Long Shadows David Baldacci

How could I be married for almost three years and knew nothing about it?  I had wanted to confront him and call him an asshole for marrying someone who didn't even know he existed. But here I was, under him; engulfed by his lips and moaning uncontrollably. But could you blame me? He was hot as hell and knew way too much about pleasuring a woman. “What do you want?” I heard him ask with a deep baritone voice. It was so sexy my mind went blank for a second… “Do it. Fuck me! Please… I need you to suck my tits!” I didn't care about my dignity anymore, I just needed him so badly. “Very well” he said and that was it.  It was him. The one my body has been waiting for… my husband. *** Under a three year marriage contract, Aurelia Thompson was married without her knowledge to Alfred Vicker, a heartless business tycoon and sexy hunk. After a mix up that led to the couple having sex and Alfred disvirgining her, their lives were turned upside down in the mix of lust and sinful intoxicating romance. Their differences were great and conflict arising from every corner but despite that, their bodies still called out for each other. How long will they be able to resist it? Join the ride of this dark romance where the line between love, lust and obsession are non-existent, only two people with palpable sexual tension mixed with hate… or was it love?

Eva Knox thought she had it all, a rich boyfriend, an amazing job and a comfortable place to live. That was until she crashed in on her long term boyfriend cheating on her. Her world is completely shattered and she has to start all over. ​ Eva, while completely devastated, takes on a new life but it comes with a rule. She must not fall in love with her extremely handsome and talented billionaire boss ;Sterling Tempest, who is too hot to handle. But as their bond grows while denying the pangs of lust, Eva is faced with a power that could only bring an inevitable grim fate if they pursue their thirst for passion. ​ Will the power of true love pave a way for Eva to finally be with the love of her life? Or will it spell doom for her by forces greater than her?

"What do you mean he's your 3rd fated mate? Answer me Arabella!" Ryker screamed in my face as he stared me down waiting for an answer. Looking at his red face and clenched fists I'm not sure if he is going to kill me or my mates. My brother is ridiculously over protective. The only reason he is even here is to watch over me. He know's our father is going to be livid if anything happens to me. I thought finally getting accepted to moonlight academy would give me the freedom I desperately needed. It turns out, I'm not as prepared as I thought I was. My power's keep getting stronger, and mate's keep popping up out of nowhere. The lines between right and wrong are blurring, but I'm determined to prove I can do this on my own. I'm not sure if this mark the moon goddess gave to me is a blessing or a curse, but Im strong enough to figure it out on my own.

His lips crashed into mine like he couldn’t stop himself. Like he had been holding something back for too long and it had finally cracked. I wanted it just as badly as he did. “I tried to ignore this,” he muttered against my lips, voice rough and ragged. “Tried to erase it.” His mouth returned to mine, hotter, hungrier, tongue sliding into mine, tasting me like I was something he needed to survive. “But you’re everywhere,” he breathed, kissing the corner of my mouth, then down to my throat. “In my head, my routine, in my f*cking sleep haunting every dream.” I couldn’t answer. “You’ve broken me,” he whispered into my skin, like a secret he never meant to say out loud. “And I can’t even bring myself to hate it.” My body trembled at the admission. I affected him as much as he affected me and that thought was heavenly. ********* She was the quiet shadow behind his magnificent empire, efficient, obedient, forgettable.He was the billionaire with the Midas touch of gold and power, untouchable, commanding, and always in control. But when Mark Rexona walks into his office and finds his seemingly shy and diligent secretary, Teresa Smith , with her fingers deep in a fantasy that stares something in him, something that destroys his control. Two worlds collide then collided, hers, filled with quiet but intense yearning and hidden heat and his, was ruled by dominance and untamable desire. What starts as one very stupid mistake behind a supposedly locked door spirals into an exciting and intoxicating game of lust, secrets, and power plays. He wants to own her and her pleasure and she is still haunted by the ghosts of her past.

"I want you.""I don't know if you're ready for that, Grace," he warned with a wicked smirk, his fingers moving painfully slow up my legs."I guess we can only know when we try it," I challenged.***During her best friend's wedding, Grace reunites with her childhood crush–and Sarah's father–David Anderson. Now grown up and more drawn to him than ever, Grace is torn between embracing the opportunity to finally have David and remaining faithful to her friendship with Sarah. They embark on a secretive and passionate affair, introducing Grace to feelings she never felt before. But complications arise when David's ex-wife returns, threatening to tell Sarah about their betrayal. Will they defy the odds and find happiness together, or will their love story remain hidden in the shadows forever?Secret Desires: Daddy's Temptation is created by Amelie Bergen, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

She was meant to belong to God, but fate handed her to the devil instead. Mariella Santini was raised within convent walls as a nun after her father’s sudden “accidental” death. Days before taking her final vows, a single message shatters her faith: her father’s death was no accident. Her search for the truth draws her into the De Luca mansion and straight into the path of the most feared man in London’s underworld. Luciano De Luca, known as Il Re Nero, is the Black Heir of the Five Families. Cold, ruthless, and bound by an ancient law that demands a wife and an heir within one year, or he will lose his empire if he fails. Love is a weakness he buried long ago. Faith is a lie he never believed in. Until the night he bleeds at Mariella’s feet, and her touch binds their futures in fire and prophecy. One forbidden night. One impossible pregnancy. When Mariella discovers she is pregnant with Luciano’s child, she becomes the solution to his throne and the prisoner of a 280 days marriage built on rules, control, and denial. She is to be his wife in name only, protected but unloved, and destined to leave once the child is born. Yet as enemies close in and blood-soaked prophecies unfold, the lines between duty and desire blur. The closer Luciano pulls her into his world, the more dangerous it becomes to pretend he feels nothing. And the more Mariella prays for salvation, the more her heart betrays her. Will she return to the life she once vowed to live, or surrender to the Mafia King she cannot escape?

My long term relationship ended brutally, and swallowed up in pains of heartbreak, my friend lured me to the club. There, I met an extremely attractive and mysterious hulk, and I ended up in his arms for the night. My greatest shock comes when I learn that he is Bladen Stone, my company's new CEO, and he’s so much different from what I thought he was. And when rumors that threaten to ruin both our reputations start to fly, there is only one way to solve it. How does Lynn survive in the same office as Bladen with his hard and stern demeanor? Can she get past his cold facade and reveal the secrets he hides? In a world of ambition and betrayal, can Bladen and Lynnette trust each other to make sacrifices for a blooming love story or will they front another gut-wrenching heartbreak? Read on to unveil the saga of these two!

“Relax. It was meaningless. It didn’t mean a thing.” Three years. That’s how long Lena Carter loved Evan Brooks—three years of loyalty, late nights, and believing she was building a future with him. Until she finds him in a hotel suite bathroom, hands braced against marble, whispering excuses while her cousin—and closest friend—fixes her lipstick in the mirror. All this happens during Lena’s promotion celebration. Lena should be home, crying into cheap wine and shattered dreams. Instead, she’s stranded on a quiet Los Angeles street at midnight, phone dead, heels in hand, with a group of drunk men circling closer than comfort allows. Then a black luxury sedan pulls up. The man who steps out wears a tailored suit, calm eyes, and an authority that makes the street go silent. Mason Hart. Billionaire. Tech CEO. And—unknown to him—the elusive owner of the company where Lena works as an executive assistant two floors below the C-suite. He offers her a ride. She hesitates. She takes it. That single decision rewrites her life. Mason doesn’t mix business with emotions. He doesn’t date employees. And he definitely doesn’t rescue strangers with haunted eyes. But Lena’s quiet strength, the way she refuses pity, the way pain sharpens her instead of breaking her—it gets under his skin. Lena just wants to forget the man who betrayed her. Mason offers distraction. Protection. Desire without promises. But Evan refuses to let go, spreading lies and suddenly desperate to “fix things.” Her cousin is determined to destroy what little Lena has left. And the closer Lena grows to the powerful CEO who signs her company’s paychecks, the more dangerous her heart becomes. Because falling for a billionaire who doesn’t believe in love might hurt worse than betrayal.

She gave up everything for love. And for love, she will lose everything. Anne Walker left behind her world, her last name, and her legacy for one promise: a future with Benjamin Carter, the heir to one of the country’s most powerful families. What started as a dream filled with passion turned into a nightmare carefully orchestrated. The marriage that was supposed to unite two souls was, in reality, the first move in a dark strategy. From the shadows of the Carter family, someone manipulated her love as a weapon to destroy what she cherished most: her family and her future. Ruined businesses. Deadly rumors. Betrayals disguised as coincidences. And at the center, her: the key player in a game she never knew she was part of. But Anne will not give up. Hurt, yes. Broken, too. But never defeated. Now, she returns. Not as the young woman in love who fled, but as a woman determined to reclaim everything she lost. This time, her vengeance will not only tear the Carter family apart but will restore the honor and prosperity of her name and reclaim the legacy of her parents, who were destroyed by those they trusted. With cunning, patience, and an unrelenting plan, Anne will infiltrate the very world that once destroyed her. No one will suspect who she is. No one will see what’s coming. The board has changed. The masks are falling. And this time, she’s the one writing the rules.

Amara Blake’s life is simple on paper: double shifts at a café, overdue notices tucked under a refrigerator magnet, a mother who needs more than hope can buy. Then she collides with Damian Cole - ruthless, revered, and impossible to ignore - and is pulled into a world of crystal chandeliers, whispered wars, and rules written by men who never hear the word no. What begins as a temporary job becomes a tightrope walk between pride and survival. With a socialite who smiles like a blade watching for her to fall, and an ex-fiancée returning to reopen old wounds, Amara learns that in Damian’s orbit, truth is currency and secrets are weapons. The closer she gets, the more his polished mask fractures - revealing a man built on control, haunted by betrayal, and drawn to the one thing he can’t command: her honesty. This is a slow-burn, high-stakes romance about power and vulnerability, the cost of desire, and the dangerous mercy of telling the truth - especially to someone who doesn’t know how to receive it. What will Amara sacrifice to keep her dignity - and her heart - intact? Will Damian choose control or the woman who unravels it? Can two people built on opposite truths survive the shadows they create together? Read on to find out.