Anaheim Public Library Canyon Hills Branch

A desperate young woman, Lucy, enters into a contract marriage with the cold-hearted CEO, Drey Jackson, to save her mother’s life. But as their lives collide, hidden secrets lie around Drey’s family, and a dangerous rivalry emerges to tear them apart. Stuck between love and loyalty, Lucy and Drey must navigate a treacherous path where trust is shattered, and survival becomes their only choice. Will they overcome the darkness, or will the price of love and power destroy them both? ******** “So, a contract marriage,” I said slowly, testing the idea. “What makes you think I would even consider something like that? And with you?” I asked, letting out a little laughter. She leaned in slightly, her lips curving into a small, confident smile. “Because it’s the perfect solution for both of us. You need the public to believe you’re happily married. And I need the money. We both walk away with exactly what we want—no strings attached.” I chuckled, feeling I was on the edge of it. “You’re a bartender. What makes you think you can play the part of a billionaire’s wife?” I chuckled darkly as my breathtaking face twisted into a Mona Lisa. “I can have you fired for this, you know.” She didn’t flinch, but I noticed her sweaty palms. She could lose her only surviving job if I wanted that to happen. It was obvious how desperate she needed money but I couldn’t just agree with her even if it was a good idea. “I think you’re misunderstanding me. I’m not some desperate woman trying to snag a rich man,” She suddenly snapped. She was only an inch away from me now, trying to avoid any direct touch. “We don't have to be in love.”

She’s the one woman who said no. Now he’ll do anything to make her his even if it means breaking every rule he built his empire on. Ava Sinclair doesn’t bow. Not to billionaires, not to power, and definitely not to Luca Hart the cold, calculating tech mogul who thinks everything has a price. When he tries to buy her company and erase her legacy, she slams the door in his face. She doesn’t expect him to come back. She definitely doesn’t expect him to come for her. Forced into a temporary partnership to contain a public scandal, Ava and Luca collide behind closed doors sharp tongues, sharp tempers, and sharper attraction. He’s grumpy, ruthless, and infuriatingly hot. She’s stubborn, brilliant, and determined to hate him. But every fight pulls them closer. Every look burns hotter. And when the anger cracks, the need between them is vicious,raw, consuming, inevitable. Then the threats start. The shadows close in. Someone wants Ava silenced. Someone who knows she’s not just a woman with a sharp mind and a guarded heart She’s the living vault for secrets that were never supposed to surface. As her hidden past unravels, Ava realizes the most dangerous thing isn’t losing her company. It’s losing herself. And Luca? He’s no longer fighting for a deal. He’s fighting for the only thing he’s never been able to buy, break, or control: Her. In a world built on lies, they’re each other’s only truth. And the deeper they fall, the more everything around them burns.

Are you..sure? Are you sure..you don't love me anymore?? Blake asked, stuttered, his eyes red, his face haggard, his black hair disheveled. He looked no better than a beggar, his clothes wrinkled seemingly having been worn for a decade. Fate knows how to twist things, when he meets Cynthia Frost he plays the usual playboy card but, do Cynthia Frost's qualities only garner a one night stand? No, he gets addicted. And Cynthia?? Who is she? The most prominent rising supermodel, so alluring and irresistible. She doesn't believe in love. Don't let her sweet public personality deceive you. What does fate have for them when the player gets played and the guarded heart begins to crumble

Paloma Sofia Santos, 24, has endured the hardships of poverty, working tirelessly to change her fate. Her life takes a turn when she meets Asher Quinto, a 26-year-old wealthy heir stuck in a passionless marriage with Cassia, a composed yet manipulative woman. Drawn to Asher’s charm and wealth, Paloma begins an affair with him despite being in a long-term relationship with Amir, a struggling mechanic who has repeatedly promised her a brighter future. Paloma’s world shatters when she discovers Amir’s betrayal: he has impregnated Cassia. Devastated, Paloma confronts Cassia, who shockingly reveals she has always been aware of Asher’s infidelity and Amir’s involvement. Instead of anger, Cassia proposes a pact. A master manipulator, she admits she never loved either man and has been using their weaknesses to secure control of her family’s business and protect her unborn child. Reluctantly, Paloma agrees but uncovers Cassia’s deeper schemes. Cassia aims to force Asher into choosing between her and his inheritance, solidifying her power. Meanwhile, Asher’s obsession with Paloma spirals, leading to reckless actions that threaten his marriage and business. Amir, desperate to win Paloma back, becomes a pawn in Cassia’s manipulations. A startling truth emerges: Cassia orchestrated Amir’s betrayal to destabilize her marriage and gain leverage over Asher. In a heated confrontation, Paloma exposes Cassia’s schemes, leading to a public scandal that destroys Asher’s family empire. Asher loses both his inheritance and Paloma, while Cassia retains her power but faces isolation. Amir, burdened with his mistakes and fatherhood, begins a journey of redemption. Choosing independence, Paloma walks away from the chaos, stronger and wiser, determined to rebuild her life free from the toxic cycle of betrayal and deceit.

On their first anniversary, Demi finds her boyfriend fucking her best friend after standing her up on their dinner date. Feeling betrayed, she decides to drink her sorrows where she meets a stranger who will change her life for good. Gavin Morgan, a public figure, and one of the youngest billionaires in New York, is caught by her beauty at first sight. He sees her in a vulnerable state but doesn't take advantage, despite his attraction towards her. When he learns that she's set for an interview with his company, Demi is guaranteed the job. Working together, they grow fond of each other and fall deeply in love. Gavin gives Demi a luxurious life more than she has ever dreamed of. Demi experiences a love she has never seen before from Gavin who treasures her more than anything. However, there are outside forces trying to break them apart. So many girls are obsessed with Gavin and jealous of what Demi has, including her former best friend. Seeing her glowing, her ex also wants her back. To add on that Gavin's family doesn't accept Demi since she doesn't come from a rich family. But Gavin is determined to protect his woman no matter what. Will the opposing forces win or will love conquer all?

“I was born incapable of love. My hands know only blood. My heart knows only ice. But for you… I would carve out a new soul, even if it kills me.” Alessio “Alec” Moretti rules his city like a god draped in shadow. Cold, ruthless, and untouched by emotion, he’s a mafia boss born from bloodlines and brutality. Psychopath, they whisper incapable of love, addicted only to control. No one defies him. Until Noa Hartmann spits in his face. Noa is everything Alessio doesn’t understand fiercely ,independent, maddeningly fearless, and completely uninterested in bowing to a monster. He’s just a university student working in a dusty bookstore café, trying to survive the same violence that killed his family. But one moment one public act of defiance and Alessio is obsessed. At first, it’s a game. Alessio wants to break him, tame him, make him kneel. But the closer he gets, the more the lines blur. Why does he want to protect Noa? Why does he feel anything at all? What begins as possession becomes something darker, deeper… and far more dangerous. Because monsters don’t love,they consume. And when the past reemerges in the form of a long-lost brother turned rival mafia boss one who blames Alessio’s family for the massacre of Noa’s everything explodes. Noa is caught between two devils: One who stole his life. One who wants to own his heart. With empires collapsing, secrets unraveling, and love bleeding into obsession, Noa and Alessio are forced to face the truth: Some monsters can love. But they will burn the world for it.

> ️ Warning: This collection is sinfully explicit. Just glancing will make you squirm. If you can’t handle moans, ropes, or hands where they shouldn’t be turn back now. You’ve been warned. They say it’s just fiction... but these stories burn too real. Every page drips with lust, danger, and forbidden desire. There are no love stories here, only raw need, untamed passion, and the kind of encounters that leave your pulse racing and your body aching for more. Inside these pages, you’ll find hotel hookups, forbidden age gaps, dominant bosses, naughty students with teachers, moaning nurses, lesbians, stepfathers who cross the line, and desperate daughters who let them and vice versa. From BDSM dungeons to office desks, from late-night threesomes to risky public play... no fantasy is off-limits. Midnight Pleasures is a no-limits collection of erotic short stories meant to tease, tempt, and utterly satisfy. Quick hits. Slow burns. Rough rides. Dangerous desires. Even the ones you’ve never admitted out loud. Quietly, let's go on a journey full of pleasure. Cloud nine is overrated, there's a next cloud after that. Let's show you.

I thought I knew love until I had to choose between two powerful alphas.” I've always dreamed of a love story with Jack Quinn, the Good Looking man and the powerful alpha heir of our pack. But to him, I was just a weak omega, and I wasn't someone who deserves a man like him, only worth gracing his bed, we happened to be fated mates but when he shattered my heart with a public rejection and embarrassment, I left everything behind, determined to start a new life far away from the shame and humiliation. With the loving support of my best friend, Kathy, a fellow omega, I quietly raised my son. Four years later, fate led me to Ryker, the alpha of my new pack. Ryker is everything Jack Quinn wasn't, kind, protective and genuinely interested in me. His growing affection is tender and true, though he keeps it hidden, afraid that loving an omega like me might be seen as a weakness Just as I began to feel safe and cherished, He begged for my forgiveness and a second chance, claiming he's changed and ready to be the mate I deserved. Now, I find myself in a love triangle between two alpha's: jack Quinn, whose intense passion still lighted a spark within me, and Ryker, whose gentle love promises safety and warmth. With secrets about my child threatening to be exposed and my heart pulling me in different directions, I must make a choice. In this feet sweeping romantic tale I'm stuck in, I embark on a journey of love, redemption, and self discover. Will I return to the fiery passion of my past with jack, or embrace the tender promise of a new beginning with Ryker? One thing was certain: my heart will never be the same.

Two ancient royal bloodlines survived the fall of empires — not in castles or crowns, but in billion-dollar corporations and global influence. In the dazzling metropolis of Aurora Country, the Vale and Albourne families remain as symbols of wealth, power, and legacy. Bound by a centuries-old friendship, their alliance is now cemented in secret: a marriage contract between their only heirs. Valerie Vale, 22, the unseen princess, lives quietly as a team leader in the creative design department at AV Tech, the flagship company owned by both families. Free-spirited, bright, and hidden from the public to protect her rare lineage, she loves her ordinary life — and has no plans to give it up. Leon Albourne, 23, is Aurora’s golden boy. Nicknamed “The Perfect Prince,” he’s admired for his brilliance, composure, and leadership. Every move he makes is under scrutiny — except the most important one of all: marrying Valerie Vale in secret, on the eve of her 23rd birthday. Now, they must live together under one roof. To the world, Leon is married — but no one knows to whom. To each other, they are bound by duty — and three house rules. But behind Leon’s cold gaze is a truth hidden for 11 years — he’s loved Valerie since the moment they met. And now, the game begins.

Ophelia Martins was once the girl everyone wanted to be—charming, magnetic, untouchable. But when betrayal rips through her inner circle and the ones she trusted most reveal their darkest sides, her world shatters. From best friends turned enemies to ex-lovers hiding cruel secrets, Lia is left to rebuild her life from the ruins of public humiliation and heartbreak. As she struggles to find her footing, Tyler Reed, her childhood friend with a mysterious past, steps in. But Tyler’s return isn't just timely… it's calculated. Beneath his easy smile lies a vendetta years in the making, and Lia might be the one piece in a revenge game she doesn’t even know she’s playing. Secrets run deep in Crestwood High. Everyone has something to lose. Everyone has something to hide. And just when Lia thinks she’s taking back control, a buried truth about her identity threatens to unravel everything. Love. Lies. Legacy. In a world where betrayal feels like love and revenge wears a charming face, can Lia survive the truth long enough to reclaim her own story?