The Retreat Sarah Pearse

"When Zack Wallace’s uncle offered him the chance to fulfill his dreams with a job flying for his Alaska charter service, no way was Bailey George going to hold him back. Flying was Zack’s life. Which is why she never told him about the unexpected, unplanned pregnancy. Or answered his letters or returned his calls. Instead, she moved away, got her law degree, and raised her son with the help of her family and friends. When Bailey is charged with running a retreat for her law partners at Casa Blanca Resort and Spa at Barefoot Bay, the last person she expects to run into is Zack. But any chance of a future comes to a shrieking halt when Bailey’s son, the image of Zack, shows up at Barefoot Bay. Part TwoIt was bad luck that had Robin Hanna working late the night her boss, already in trouble with the feds, had two late visitors. Worse luck for him when they shot him dead. In less than twenty-four hours the FBI whisks her out of town and off to the Casa Blanca Resort and Spa in Barefoot Bay, Florida. If she has to hide a way, she gives thanks for the hiding place they picked…a luxury resort. Trey DeMarcus. He had his life all mapped out: a beautiful wife, a career in JAG, and then retirement to Montana, a state where he’s always wanted to live. Neither his wife nor the law practice worked out and now he’s at the Casa Blanca Resort and Spa, trying to figure out his life. When these two meet up, they have nothing in common except lives in chaos. Sunstroke is created by Desiree Holt, an EGlobal Creative Publishing signed author."

It was the apocalypse. A zombie apocalypse. We should've been running for our lives, but my girlfriend, Yvonne Brown, refused to. She wanted to buy as much time as she could for her incompetent childhood friend, Yves Claude, to hop into the last helicopter that would take survivors away. But the retreat was our group's only way to survive in this apocalypse. Yves was not showing up anytime soon. I had no choice but to knock her out and drag her into the chopper. And Yves, the one she could never seem to forget, died in the swarm of undead. I, however, survived thanks to what I did. Yvonne and I lived happily in a safe zone. And then that fateful day came. I was going to take over the territory and lead humanity on an attack against the zombies. The night before that decisive strike, Yvonne spiked my water with anesthetics. When I was caught helpless, she tossed me into the horde of zombies. The swarm of undead tore my flesh open, and the pain killed me. Yvonne? She stood on the wall coldly, a sneer decorating her lips. "Yves could've lived, but you took that chance away from him! You selfish monster, you killed Yves! I will make you suffer what he suffered! You'll pay for it with your life!" Death took me, but it tossed me all the way back to the day of the retreat. The day Yvonne adamantly insisted on waiting for Yves. Well, if she was so happy to live through a world like this with her friend, who am I to say no? I would grant her that wish, even if she would end up as zombie food.

With him she is wild; and with her, he is tamed. Roxette Bennett wanted revenge. What she found was passion, obsession, danger... and a love that could destroy them both. She fell first but he fell hard. “Do you like this, baby?” he whispers, brushing his thumb across my hardened nipple, dragging circles over my stomach as my body melts. I bit down on my lip, and a small whimper escapes, feeling a burning sting at the center between my legs. “Oh no Baby, I love your beautiful moans but I will need your full permission. I can’t go further unless you say it,” he breathes, his possessive gaze locked on mine I swallowed. “Please, touch me” I breathe, feeling an aching need for this man. Then a dark growl, “How?” “Anyhow you want to, Daddy.” She’s young, curious, and just 22. He’s 39—intense and a very powerful man.She wanted control--until he took it. After her boyfriend is killed in a hit-and-run, Roxette Bennett is shattered—until she meets the driver, Sarah McLain, a powerful law professor living her best life without any guilt. Roxy wants revenge. She transfers to Gould University to destroy Sarah the only way she knows how—by seducing her cold, brilliant husband, billionaire attorney Aaron West. But Aaron is no pawn—he’s a storm. And once Roxy steps into his world, she can’t escape. Every kiss is a lie. Every touch, a betrayal. And every moment with him pulls her deeper into the fire. And yet, neither of them can walk away. Then there's Nick—wealthy, kind, and everything Aaron isn’t. He offers her safety. Peace and a way out. But when a devastating secret about her late boyfriend and an unexpected pregnancy surface, Roxy must choose: Revenge,love or freedom?

“Beg, little mate. Let’s hear how sweet you sound when you’re desperate.” “She won’t beg for you. She’ll crawl to me, just like she should.” “Pathetic. Both of you. She already knows she belongs to me.” Dahlia thought her biggest problem was surviving college with her dignity intact. Blackridge Academy was brutal enough—where dominance and bloodlines meant everything. She already endured the cruel whispers, the “waste of tuition” insults, and a boyfriend who flirted with other girls while she clung to him, desperate not to lose the only affection she thought she had. But her quiet misery ended the night her cheating boyfriend breaks up with her. The searing pain across her chest was more than just fate. It was three mate marks. Knox Rivers — her brother’s best friend, the brilliant Alpha-to-be who can’t stand that his weak, bullied mate is her. Jace Blackmoor — the Lycan King’s golden son, cruel playboy, who laughs at the bond and swears he’ll break her until she kneels. Zayne Lachlan — the hybrid everyone fears, a dangerous artist with hands stained in rumors of blood, who stares at her like she’s his salvation…and his curse. Dahlia becomes the academy’s obsession, the girl with three marks who doesn’t deserve even one. Her boyfriend fears her. The other girls retreat from her. Everyone hates her. And yet… her three mates won’t let anyone else touch her. Not out of love. Out of possession. And possession comes with a price.

“This….this is not right,” she whispered, closing her eyes as let her head fall back as he kissed her neck. Pleasure engulfing her, her mind hazy but at the same time working. “What isn’t?” He asked, in that rich, smooth, velvet voice that was quite enough to make her drop to her knees. She opened her eyes, staring right into his hunger filled ones. “It’s forbidden.” She whispered. “It won’t be nice if we get caught,” His lips twitched and he rubbed the back of his palm down her face, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Who said anything about getting caught, Rivers?” •••• If there was one thing Sloane Rivers loved most, it was Christmas. After working her ass off all year as an attorney, she was disappointed when she was nominated to go on the mandatory firm retreat. A day after she arrived, she found herself sharing the lodge with an unexpected “roomie” Ethan Hale. An arrogant, 6’2”, ridiculously wealthy CEO due to a storm. Their cohabitating came with plenty of back-and-forth bickering and arguments that slowly turned into something she looked forward to even after he moved out of her lodge. After the retreat ended, Sloane returned to her normal life. What she didn’t expect was for Ethan to crash into her world again, challenging every principle she’d lived by. The man she’d met a week before Christmas might just be her undoing, because mixing business with pleasure was strictly forbidden.

Claire Sterling went to prison because her family decided she was expendable. Her husband, Nathan Sterling, needed her out of the way. His mistress was already waiting to take her place. Their son testified against his own mother without hesitation. When Claire is released, Nathan offers her a choice he believes is merciful: apologize, return quietly, and remain Mrs. Sterling in name only. Their son makes it clear he wants nothing to do with her. Claire declines. She files for divorce and takes her case to Carter Thorne—the man Nathan has spent years trying to crush in business. Carter doesn’t offer sympathy. He offers strategy. The divorce becomes a public defeat. Claire walks away with control of most of the assets, while Nathan loses more than money. His reputation fractures, his partners retreat, and the leverage he once relied on disappears. Free from the marriage that destroyed her, Claire rebuilds her career on her own terms. Her work earns recognition fast, and her name becomes valuable again—this time without the Sterling family attached to it. Nathan’s life unravels just as efficiently. The woman he protected exposes her real ambitions. The son who rejected his mother realizes too late who actually cared. The family that pushed Claire out collapses from the inside. When Nathan and his son finally show up at Claire’s door, regret has replaced arrogance. They ask her to come back. They ask as if forgiveness is still owed. Claire listens, then makes it clear: She is no longer waiting to be chosen. Whether they belong in her life at all is now her decision—and one she has no reason to rush.

During the Labor Day team retreat, I had booked out the entire top floor of the Grand Summit Hotel. Yet, when my fiancee, Serena Wagner, found out, she was enraged. "Matthew Grant, are you out of your mind? Spending over 800,000 dollars to rent a place for one day? Since you're so rich and have nowhere else to splurge, just let me help you spend it!" Then, she called over our intern, Dylan Foster. She pointed at him and started yelling at me. "He only makes 6000 a month as an intern. Why don't you give him this money instead?" I looked at my colleagues standing nearby, their faces clearly uncomfortable. I replied calmly, "His salary isn't low compared to industry standards. Besides, the team-building budget belongs to everyone. Why should I give it all to him?" However, the moment those words left my mouth, Serena exploded. "I'm your finance director and your future wife! Of course, I get to control where your money goes. If you don't agree, then let's call off the engagement!" With that, she stormed off with Dylan. I silently picked up a bottle from the floor and poured myself three glasses. The first glass was for her, for being with me through the first half of my life. The second glass was for me, for having a clear conscience in this relationship. The third glass was for both of us. I wished us well as we parted ways and moved on with our separate lives.

Leah is back on the family farm in Mozambique, where she meets doctor Sergio Martinez whom she immediately feels attracted to. But Leah is certainly not happy to see that her ex-husband Ralph is also back here. Apparently to complete the dream eco-holiday destination he originally planned, when they were married to each other. What is really uncomfortable is the fact that he wants her back as his wife. He still wants to make a baby with her! Leah acquired a little bit of money after selling her grandmother's house in Pretoria. And Ralph knows about it. He is a dangerous man if he believes there is money somewhere that he can get his hands on. But for some or another reason, Ralph Jameson suddenly has money of his own as well. Did he inherit it from the much older deceased woman he briefly married, after divorcing Leah? Or did he steal it from her while she was still alive? Sergio Martinez is happy with the card life dealt him. He is a veterinarian working for an international company dealing with the relocation and breeding of wild animals for National Parks all over Africa. The lion project, wildlife sanctuary and hospital for injured animals is on a farm neighboring Hurters Retreat. He rents a flat from John Hurter, as he got himself a pet now, an African Wild cat. Gato needs to be kept away from the vet's patients and other threats in the bush. Hurters Retreat felt like a safe haven for his cat and his heart. But suddenly he is not that sure anymore. Why does it feel as if Leah was the woman he waited for all his life. And why did her ex-husband follow her there? Is this the day trouble started in his paradise?

Surviving high school is tough enough—but being a werewolf? That’s a whole different level. I’m Sarah, trying to navigate schoolwork, friendships, and the chaos of teenage life, all while resisting the dangerously magnetic charm of Fitch Jones—the school’s infamous Alpha. Reckless, irresistible, and utterly captivating, Fitch leaves heartbreak and rumors in his wake wherever he goes. From late-night parties to classroom showdowns, every day tests loyalty, desire, and self-control. Caught between supernatural instincts and human emotions, I have to rely on my wit and courage just to survive—and maybe even come out on top. Who can resist Fitch Jones’ pull, and how many hearts will break under the pack’s irresistible force?

Sarah HAYES has worked too hard to let a single mistake derail her career. She’s finally secured her dream job as an executive assistant at Vance Holdings, a world ruled by spreadsheets, silence, and the ruthless, ice-cold CEO, ALEXANDER VANCE. ​Alexander is gorgeous, untouchable, and utterly terrifying. Their worlds collide when Elara literally crashes into him, earning a verbal lashing that should have ended her career before it even began. But instead of being fired, Elara is given the impossible: she's reassigned as Alexander Vance’s personal, 24/7 assistant. ​Now, she is trapped. ​One moment, he treats her like an annoying distraction—a clumsy obstacle beneath his notice. The next, his eyes hold an unsettling intensity, his voice lowers, and the air crackles with an electric current that screams forbidden desire.