Staring Contest

The Draghi Brothers Feared, Revered. Monsters. Those were the words papa had always used to describe them. Worthless, useless, good for nothing-those had been reserved for me. After my little stunt at 16, my papa had made sure I was under lock and key. He knew how to manipulate me, spin his lies and I had no say in whatever he did. When he informed me about my marriage to the second son of the Donovan Family, I knew I had no choice. After all, he was my father. Most girls in our family including my sisters had already been married. I stood at the aisle, looking into the eyes of my husband to be, my mind detached. Just before I could say I do, brain matter splattered on my face, his empty eyes staring at me. The culprits— The brothers I had heard so much about. The brothers that marked me when I was 16. In the heat of the struggle, I found myself tied and captured by them—a price for my family's survival. I knew my father would come save me. Yet, I couldn't help but surrender to the sin they showed me daily. I have a choice to make. A captured bride or a willing slave.

As I head to see my boyfriend, Howard Schultz, who is working late, I get into a car accident. I call him dozens of times for help, but he doesn't answer a single one. Staring at his brightly lit office building not far away, I sink into despair. When I wake up in the hospital, I see a post from his subordinate. It's a picture showing the reflection of the two of them in the glass door, standing far closer than they should, with the caption, "What do I do when my boss is scolding me late at night?" Unwilling to believe it, I call him again. This time, he finally answers. My voice trembles. "Howard, I got into a car accident…" "Celine, I'm still working. I'll send my assistant to take care of it, okay? Be good. I'll see you after I come back from my business trip." I try to say more, but his angry shout suddenly cuts through the line. "Crystal Jennings! You're only allowed to bring one suitcase for this trip. Why do you have three? Do you think we're going on vacation?" Crystal Jennings—the new intern Howard just hired. I stare at the disconnected call, tears drying on my cheeks. I then call my parents instead. "I agree to the engagement you arranged."

"Rolling my eyes, I turn to see an extremely handsome man with short, styled, black hair staring back at me. His eyes are so dark brown that it appears that they are black. Even though I usually don't like men with a beard and mustache, he looks so hot with it, that I would melt in his hands if he touched me. This man oozes sex from every pore of his body. So much so, that when he accidently brushes my cheek with his hand, goosebumps instantly form on my arms. When I continue to stare at him, I notice that he glances down at my dress and just stares. Realizing why, I try to fold my arms across my chest, but he is standing so close, I can’t move without touching him." Dani as her family calls her lovingly, has always been the quiet mousy type.  She lives her life through books, while everyone else lives their lives to the fullest.  Always watching the world around her, she never quite is able to command the attention of anyone except for her friends and family.  When she finds out that she has to get a job to survive, she goes to the city and ends up working under Mr. knight.  Getting more than she bargains for, in the end is she naughty or nice?

BLURB Ava Carter has one dream: play elite hockey. But the Falcons Academy doesn’t recruit girls. So when her twin brother Noah walks away from his scholarship, Ava makes a reckless choice. She steals his identity, his jersey, his future. Now she’s living as Noah Carter, training, competing, and sleeping in the same dorm as Kai Bennett, her brother’s ruthless rival. Kai has spent years trying to defeat Noah. Now they’re roommates. And Kai is starting to notice something is wrong. The way Noah moves. The way he looks at him. The way his pulse changes when they collide on the ice. Then there’s Liam Brooks, captain of the Eagles. Noah’s best friend. The boy who knows her better than anyone. And the only one who might recognize the truth. Caught between her brother’s rival and her brother’s best friend, Ava is playing the most dangerous game of her life. Because the more she wins on the ice, the closer she gets to losing everything: her dream, her secret, her heart. And when her helmet falls in front of a packed arena and her hair spills free… The silence is louder than any crowd. Now the whole world is watching. And no one feels more betrayed than the two boys staring at her from opposite ends of the ice.

He strides closer, his eyes focused intently on her. She found herself backing away until her back came hit the wall. Even then he didn't stop, closing the distance between them until he was standing directly in front of her. His palms slammed against the wall beside her head. He had successfully trapped her, preventing her from leaving. They were inches apart, staring into each other's eyes. Amelia felt her heartbeat speeding up as she stared up at him, having no other choice. She felt her breath hitch. "You are unfa..." "Always, baby." Adrian smirked sexily. "Welcome to your new workplace." ..... Adrian Black is the perfect example of a monster without feelings. A monster that will never let anyone in. He has everything a person dreams of. He is egoistic, merciless and arrogant. He's meticulous and calculative with his every step. The type to pay back what has been given to him. Amelia Hayes was married to Ethan Cavendish. For her this was one of the best things that had happened to her life. But everything was just an illusion. Two people, a man with possessive desires and a woman who have been hurt by love. Two paths that were certainly never meant to collide had crashed into each other in the most unexpected of ways. Is it just the destiny? Danger and seduction has its own part in their journey.

I'd just put the condom on when someone started pounding on the door. My wife, Jocelyn Gill, shoved me aside, panic all over her face. I shot a glare at the door. Her adopted brother, Calvin Tyler, stood there, flushed, staring at her. The bulge in his pants wasn't subtle. "Jocelyn, please help me. I feel awful. I think I'm having an episode!" Seeing him like that, nothing like before, my temper snapped. "Then go get treated. Why are you barging into your sister's room? You got no shame? You can't even get married because of this, so now you're wrecking mine?" Jocelyn rushed over and slapped me. "Finley, how can you say that? Calvin's still a kid. How could he think something that disgusting? Before his parents died, they asked me to take care of him. I'm a psychiatrist—if I don't treat him, how do I face them? You're acting nothing like a brother-in-law. Apologize to Calvin right now, or we're getting divorced!" In two years of marriage, I'd lost count of how many times she'd pulled that card over Calvin. Back then, I'd risked my life just to win her. She thought I'd never leave. She was wrong. This time, I was done loving her.

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.

Leno Dockett and I dated for ten years, and we've also been married for ten years. He's the illegitimate son of an Alpha. At five, he was cast out and forced to grow up in a cave near the silver mines. As an adult, he was poisoned with wolfsbane, and his wolf was nearly been killed. He was banished. I was the one who took him in. I cared for him. I traded one of my pack's most treasured relics to get the best herbs so he could be cured of the wolfsbane. Then, I helped him rebuild his pack from nothing. Everyone in the pack says I bet on the right wolf. Now I'm the Luna. But they don't know that Leno has always loved another she-wolf. For years, I've endured everything—his coldness, his insults, and the other woman's taunts. Still, I refused to break our mate bond. Yesterday, he told me his mistress is pregnant with his heir. And when I once again refused to break our bond, he raised his claws against me in front of our pup. Staring at my pup, who was about to lose his right to inherit, I finally agreed to let go. But on the day we were meant to break the bond, Leno was ambushed. The enemy injected him with wolfsbane that damaged his brain. Now… His memory is stuck 15 years in the past—when he loved me the most.

Looking up I see a boy I had never seen before, a cocky smirk graced his features. "Here you go" he said handing me the pencil I just nodded my head confused as to where he came from since the hallway was dead silent just moments before. Looking over his shoulder I see six other guy's watching the situation. Looking them all up and down I can't deny that their all definitely attractive. Looking back at the guy infront of me I look into his brown eyes a light spark of pink shinning in them. I smiled slightly not being able to find my voice so I begin nodding my head a little in thanks. Turning to walk away I begin to exit the hallway "what no thank you?" a voice called out causing me to turn around. Looking back I see the guy that handed me my pencil his arms lightly spread out with shock across his features. "Right, thanks" I started staring at him before looking at the other six as they all stared at me expectantly, at this moment I guess I really had no idea why. "Oh, right" I started causing them all to perk up "welcome to our hell hole new kids" I continued with a smirk opening my arms up, just like the guy did when he called out to me.

Cheryl Jacqueline Alejandro, her life is full of perfection. A charming, beautiful face, seductive body goals, rich parents who always give everything, also a handsome fiancé who loves her so much. Carlos never left her, never had an affair, and was attracted to other women. Carlos just stares at her, never turns to anyone. However, Carlos' loyalty just made her feel curious with foreign gazes that watched her like a hungry lion. Rafael Frederich Wagner, a man she knows as her sister-in-law's ex-boyfriend. In a smoldering fire game, Cheryl finds herself on the run with Rafael from pursuing a foreign mob who is trying to catch him. In her heart, there was a big question mark about who was the man who was running holding her hand. Who is the man who looks so thirsty when staring at her body? Who is the man who dares to burn her skin with a hot seductive kiss? And then, Cheryl is in a tremendous vacillation between continuing her life with her fiancé or choosing another line with the new man in her life. The man who made her fall in love differently, faster, smoldering, and made her crave a foreign desire that surged in her body. Forbidden, but kept calling her to come closer, as if calling her name in a seductive voice. *** Should I fight the world for you? —Rafael Frederick Wagner— Should I fight the world with you? — Cheryl Jacqueline Alejandro—