Short Tempered

Lorenzo McLaren is an underground Mafia Lord who controls New York City. He does whatever he wants and gets away with it Mariana Martinez is a college student whose life is turned upside down when she is kidnapped and sold into a Mafia ring. She refuses to give up and accepts the life before her, fighting and looking for ways to escape. But her defiance is cut short when it grabs the attention of Lorenzo. Mariana falls first but Lorenzo falls harder. Will Mariana be able to ignore her morals and love Lorenzo even with his dark side? And will Lorenzo have to sacrifice his empire for the woman he loves?

After I got pulled into the horror game, my nearsightedness made everything blurry. I ended up treating the creepy girl in the blood-stained dress like my own daughter, the final boss like my husband, and the old creepy ghosts like my loving parents. The first time I met the boss, I grabbed his abs and said, “Nice body. Shame you’re kind of short.” He actually laughed in anger, picked up the severed head in his hand, put it back on his neck, and ground out, “I’m six-foot-one. Still think I’m short now?”

Seven years ago, my mafia husband, Sergio Wexler, had me committed to a psychiatric ward. On the day I was released, I changed my name, cut my hair short, and vanished like a ghost. Seven years later, we meet again at the grave of my brother, Luca Lorusso. The bouquet in his hand falls with a soft thud. Sergio clenches his fists tightly, barely holding back emotions that threaten to break through his usual calm. "Janella, why the short hair? I almost didn't recognize you. Where have you been all these years? After that fire at the psych ward, I pulled every string I had, but I never got any leads on you. I've been looking for you for seven years. I even thought you were… dead." When I stay silent, he rubs his red-rimmed eyes. "You're avoiding me, aren't you? Do you still hate me for having you locked up? Believe me, I had no choice." I let out a bitter laugh. Sergio killed Luca to become the Don. He slept with Luca's woman and locked me in that dark, windowless "special ward", nearly erasing me from existence. And now, here he is at Luca's grave, playing the victim. To me, any love and hate I had for Sergio died long ago in that tiny, suffocating ward. Now, he's just a stranger to me.

A business trip took an unexpected turn when our plane ran into disaster. While everyone else was penning their last words, I, an orphan with nothing to lose, decided to have a little fun with my miserly boss. “Boss, let’s keep this short—I like you.” “I really, really like you.” “Boss, this is a final goodbye.” Just when all hope seemed lost, the captain pulled off a miracle with his years of experience, saving us from the brink of catastrophe. By the time we landed safely, I was still in a daze until I saw my boss, eyes bloodshot, storming toward me, flanked by a wall of black-suited bodyguards.

Archer has always wanted what he can’t have—Quinn Dawson. Since the moment he saw her, he’s been denying his feelings for her, ignoring the void in his heart he knows only she can fill. Everything about them was wrong, the kind of wrong that felt so right. But none of it mattered. Not the terrible timing. And definitely not the mess it would create if Archer made a move on his best friend’s baby sister. It was supposed to be one night, but one night is all it takes to make everything more complicated, and they only have nine short months to sort it all out. No, none of it mattered. Until it did.

"I don't understand how she is so dominant over me, yet a complete mess under my control." - Ethan Brown ********** Madison is a full package, when it comes to being the obedient worker, best friend or sister and pampered for being short and cute, she is also the most protective person. Obviously, when Ethan hurts her best friend, she has all the reasons to hate him, keeping his dangerously beautiful face the last thing, she would want to fall for. But what happens when Ethan, ends up becoming her new boss? Will they forget their past and work together or end up becoming something they never expect.

“If you don’t stop looking at my mouth like that,” Hudson murmured, backing me against the bathroom sink, “I’m going to do something we’ll both regret.” ... ... My breath hitched. The door was locked but my heart was beating faster. Hudson stood inches from me, eyes dark, jaw tight, like he was fighting himself just as hard as I was. His hand came up, stopping just short of touching my waist, hovering there like a question. “Tell me to walk away,” he said quietly. I opened my mouth. Nothing came out. That was all the permission he needed.

When a child mysteriously disappears from a small town and even his mother seems indifferent, it’s time for the new sheriff to step in. Meet Chris Baker, the new sheriff of the quiet Adirondack town of Clifton Heights. As one inexplicable case after another forces him to confront the townsfolk in The Skylark Diner, it’s the furtive Gavin Patchett that hands Chris a collection of not-so-fictional short stories that tumbles him into a world of monsters, ageless demons, and vengeful citizens. As Chris reads through the stories the veil starts to lift, and he soon questions what is real and what’s not, and whether he really wants to know. Nothing will ever be the same again. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

WARNING: BOOK IS EROTIC AND CONTAINS STEAMY SCENES (18+) He kissed me and cupped my breasts in his two hands rubbing my hard nipples as he went deeper slowly .I felt him fully in me ,he increased his rhythm and as he did ,I felt an intense wave of pleasure. My heart was pounding and I felt like it was going to jump out of my chest ,my nipples were getting harder ,my legs were shaking and my entire body was ..... The book is a collection of short romantic, erotic and steamy stories of different people sure to leave you hooked and wanting more . Read more to find out.......

**Title: RATED 18 COMPILATION *** Rated 18 Compilation is a sizzling collection of erotic short stories that ignite the senses and unravel hidden desires. Each tale plunges into the heat of forbidden encounters: a chance meeting in a rain-soaked alley sparks untamed passion, a mysterious stranger at a masquerade ball unveils secret longings, and a quiet bookstore becomes the stage for a slow, teasing seduction. With vivid, sensual prose, these stories explore the raw intensity of lust, the thrill of surrender, and the electric pull of connection in unexpected places. Perfect for those who crave steamy, uninhibited narratives that linger long after the page is turned. Warning: Explicit sexual content, mature themes, and graphic depictions of intimacy. For readers 18+ only.