Showing results by author "Cora Rose" in All Categories

Working for a notorious mob boss like Anthony Costello for fifteen years has taught me a thing or two about dangerous men. I myself have been chiseled and beaten into someone to be reckoned with. And I’ve even come to relish in the pain, to crave it. But no one gets under my skin quite like Luca Rossi, Anthony’s right-hand man. I hate him more than words can express, I always have. He torments me and toys with me, just a plaything in his twisted and cruel game of control, until I’m feral with rage and barely able to contain myself.

Anthony Costello may be a vicious mafia boss with a penchant for violence and torture, but he’s also my best friend’s father and the sexiest man I’ve ever laid eyes on. His buttoned-up demeanor and grumpy attitude only fuel my desire to take him apart. I live to push all his buttons. And though he says he’s straight, it seems Anthony may have a soft spot and possessive streak for this smart-mouthed twink. Because as war between rival gangs escalates, things between Anthony and I start to heat up. And I think I’d rather like to sit on the king’s lap to watch it all burn.

Straight guys don’t have crushes on other dudes, right? Except my roommate, Whit, is intriguing, and I find myself watching him constantly. He’s a mystery I can’t figure out and these feelings I’m having about him are confusing. Then, one night, I find myself wrapped around him, and after that, I can't get enough. But Whit has secrets. He doesn’t let people in, and the more I fall for him, the less I know. I can't let him go, though. Until I realize I’m going to be the one broken at the end of our story.

I’m Logan Lewis: popular, charming, and athletic. All the girls love me. Yep, I’ve really got it made. Then I find myself in danger of failing my chemistry class and losing my sports scholarship. I know the only person who can save me is the smartest science tutor on campus. Theo Reign is brilliant. He’s also cold, antisocial, moody, and mean. He looks at me like he hates me, but touches me like he wants me. There’s something just beneath the surface that draws me in. His secret pain mirrors my own, and I suddenly find myself craving him.

All my life I’ve waited for my fairytale romance. Sheltered by my protective father and confined by the dangers of his mafia legacy, I’ve saved myself—my heart and body—all these years for this very moment… Deadly handsome and charming, Mikhail Ivanov, strikes a deal with my father for my hand in marriage, ensuring my safety and building an alliance. And I thank my lucky stars Mikhail is everything I’ve ever dreamed of, his sweet mouth whispering sins and promises—that I’m his little prince, his angel.

I know this is wrong, but I can’t help myself when it comes to him. My mom deserves to be happy after losing my dad to tragedy over a decade ago. But her blissful new relationship comes with a catch. His name is Emery, my new stepbrother, and he’s the most infuriating, impulsive, chaotic, and strangely intriguing man I’ve ever met. I’ve managed to avoid him for a year but then on our way to our parents’ cabin, we get lost alone in the snowy mountains of Utah.

Lex is chaos personified. He’s strange and alluring, unpredictable and unique. He drives me wild in a way I’ve never experienced. I’ve never felt desire like this, and now I find myself craving his touch and wanting him more than I’ve ever wanted anyone. I know I shouldn’t trust him, though. Lex wants something from me, and my family. He watches me through hidden cameras, stalking me like prey. But his voyeurism excites me. I want him to watch me, catch me, consume me.

They say love comes from the most unexpected places. I found mine hiding in my bushes from the cops. My life before Luke was a carefully structured routine. It was predictable and organized, just the way I like it. Some would call it boring, but I call it smart self-preservation. If there’s one thing that could threaten to bring it all crashing down, it’s Luke van Beek. He swept into my world like a tropical cyclone, all hot and chaotic, and tore down my safeguards. Now I can’t seem to rid myself of this charming, larger-than-life, ridiculous man.

As a divorced man in my thirties with a throwaway job and very few friends, I admit that I've made a lot of bad decisions over the years. Rounding out the top of that epic list was allowing my son's best friend, Quinn, to talk me into taking him on a two-week summer road trip... alone. What was supposed to be quality father-son bonding time before Joshua went off to college has somehow transpired into a battle of wills between me and his nineteen-year-old best friend. Quinn may be young, but he genuinely seems to enjoy spending time with me, something I've never experienced before.

After my honorable discharge from the Marine Corps, it only made sense to put my skills to good use as a personal bodyguard. The contracts keep me moving and traveling, and the money is good. All I've ever wanted was to make sure my mother and sister were taken care of after my father passed away. So when Anthony Costello, the notorious mob boss and my dad's ex-employer, asked me to take on a special job for his family, I couldn't say no. But not even my six-year stint as an elite Marine could have prepared me for the hellscape that is being trapped in a secluded safe house with his son.

Sometimes things happen that test our resilience and our strength. My life was changed forever one fateful night last year when I lost my leg in an accident. It’s affected my independence and my confidence. But there is one thing—one person—that hasn’t changed, hasn’t wavered when life gets hard. Finn Ledger. He’s been my best friend since the moment we met in middle school. We’re grown now, with separate lives, but he still always manages to be there for me when I need him, even when circumstances try to wrench us apart. He always holds me when I need it and cares for me like no one else can.

Sometimes your dream guy isn’t who you think he is. Sem has been stalking me for months. He shows up everywhere I am and lurks in the background, his eyes always on me. I don’t understand his fascination with me, but he won’t leave me alone. He’s definitely not my type. He’s too big, too reckless, and too feral. But then one night he breaks into my apartment and dares me to do something crazy and I can’t say no.

When the need is great, does it matter where or how you get what you need? The Black Market is the Hourlings fifth anthology. The Hourlings are a group of authors located in Northern Virginia. The group was created in 2014 by Elizabeth Hayes to focus on the genres of Fantasy and Science Fiction. The author's meetings are held each week to discuss and innovate every aspect in the process of writing and publishing. Members of the Hourlings lead writing workshops, run their own small press, and are published both traditionally with the Big Five and with internationally read Independent ...

A straight man walks into a gay bar searching for meaning…It sounds like the start of a lousy joke. And honestly, that’s what my life is beginning to feel like. I look back at all the hateful things I’ve said and done—so many things I can’t take back—and I’m not proud. I let my ignorance steal my relationship with my youngest brother, Magnus. He and his husband, Sem, are now happily married with kids, and all I want is to be a part of their lives. But I need help to get there.

I've devoted my life to my son, always putting his needs first, and honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. Becoming a father was the best decision I've ever made, but hell, single parenting is difficult. I'm so tired of holding everything together. I need a partner, someone to share my life with. I miss intimacy and passion. I want someone who will take charge and help me let go of all this control I cling to. But an endless string of bad dates and rejection has me feeling like maybe love will never come for me. Maybe a father is all I'm meant to be in this life.

We've all heard the saying, "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas." God help me, if only that were true. Because as it turns out, my surprise gay husband is very much still my husband outside of the great state of Nevada. And let me tell you, as a straight guy, waking up married to a man I barely know with no memory of how it happened wasn't even on my Bingo card. What started as a fun weekend getaway to support my brothers in their relationships and show them how much I've grown, has somehow spiraled wildly out of my control.

When I fled my small town home to fly across the globe for a potential job on a remote island, I did it on a whim. And let's just say my parents were not happy. According to them, the journey of self-discovery is not nearly as important as tending the family farm.

While I've always known my infatuation with Cash and Ford was meant to remain an unfulfilled dream, I never really lost hope. Hope that the two men, twice my age, would ever see me as more than just a kid. As more than just their best friend's son. I'm not a kid anymore, and at twenty-one, they're about to see that little meek and quiet Ben is old enough for many things. Old enough to finally attract their attention. And frankly, old enough to know better. To know that these stolen touches and lustful trysts behind closed doors could never really amount to more.

I'm really more of a "take it as it comes" sort of dude. But making minimum wage at a small-town sandwich shop wasn't exactly what I had in mind after college graduation either. It may not be an exciting life, but it isn't so bad. At least I have my amazing coworkers and friends who always try to make the workday fun. Everyone, that is, except the new guy, Simon.

Sounds like a tacky wall-art quote to me. But what do I know? I don’t have a family. Not anymore. And I definitely don’t know loyalty. Not since my brothers collectively decided to shut me out of their lives... Not since my mother lied to me and kept a devastating secret... Not since my father sold our company out from under me to a smug jerk with a chip on his shoulder.