Expensive. Powerful. And entirely f--ked up. That sums up the pretentious but elite circle I grew up in. As much as I hate it, this life has its perks. If I want it, it's mine. It's as simple as that. Until she showed up. She's a tempting little vixen I'm not allowed to have. One intense night changed it all between us, threatening to shatter everything we knew. She came up with a lie. I came up with a cover. Because the truth is… I can't keep my hands off her, and one night would never be enough.

I should’ve known she would ruin me the moment I saw her. Women like her are made to destroy men like me. I couldn’t resist her though. Given to me to start a war; I was too eager to accept. But I didn’t know what she’d do to me. That she would change everything.

We were never meant to be together. He’s a bartender with noncommittal tendencies. I’m looking for…the opposite. Commitment. Period. But drinks and a bet led to something it shouldn’t have: a fake relationship. Worse, a first date, a first kiss…and then more. He’s addictive and I can’t bring myself to accept the reality. That it’s all a lie and I’m fooling myself by thinking he could want more. That I could change him.

Four years ago, I decided to get over one man, by getting under another. A single night and nothing more. I found my handsome stranger with a shot glass and charming but devilish smile at the end of the bar. The desire that hit his eyes the second they landed on me ignited a spark inside me, instant and hot. He was perfect and everything I didn’t know I needed. That one night may have ended, but I left with much more than a memory.

One look, and panties drop. One night, and they're ready to marry me. Too bad I'm not interested in anything more than a taste. Until I'm tempted by Little Miss Goody-Two-Shoes. She's a good girl, the kind I want to possess, dominate, ruin. No one's ever told me no, and I'm not about to let it stop me now.

You know when you see that big red flag, and you think to yourself, I should probably not go anywhere near there? Yeah, Quincy Carter ignored that big red flag. He walked right up to that red flag, waving blatantly in the wind, and kissed the holy hell out of her. Sure, he probably should've arrested her for breaking a restraining order. He probably also should've stopped her from continuing to break that restraining order. Yet he can't.

I shouldn't have agreed to this. What was I thinking? Appearing on a local news show? Just because something happened to me? But here I am. And then I walked past his room. He's a giant—no softness, all muscle. And a rich beard that made me want to rub myself all over it. He made me see stars, literally, because the second time I saw him, I tripped. Or I would've, but he caught me, and the cameras were rolling. Soon, that clip will be trending because he wasn't just another guest on the show. He's Brett Broudou, the Kings' newest football star.

They thought she was unsuitable as a bride because she was mute. I thought that made her perfect. Silent. Invisible. I could pretend she didn’t even exist.

You know the story where the hero comes in and saves the day, rescuing the heroine right in the nick of time? This isn't that story. Instead of a knight in shining armor, he's a sexy, tatted-up Bratva boss with a reputation for being brutal and fierce. Vasily finds me after I've already been brought to my lowest—broken by cruel men until I barely recognize myself. He doesn't offer me salvation. He offers me protection and revenge. And I gladly take it. Because I don't need a knight in shining armor. I need a villain who doesn't mind getting his hands dirty.

I've got a thing for men who work with their hands. I thought I learned my lesson years ago. But here I am, back in the small town I grew up in, staring down at the man who broke my heart years ago. I intended to tell him off. My plan was to flip him the bird and prove to both of us that he hadn't ruined me. I sure as hell wasn't going to sleep with him. Until he tells me he's sorry. Until he gives me that smoldering look I still dream about. Until he whispers just beneath the shell of my ear.

I'd have chosen her above all else...if only I could go back. Even if it meant I never got to kiss her, to love her, to be consumed by the woman she is and the love she gave me. She deserves more than this... She deserves more than this dangerous life I lead. She was never supposed to be involved. She was mine to lust after, to have in the darkest hours of the night, to love in secret even.

When my ex-boyfriend puts a hit out on me, there's only one man I can run to for protection. Cristian Marchetti. The head of the Marchetti Mafia family. My best friend's father. My last resort. But Cristian's protection doesn't come for free. What he wants might cost me my life. He's the Mafia king, and I'm his sacrifice. And now, I must become his wife.

Emmett Lasker is impossible to work for. He might be model handsome and stupidly wealthy, but he also has it out for me. He’s given me more last-minute and weekend requests than anyone else, ruining any plans I make. I should quit. And I will. Just as soon as I hit my two-year anniversary and earn out my signing bonus. But after a particularly awful day at work, a breakup (via text!), and my computer crashing, I’ve had enough! So at 11:59 Friday night, I barge into Emmett’s office to tell him what I really think of him. Only, that’s not what happens. AT ALL.

I have a simple plan. Finish Royal Elite School and get into my dream university. One glance from the school’s king blows my plan up in smoke. One glance and he suffocates my air. One glance and he issues his death sentence. His first words spiral my life into irreparable chaos. “I will destroy you.” Everything about Aiden King is black. Black mind. Black heart. Black soul. I should’ve remained quiet and endured the time I have left. I didn’t. I made the irrevocable mistake of provoking the king on his throne.

I ran from him, even though my heart knew better. Love was one thing, but survival another. I should have known he'd come for me. Men like him always get what they want. The temptation in his eyes, the heat of his touch...it's all still there, but his gaze is harsher now and his grasp unrelenting. He's not the boy I fell in love with, although pieces of what we once had are still there. I can feel it. I know what he wants from me, and I know it comes with a steep price. I'll pay it though, if for no other reason than to touch him again.

Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of best-selling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish. Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity's notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn't expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read.

Five Years Earlier: Henry Dunne knows three things: that agreeing to host this raucous house party was a terrible idea, that he absolutely cannot show up to his nursing shift tomorrow with a hangover, and that the beautiful redhead in the corner will be sleeping in his bed tonight.

Ryder, Garrett, Kenzo, and Diesel - The Vipers. Their deals are as sordid as their business, and their reputation is enough to bring a grown man to his knees, forcing him to beg for mercy. They are not people you mess with, yet my dad did. The old man ran up a debt with them and then sold me to cover his losses. Yes, sold me. They own me now. I’m theirs in every sense of the word. But I’ve never been meek and compliant.

Obituary writer Nadine Barbault doesn’t mind being called “Lady Death”. It suits the ice queen persona she’s cultivated to survive the fast-paced Toronto Herald. So when Nadine learns that famous (and reclusive) author Dot Voline has died, she doesn’t hesitate to run the obituary…only to discover that Dot is very much alive. Nadine’s screw-up has brought Wesley Chen of the rival Spear no end of joy—she’s been a thorn in his extremely ambitious side for years. But the renewed interest in Dot also surfaced chatter about a mysterious past scandal.

Hockey coach Ashley Jaswal doesn't take nonsense from anyone … except her overbearing and superstitious family. They believe she's a good luck charm for her brother Jas, the newest Vancouver Canucks draft pick, forcing Ash to attend all his games as he rises up the NHL ranks, sacrificing her personal life (not that she has one—who decided hockey season needed to be 10 months long anyway?). Ash also clashes with Jas’s teammate, Canucks captain Devin Snyder.

Expensive. Powerful. And entirely f--ked up. That sums up the pretentious but elite circle I grew up in. As much as I hate it, this life has its perks. If I want it, it's mine. It's as simple as that. Until she showed up. She's a tempting little vixen I'm not allowed to have. One intense night changed it all between us, threatening to shatter everything we knew. She came up with a lie. I came up with a cover. Because the truth is… I can't keep my hands off her, and one night would never be enough.

I didn’t get to where I am by being nice. I’m the boss, the CEO, the owner of whatever I want. Right now, that includes every person in this building of the company I just bought. I stop at nothing once I’ve decided I’m taking something. And then she showed up...full of spitfire just for me, the man she's decided is her worst enemy. Like I said, I stop at nothing once I’ve decided I’m taking something. This pretty little thing just moved to the top of my "must acquire" list.

I've got a thing for men who work with their hands. I thought I learned my lesson years ago. But here I am, back in the small town I grew up in, staring down at the man who broke my heart years ago. I intended to tell him off. My plan was to flip him the bird and prove to both of us that he hadn't ruined me. I sure as hell wasn't going to sleep with him. Until he tells me he's sorry. Until he gives me that smoldering look I still dream about. Until he whispers just beneath the shell of my ear.

Author K. A. Linde presents One Cruel Night, a prequel to the Cruel series.

Grady Williams is a national treasure, the youngest living Medal of Honor recipient, America's scarred superhero. With tattooed arms sculpted from carrying M-16s, this bad boy has girls begging from sea to shining sea to get a piece of his action.

We were never meant to be together. He’s a bartender with noncommittal tendencies. I’m looking for…the opposite. Commitment. Period. But drinks and a bet led to something it shouldn’t have: a fake relationship. Worse, a first date, a first kiss…and then more. He’s addictive and I can’t bring myself to accept the reality. That it’s all a lie and I’m fooling myself by thinking he could want more. That I could change him.

Some love stories are a slow burn. Others are quick to ignite, scorching and branding your very soul before you’ve taken that first breath. You’re never given a chance to run from it. That’s how I’d describe what happened to us. Everything around me blurred and all that existed were his lips, his touch.... The chase and the heat between us became addictive. Our nights together were a distraction, one we craved to the point of letting the world crumble around us.

Some love stories are a slow burn. Others are quick to ignite, scorching, and branding your very soul before you’ve taken that first breath. You’re never given a chance to run from it. That’s how I’d describe what happened to us. Everything around me blurred, and all that existed were his lips, his touch. The chase and the heat between us became addictive.

"Promise me you'll love me after this?" Those were the words I asked my first love on a high school date. "Always, Vi," he told me before crushing his lips against mine. I gave him a part of me I can never get back that night. Even worse, I gave him my heart. That was four years ago. Back when I was young and naive. Back when I thought we’d always be together.

Lilah Stone has never followed football. She grew up in one of the country's biggest college football towns, but she's a painter. She doesn't go all weak-kneed for some jock. Especially not after the sex scandal that tore apart the team and destroyed her world. So when she takes a summer adjunct job at Mountain State University, the last guy she wants to see in class is an arrogant, cocky football player. Then Riley Brulotte walks in. He's everything she's sworn to hate ... and sexy as hell. He's all wrong for Lilah. So why does he feel so right?

Beckett Miller’s hedonistic lifestyle just got iced. After a high-profile fall from grace over a drug scandal, the aging pro hockey superstar finds himself without a team, dropped from endorsements, and completely broke. Desperate to turn his home into cash, the league’s bad boy is forced to work with a real estate agent with a megawatt smile… and who he’d just made a spectacular fool of himself with.

It was never love with Daniel, and I never thought it would be. It was only lust from a distance. Unrequited love maybe. He's a man I could never have, for so many reasons. That didn't stop my heart from beating wildly when his eyes pierced through me. It only slowed back down when he'd look away, making me feel so damn unworthy and reminding me that he would never be mine.

I want a wife who knows what it means to live off the grid, cook my food, and keep my bed warm. In exchange, I'll give her a lifetime of happiness in the form of my cock. But damn, Everly's more than I bargained for, and I don't think she has any idea what it means to be mine. Hell, I wanted a wife, but I'm not sure I know how to live with a woman.

Four years ago, I decided to get over one man, by getting under another. A single night and nothing more. I found my handsome stranger with a shot glass and charming but devilish smile at the end of the bar. The desire that hit his eyes the second they landed on me ignited a spark inside me, instant and hot. He was perfect and everything I didn’t know I needed. That one night may have ended, but I left with much more than a memory.

I thought I had life all figured out…and then you kissed me.