The years 1880-1900 saw an extraordinary, hothouse flowering of talent, that produced some of the most exotic, stylized, and cerebral literature in the French language. While 'Decadence' was a European movement, its epicentre was the French capital. On the eve of Freud's early discoveries, writers such as Gourmont, Lorrain, Maupassant, Mirbeau, Richepin, Schwob, and Villiers engaged in a species of wild analysis of their own, perfecting the art of short fiction as they did so. Death and Eros haunt these pages, and a polymorphous perversity by turns hilarious and horrifying. Their stories teem with addicts, maniacs, and murderers as they strive to outdo each other. This newly translated selection brings together the very best writing of the period, from lesser known figures as well as famous names. Provocative and unsettling, these extraordinary, corrosive little tales continue to cast a cold eye on the modern world.CONTENTSJULES BARBEY D'AUREVILLYDon Juan's Crowning Love AffairLÉON BLOYA Dentist Terribly PunishedThe Last BakeThe Lucky SixpenceGUSTAVE GEFFROYThe StatueRÉMY DE GOURMONTDanaetteDon Juan's SecretThe FaunOn the ThresholdJULES LAFORGUEPerseus and AndromedaJEAN LORRAINAn Unidentified CrimeThe Man with the BraceletThe Student's TaleThe Man Who Loved ConsumptivesPIERRE LOUYSA Case without PrecedentGUY DE MAUPASSANTAt the Death-BedThe NightA WalkThe TressesCATULLE MENDÈSWhat the Shadow DemandsOCTAVE MIRBEAUThe BathThe First EmotionThe Little Summer-HouseOn a CureJEAN RICHEPINConstant GuignardDeshoulièresPft! Pft!GEORGES RODENBACHThe TimeMARCEL SCHWOBThe BrothelThe Sans-Gueule52 and 53 OrfilaLucretius, PoetPaolo Uccello, PainterVILLIERS DE L'ISLE ADAMSentimentalismThe PresentimentThe Desire to be a Man

    But when athletic Chloé suddenly drowns, Gabriel is left to grapple with the mysterious circumstances of her death. Brokenhearted, he pours out his grief in a bereavement group and is consoled by photographer Emma. While the two grow closer, Gabriel can’t help but feel Chloé’s presence everywhere he goes. And as revelations about Chloé slowly emerge, he begins to wonder, is Emma really that different?From prize-winning and bestselling author Amélie Antoine comes a dark and evocative novel that will keep readers guessing until the final moments—will Gabriel be able to move on with Emma, or will the mystery of Chloé’s death consume him?

    Then you were FASCINATED. Now, you are invited to explore a new world of temptation, desire, and pleasure -- in a book that will keep you turning the pages...All Through the NightStranger in Her Bed by Suzanne ForsterOnce on the cutting edge of her profession, software designer Kerry Houston is now a shut-in, terrified of the outside world. She works from home, and one day encounters the man of her fantasies--in a video game! What will she do when her sexy dream man knocks on her locked door?No Mercy by Thea DevineSeven years after her spontaneous marriage spontaneously combusted, Regan Torrance is a little older, a little wiser, and a lot smarter about what she wants--and doesn't want. So when her ex-husband, Bobby, comes sauntering back into her life, as dangerous and sexy as ever, she's not about to get burned again. But that doesn't mean Regan doesn't like to play with fire--and this time, she's really going to turn up the heat....Satisfy Me by Lori FosterWhen a sophisticated sex shop opens in their small town, Asia Michaels and her friends find themselves fascinated by its sensual possibilities. And now it's time for Truth or Dare...Asia is about to meet a man who holds the key to her fantasies--and to desires she never even knew she had...Something Wild by Shannon McKennaIt started out as a not-so-innocent flirtation, but Annie Simon can't resist the powerful man on the motorcycle...or his tantalizingly erotic promises. Long-haired and leather-clad, Jake Kerr is strong, sexy, and determined to give her the ultimate lesson in pleasure, if she's willing. And all she can say is yes...

    When her biggest client insists she join him on a Colorado ski trip, she has little choice - but what she finds on her arrival could melt the coldest heart. In "White Hot Christmas" by Nancy Bush, aspiring PI Jane Kelly likes to pretend she's a bah-humbug kind of girl, but she's had mistletoe on the brain ever since she shared a kiss with her boss, Dwayne. Before she can hope for a repeat performance, Jane must solve a kidnapping that's as twisted as a candy cane - and not nearly as sweet. Rosanna Chiofalo's "Seven Days of Christmas" introduces Bianca Simone, who received a wonderful early Christmas gift from her boyfriend, Mark, five years ago - a week amid the stunning Alpine scenery of Innsbruck, Austria. Now she's back under very different circumstances, but Mark has one more special gift in mind. In "A Smoky Mountain Christmas" by Lin Stepp, Veda Trent is back in Townsend to fill in as temporary manager of the Crafts Co-op, but she's not planning to stay. Though the mountain town is small, it holds lots of unsettling memories. Yet the wind can change, bringing with it new opportunities - and the chance to create the kind of Christmas for which Veda always has longed.

    It celebrates family, food, passion, and the eternal rapture of romance.Since childhood, Rosa Fiore -- daughter of a sultry Sicilian matriarch and her hapless husband -- found solace in her family's kitchen. La Cucina, the heart of the family's lush estate, was a place where generations of Fiore women prepared sumptuous feasts and where the drama of extended family life was played out around the age-old table. When Rosa was a teenager, her own cooking became the stuff of legend in this small community that takes pride in the bounty of its landscape and the eccentricity of its inhabitants. Rosa's infatuation with culinary arts was rivaled only by her passion for a young man, Bartolomeo, who, unfortunately, belonged to another. After their love affair ended in tragedy, Rosa retreated first into her kitchen and then into solitude, as a librarian in Palermo. There she stayed for decades, growing corpulent on her succulent dishes, resigned to a loveless life. Then, one day, she meets the mysterious chef, known only is I'Inglese, whose research on the heritage of Sicilian cuisine leads him to Rosa's library, and into her heart. They share one sublime summer of discovery, during which I'lnglese awakens the power of Rosa's sensuality, and together they reach new heights of culinary passion. When I'Inglese suddenly vanishes, Rosa returns home to the farm to grieve for the loss of her second love. In the comfort of familiar surroundings, among her, growing family, she discovers the truth about her loved ones and finds her life transformed once more by the magic of her cherished Cucina. Exuberant and touching, La Cucina is a magical evocation of life's mysterious seasons and the treasures found in each one. It celebrates family, food, passion, and the eternal rapture of romance.

    But times have changed. His customers have grown older—and balder. Suddenly there is no longer a call for Guillaume's particular services, and he is forced to make a drastic career change. Since love and companionship are necessary commodities at any age, he becomes Amour-sur-Belle's official matchmaker and intends to unite hearts as ably as he once cut hair. But alas, Guillaume is not nearly as accomplished an agent of amour, as the disastrous results of his initial attempts amply prove, especially when it comes to arranging his own romantic future.For every reader who adored Chocolat, Julia Stuart's The Matchmaker of Périgord is a delectable, utterly enchanting, and sinfully satisfying delight.

    Then she overhears Garrett talking to his SEAL teammate--a discussion in which they conclude she's vanilla. Stung, Shelby sets out to show them exactly how un-vanilla she is. Garrett can't believe it when sweet, sexy Shelby suggests a wild and sweaty menage. He's been trying to figure out how to ask her out without coming off as a guy who only wants to get in her pants--her friendship is too valuable to him to risk it. But if a crazy, heat-wave three-way is what Shelby wants, then he's ready and willing to give it to her. Once she gets it out of her system, however...well, then he'll let her know he wants her all to himself.Warning: This title contains two dangerously hot Navy SEALS and a heroine determined to get it on with both of them. Be prepared to take a cold shower (or maybe two) after reading this heat-wave menage.