Shocked Crossword Clue

“A million dollars,” he said, his voice flat, like he was negotiating over a car, not a person. Astrid shook her head, opening her mouth to protest, but he cut her off. “Let’s make it two then,” he offered. She stared at him, stunned, wondering if he’d lost his mind. “Mr. Voss…” “Final offer. Five million,” he said, his gaze steady, unyielding. Astrid took a deep breath, her heart pounding. “Fine. I’ll be your wife.” *** When Astrid Blythe, a rising event planner, runs into her ex, Adrian Voss, at his engagement party, she’s shocked to discover that his fiancée is missing. What starts as a strange encounter quickly spirals into something even more surreal when Adrian offers Astrid a proposal of his own: marry him in a cold, calculated, no-strings-attached arrangement. Despite her better judgment, Astrid agrees to the deal. But as the line between business and desire blurs, she finds herself drawn back into Adrian’s dangerous orbit—and realizes, to her horror, that she’s falling again for the man she once loved…the man who had a hand in the death of their child.

Her eyes widened when his tool sprang free from constraint. He glanced down and winced, understanding her surprise. He was harder than he’d ever been in his life. His tool strained upward, so long and thick. **************** “What on earth were you doing there tonight Sandra? Do you have any clue what Craig could have done to you? Let me tell you. He would have had you bent over while he did unpleasant things to your body. It would have been all about his own pleasure and satisfaction. What were you thinking?” “I know exactly what I was doing, you will never understand".... His eyes widened in confusion..... ********* Sandra had loved her late husband with all her heart, and after 5 years of mourning and resignation, she has decided to move on with her life. She has a deep desire and an ache in her which she felt her late husband couldn't give her, no matter how much he loved her and could give her everything as a multi billionaire. Now that he's gone, she begins her search for the one thing her beloved late husband couldn't give her. What she doesn't know is that someone she had considered as a good friend of her husband for many years has a strong feeling for her, and had been waiting patiently for an opportunity to prove it to her. Little did he know that she has a deep desire, a huge void in her, which her late husband was not able to satisfy or fill. Having been in love with her for a long time now, he was determined to go the extra length, to ensure that he will be the only man to fill that void and grant those desires in her. But what if there's a competitor?

'You're mine, Katrina. Whether you accept it or not, you were made for me.' He growled, stalking towards me like an animal will stalk its prey. 'I'm no one's. Not even yours.' I tried to say, but it came out weak and feeble. I hated how fragile I felt, I hated how my body betrayed me, needing to be near this man. A devious smile appeared on his lips, a glint in his eyes. 'That's not what the scent of your arousal is saying, love.' __________________ When Katrina comes home to find her husband and mate cheating on her with her best friend, Emery, she is shocked and heartbroken. As if that weren't enough, he rejects her on the spot when he finds out she's not pregnant with his child. Full of rage and hurt, Katrina leaves the pack house and seeks solace in a one-night stand with a stranger she meets at a pub. But the next day, she vanishes without a trace. The problem is, the man she spent the night with has no intention of letting her go that easily. And he will stop at nothing to find her... and claim her as his.

Elizabeth Bell, acting Luna of the Moon Tides pack, is shocked to find herself at the mercy of their near neighbour, Alpha Byron, a TV celebrity who leads the shifters from Wild Horses. And all because her brother, Richard, whose gambling is out of control owes him a huge debt. When he sends some of his men to fetch her to his home on the edge of the desert she doesn't rebel, thinking of her pack members and the promise she made to her late parents to always put them first. Spending time with the rich Alpha is an eye-opener in more ways than one, the mate bond unlooked for and surprising because of the nature of her wolf. Byron swears her to secrecy, informing her she may be in danger. Alphas have been going missing all over the territory, including his sister's husband and, possibly now, her brother. A Lycan appears to be the mastermind behind it and, when Alpha Byron is abducted, Liz must do everything she can to stop the destruction of werewolf society, even if this means pretending she is in love with him. Will their relationship survive her sacrifice? And could this be the end of independence for the packs?

She wants money, he wants her. not a bad deal ? Clara needs money...her brother have killed someone accidentally. now she needs money to run of to another country or chances are her brother will ends up in prison. As poor as Clara is she had to sell herself for a night then she was supposed to fly away with her brother but when the night came the person who was buying her leaved immediately when he saw her Clara curiously thought why ...her question was answered the next day when she was kidnapped and thrown in front of him Alister king The most eligible bachelor and owner of the king enterprises Who turns out to be a Werewolf and her mate. ya! right they exist... shocked? Alastair didnt told her about his truth but somehow Alastair knows her brother's crime.... now-now. Alastair give Clara two choices First she can stay with Alastair for 121 days then she will be free to run away with her brother Alister will see for her needs to skip Or she can deny his offer and her brother will be prisoned Well what choices Clara had left?

Jessica Peters moved to a new city, determined to bury her untamed past and build a fresh future with her devoted boyfriend Nathan Gold. But when she lands a dream job at a powerful corporation, she's shocked to discover her boss is none other than Parrish Holmes—the dangerously handsome billionaire who once consumed her every thought. As they're thrust back into each other's lives, the magnetic pull between them reignites, awakening dark, forbidden desires that Jessica had buried deep. Torn between the need to succeed in her career and the sinful attraction she can't resist, Jessica is trapped in a web of temptation. Just as she decides to leave it all behind for a chance at rekindled passion, she uncovers a chilling secret about Parrish that could destroy them both. With her heart shattered and her loyal boyfriend holding a dangerous secret over her, Jessica must choose between a love that could heal her or a past that threatens to consume her once more. Can she escape the darkness that threatens to pull her under, or will her untamed desires be her undoing?

Warning: This is an erotic novel that contains a possessive alpha male who can't keep his hands off his woman. "Trying to escape?" a voice boomed from the hall, causing me to freeze at the familiar voice. I spun around to see Giovanni's gaze fixed on me as he leaned out of the wall, a huge cigarette in his mouth. My heart raced, but I maintained a stoic expression, "I was going to the restroom." Giovanni raised an eyebrow, not believing me. "The restroom is on the left, while you're taking the right leading to a back exit," his tone laced with suspicion. I faked a shocked expression. "I didn't know," I lied. Giovanni neared me, slowly backing me against the door. "You see, I haven't marked you, and I would be terrified if you got lost," he said, his voice filled with an unsettling threat and amusement. He began peeling off the tiny straps of my dress from my shoulders, his eyes growing darker. "Do you have another pair of underwear?" I trembled, "Yes, Why?" "Because, my darling, I'm about to rip this one," he replied, his eyes glinting darkly.

Emma never expected a one-night stand to turn her life upside down. A passionate encounter with a stranger at a club leaves her breathless—but when she walks into her new job the next morning, she discovers that the man she spent the night with is none other than Kian Wilson, her new boss. Kian, the grumpy yet charismatic CEO of K&W Fashion House, is just as shocked to see her. Their undeniable attraction threatens to blur the lines between personal and professional, but when Kian’s controlling mother steps in, things take a darker turn. She arranges his engagement to another woman and secretly offers Emma a job as her personal assistant—unaware that Emma is carrying Kian’s child. As Emma is pulled deeper into the Wilson family’s twisted world, she must fight for her independence while hiding her pregnancy. When the truth comes out, Kian is torn between love and duty, forced to choose between the life his mother planned for him and the woman who truly holds his heart. With betrayals, power struggles, and heartbreaking choices, can Kian and Emma overcome the odds—or will their love story end before it even begins?

On my wedding day, my arranged fiancé abandoned me and chose my sister instead. As I became the laughingstock of every elite guest in attendance, my business partner James Crawford shocked everyone by publicly proposing to me with a passionate declaration of love. After we married, he was incredibly attentive, especially during my pregnancy when he catered to my every need. I thought my suffering had finally ended. Until I overheard his confession to my sister: "I've only ever loved you." James's voice carried a passion I'd never heard him use with me. "Marry her? I was only after her resources, connections, and her talent for making money. She's nothing but a useful cash cow." "Now that she's pregnant, even better." His tone was coldly calculating. "With the baby, she'll be even more dependent on me, more devoted. She'll never leave." Everything I had treasured—our love, our marriage—was all a lie. Learning the truth, I turned and walked away without a word. I was done with this charade. Everything that belonged to me, I would reclaim with my own hands.

Isabel was devastated and distraught after receiving a sincere rejection from her boyfriend. Although she had intended to spend the holiday at her grandmother's house, she ended up becoming involved with a stranger and having a one-night stand with him. When her mom introduced her fiance to Isabel, she was shocked to discover that her step father, Mr Walton had a son who turned out to be Derek– the guy she had a one night stand with. Isabel struggled with her affections for Derek and the knowledge that he would one day become her stepbrother. Anticipating her first shift, she hoped to find her mate and get over her feelings for Derek. What happens when an unexpected twist occured and she discovered that Derek was her true mate? As she tried hard to distance herself from him because she saw him as nothing more than her stepbrother, will she continue to ignore the bond with him? What happens when Derek's true identity as the Alpha's son was finally revealed? And what happens when more secrets come to light about why he and Isabel were fated together?