Spicy Booktok Reads

The things we want are so very rarely the things we need. Clifton Heights, a modest Adirondack town, offers many unique attractions. Arcane Delights sells both paperbacks and hard-to-find limited editions. The Skylark Diner serves the best home-cooked meals around, with friendly service and a smile. Every August, Mr. Jingo’s County Fair visits, to the delight of children and adults. In essence, Clifton Heights is the quintessential small American town. Everyone knows everyone else, and everyone is treated like family. It is quiet, simple, and peaceful. But shadows linger here. Flitting in dark corners, from the corner of the eye. If you walk down Main Street after dark, the slight scrape of shoes on asphalt whispers you're not alone, but when you look over your shoulder, no one is there. The moon shines high and bright in the night sky, but instead of throwing light, it only seems to make the shadows lengthen. Children disappear. Teens run away. Hunters get lost in the woods with frightening regularity. Husbands go mad, and wives vanish in the dead of night. And still, when the sun rises in the morning, you are greeted by townspeople with warm waves and friendly smiles, and the shivers pass as everything seems fresh and new... Until night falls once more. Handy's Pawn and Thrift sits several blocks down from Arcane Delights. Like any thrift store, its wares range from the mundane to the bizarre. By daylight, it seems just another slice of small town Americana. But in its window hangs a sign which reads: We Have Things You Need. And when a lonely traveling salesman comes looking for something he desperately wants, after normal visiting hours, after night has fallen, he will face a harsh truth among the shelves of Handy’s Pawn and Thrift: the things we want are rarely the things we need. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

My fiance, Victor Blackwood, is a mafia boss who rules the country's underworld with an iron fist. To the rest of the world, he is the epitome of power. Yet to me, he is the embodiment of love. But I do not realize the cost of loving a man like him. On Valentine's Day, I cook his favorite dishes and wait for him to come home. However, time passes, and his chair stays empty. Uneasy, I go to Queenie Stone's social media page. She is Victor's foster sister. She posts, "All I said was that I felt lonely, and he came right away. "Even when I accidentally spilled wine on him, he didn't mind. Victor is still someone who puts family first, even if it means neglecting his lover. "He never lets me down. I hope things stay that way." In the photo, Victor's shirt is soaked at the waist. Queenie's handkerchief lingers near his most private parts, but he doesn't pull away. He merely looks at her affectionately. I do not make a fuss and give Queenie's post a like. Then, I send Victor a message that reads, "Let's break up." Victor ignores it as always. Later, I discover that when my breakup message popped up, he had said offhandedly, "Vivienne can't live without me. She's just acting out. "If I ignore her for a few days, she'll come crawling back by herself. She's easy to please." What he doesn't know is that I was easy to handle only because I once loved him. But now that I have decided to leave, he cannot make me turn back, no matter how he tries to win me over.

"You think you can humiliate me like this?!” he shouted, his voice breaking. “First, you disappear. Then you show up here, on my wedding day, with my father?!” "Are you sure I disappeared?" I smirked. Gasps rippled through the crowd. Phones were out, cameras flashing like lightning. Kael rose slowly from his knee with the ring on his hand, his towering frame making Chad look like a child throwing a tantrum. His expression was pure ice. “Watch your tone,” Kael said, his voice low and dangerous. “No!” Chad barked, stepping closer. His eyes were wild, spittle flying from his mouth. “You think you can replace me with her? You’re pathetic, old man! She’s using you, and you’re too blinded to see it!” "She's my wife now!" Kael growls. His gaze hardening. ******** Amy Stone thought she had it all: beauty, a self-made empire and a fiancé, who lived in a different city. Amy stayed loyal and true to Chad, even though this sparked constant loneliness for her. On the day she was supposed to meet him, he discharged her feelings, leaving her desires unmet. Betrayal hit most when she discovered her very best friend was the master mind. They left her for dead, thrown in a deadly piranha river to die, they stole her company, and built a life on her ruin. Amy survived, thanks to a charm bracelet she always wore since her mom's death. Now, she’s back. She is not weak this time, she is a powerful heiress. Her first move: seduce and marry Kael Woods, Chad’s father. A cold and ruthless tycoon who trusts no one. ****Trigger warning**** This story contains explicit content, and strong language, but it's definitely worth daring to read. hence proceed if you are a fan of spicy stories.***