Shrugged Shoulders

With a shift, I let my dress slip from my shoulders and fall to the floor, revealing the lingerie beneath. Nathan's eyes darkened, as closing the small distance between us, his lips claimed mine in a possessive kiss. His tongue tangled with mine, both hungry and tender. Then, slowly, oh so tantalizingly slowly, he backed me toward the bed, his kisses travelling down my neck, across my collarbone, before they moved lower still… ~~~ FBI Agent Brianna Hart had always wanted Nathan Pierce, her stepbrother, and for several years they had been lovers, but circumstances forced them apart. When Brianna returns to her former job within the FBI, she finds Nathan married. When he once again becomes her team leader, Brianna tries to maintain a professional relationship with Nathan. But after a tragic accident takes the life of Nathan’s wife and unborn child, Nathan seeks solace within Brianna’s arms. Old feelings flare to life between them, and both struggle with the undeniable sexual attraction between them. Brianna's heart is torn over her love and need for the newly widowed Nathan, while he grapples with the loss of his family and his re-awakened feelings for a woman he never quite let go of.

“Sophia! Sophia!!” I dropped to my knees beside her, grabbing her fragile shoulders, shaking her gently at first, then harder, desperate for any reaction. Nothing. Her skin was cold. <<< Clarissa felt her life crumbling right before her eyes. Bruce was responsible for their daughter's death and many things looked planned. Her goal was to find out what happened but she couldn't be in the marriage anymore. What happens when old flames rekindle? Will Clarissa avenge her daughter's death? Who is Clarissa?

“You like it when you’re being watched, don’t you?” Alex grunted, making Ivy have goosebumps. “Should we give them a show?” Alex breathed against her neck, causing her nipples to ache and harden against her bra. She made a mental note of the guards scattered around the property, who were trying hard not to look. Ivy gulped as she felt Alex’s mouth on her neck, one of her weak spots. He sucked on it as she hissed, placing her hands on his shoulders for support. Alex knew what he was doing to her; he could feel himself getting hard and could sense her arousal. He stopped, raised himself out of the pool, and stretched his hands for her to grab, which she did. He pulled her out of the pool with one hand. Without a pause, he carried her over his shoulder, her bare bottom exposed to the air. “Alex, let me go!” Ivy struggled against his body, receiving a spank from Alex that quieted her down. --------- Ivy Queen meets Alexander Donatello, CEO/ mafia lord of the American syndicate at a party. She is intrigued by his presence as he is drawn to her. Alex schemes up ways to get Ivy to marry him as she is in debt after the loss of her family in a ghastly car accident. Alex's childhood friend and business associate, Ryan Smith was smitten by Ivy when he first set his eyes on her. He followed her everywhere, obsessed with the way she moved, talked, but had no guts to ask her out. Ivy's best friend, Tim Rumble, was also in love with her but he was satisfied with being her friend as long he got to be with her.

"I need an answer, Collins. Or is your guilt eating you up so bad that..." "There is no guilt," he deadpans, the weight of his words resting on my shoulders, making them sag in sorrow. "It was only a matter of time until you found out. I want to say I'm sorry, but that would be me lying..." Blood rushes to my ears. I can't believe what I'm hearing. "What? You're... you're not — " "No," he shrugs. "You brought this upon yourself." "Excuse me? I made you cheat?" "Yes." ----------------------- When hotshot billionaire mogul Collins Black propositions her to be his wife, twenty-two-year-old, script writer Anna Whitfield believes she's the luckiest woman on earth. But things quickly go sour when one year later, she discovers that Collins has been cheating on her with her best friend, Diana. What's worse? Collins proposes to Diana on a night which is supposed to be the most important night of her life. Enraged, and frustrated, Anna begs the nearest man she can find for a kiss to spite her ex-husband. But the man who obliges isn't just any man, but the most powerful mafia don in Russia. Viktor Ivanov. [NOTE: This is an ex-husband/mafia romance. You’re guaranteed to have a swell time reading. Do enjoy]

Once childhood friends, now reluctant strangers—Lady Clara Valdemont and General Darrell Storm are bound by an arranged marriage meant to unite two feuding houses. Once allies, the Storms and Valdemonts were torn apart by betrayal and bloodshed. Now, the kingdom’s fragile peace rests on the shoulders of a bride and groom who barely speak. As Clara walks down the aisle, memories of the boy who used to tease her and teach her how to fish clash with the man waiting at the altar—stoic, cold, and unreadable. Darrell has not forgotten the past, nor has he forgiven it. Their vows are spoken through clenched teeth, their first kiss a mere brush on the cheek. This is not a love story born of fate—it is one that must fight to be written. In a kingdom of politics, pride, and pain, can two broken hearts learn to beat as one again?

My name is Ember Haiven. I’ve been alone and on the run my entire life. Everything changed when I became Kieran’s surrogate in exchange for his protection. I had no idea that I would fall in love with this dragon shifter and enter a world that I believed existed only in my dreams. “Is that what you want?” he asked. “Yes…” I said feeling myself go breathless in his arms. “I never thought I’d be able to touch another person like this and now, I just don’t want this feeling to end.” He kissed me sweetly, pulling me closer and then rested his forehead against mine. I could see the color drain from his face and his shoulders sag like I’d ripped the heart from his chest. And maybe I had. It felt like my own was trying to claw its way from my skin. He moved to take a step forward but then thought better of it. Surrogate of the Sleeping Dragon is written by Claire Wilkins, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

Ivy Bernard always believed she was the chosen one, destined to save her pack from a terrible fate. Born with mesmerizing blue eyes and hair, she was supposed to marry the alpha, the man she loved. But on the eve of their union, Ivy was heartlessly rejected and betrayed by the very man who was supposed to protect her. The alpha found another woman who looked just like Ivy, claiming her as his mate. Crushed, Ivy fled—only to be saved by the mysterious and powerful Ryan Klein, a man battling a terminal illness. He claims they're mates, but Ivy has lost her memory and believes him. Her life becomes a twisted web of lies and deceit, as Ryan’s secret intentions to protect her mask his own desperate need to live out his final days with someone he loves. But what happens when Ivy remembers the truth? "Am I your Luna, Ryan? Or did you lie?" As Ivy uncovers Ryan's betrayal, she decides to play along. She feigns ignorance, biding her time, planning her revenge. Derek, the dangerous second male lead who betrayed her in the past, is also lurking, determined to reclaim Ivy for himself. With the prophecy's weight on her shoulders and enemies closing in from all sides, Ivy must confront her deepest fears: Can she forgive Ryan’s deception? Or will revenge consume her? Will Ivy reclaim her power, or will the lies tear her apart?

Jada prayed and asked God to provide a miracle that would be a solution to her family’s problems. They had always been poor, but this was the worst situation they had ever been in. Her father had to be taken to the hospital two weeks ago, and she had become the sole provider for their home. Marilou had given them what money she had that she could to help, but she wasn’t exactly rolling in money herself. The young girl had a huge responsibility placed upon her shoulders, but she was determined not to lose their home or have the children sent to foster care. She had been waiting tables and using her tips to buy gas and groceries, but it was barely enough most days. Her paycheck had not been enough to pay all the bills since her father had let them get so far behind. Mrs. DeRoya cleared her throat, signaling that she would answer the girl. “Miss Pence, I only had one child, my son Brayden here. My husband was also an only child. So, unless Brayden produces an heir, our bloodline here in the United States is lost. What we need is a surrogate to carry the child. If you sign the contract, when the child is born you will receive one million dollars to take your siblings and go have a good life,” she said, staring at her without emotion.

With a large pack and the duty of the gods on her shoulders Drew is becoming all her parents had ever dreamed, a leader, an enforcer, a punisher. Heavily set in her role and the responsibilities of her pack, Drew is not one to relinquish her control, at least not without a fight. Arden is no stranger to being walked on, over looked, and taken for granted, but eight years ago, he made a decision that would change the course of his life. Now a rogue from the Tracker pack; the world, the forest, is his to roam. Finally free of the shackles of conformity and a degrading caste system, Arden is set on a track that will intertwine his path with an overachieving, strong willed, stubborn Alpha female. Can they grapple the challenges one another bring forth and become one of a whole as the goddess believes, or will they destroy one another trying.

Mate. I froze mid-step, Venom has never said that word before. I've suddenly forgotten the Rogues I was chasing, my whole attention now on the emotions I was feeling. My vision sharpened, focusing on the faint sound of labored breathing just ahead. My heart hammered in my chest as I walked closer, the bond pulling me forward with an urgency I hadn’t felt in decades. The first thing I saw was her hair, a messy dark bun with strands of white, unusual yet unique. She sat curled up against the base of an old tree, arms wrapped tightly around her knees, shoulders trembling. Her thin, tattered sweater barely shielding her from the cold air. She looked... fragile, a word I never thought I’d associate with my mate. Ariel’s life has been anything but easy. Orphaned as a child and left in the care of a cruel stepfather and stepbrother, she’s endured years of emotional and physical abuse. Despite her circumstances, she’s always felt something stirring beneath the surface—an unexplained restlessness, vivid dreams of running under the moonlight, and a deep connection to the forest around her. Zayn, the alpha of the Shadowcrest pack, has spent years searching for his fated mate, the one who would complete him and stand by his side to no avail…he had finally given up on ever finding her. His pack thrives under his leadership, but his heart has grown weary, doubting the Moon Goddess’s promise of a mate. When a chance encounter leads him to Ariel, he’s stunned to discover that the fragile, broken girl is his destined partner—and more than that, she’s a wolf completely unaware of her true nature.