Showing results by narrator "Mari Mari" in All Categories

As the reigning queen of a crime organization, hit woman Celine Devereaux has a constant target on her back. Ruling alongside the boss is what she is made for. But when a new enemy arises, it catches the Devereaux organization off guard, triggering a war that erupts in the streets of Chicago.

Twenty prizewinning stories selected from the thousands published in magazines over the previous year—continuing the O. Henry Prize's century-long tradition of literary excellence. "Widely regarded as the nation's most prestigious awards for short fiction." —The Atlantic Monthly. Now...

It was the season that brought families together for trick-or-treating and Thanksgiving dinners. But for Octavia Davenport, this season symbolized an era in her life when she lost everything. For years, Octavia was alone living a moderately single life, but then she met the owner of Rose Security Group, and suddenly things began to change. A blossoming friendship evolved, and with it came an unrestrained indulgence to connect with him on every level. Desire had never stirred her until him, and Octavia didn't want to deny herself what she so hungrily craved.

Blake never expected to meet beautiful women while studying archaeology — let alone a stunning Valkyrie. Dying was a bit of a bummer, but the chance to see Asgard with his own eyes was well worth it. Blake found himself one of the few, modern mortals found worthy of Valhalla, earning him the interest of the gorgeous battle maidens.

Being a part of one of the wealthiest families in Chicago, Jasmine Alexandria Rose has been thrown into the spotlight ever since her conception. In addition to being one-third of a set of well-known triplets, Jasmine is also the famous face of a daytime soap opera and has more notoriety than one could ever want. But it's not the glowing lights, prestigious awards, or reigning celebrity that sends her pulse into overdrive and sizzles her flesh right down to its core.

Retired hitwoman Celine Briggs loved few people in this world; Her husband Caleb, and her ex-handler, Brian Devereaux. When Celine took her marital vows, she exchanged the life of guns, drugs, and violence for the peaceful life as Caleb's wife. However, not all things buried stay hidden.

The unexpected events of summer promise to be as hot as the heat itself in Chatham, New Mexico, for identical twin brothers Ransom and Harley Lawson. One is being groomed to lead by birthright in the Immortals MC while the other will challenge that generations-old rule for the greater good and survival of the club and their brotherhood. Inseparable since birth, the brothers have never let anything or anyone come between them until a returning ex-con club member and the arrival of a beautiful stranger cause their worlds to shift and their priorities right along with them.

Tomaś Martinez has had a crush on his best friend’s mother, Darcy MacFarland, for longer than he’s willing to admit. Would it be wrong to make those feelings known the weekend of his best friend’s wedding? Or would that a big-time party foul?

It's holiday time. The leaves have turned, the air has grown crisp, and love is all around - love of family, freedom, and life in the dreamy, community-oriented township nestled in the Maryland countryside. But will love be enough to overcome all the challenges that our favorite Baymoor residents will face in this festive gathering of the Carlton siblings, their significant others, and host of extended family and friends? Only a hearty meal (or two), a good cry (or three), and a reaffirming commitment to one another, like only the Carlton siblings know how.

A Course of Love is more than a book. It offers a new way of living and being. ACOL posits that all changes we would like to see happening in our lives, even in the world, stem from a single change: moving from seeing ourselves as separate individuals, to seeing the truth that we are an integral part of life, and of an eternal consciousness that exists in unity. ACOL is a call to move into love's embrace.

Yoshiro escaped a career of crime with the mafia after they killed his family. For five years, he's dropped out of life. All he wants this Christmas is to be left alone. Then, Ebony and her kids accidentally crash onto his property during a snowstorm. For three years, they've been running from her husband - who's been more monster than man. The storm picks up. They are forced to remain with Yoshiro until it dies down. And the threat of Ebony's monster remains, lurking within the shadows and threatening her safety. But Yoshiro knows all about death and blood.

If there were ever a man who prided himself on always being up front with women, it's tatted bad boy, Crayson Madden, in the flesh. His world may revolve around sex and cigars, but there's a lot more to this cigar lounge owner than what meets the eye. Too bad Jordyn Jameson spends more time arguing with him, than seeing beyond his asshole-ish ways. Now, they are forced together whether she likes it or not and the more Crayson pushes her buttons, the more he likes what he sees behind the confident siren.

For Eden Alexandria Rose, being under the microscope as a triplet in one of the wealthiest families in Chicago didn't compare to falling in love with the city's most notorious bachelor. While one came with the invasiveness of a celebrity's lifestyle, the other was a receipt for possible disaster, right down to the destruction of her heart. But knowing him from their close upbringing drives a wedge between appearances and the truth. Now all Eden had to decide is if she was willing to risk it all for love, and the thought of being naïve stirred her gut and kept her running.

Twice unlucky in love, natural hair vlogger Angela Strickland has settled into a life centered around avoiding men and relationships like the plague. Unwilling to risk another broken heart, she resigns herself to being a perpetually single woman. Corporate man and self-professed womanizer Ryan Boye doesn't believe in relationships or love and thinks anyone who does is a fool. But there's just something about Angela Strickland he can't shake.

Effervescent, fearless, and self-assured, Selena Strauss is always the life of the party. Her buoyant personality is a pleasure to be around, causing her to garner the attention of a hot commodity she's had her eyes on for a while. Being in the proximity of her walking wet dream, Selena finds herself immensely infatuated with the possibility of their relationship flourishing into something much more. That is until the reality of her parent's divorce becomes the focal point of Selena's life, and, suddenly, Selena's not so sure that the happily-ever-after she's chasing is real.

I thought Jovan had returned to me, but he's still lost. He's a shell of the brave wolf I once knew, distant to me and his brothers. I have done everything I can to heal him, but it's not enough to purge the demons from his soul. He can't access his wolf or his mighty protector. There's only one thing left to be done, Jovan's last chance to heal, and I'm that desperate to save him I just might do it. But how can I ask his sons to do the unthinkable? To return to the one place that can doom a wolf to an eternity of misery: the forest of every wolf's nightmares.

Every man has his weakness. For prominent painter and sculptor Malakai Madden, that weakness has always been women. Now, he's finally ready to settle down and shower one woman with his love. There's just one major problem. Overnight, he's gained thousands of Twitter followers after his obsessive ex decides to leak some private information. To make matters worse, a well-known media source retweets them! Suddenly, every woman wants a piece of Malakai.

Georgina Carlton is on the fast-track road to success. She doesn't have time for distractions like relationships, family, and love because she's seen firsthand how they can complicate things. Unfortunately, Max Hayes didn't get that memo. One look at the petite dynamo and he decides she's a complication worth having and keeping. So he erases the boundary lines when she's not looking, and before Georgina knows it, she's falling in love with the gorgeous farmer and a town she thought she hated. Can she take a chance on him, or will her dream and complicated past get in the way?

Mystery, crime, and grit surrounded his family, often bringing power-hungry enemies right to his doorstep. Never one to back down from any opposition, he often stood victorious. But this new threat is something different and not at all one he is prepared for until an old love comes to save him.

Popular travel blogger Greer Kennedy is living the good life with a successful career and equally as successful fiance until one phone call from a friend opens her eyes to the truth of her relationship. Tall, handsome, and successful in his own right, Derek Hill is dealing with some serious relationship problems as well. When their paths cross, they mutually but unofficially decide to share a night - or three or four - of anonymous pleasure.