Outline Method

His hot breath fanned my ear and I nearly died the moment the straps of my dress fell away. Revealing a part of myself that left me vulnerable to his hungry gaze that moved over me. I pride myself on decency, to always be appropriate but the way he clenched his jaw and ran his large hands on my thighs made me go. . . to hell with decency. Reaching out, the need to touch him no longer bearable, I traced the outline of his torso through the fabric of his shirt. But even that wasn't enough as my hands moved underneath the fabric to trace the muscles there. He shifted slightly away triggering a fear in me that I had done something wrong. However, the fear diminished when he removed the fabric- granting my eyes the chance to feast on seeing more of his skin. He moved forward peppering light kisses all over my neck and torso only to latch onto my nipple tugging gently on the hard nub. I cried out at the movement of his teeth and tongue as his hands kept me close hindering any chance to reduce the contact to damn near impossible. Reducing the contact was the last thing I wanted, especially considering how far we had come. . .

My husband's protégé boasted she could disarm bombs blindfolded, relying on her so-called intuition. Her reckless misjudgment triggered a bomb's secondary detonation sequence, endangering an entire building. I intervened, using the dangerous liquid nitrogen condensation method to save the day. As a result, Rita Smith was removed from frontline duties and placed under investigation. Patrick Munoz tried to defend her, but I stopped him cold. "If you back her now, you won't just fail to save her. You'll be dragged down with her." Crushed by the pressure, Rita staged an accident that killed her, leaving a letter blaming him for abandoning her in her hour of need. He said nothing, only preserving her letter in his study. Years later, he became a nationally renowned bomb disposal expert. During a terrorist attack, I was strapped to a timed explosive. He arrived to defuse it but repeated Rita's fatal mistake. As the timer ticked down, he gave a bitter laugh. "Rita was just nervous back then. If I'd supported her, she'd be a hero today." The bomb detonated, leaving nothing of me behind. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the point when he tried to defend Rita. He didn't know that the building housed the nation's top-secret core server.

Erika's parents used to be under the board of directors of Evans Industries. In order to obtain more shares, the young CEO Charles agreed to marry their daughter Erika. It was supposed to be a Contract Marriage, but Charles really fell in love with Erika who was still in college. But just the day before the wedding, Erika saw a picture of Charles kissing a famous actress. This photo appeared on the headlines of major media, which broke Erika's heart to the extreme. At the same time, she found that she couldn't contact her fiancé. Erika left Charles at the same time she found out she was pregnant. Five years later, she re-emerged as a partner in Wilson's Company and entered into a business partnership with Evans Industries. She found herself still deeply in love with Charles. And Charles misunderstood the relationship between Erika and David Wilson, CEO of Wilson Company, and he was very jealous. Charles also found Erika's child, whose father was his. In the end, he revealed his heart to Erika: he chose to cheat back then, only because he was diagnosed with a terminal illness. He thought he was going to die soon, so he could only choose this method to prevent Erika from falling into despair. Five years later, Erika met Charles again with her daughter. When she learned the truth about the past and planned to forgive him, she found that Charles was related to the death of her parents…

On the day of the wedding, my best friend, Elena Hartman, can't bear to part with me, so she threads my wedding shoes with a string and ties them snugly around her slim waist. The groomsmen turn the whole place upside down, and we end up late for the ceremony. She eventually cracks up and tugs at her billowy bridesmaid dress, revealing the outline of the shoes at her waist. "I dare you to come take them. As long as I'm here, she's not getting married!" My fiancé, Miles Lawson, shakes his head and chuckles. "You just love tormenting us, don't you?" Miles exchanges a look with the groomsmen, and they charge at her at the same time. She squeals as she falls back onto the bed, squirming under her layers of tulle. "Don't be so rough! I'm ticklish…" The groomsmen flush bright red. Miles' ears turn scarlet as he feels around her waist. She giggles even louder. "How are you going to undo it through all these layers? Use your head!" Then, she gasped. "That tickles!" Her theatrics make my temper flare. I spring to my feet, lift her skirt, and rip the wedding shoes right off her. "If you're that ticklish, smack yourself with a slipper. Drop the act, or I'll yank out the nerves that make you ticklish!"

My dad is a fan of tough love parenting. When I was a kid, there was a time when I obtained full marks on two subjects. But he told me, "Your grades don't mean anything in life. If you were a true man, you'd leap down five floors without batting an eyelash." Some time later, I was awarded for my act of bravery. But Dad scoffed in my face. "Not even a hair is harmed on your head. Why should you be awarded anyway?" I thought Dad wanted me to go through more training in life. On Christmas Eve, he ditched me on a snowy mountain under the guise of wanting me to go through more training. He didn't give me a tent or a lighter. Later on, Dad even brags about his parenting method to his relatives and friends. "A real man should survive and thrive in a desperate situation! I told Julian that he can forget about being my son if he can't even make his way back to the summit!" But the red dot on the GPS tracker installed in his phone hasn't moved for the past three hours. The truth is, I've already frozen to death in the mountains. Trapped in my fist is a scrap of paper detailing the SOS number that Dad had torn apart earlier. Meanwhile, my soul is currently floating above the dining table while watching Dad brag about his tough love parenting.

"Dario, someone might see us," She tried to pull away, with a hint of nervousness in her voice as she whispered. But Dario wasn't deterred. He reached out and gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, with his fingers lingering on her cheek, and his thumb tracing the outline of her lips. Ivy's heart began to race as she tried to back away. "You're looking sexy this morning," he said, his voice low and husky. "And that dress...you're driving me wild." Ivy's heartbeat quickened at his words, her body responding to his touch. She couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. She could feel the breath on her skin as he leaned in closer, with his lips inches from hers, she knew she was lost. "I want you, Ivy," he whispered. Ivy closed her eyes, unable to resist the pull of his gaze. He pressed his soft lips to hers, and she felt a wave of desire wash over her. As their kiss deepened, she knew that there was no turning back. One night in a club changed everything for a billionaire CEO and his secretary. A passionate and romantic night together led to an unexpected twist when they both discovered she's his new secretary and he's her boss. Can they navigate the lines of power and passion, or will their forbidden love be doomed from the start?

Based on the untrue writings of the Satanic Panic. The Satanic Panic was a moral outcry in the United States over supposed “satanic” influence in media that were warping the youth of America. Claims that playing an elf in Dungeons and Dragons could lead to demonic possession, that playing heavy metal music backwards would reveal satanic messages, and that therapists could uncover repressed memories of satanic ritual abuse, were all too common. Volumes and volumes of material were produced on this fake subject. These texts lead to What Hell May Come, which takes a look at what the world would actually be like if all of the claims of the satanic panic were true. Set in 1986, Jon St. Fond’s life is a living Hell. Deliberately abused and neglected by his parents, the only joy he has in life is an escape into a fantasy land of role playing games. Soon he discovers that his parents are part of a secret occult religion with hidden ties all across the world. As Jon and his friends dig, they learn more of the secret history of the world and discover the power of making deals with creatures from Beyond. However, power has its price, as Jon and his friends quickly discover. One-by-one they begin to become consumed by their own desires and hatreds. Jon learns there is method behind the madness of his life, as his Father begins to bring him closer and closer into the ways of the cult. Ultimately, Jon must make a choice between all the pleasures of the earth and the future of his soul. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

Gilbert Pierce, my wife's male trainee, bragged that he could disarm a bomb just by relying on his senses and with his eyes closed. However, he misjudged it and triggered the bomb's secondary detonation sequence. I stepped in at the last second and used the most dangerous method available, liquid nitrogen flash cooling, to save the entire building. Gilbert was pulled off frontline duty and placed on suspension for review. My wife, Jasmine Clem, tried to speak up for him, but I stopped her cold. "If you defend him now, you won't save him. You'll just get dragged down and suspended alongside him." Unable to handle the pressure, Gilbert blew himself up in an accident. In his suicide note, he accused Jasmine of choosing self-preservation when he needed her most. Jasmine said nothing. She only locked that letter away in her study. Years later, Jasmine became a nationally renowned bomb disposal expert. During a terrorist attack, I was captured and strapped with a timed explosive. Jasmine came to the scene personally to defuse it, but right in front of me, she repeated the exact same mistake her trainee had made years ago. She watched the countdown and smiled lightly at me. "See? He was just nervous back then. If I had encouraged him, he'd be a hero now." The bomb detonated, and I was blown apart. When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the moment she was about to defend Gilbert. She didn't know that inside that building sat the nation's most classified core servers.

"My husband walks about freely, lavishing my fortune, with his mistress by his side, while I am condemned to spend the rest of my life in an island prison for his death. If this is my fate, I will fight it until my last breath."~~~ MARIANNE Betrayed by the ones she trusted most, Marianne finds herself convicted for a crime she did not commit. In a desperate attempt to change her new reality, she ends up at the brink of death but gets a second chance in Troy; An unusually sexy billionaire willing to place the world at her feet. Marianne swears she is done with men and love, and her life's goal is revenge against those who wronged her. But why does her heart race uncontrollably at the sound of his voice? ***His hands reached out, framing my face, his fingers tracing the outline of my lips as if committing them to memory. His touch moved lower, his thumbs grazing the sensitive peaks of my nipples. The sensation sent a wave of pleasure rippling through me, making it impossible to think. I closed my eyes as his lips found the crook of my neck, kissing and biting lightly, leaving me breathless and trembling. "Troy," I panted, my eyes flying open as I took a step back, trying to create distance between us. But he followed me, closing the gap I had made. His voice was low, a whisper that seemed to reach into my soul. "Do I scare you?" I nodded, my eyes unable to meet his, looking anywhere but at him. His brows furrowed as he gently lifted my chin, forcing me to face him. "Why, Anne?" I swallowed hard, trying to find the words. "Because... you make me feel things I've never felt before."***

I lifted my gaze to meet his unwavering one; his eyes were enigmatic, just like his dominant posture. He had an enviable and captivating physique, with well-defined muscles that accentuated the perfect cut of his suit. His greenish eyes, tan skin, and slightly curly hair, styled professionally, completed his look. He was truly a stunning man. “Finished admiring me, miss?” With a teasing tone, a charming smile appeared on his lips. The CEO was undoubtedly tempting. “Sir...” I cleared my throat, trying to regain my composure and searching for words to escape that uncomfortable situation. “The content is not appropriate to be read aloud; please understand!” “That, I will decide!” He leaned back in his executive chair, watching me calmly as he savored a sip of his favorite whiskey. “I'm waiting.” “I apologize, sir, but I can't do it. You can fire me!” I turned away, ready to leave the office hastily, when his strong hands gripped my wrist, about to pull the door handle. He carefully watched my reaction and then smiled. “Apprentice…” The CEO approached me seductively, causing me to step back a few paces until I was cornered against the wall. He surrounded me with his arms and brought his lips close to my ear, whispering, “There is so much potential in you; I will mold you!” Biting lightly on the tip of my ear, I felt a shiver run through my body. With the tips of his fingers, he traced the outline of my face with his nails before pressing his lips with his thumb, gently parting them. Moving even closer, he pressed his body against mine, making my heart race and my breathing erratic.