When you're almost killed, not once, but twice, finding out your father is a mafia boss doesn't seem so bad. What is bad, though, is the feelings I'm trying to hide toward John, my father's personal assassin. With his brooding, bad boy aura and intense blue eyes, I know he could command anything from me and I would obey. His eyes, though sinister, say they want to touch me, to kiss me, to cross that line we know is forbidden. I feel drawn to him. His presence calls to me like a beacon.Even though my father took him in and molded him into what he is today--a merciless killer-- my father will be even more merciless when it comes to his only heir. Nothing but a brutal and violent death will be waiting for John if my father ever finds out. But I don't know if either of us are strong enough to stay away. (Disclaimer: this is a mature, new adult book with explicit sex scenes and violence. 18+ readers only.)

From two bestselling authors—the first in a deliciously bold new series that takes readers to the most dangerous edge of desire . . . Nikolai: I have been a contract killer since I was a boy. For years I savored the fear caused by my name, the trembling at the sight of my tattoos. The stars on my knees, the marks on my fingers, the dagger in my neck, all spoke of danger. If you saw my eyes, it was the last vision you’d have. I have ever been the hunter, never the prey. With her, I am the mark and I am ready to lie down and let her capture me. Opening my small, scarred heart to her brings out my enemies. I will carry out one last hit, but if they hurt her, I will bring the world down around their ears. Daisy: I’ve been sheltered from the outside world all my life. Home-schooled and farm-raised, I’m so naive that my best friend calls me Pollyanna. I like to believe the best about people. Nikolai is part of this new life, and he’s terrifying to me. Not because his eyes are cold or my friend warns me away from him, but because he’s the only man who has ever seen the real me beneath the awkwardness. With him, my heart is at risk . . . and also, my life.

She's terrified of me. She should be. I'm no saint, but apparently even killers have limits. When the Bratva hired me as security for the night, I didn't know it was a flesh trade. I could have kept my cool, done my job, but then I saw her. Pure as a lily, dressed in skimpy lingerie, and being auctioned off to the foulest men in Brighton Beach. I'm not used to this white knight sh*t, but I did what I had to do. I outbid those pieces of trash and bought myself a bride. What the hell do I do with a sweet, subservient woman who's been trained to obey her husband? I can think of some things my baser instincts want me to do... But when she submits to me, I'm going to be the man that deserves it, not just the one she owes it to. So I'm going to make her life better. I'm going to make her want me just as bad as I want her. And at night, when my new princess is slumbering, I'm going to make every one of those pimps pay in blood.

From USA Today bestselling romance author Willow Winters, comes an unexpectedly hot standalone with two alphas and one human mate. Get ready for a fast paced and steamy paranormal novella in the To Be Claimed world that romance readers can’t stop raving about. We tracked her down, now we’re keeping her. After all she is our mate… We’re the twin Alphas of Dark Valley, opposite in almost every way but both of us are shocked that we share a mate… and that she’s human. I have no idea how this pretty little woman could handle one of us, let alone both. When lust turns to obsession, neither of us will be able to fight the pull to her and I’m not sure either of us will be willing to share. She never could have known what searching for answers about shifters could lead to and neither could we. Now the only thing she'll be learning is who she belongs to. If you enjoy sexy, alpha werewolves and standalone, insta-love stories, complete with a happily ever after, this book is for you.

From the bestselling authors of Last Hit and Last Breath comes the next dark and sensual tale in the Hitman series that crosses the line between danger and desire... Naomi: When I was kidnapped I thought only of survival. I don’t thrive well in chaos. That’s why I gave my captors exactly what they wanted: my skill with computers. Making millions for a crime lord who kept me imprisoned in his basement compound kept my family safe. When he was taken out, I thought my ticket to freedom had arrived. Wrong. I traded one keeper for another. This time I’m in the hands of a scarred, dark, demanding Russian who happens to be the head of the Bratva, a Russian crime organization. He wants my brain and my body. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t intrigued, but I can’t be a prisoner forever...no matter how good he makes me feel. Vasily: At a young age, I was taught that a man without power is a puppet for all. I’ve clawed—and killed—my way to the top so that it is my heel on their necks. But to unify the fractured organization into an undefeatable machine, I need a technological genius to help me steal one particular artifact. That she is breathtaking, determined, and vulnerable is making her more dangerous than all of my enemies combined. But only I can keep her safe from the world that she now inhabits. Soon, I must choose between Naomi and Bratva law. But with every day that passes, this becomes a more impossible choice.

What happens when a snarky hitman and a by-the-book PI cross paths? Leland Being a hitman has its perks, but I never thought getting an accidental mooning by an attractive PI while he's caught on a fence would be one of them. While it's not exactly love at first sight, he's captured my interest and won't let go.Suddenly, I find myself caught in a game of cat and mouse, determined to attract the attention of Jackson, the PI who should be my enemy. He pretends like he's not flattered by my flowers and the mentions of my totally-not-fictitious blow-up doll Randy (or was it Dandy?), but I know better. Why else would he be teaming up with me to bring down Hardek, one of the city's most ruthless criminals? JacksonEven though the cops are telling me that the hitman is a notorious contract killer, I can't help but admit that I'm drawn to him. He's funny, charismatic, and attractive. There's no way this ridiculous man can be the person the cops are after.But when Leland ends up at my doorstep injured, I'm faced with a tough choice. It's my duty to hand him over to law enforcement, but my heart has other plans. I want to keep him. To protect him. To be with him. Though one question remains: why in the world does the man have so many d*mn guns?Contains: shenanigans on a swing that you would NOT find at a playground, a car chase that sadly doesn't have flips or explosions, a horsey ride sans horse, cuddles, an exuberant mutt, a suspicious chief of police, and lots and lots of laughs.

Theorizes an alternative form of masculinity in global literature that is less egocentric and more sustainable, both in terms of gendered and environmental power dynamics. Contemporary novelists and filmmakers like Kazuo Ishiguro (Japanese-British), Emma Donoghue (Irish-Canadian), Michael Ondaatje (Sri Lankan-Canadian), Bong Joon-ho (South Korean) and J.M. Coetzee (South African-Australian) are emblematic of a transnational phenomenon that Robinson Murphy calls “castration desire.” That is, these artists present privileged characters who nonetheless pursue their own diminishment. In promulgating through their characters a less egocentric mode of thinking and acting, these artists offer a blueprint for engendering a more other-oriented global relationality. Murphy proposes that, in addition to being an ethical prerogative, castration desire's “less is more” model of relationality would make life livable where veritable suicide is our species' otherwise potential fate. “Castration desire” thus offers an antidote to rapacious extractivism, with the ambition of instilling a sustainable model for thinking and acting on an imminently eco-apocalyptic earth. In providing a fresh optic through which to read a diversity of text-types, Castration Desire helps define where literary criticism is now and where it is headed. Castration Desire additionally extends and develops a zeitgeist currently unfolding in critical theory. It brings Leo Bersani's concept “psychic utopia” together with Judith Butler's “radical egalitarianism,” but transports their shared critique of phallic individualization into the environmental humanities. In doing so, this book builds a new framework for how gender studies intersects with environmental studies.

She’s terrified of me. She should be. I'm no saint, but apparently even killers have limits. When the Bratva hired me as security for the night, I didn't know it was a flesh trade. I could have kept my cool, done my job, but then I saw her. Pure as a lily, dressed in skimpy lingerie, and being auctioned off to the foulest men in Brighton Beach. I'm not used to this white knight shit, but I did what I had to do. I outbid those pieces of trash. I bought myself a bride. What the hell do I do with a sweet, subservient woman who's been trained to obey her husband? I can think of some things my baser instincts want me to do... But when she submits to me, I'm going to be the man that deserves it, not just the one she owes it to. So I'm going to make her life better. I'm going to make her want me just as bad as I want her. And at night, when my new princess is slumbering, I'm going to make every one of those pimps pay in blood. I will protect her, and our unborn baby. No Cliffhangers. Safe from cheating. Explicit language & swearing. Topics: Romantic Suspense, Mafia Romance, Fake Marriage, Alpha Male Romance, Dangerous Romance, Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance, Steamy Romance, Contemporary, Standalone Series, mafia romance good girl, russian mafia romance, russian mafia romance books, a dark mafia romance, mafia romance with baby, mafia romance arranged marriage, virgin auction, mafia romance russian, mafia romance arranged marriage, dark russian mafia romance, bratva mafia romance, mafia romance hea, mafia romance suspense, mafia romance baby, mafia romance forced marriage, dark mafia romance age gap, Forbidden Love, Forced Proximity, Fake Relationship, Killer Romance, Forbidden Romance, Kidnapping Romance, Bad Boy, romantic suspense, mafia romance, alpha male romance, bad boy romance, alpha male, dark romance, captive romance, age difference, antihero romance, series romance, forbidden romance You might enjoy Alexis Abbott's novels if you're a fan of: Jane Henry, Nora Ash, Natasha Knight, Renee Rose, Anna Zaires, Winter Sloane, Julia Sykes, A. Zavarelli, Kitty Thomas, CD Reiss, Jeanne St. James, Nicole Fox, Clarissa Wild, and Chelle Bliss

He can't let her go.Honey wants two things. To supply produce to the local pantry and for me, David Cantal to ask her out.She is overalls, sunshine and freckles. I'm big, gruff, rough around the edges and I don't know the first thing about women that are sweet and way too good for me. We're as different as night and day and that's all anyone wants to talk about. So I plan to stay away from her, no matter how tempting she is.But when she calls me in the middle of the night, asking for my help, I can't tell her no. I go to her but she has plans to take more than just my help... she also wants my heart.Cherry Falls is filled with returning characters and iconic destinations that will begin to feel like family. When you leave the city, and drive into Cherry Falls, it's like you've finally come home. The cherry on top? Each book delivers a swoon-worthy, sexy romance! So welcome to Cherry Falls, we hope you stay awhile!

Perkins, a former chief economist at a Boston strategic-consulting firm, confesses he was an "economic hit man" for 10 years, helping U.S. intelligence agencies and multinationals cajole and blackmail foreign leaders into serving U.S. foreign policy and awarding lucrative contracts to American business.