Playground Novel Richard Powers Novels & Stories

Handsome, sharp, and newly wealthy from an investment, Richard Underhill is qualified to enter a secret and very restricted gentleman's club, Aphrodite. Only a handful of selected men is adequate for entry into the gates of a world full of beauty, passion, and desirable women. And one of these women catches Richard's heart in a beat. But there is one catch...  Candice. Aka. Harlee Moore is Aphrodite's highest-paid worker, and she is a pro at seducing the men, but her motto states; you can look, not touch. After locking eyes with a certain gentleman one night, (a very handsome one,) Candice knows that she needs to protect her heart at all costs; because he makes it very clear that he wants her and he is getting very hard to resist. But Candice closed the door to her heart a long time ago; vowing never to trust another man ever again.

On the first night of our graduation trip, Richard Clark, the class representative, suggests that we find our match via room numbers. "Let your luck decide your fate! You'll get to stay in the same room with your partner regardless of gender! How exciting is this?" Throughout my four-year college life, I've been in an underground relationship with Faye Lister for three years. No one knows about our relationship at all. I dig out a ball from the box and wait for my turn to get matched. When it's Faye's turn, she claims that her number is seven. That's when Richard raises his voice. "The other person who gets Room 7 is… Xavier Jensen!" Xavier, the guy whom Faye had once pursued in a grand fashion, shoots her a smile immediately. Everyone cheers on them, claiming that even God wants them to be together. I'm the only one who doesn't say anything. No one knows that I've heard Richard and Faye having a secretive conversation before the start of the game. "Find the ball with a circular bump. That's the mark I've specifically left for you and Xavier." As I watch Faye approach Xavier and arrange his collar with scarlet cheeks, I find myself smiling as well. It turns out that I've wasted three years waiting for Faye to announce our relationship. This time, I decide to be the one leaving this relationship.

I married the wrong man for all the right reasons. When my brother is framed for murder, my twin sister Leyla makes a desperate deal: marry Lucien Vale, the dead man's son, for two years in exchange for our brother's freedom. But I know something Leyla doesn't: Lucien Vale was my first love. The man who destroyed me at seventeen and moved on with his life. So when Leyla takes the deal, I make a choice. I'll take my sister's place. Lucien wants a wife to stabilize his empire? He'll get one. Just not the one he expected. The only problem? Somehow, Lucien already knows its not Leyla. And everything, the contract, the murder, the manipulation—was designed to trap ME. Some vows are made in desperation. Others are made in revenge. And the most dangerous ones? Are built on lies.

He wasn’t searching for love. He wasn’t ready for him. But some things—like family, and falling—happen when you least expect them. When Ezra Anderson's sister dies, he inherits three young children and a crumbling rural property he's nowhere near prepared for. Overwhelmed, heartbroken, and freshly dumped, Ezra turns to the one person he shouldn't: Sebastian Brown—the gentle, steady Omega child psychologist he once shared one reckless night with... and never dared to call back. Sebastian offers a safe harbor. Routine. Warm hands and a softer kind of strength Ezra didn’t know he craved. What starts as survival—two men building a life for three grieving kids—soon strains under the weight of something deeper. The Omega in Sebastian draws Ezra like gravity, making every glance burn and every touch linger. The lines between family and something more blur until Ezra can no longer pretend. One night becomes two. Secrets slip into routines. And somewhere between sneaking into beds at night and morning coffee, Ezra faces the one truth he swore he'd never have to: He might not be as straight, or as strong, as he thought. As his Alpha instincts pull him closer to Sebastian’s Omega warmth, the world outside keeps pressing in. Desire stops hiding. And when the outside world comes knocking, Ezra is forced to choose: Keep pretending... or hold on to the only thing that feels like home. SNEAK PEEK: “I’m not in love with you. I just… don’t know how to breathe when you’re not there.” - Ezra “I’m not gay. I’m just yours.” - Ezra “You keep saying you’re not mine… but you keep choosing me.” - Sebastian “You’re allowed to love me, you know.” - Sebastian NB: 18+ (Tissues highly recommended.)

Arranged to marry a man she had never met at age twenty, Caroline wasn’t keen about it, but ended up reluctantly agreeing to the contract marriage on realizing there was going to be a huge sum of money involved. The marriage ended up being a complete whirlpool of different things for Caroline and her husband, Richard, and they ended up getting a divorce, before parting ways. Five years into the future, a freshly shot patient gets rushed to the hospital in which Caroline works, who surprisingly turns out to be her ex-husband, Richard. Love really does bloom in unexpected situations and Richard ends up falling for Caroline harder than he ever thought possible, realizing that he could never let her go this time, especially now that he knew she had bore him a son in secret.

In a desperate bid to save her family from financial devastation and her mother's life-threatening illness, Emily Fields makes a Faustian pact with the enigmatic billionaire Richard Grey. He demands she sign a contract to become his wife and serve as his personal secretary, a proposition that leaves Emily with little choice but to comply. As she navigates the complexities of her new role and Richard's frosty demeanor, Emily finds herself drawn to his charming and handsome nephew, Alex Grey. Torn between duty and desire, Emily's life becomes a delicate balancing act. As her forbidden attraction to Alex intensifies, she must confront the risks of following her heart versus fulfilling her obligations. Will she risk everything for love, or will the contract bind her to a life of unfulfilled longing?

Madison Harper, the adopted daughter of the nation's fifth wealthiest family,believes she's found happiness in her marriage to Williams Greenwood despite her higher social standing . Her world shatters when she learns of William's betrayal _ He married her to get closer to her step-sister,Sophia with whom he is having an affair . In a confrontation, Sophia pushes Madison down the stairs leading to her untimely death. Reborn with memories of her past life, Madison is determined to exact revenge. She targets Richard Benjamin, the man Sophia desires, offering him a strategic alliance : marriage in exchange for her shares in the Harper hotel business. As their partnership deepens, Madison and Richard navigate a web of deceit,uncovering dark family secrets and confrontation their own past traumas.

On the night of Natalie’s biggest achievement...winning the Actress Award....her world came crashing down. Just as she stood in the spotlight, soaking in the applause, Richard, the man she once loved, walked up and handed her divorce papers in front of everyone. The gasps from the audience drowned out the cheers, and her joy instantly turned to heartbreak. Determined to move on, Natalie poured herself into her acting career. During an audition, she met Liam, a talented playwright whose words reignited her belief in love. His kindness and passion helped her heal, and soon, they grew close. But just as Natalie was ready to start over, Richard came back, asking for another chance. Now, she faces an impossible choice....return to the man who once broke her heart or embrace the new love standing right in front of her. Which path will she choose?

"You belong to me now" His voice was cold and unreadable. Natalie swallowed hard. "I’m not yours. I was sold not claimed" A faint, dangerous smirk crossed Richard Harrison’s lips. "Then learn the difference, little dove" Betrayed.....Pregnant and Discarded. Natalie thought she had found her fated mate until he sold her off like a pawn. Now trapped in a contract marriage with the ruthless Alpha of the Blackwood Pack...Richard Harrison who was rumoured to be cold, ruthless and a vegetative. A man who just woke from a mysterious coma, she braces herself for a life of control and cruelty. But Richard is not what the rumors says. As secrets unravel and enemies close in, Natalie discovers a power buried deep within her and a bond she can’t escape. Because in a world of lies and war, she was never meant to be the pawn….she was born to rule.

WARNING: SSPG | R- 🔞 Marimar Oquendo crosses paths with the hot son of a deceased famous actress, who appears to be suffering from a mental illness but understands her pain and desires. She works as his personal nanny, babysits him, and gradually falls for him. She then realizes that he is far more dangerous than she believed, especially since he has suddenly returned to his genuine and normal personality. He was totally out of her league when she discover that he was Lev Dmitri Romanov, the Romanov Mafia's grim reaper—a murderer and mafia billionaire. What will happen to her after she runaway from the man while being pregnant of their child? Will she be able to forget that she had once been the Mafia's nanny?