Dr Ryu Santa Barbara

"Take off your glasses, Lyric," Gavin whispered, his breath tickling her ear. Lyric's heart raced as she hesitated, her fingers trembling on the frames. She gestured, <> Gavin's smile was sly, "Because, babe, I want to corrupt that innocent mouth of yours. And I don't want anything getting in the way." ### Lyric Spencer, a mute and introverted nerd, is the target of relentless bullying at school. But when her best friend dares her to write her New Year's wish and hand it to Santa, Lyric's life takes a dramatic turn. Her wish? To lose her virginity to Gavin Hawkins, the school's notorious bad boy and star hockey player. Gavin, known for his one-night stands and unmatched charm, is nicknamed "The Wall" for his prowess on and off the ice. When Santa hands him Lyric's note, he's shocked to discover the quiet, curvy girl he's had his eye on wants him too. Gavin proposes a deal: he'll grant Lyric's wish if she tutors him. But as they spend more time together, Lyric's innocence and intelligence captivate Gavin, threatening to upend their initial agreement. Will Lyric become just another conquest, or will Gavin find himself craving more?

If happiness is a gift. Then Cameron Stanton is my Santa Claus. I can’t tell you the exact moment I fell in love with him. Only that I did. With every glance, every touch, every minute…. he stole a little more of me. They say that all men are created equal. Well that’s a blatant lie! I know because I met Gods gift to women in Vegas, I pretended he was my husband to get rid of another man.

On Christmas people should be with their loved ones in the safety of their homes, but I don't have any loved ones, and I'm in the one place that I hate, where I swore never to come back, afraid that I'll get even more broken, and it seems that the more I try to get away, the more obstacles I encounter. "I know a shop not very far from here, and they have the best mechanics in town. If you want, I could come with you and give you directions, I'm heading that way anyway, and for your kindness, I'll make your biggest wish come true," Said the old crazy Santa that jumped in front of my car out of nowhere. "Can you teleport me from here? In another city, country, even on a deserted island? Anywhere but here?" I know that it wasn't nice of me to be sarcastic, but he's the reason why I have to prolong my say here. "No." His short answer was said in an amused tone of voice, but I don't find anything funny right now. "But that's just because that's not your biggest wish." He states it as a fact as if he's never been more sure of anything in his life. I bite my tongue and pray that I won't see the two people I used o love the most, and which now, I despise the most, the two people responsible for my nightmares and my broken being.

I married a stranger to save my future. I didn’t know he’d already claimed my body, my secrets… and my past. Nova Camille Lawson signs a one-year marriage contract with a man she’s never met—cold, binding, and laced with desperation. It’s supposed to be business. No intimacy. No questions. Damian Drăghici doesn’t follow rules. He writes them. Tall, ruthless, and obscenely wealthy, Damian is a man of control and obsession. He knows Nova’s every curve, every sigh, every soft moan she’s ever made alone in her room… because he’s been watching her for years. Now, she’s in his mansion. His bed. His world. And the lines between protection and possession blur fast. As desire turns dangerous, Nova realizes she may not be surviving this marriage. She may be surrendering to it.

Antonio 'Tony' Santa De Leones. The CIA's black sheep. Foul mouthed. Rude. Known for his penchant for pretty little things. A weakness, they said. But Tony beg to differ. Suspended and very bitter. He flies to Italy. Spends one night drowning his regrets in the arms of a beautiful stranger. A man. A mistake? No. Not a mistake. Then, Tony's past comes knocking. His real past. The CIA found out, that he came from a long line of Mafia royalty. Also a black sheep to that family. The CIA wants him to go undercover in the very mafia he was born into—the family that disowned him. The legacy he buried. And their bait? Reinstate his rank. Reclaim his pride. And what will he get in turn? A chance to burn his bloodline from the inside. But nothing could prepare him for what he finds out. The mysterious one night stand? His name was Angel. The prized possession of a rival mafia leader. And the key to everything. Tony should just act. Use Angel how he see fit. Then discard him. But he's already addicted. Obsessed. And in the criminal underworld where loyalty is a lie and love is a weakness? Obsession can be deadly.

A young psychologist, Maria Reyes, fresh out of college, decides to take her first freelance case to build her résumé. Feeling bold and free on her graduation night, she let herself loose after getting charmed by an alluring mysterious man. One drink leads to another and another, and she finds herself drowning in passion in his bed. She reads him like a map and falls for his scars before she even asks for his name. But the morning brings the brutal truth, Darian Wolfe is her father's enemy, a ruthless businessman, an heir to the empire sworn to destroy her father's legacy. She vanishes before he wakes, unable to face what has been done. Weeks later after being able to set up her new office, the past begins to blur until her first patient walks through the door. It's him, Darian Wolfe. Her expression freezes when she sees him. He walks around her office uninvited. He takes a seat without a word. The silence between them is thick with everything unsaid. And then, he looks unblinking in her eyes. "I have a lot to... unpack, Dr Reyes," he says, with a dark smile. "Let's start with a woman I met two weeks ago at a bar," he says, pulling out a red panty from his pocket.

In the gritty heart of Duskville, where shadows hide the crimes no one wants to see, Detective Jackson Reyes works like a ghost—unflinching, relentless, and alone. Scarred by a childhood spent watching his mother suffer at the hands of a cruel man, Reyes learned early that justice doesn’t come easily. So he became it. When Lena, a young woman trapped in a world of coercion and violence, walks into his station and tells the truth no one else will hear, something shifts. As Reyes digs deeper into the criminal underworld controlled by Riko and his men, Lena becomes more than a witness—she becomes a reason. A reason to keep fighting. A reason to believe healing might be possible, even for someone like him. ______ Content Warning: This story contains themes and depictions of sxual assult, r*pe, non-consensual acts, gr*oming, sx traffcking, and dr*g use. Reader discretion is strongly advised. These topics are part of the narrative and may be distressing or triggering for some individuals. Please take care while reading.

"I need you to smile, darling," Adrian whispers, his fingers digging into Isabella's waist as cameras flash. "Your father's business empire depends on it." The champagne in her glass trembles as Isabella forces herself to play the perfect mafia bride. She hasn't told him about the baby yet. Hasn't mentioned the way his eyes linger on the judge's daughter, Elena. Hasn't revealed that she knows about the poison they've planned for her "tragic accident." But Isabella Romano isn't going down without a fight. "Please," she whispers to Santa Muerte as poison burns through her veins. "Give me a chance to make them pay." Death has a price. Isabella awakens in the body of Valentina Salvatore—wife to Adrian's greatest rival and mother to twin girls who somehow see through her deception. She has 150 days to either claim vengeance or find true love. The clock is ticking, and Nicolas Salvatore, her new "husband," is proving dangerously easy to fall for. "You're not really her, are you?" Nicolas murmurs one night, his fingers tracing her jaw. "My Valentina never looked at me the way you do." But as Isabella navigates the deadly waters of rival crime families, she discovers Valentina had secrets of her own—secrets worth dying for. Now, with her father plotting a takeover, Adrian suspicious of her resurrection, and her borrowed body slowly rejecting her soul, Isabella must choose: the revenge she died for, or the love she never expected to find. In this dangerous game of second chances, some fates are worse than death. And some loves are worth dying for twice.

Dr Isabella's desire to avenge her parents' death lands her T the doorstep of Gabriel Santos, the most dangerous mafia Lord. All in a shocking twist, she ends up forced to marry the man she swore to kill, all thanks to the secret contract signed by her parents five years ago. Now Isabella is forced to live in a world of organized crime, darkness and deceit. But as she digs deeper to unravel the truth behind everything, she discovers a stunning betrayal, an enemy is closer than she ever imagined. Will Isabella overcome the threats or will it be too late for her to survive?

Elsie. Track down an Author who suddenly went MIA and make a good story out of It. This was supposed to be my big way of getting a permanent position at the Barbara’s Editorial Board. In some ways, it was. Until it wasn’t. Hunter Graham isn’t who I envisioned him to be. He’s bitter and he resents me. When my car breaks down and a blizzard hits, I’m stranded. I have no choice. I have to stay with him. My plan is simple. Stay long enough for the snow to thaw and be on my way. But day after day, I find myself falling for him, even when I shouldn’t. He annoys me and gets on my nerves.I know he hates me. He doesn’t want me around him. I do want him to want me though. But we can’t always have what we want, can we? Hunter My life wasn’t so bad, till she came along. The nosy reporter. I shouldn’t have her around me, yet here she is. Believe me, I’ve had my fair share of bad experiences with people. I’ve learnt to trust no one. Especially her. Yet, no matter what I do, I find myself getting drawn to her, craving her. Despite my hostility towards her, she invades my thoughts, a haunting presence I can’t escape. I hate her. I really do. So why do I see her when I close my eyes and why do I feel her when she’s not even close?. I can’t possibly love her. I can’t possibly love anyone else. Not after what I’ve been through. Or can I? One thing is certain. Regardless of how I feel, we’re stuck with each other.