By Hook Or By Crook Meaning

One reckless night. One dominant stranger. One obsession that refuses to end. Ava Sinclair thought the dark, sinful stranger she met at an exclusive club will be a fleeting escape from her suffocating life. But Damien Blackwell doesn't let things go easily. Marked by a single night of passion, Ava is dragged into Damien's world. A world of power, jealousy and secrets. He owns the night, and now he wants to own her. But Ava isn't one to be caged...or is she?

"Are you wet enough?" He questions with hooded eyes. I nod curtly. "Only the sound of your voice and my pussy jumps in excitement." "Good. Turn around." He orders as both hands grip my waist, flipping me around before I can argue. "Sit on it and go crazy." *** She's a liar. He's a sociopath. She's patient. He's impatient. She's kind. He's a monster. She's desperate. He's powerful. When love ignites between two worlds forced together, tragedy arises, hate becomes and resentment settles in. They fight. They struggle. They almost push through. But the blood and bones hidden in a perfectly designed cupboard are discovered and the truth of the imperfectly perfect union destroys the desires of the heart.

By day, he’s just another broke guy with worn-out shoes and a charming smile. But behind the façade, Alec Blackwell is a billionaire tycoon—owner of a global empire and a ruthless legal mastermind. Tired of gold diggers and fake affections, Alec disguises himself as an average man, swiping through dating apps in search of something real. No private jets. No designer suits. Just raw chemistry and brutal honesty. Then he meets Zara Lane—a fiercely independent hustler juggling three jobs, a sharp tongue, and zero patience for games. She doesn’t care for his sob stories or smooth talk. She wants respect, not romance. But Alec’s world is built on secrets. And Zara’s life is about to crash straight into a truth more shocking than either of them expected. Because in a game of lies, power, and attraction… Who really holds the upper hand?

Abigail Snow accidentally caught her fiancé being intimate with her sister. She learned that her fiancé had only used her to advance his business and had never truly loved her. Heartbroken, Abigail called off the engagement and left everything behind to start a new life with nothing. At her lowest point, she met Sawyer, a hidden tycoon who helped her rebuild her life and seek justice against those who made her suffer. As Abigail begins to fall in love with Sawyer, his childhood sweetheart reappears, causing doubt and confusion for her. *** Excerpt: "Okay. Tell me, where do you live?" Sawyer asked, focusing on the street ahead. Fifteen minutes later, Sawyer's vehicle stopped in front of Abigail's house. He was stunned beyond words when he saw the gates. After a few seconds, Sawyer, trying to suppress his shock, turned to her. "Is this where you live now?" he asked. "Yes, I'm staying here..." Abigail answered excitedly. She wanted to invite him to stop by, but she remembered the rental contract rule stating she couldn't bring her friends or family onto the rooftop. "Can I stop by your house?" Sawyer casually asked, but Abigail felt tense upon hearing that. "Sawyer, I'm so sorry. The homeowner forbade me from bringing guests or family over," she faintly smiled at him. Sawyer was impressed to hear her words, "Aah, so there's a rule like that?" "Yeah. That's why I can't let you enter. If you want to meet me, we can meet at the café. Or, you can call me if you pass by this area." "Sure." ... As soon as Abigail stepped out of the car, Sawyer's smile vanished, and his expression slowly darkened. His sharp eyes remained fixed on Abigail as she entered the small door.

Abducted on her wedding day by a mysterious man who claimed she was his soul mate, Emma was thrust into an unknown world where nothing including her now growing attraction towards her captor make sense. Deciding she wasn't going to be a prisoner, she sought ways to escape but her captor wouldn't give her a chance. When the truth about her identity came to light, Emma was torn on who to trust, those who she had known all her life or her captor who was bent on claiming her.

When Aria Collins’ father desperately needs an expensive experimental cancer treatment that she can’t afford, she becomes desperate and forms a contract with CEO Alexander Blackwood: She will be his wife for three years in exchange for him giving his medical care and his financial security. What it really is business -- separate bedrooms, public appearances and a marriage of convenience. As Aria moves from being a part of Alexander’s elite business venture to being part of him, the lines between performance and reality begin to blur. When feelings neither of them bargained for to start to open up, they need to decide whether to live up to the contract’s terms or risk everything in search of something bigger than convenience. In this marriage of convenience, convenience was never meant to become love

Book one of The Little Wolf Series Ashley was the future Beta to the Red Ridge pack that's until his own mother turns the pack against him and leaves him no choice but to run for his life with his father by his side. All Ashley has ever wanted is to meet his mate and have a family but now he's faced with trying to simply survive. Can he and his father make it to somewhere safe or will more heartbreak stand in their way? Gamma Jack has a great life including friends that are more like family but the pain at the loss of his parents is never far away. With no other blood family he dreams of finding his mate and starting a new family but his mate is being hunted and only Jack can save him. Will Jack get to his mate in time or is he destined to forever be alone? The Little Wolf series recommended reading order Loved By The Gamma ~ Jack and Ashley's story His Little Wolf ~ Liam and Bethany's story

"Who is she?" My voice came out weak, foreign to my own ears. I despised the way it sounded--like a scared child-and I hated how he made me feel so small, so powerless. He let his breath out in a noisy sigh-a low, suffering sound, as if he was putting up with something beneath him. "Are we really doing this?" His voice was low now, tined with irritation. "It's not what you think. And even if it was, what are you going to do about it? You blind bat?" I froze, as tears slid down my face. I was just blind to him. A burden.

"Ryan we can't do this!" I pleaded, knowing I had already fallen into his temptation. He trailed his thumb softy on my collar bone, our gaze met and I melted instantly in those alluring eyes of his. "Yet, we can't deny our feelings," He uttered huskily and captured my lips with his, every ounce of restraint in me drained off as I succumbed to him. ~~ After two years of living in Bradford, UK with her broken father, Hailey recently moved back to Albany in New York to stay with her mom's remarried family to complete her finals in a new high school in her stepfamily's city. The weather, her stepfamily's lavish and luxurious lifestyle, and most importantly her stepbrother, Ryan, were all troubling for her. Ryan, The handsome, popular, and athletic rich guy of the school was every girl's dream while Hailey thought having a popular stepbrother like him would make her stay a lot easier in her new school, instead it turns out Ryan has made up his mind to wreck Hailey's life to the worst. Soon enough, Hailey noticed that Ryan has been having a grudge toward her for years for reasons she couldn't place her mind on.

Zara always lived a life of fear and abuse at the hands of her alcoholic father and brother. She lived in an average pack, isolated from the rest of the werewolf community, and had no one to turn to for help. One night, after enduring yet another beating from her brother, Zara knew she couldn't take it anymore. Urged on by her wolf, Zara ran away from her pack. As she ran, she could feel the weight of her pack's disapproval and abandonment bearing down on her. She was a rogue now, an outcast. But she didn't care. She just wanted to be free of the abuse and the terror that had defined her life for as long as she could remember. Zara ran until she reached the border of a notorious pack, known for its brutal treatment of rogues. She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she had made a terrible mistake. But then she heard the sound of her brother's voice in her head, taunting her and telling her she would never amount to anything. That was all the motivation she needed. Zara crossed the border into the unknown, determined to make a new life for herself no matter the cost.