Lying Beside You Here In The Dark

He bit his lip for a while. "Just because we kissed doesn't mean that I like you." I chuckled. "I know." "I still hate you." "I heard you the first couple of times." He hesitated. "And if we kiss again, I still don't like you." ~ Henry Young is an antisocial highschool student. Due to the death of his older brother, Nate, his fear of abandonment made him distance himself from others. He stayed low, only talked when necessary and never joined many social circles. One day, a young man moves in with his family and despite Henry's anger, he can't seem to take his eyes off him. Because of Andre's outgoing nature, Henry is convinced that they're complete opposites and will never come to good terms with each other. But each moment they spend around each other keeps proving him wrong and maybe, just maybe, he doesn't see Andre as a brother figure.

For months Alex has watched Olivia as she calls out to every protective instinct he possesses. When Olivia's life hits rock bottom as a result of her mother's Alzheimer's, Alex sees his opportunity to insert himself into Olivia's life. Knowing how vulnerable she is, her acceptance of his proposal is inevitable; spend one year as his wife in return for paying off her debts and her mother's care fees. Unfortunately, the foundation of their marriage is based on a secret that Alex is determined to protect from both his family and Olivia; his BDSM lifestyle as a Dom. However, when Olivia uncovers Alex's secret, instead of the disgust Alex is anticipating, Olivia embraces his dominant side and slowly begins to explore her own sexuality. Unfortunately, their happiness is threatened by a plot between Alex's unstable ex-submissive and Liv's deadbeat alcoholic father who abandoned her and her mother when she was young. When they fail to extort Alex for money over his lifestyle, they turn to exposing Olivia and Alex's fake marriage to his mother. A final showdown between Olivia and Alex's ex-submissive finally exposes how Alex's mother was sent their pre-nuptial agreement and the key players in the plot are held accountable. Olivia also forces Alex to confront some home truths about his journey into the BDSM world. In the end, both Alex and Olivia find their happy ending by embracing both their love for each other and learning to love themselves.

When her mate rejects her, Penelope makes the hardest choice of her life—leaving the pack that once claimed her. Lucian, a twenty-six-year-old Alpha, cannot accept an omega as his mate, and his cold decision shatters the bond between them. Determined to survive and discover her true power, Penelope faces danger, betrayal, and her own doubts—but she will prove her worth on her own terms. Join Penelope and Lucian on a journey of love, chaos, and self-discovery, where hearts break, secrets burn, and destiny refuses to be ignored.

"Before you go, was there something I could have said to make it all feel better?"- Lewis Calpadi Economic hierarchy strips a twenty three year old accountant, Maria Crawford, of a five year relationship with trillionaire Mama's boy, Dominic Payne. Things get a tad bit dramatic when a body is found in Dominic's trunk and love scores again as Maria does everything she can to prove that her ex is innocent. The Good news; she has a best friend who's a good lawyer and actually the best in the state named Zack Osborn, who lucky for them is in town. The Bad; our lawyer friend once had a bruised cheek courtesy of Mama's boy. With pleas from Maria, Zack agrees to be Dominic's lawyer even as he still hates his guts. What could a simple accountant know about murder cases? Would she be throwing herself out too for the murderer to find, or will she leave all these unscathed? ©️ Hillary 2022 ®️All rights reserved

Ericka, an orphan, maltreated from a young age, finally gets adopted by a prestige family but soon after, her perfect life turns disasterous after the sudden death of her foster dad. Her foster mother blames everything on her and soon after gets her married into one of the most successful family in the country. But what happens when Ericka finds out that the man she's about to marry is none other than her childhood best friend, who she had abandoned years ago?. Xander, her childhood bestfriend maltreats her because of this during their marriage.

They know what this is. A relationship? They can’t even call it that. The only time they can stand each other is when they’re breathless, tangled in sheets, lost in the heat of the moment. But when a dark history begins to unravel between them, threatening the fragile balance they’ve built, one misstep could change everything. What happens when one of them crosses the line?

Francisca was only 10 years old when her mother decided to pack hers and Francisca's things and leave their home along with Fran's father and 2 older brothers. Francisca never knew why her mom suddenly took her and left. She didn't understand how her father and brothers wouldn't want to hear from her as her mother suggests. Her mother remarries a year after they left and dies only three years later in a car accident. 2 years after the accident, Francisca's step father, Mathew gets a job in Brooklyn New York. So, now Francisca is going to move to another state and attend a new school. She wasn't expecting much but she definitely didn't expect to see her brothers -who she left behind in California- to be attending the same school as her. They're seniors while she's a sophomore. Will she tell them who she is? Will they figure it out on their own? What will their reactions be?

Everything happened too fast after I completed the sentence, one minute I was staring at the back of Damien's head, and the next minute I was pinned against the wall. His face was so close to me that I could feel his minty breath, "You can try to run but I will always catch you, you can try to hide but I will always find you. Get one thing clear, Nora, no matter what road you take it will always lead you to me." I licked my lips unable to utter any word. His thick eyelashes fell on my lips and my heartbeat sped up instantly. "Are you scared of me, Nora?" the corner of his lips curled up giving me a full blown smirk. I gulped, "No," the word came out weak between my shallow breaths. I tried to keep my face stoic even though my nerves were no longer in my control. I shut my eyes tightly as his face inched forward. I inhaled a sharp breath feeling his soft lips on my ear, "Then why is your heart beating so loudly?" ......................................................................... Eleanor has it all, loving parents, a good career, everything is presented to her on a silver platter or that's what everyone thinks. What happens when she gets tangled in a world she never knew existed because of a prince who seems to hate her but can not let her go. Will she ever be able to get her normal life back or will she become a part of his ruthless plan?

Faye Maria Antonio Castillo is no ordinary girl. Born into the infamous Royal Mafia, she possesses a captivating beauty, along with a gentle and kind demeanor that masks her true potential. Blessed with everything she desires, there is only one thing missing from her life... Jonathan Ryder. As the sole heir of the KnightRyders, one of the most powerful and ruthless mafia families in America, Jonathan exudes danger and rebellion. He is the epitome of a heartthrob, notorious for his playboy persona and his tight grip on Pendleton High. However, there is a deeper connection that binds him to Faye-Jonathan was once best friends with her brother, Jake Castillo. Since her freshman year, Faye has secretly harbored feelings for Jonathan. But the animosity between her brother and Jonathan, coupled with his reputation with the opposite sex, has deterred her from pursuing him. So, when Jonathan finally takes notice of her and asks her out, it feels like a dream come true for Faye. Little does she know, his intentions are far from genuine; he plans to use her as a pawn against her brother, manipulating her emotions to exact revenge. When Faye uncovers Jonathan's true motives, her world shatters. Will she still find herself drawn to him, despite the betrayal? Or will this revelation awaken the dormant rebellious spirit within her, transforming the good girl into the fearless bad girl she was born to be? Brace yourself for a rollercoaster of emotions, where secrets, deception, and forbidden passion intertwine. Will Faye emerge unscathed, or will she succumb to the dark allure of forbidden love? Read to find out

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.