Anne Arundel County Library Hours

**MATURE CONTENT** It was supposed to be a harmless prank. A fake marriage contract. Just a little revenge for all the years Segundo Congreene spent secretly liking Olivia Carmen while hiding behind weakness and fragility. But when Segundo tricks Olivia into marrying him, the game turns terrifyingly real. Trapped in an old mansion, hidden away from the world and without internet, Olivia starts to fall for the man she once thought was harmless. Yet beneath Segundo’s soft smile lies a dangerous obsession. Because Segundo has loved her for years. Watched her. Followed her. Obsessed over her.

On the verge of total downfall, marriage was the only option that could save her and her family. Marrying a man that was born bathing on a golden tub might be a great luck in the eyes of the public but little did they know the consequence that lies within.

A dozen years ago, when Sera was adopted by Reggie Blackwood—a wealthy ex-womanizer, she thought that was where her hard life would end. However, when Reggie reveals that he has four secret sons from different mothers, Sera knows it will lead to disaster. What's more, Reggie announces a will full of intrigue: whoever among the four men wins Sera's heart and marries her, will be the main heir to the Blackwood Group. Suddenly, Sera is caught up in an intoxicating game of love. Ace, the domineering ambitious lawyer; Beck, the romantic artist who sees her as a muse; Cal, the compassionate doctor who becomes her protector; and Damon, the mysterious man with a dark past. Tensions between them rise, blurring the line between true love and hidden ambitions. Amid rivalry, passion, and dark secrets, Sera must choose: give her heart to one of the Blackwood Brothers, or escape this dangerous game. But in a world where love and betrayal walk side by side, who can truly be trusted? *** “You're all acting like I'm a precious item that needs to be taken care of,” I protested, glaring at the four of them who probably just took my annoyance as a joke. Ace raised one eyebrow. “Wrong. You're a fire that needs to be tamed” “Or to be played with,” Damon interjected casually, his smile mocking. “Or to be celebrated.” Beck's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. “Or to be kept lit,” Cal finished, his voice low, without taking his eyes off the book he was reading. I clucked in annoyance. They were all incredibly frustrating.

Caleb Villarreal lived his life in perfect control of his empire, his time, and even the emptiness in his own heart. Until Lyra arrived. The girl he should never want… Yet the only one he could never resist. Inside the Villarreal mansion, every glance between them was forbidden. Every attempt to look away only made the tension burn hotter. His cold stares. Her hidden longing. A fire they both pretended not to feel. Until one night a storm, a flooded road, one hotel room, and a temptation neither of them could outrun. One touch. One kiss. And every rule they swore to follow was shattered in an instant. That night, they learned a truth neither of them could deny: Desire may be forbidden… But it never asks for permission. And when longing turns into wildfire, Who has the right or the power to stop it?

Si Xavier Knight ay masungit at laging galit isang bilyonaryong sanay na kontrolin ang lahat. Ngunit isang gabi, dahil sa kalasingan, nagbago ang lahat. Isang gabing hindi na niya mababawi ang nagdala sa kanya sa isang sitwasyon na hindi niya inaasahan at naging dahilan kung bakit igigiit ng kanyang ina na pakasalan niya ang isa sa kanilang mga kasambahay, si Camille Ignacio Isang kasambahay na masipag, tahimik, mabait, at malapit sa kanyang ina. Dahil hindi niya kayang tumanggi sa ina, pumayag si Xavier sa gusto nito… Dahil ang balak niya pahirapan at pasakitan lamang si Camille. Sa kabila ng galit unti-unti niyang nakita ang kabutihan at katatagan ni Camille isang babaeng hindi niya inaasahang gugulo sa kanyang mundo Sa pagitan ng galit, atraksyon, at responsibilidad, makakaya kaya ni Xavier labanan ang sarili niyang nararamdaman… o tuluyan siyang mahuhulog sa isang pag-ibig na hindi niya inaasahan?

When Aurora and Andrea Bentley are born their parents Jake and Laura sign a contract with their business partners Alex and Anne Walter. A contract that states that when Aurora and Andrea come of age they will be married to Alex and Anne's two sons Nate who was four at the time and Ryan who was two in order to keep the BW group of hotels in the family.But the only problem is that Aurora and Nate don't want to get married at least not to each other.

Anne only wanted a new different environment to restart life again while balancing long hospital shifts and a home care job. Sharing an apartment seemed simple enough until she met Joy. Joy is vibrant, unpredictable, and carrying a heartbreak she refuses to talk about. What starts as a simple roommate arrangements slowly turns into something deeper as the two women begin to understand each other in ways no one else ever has. Between late nights conversations, shared secrets and moments filled with unspoken emotions, Anne realizes that sometimes the strongest connections are built in silence But when past relationships and hidden feelings threaten to pull them apart, Anne is caught between loyalty, friendship and the stirrings of love. She must decide whether the quiet between them is just comfort or something more dangerous to her heart.

“You can’t force me to do this, Ash.” I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself as he stepped closer again. “I don’t belong to you.” His soft chuckle sent shivers down my spine. And when his face neared mine, his fingers tightening around my throat, his whispered words brushing against my ear, I knew that I was going to fall for him again. “Oh, but you’ve been mine from the very beginning, little lamb.” *** Lena Gray has lost everything. After the death of her boyfriend—the only person who ever cared about her—her life spirals into darkness. Desperate and on the verge of ending her life, she is suddenly abducted and sold in a human auction. Ash Ravencroft, a devil with a lethal charm, claims her. But he hasn’t come just to take, he offers a deal. In exchange for saving her from despair, he wants only one thing: her body, in ways far darker and more sinful than she ever imagined. Bound by a sinful contract, will she break free from the darkness, or succumb to the temptation that might consume her whole?

He built an empire no one could shake… until she walked in and shattered his control. Alexander Thompson is a billionaire CEO, feared for his cold heart and iron discipline. No one challenges him. No one defies him. No one says no. Until Jasmine Ramirez. She’s simple. Honest. Unimpressed. And completely immune to his charm, his power, and his intimidation. “Ms. Ramirez, I’m used to being obeyed.” “Then you’ve never met a woman like me, Mr. Thompson.” For the first time, someone dares to push back. Someone he can’t intimidate. Someone he can’t forget. The more he tries to keep his distance, the more dangerously he falls. She is his distraction. His weakness. The one woman he can’t afford… yet can’t resist.

**MATURE CONTENT** Territorial Mafia Series 1: DEMETRI SYLVESTRE Demetri Sylvestre is a powerful and ruthless crime lord. He’s used to getting everything he wants. But everything changed the moment he met Snow Hidalgo, a beautiful and kind-hearted actress who just happened to be engaged to his half-brother, Marcus. Unbeknownst to the two, they shared a much darker connection in the past. A long-buried secret tied to a trauma Snow has never fully escaped. When Demetri discovered that Snow was Marcus’s fiancée, he used his influence and skill in manipulation to destroy their relationship. Amid pain and confusion, Snow ended up marrying Demetri. They became husband and wife, but her heart remained trapped in the past far from him. As the lies, anger, and desire grew deeper, the battle intensified not just for Snow’s love, but for control over her entire life. In a time of loss, rediscovery, and reckoning, Snow was forced to choose not just between two men, but between chaos and the peace her heart longed for. Three years passed. Snow rose again. Her career flourished, and at last, she discovered who she truly loved. And like a prayer finally answered by fate, the man her heart chose returned… but he wasn’t alone. In their reunion, Snow had to face both the past and the present. And in the end, she chose love not as a chain, but as a choice freely and truthfully made.