Vicki had spent the intermission backstage, chatting with two of her favorite singers who would soon grace the stage once more as the booming baritone Magnifico and his daughter Angelina, a dazzling soprano whose career had reached new heights during these ten, high-profile New York performances.Vicki couldn’t conceal her delight at the absolutely full house. “I guess the new marketing firm really hit one out of the park,” she commented quietly to Martin as the lights dimmed. “All ten performances are sold out!”Her lawyer friend smiled. “It’s the inspired leadership they’ve been getting,” he replied. “New blood, new ideas. It’s just magnificent.” The maestro appeared at the edge of the orchestra pit and received enthusiastic applause. “Although even I would admit that Rossini’s genius might have something to do with it,” Martin said, raising his voice over the audience’s appreciation. “Still, you’ve broken the glass ceiling yet again, I would say. Bravo, Miss Vydra.”“You’re too kind,” she said, patting his hand as the strings stirred in a quiet but ominous tremolo, quickly ushering in a sudden and violent orchestral tutti, brassy and loud, which filled the huge auditorium with the dark ferocity of the storm it depicted. Vicki let the eruption pass through her, finding herself carried by its torrential force, allowing the moment to fill her with an awed respect for nature’s power. She knew that it could not last, and the audience was soon deposited kindly into the peaceful meadow of the storm’s passing. Horn calls signaled the all-clear and, as one can always expect from Rossini, the good humor and delicate, social fun-poking resumed.***Content warning: For adults only!***

     Marcus White is wealthy, handsome, and charming. However, there’s a rather large fly in the ointment of his love life. Marcus is an assassin. With no desire for a typical relationship, he finds himself in a bar one night between jobs, fascinated by a girl with darkness in her eyes… Marguerite Grey is a very pretty, soft-spoken sales clerk with an insidious problem. She doesn't like people. At all. With no hope of ever connecting with someone, she finds the singular exception to her condition one night when becoming mesmerized by a man with poison-green eyes… A shared drink leads to Marguerite waking up in an airplane hanger and Marcus saying, “I want to buy your time. Half a million a year. One year minimum. You leave the country tonight. What’s your answer?” And so begins the unconventional romance of an assassin and the girl who completely captures his heart… ___________________ This is part one of a dark romance serial.

    

    Cassidy What an arrogant prick. I cannot believe Austin Smith has the balls to hit on me right now. I don’t care if he’s gorgeous, rich and as sexy as any man I’ve ever met. Austin Smith left my life in shattered pieces with nobody around to help pick them up. But here he is, at this bar, hitting on me, and I can tell he has absolutely no idea who I am. The bastard doesn’t even have the courtesy to remember the faces of those he crushes under his expensive Italian loafers on his way up the ladder of success. I want to get some revenge. I’m just not sure I’m strong enough to resist having a little taste of him first… Austin There’s something about Cass. Something vulnerable, something sexy, something I can’t quite put my finger on… But I can put my hands all over her, and I will. She’s playing coy, hard to get—but not hard enough. And soon I’m going to get her out of this bar and into my bed. I know it’s only a matter of time before she’s naked beneath me, and I can already practically taste her on my tongue, feel her skin, and damn if she’s not driving me crazy. I live a high-stress life and there’s very little time for pleasure. But tonight, I intend to take my time with this woman. And before all is said and done, I’m going to have her CUFFED.

    Her boss has promised severe punishment the very next time she arrives late for work and the hour she spent fantasizing about him has put her job in jeopardy. If only she could come up with an alternative to firing…a punishment they might both enjoy…Randolph Marks, business tycoon by day, dungeon Dom by night, is in a quandary. His favorite employee is late for work again and he must go through with his threat of retribution. But how to go about it without crossing a line and violating good business practices? He couldn’t possibly get away with spanking Miss Mona.

    She is vulnerable and naïve but she also has courage and the will to survive. She travels to Wales, to previously unknown relations in the wild Cambrian Mountains.This is the uplifting story of her journey from life in a cult to find herself and flourish in a world she has been taught to fear and abhor.Guilt and shadows from her past haunt her in flashbacks, panic attacks and a fear of the dark. However she also finds a world full of colour, love and happiness she has never known before. The wild beauty of the hills, the people she meets and the secrets slowly revealed by the cottage all provide an intriguing backdrop to Tegan’s drama.The novel is set in spring, a story of hope, new growth, of the discovery of self and the joy of living.

    From babies to engagements to complete submission, you’ll want to see what all your favorite characters have been up to. Don’t miss this seasonal story that will warm you heart AND your body.

    Head down and deep into a job, an eleven-year-old son, and a failing marriage, she hasn't got time for jury duty. Who does? However, the county court has other ideas. Serving on an all-female jury, she is forced to deliberate about more than the trial at hand. Old memories surface and Leigh makes a deliberate decision to take a hard look at her life and where it is going. I've certainly been there. Haven't you?

    A boss she didn't know she had. Matt Jones now had the job she had been waiting to apply for (and win) for the past year, and to add insult to injury, he's the kind of guy her parents would adore.Damn it.The only kid of six to choose to run off to Boston and leave behind her idyllic family in Maine, Lydia's determined to prove herself in the big city, but she has to keep Matt at arm's length. After a steamy elevator encounter that leaves her missing her panties – and most of her resolve – she decides that maybe it's time to let him get inside her. In more ways than one. But when Matt suddenly closes off she's upset and confused. When he also acts like he owns the place, she decides that malicious obedience – following his every command to the letter – will prove how much the department needs her creativity after he insists he knows best.What Lydia doesn't know is that “Matt” is really Michael Bournham, the CEO of the company, part of an undercover reality television stunt. Keeping his hands off Lydia's luscious curves was becoming an exercise in restraint, but what was harder? Keeping his heart from her. For Michael, Lydia's malicious obedience ignited a night of unbridled passion in the office that made him forget everything – including the rolling cameras – until it was too late. When unscrupulous producers make their lovemaking viral, Michael pulls out all the stops and calls in every favor as Lydia...maliciously obeys.

    There isn't a woman who doesn't want the notoriety of being in his bed. When he crosses paths with Mariss Red at one of his clubs, his interest is quickly piqued, and he sets out to make a play for the confident beauty. But Mariss is married, and she has no desire to lose what she loves for a one night stand with the indulgent playboy.When an attempt is made on Mariss' life, Sebastian rushes to her side. Those closest to him know that it's only a matter of time before his new infatuation causes him to crash and burn.For a man who lives on the edge, the Rules of the chase become clear at the start. If he wants to win Mariss, he will have to play on her turf. Boundaries and all. The harder Sebastian tries, the more Mariss refuses, and the harder it gets to keep his control. The Man Without Rules finds himself changing to be worthy of the one woman who has ever told him no.

    These dreamlike images and their names meant nothing to him, but she knew what they meant: violence, an uncertain future, danger.Harry Sterling has lost much in recent years: his brother, his marriage, his job, his self-esteem. A teaching post at a small college in northern Florida has given him an opportunity to reevaluate his life and reconnect with his teenage son. But Harry is above all a reporter, so when he stumbles upon a rumor about physicist Charles Ziegart–world-famous for a breakthrough discovery in electrical conductivity–he feels compelled to investigate. Could it be true that the highly respected scientist stole the credit for the “Ziegart Effect” from one of his students? Harry’s pursuit of the story leads him into extremely unlikely and colorful company–the notorious Purple Lady, the fortune teller Madame Dupree, and Miss Baby Thorpe. He also meets the intriguing if peculiar Maggie Roth, a short-order cook with an affinity for the woods, who has suffered terrible losses of her own.As Harry uncovers more of Ziegart’s secrets, he makes shocking connections between the ivory towers of academic power and the backwoods and sinkholes of north Florida. There are profound reasons why these secrets have been buried for so many years. Each startling new revelation increases the danger to Harry and those he cares about–until at last his investigation exacts a horrifying price.Blending absorbing drama with powerful suspense, The Fortune Teller’s Daughter is a smart, moving, compellingly imaginative tale. With luminous imagery and fluid prose, Lila Shaara weaves a seductive tale of deep secrets, intellectual intrigue, and electric emotion.

    So when successful, kind-hearted Jack Hughes—with his home in Silicon Valley, his safely remarried ex-wife, and his two grown children—proposed, it seemed like a dream come true. After all, how hard could it be? All you had to do was be nice to everybody and you’d all get along. Welcome to the perilous world of the second wife, where nothing turns out quite as expected. With an unemployed, unmotivated stepson who declares he’s moving in “temporarily,” a stepdaughter who oozes scorn, and a husband who’s hiding something, Lynn’s imagined domestic bliss begins to crack. Add in an ex-wife who shows up at inopportune times, a law partner who may be involved in illegal dealings, and a client whose attractions prove far too tempting, and Lynn finds both her marriage and her career could be in trouble. Not even the Anne Boleyn Society—an informal support group for second wives—has all the answers. Sure, they can commiserate when Lynn says, “I never thought it would be so hard,” but they don’t know the half of it… “A smart, darkly funny novel about the plight of a second wife… Lynn’s wryly funny, rueful voice is what makes Secret Lives appealing.” —Diane White, BOSTON GLOBE “Sassy, irreverent, and smart. Catherine Todd has a wicked sense of humor.” —Carla Neggers, bestselling author of the Sharpe & Donovan series “Not only should this book be required reading for any second wife as well as anyone contemplating a second marriage, but it’s a riveting, beautifully written story on its own. I stayed up very late reading just to see how Lynn worked through the same turbulent mess that hits so many Second Wives who enter into a marriage without realizing how much baggage inevitably comes along with it. VERY HIGHLY recommended." —RENDEZVOUS MAGAZINE

    But falling for the wrong guy has always been Sidney Chase’s forte. She’s not about to submit to her inner bad girl by giving in to her secret fantasies about her sex-on-a-stick bosses. When she’s accidentally exposed to the supercharged aphrodisiac in their lab, Sidney tosses aside her inhibitions and unknowingly provides her bosses with an eye-popping display of self lovin’ courtesy of the office security cameras.Despite their mutual craving for Sidney, Leo and Devlin made a pact long ago to keep her off limits. The last thing they’d wanted was to scare off their best PA by overwhelming her with their kinky tendencies. Witnessing the arousing effects of their aphrodisiac elixir on Sidney changes everything. Not only is she the answer they’ve been looking for in regards to fine-tuning their formula, she’s the perfect woman for them. And with a little help from one helluva sinful science experiment, they’ll prove that love is far more potent than anything manufactured in a bottle.Warning: This red hot office romance contains 3 parts sizzling m/f/m menage, 2 parts sexy and sweet geeks, one part wicked bondage and sex toys, and a whole lot of combustible chemistry. Safety glasses required.

    Submissive training isn’t just a “good idea” when it comes to creating a BDSM relationship. It is essential. "Submissive Training: 23 Things You Must Know On How To Be A Submissive" is designed to help you know what to expect when you go through training with a new Dom. Every couple is unique and every Dom may have different ways of teaching you the systems of service he prefers. However, these are the basics all trained subs and slaves learn and employ in daily life. Rushing into a relationship or service contract with a Dom without training puts the future of your time together at risk. All of the arguments, resistance, misunderstandings and hurt feelings that go with a new submissive’s experiences can be eradicated by a period designated for learning, listening, trial and error. Even if you have been with a previous Dom you will need to go through an abbreviated training time to ensure your patterns and understandings match one another. Training is a way to "get in the same rhythm” and find the perfect groove. If you are a Dom, this guide is the perfect gift to give to your new sub. If you are a sub, this guide will teach you how to go through your submissive training. As you go through these things on the journey to become the woman you were made to be, you will be tested but you will also be proud, joyful and, perhaps for the first time in your life, you will be at peace.

    She does the job reluctantly…but there’s no hesitation when she meets a mesmerizing, sophisticated stranger while on holiday. Under his skilled hand, she’ll learn the depth of her own strength even as she surrenders to his masterful control. When innocence and experience collide, the volcanic explosion may burn everything in its path…including the couple’s fledgling love. Divided Control It’s been months since Amy last saw James…months since she’s felt the aching pleasure of his touch. In that time, she’s achieved a measure of her own success, but is she truly living her life fully? Or has she taken a page from James’ old book, hiding behind work while denying her true needs? This next chapter in James and Amy’s journey will test the couple’s emotions—and control—to the max. Misguided Control To the world at large, Marie Easton is the cliché jealous secretary, lusting after her powerful boss, James North. Behind closed doors, she’s a desperate woman, willing to do whatever it takes to protect her family from a menacing threat. She’d be unwise to let anyone in…especially the new finance director at North Enterprises, who makes her crave things she never thought to want. Controlling Darkness Sonia Anderson may be young, but the highly recommended bodyguard is well trained and expertly skilled. She’s more than up to the task of her new job, protecting Amy North. Of course, no employment psych evaluation could ever reveal the skeletons in Sonia’s painful past…or the secret scars born of a world out of her control. When two pained souls come together, they’ll either help each other heal…or hurt each other beyond repair. Controlling Heritage Sophie North witnessed firsthand the brutal repercussions of her brother’s lifestyle choices. Though she’s cut from similar cloth, fear of being judged for her needs has her living an unassuming life as a personal assistant. Easily overlooked, Sophie hides under the massive shadow of her employer—privately wishing to be under him in other, more carnal ways. Controlling Disgrace She’s the cause of James North’s worst suffering, but Colette Fisher is also a victim of sorts. After years of oppression, she’s a prisoner of her own making, denying her innermost desires until she’s driven to her breaking point. It’s then, during her lowest low, when she meets the one man who could give her the strength to accept the woman she’s meant to be. Controlling The Past It’s been over three decades since James and Sophie North’s parents saw their family savagely torn apart by the cruel actions of one malicious man. Both of them lost a vital piece of themselves that night so long ago. Pete was left a shadow of his former self, having failed to protect his only love. Miranda persevered for the sake of their children, but her grief remained. Now, more than thirty years later, the child cruelly ripped from their arms has suddenly resurfaced—and all the love in the world may not be enough to reconcile their tragic pasts. For even as Pete and Miranda are still reeling from the knowledge of their newfound son, the powerful malevolence of their old enemy is already reaching out to destroy them again…this time from beyond the grave. 5 STARS - Beautifully written story that keeps you gripped from page one and keeps you on your toes.