Showing results by author "T.L. Smith" in All Categories

He kidnapped me. That was how I met Atlas Hyde - a man known by many names and admired by all. But most don't know he’s ruthless, conniving, and always gets what he wants - no matter the cost. I was a good girl. Never in trouble with the law. Never took drugs. Always did precisely what was expected of me. Even with his hand around my throat and words that cut sharper than knives, I couldn't help but wonder what happened to this beautiful man to make him that way.

Savior or seducer. I am not sure which one he's playing at. He is forbidden, after all. I am married to a rockstar. Appearances must be upheld. But what does it mean when your marriage is breaking, and the dark, mysterious savior is offering you things you have never felt before? Do you say yes? Or do you say no? He owns a club that's specific to every person's desires. So the promises he is making might very well hold true.

My husband sold me. Not only did he sell me, but he told me he loved me while doing the deal. What lies he tells. Only fools believe him. Unfortunately, one of those fools was me.

He thought I was his—that's what his emails indicated. He thought that because our families signed on the dotted line many years ago, it was a done deal. But I ran away from that life for a reason. Little did I know, he would find me. And he wasn't going to take no for an answer. Crue wanted me to be his wife. And all I wanted was him in my bed.

The night I catch my husband cheating is the night I stop pretending. I don't cry. I don't scream. I don't get mad—I get even. So I bring home another man—a stranger with wicked eyes and a smile sharp enough to carve me open. I let him have me in the house I share with a liar. A moment of weakness? Maybe. A moment of revenge? Definitely. But he saw me—the darkness, the hunger, the parts my husband hated—and he wanted more.

Kisses were covered with lies. Lies were covered with kisses. Hate turned into lust. And lust turned into fantasy. That’s what we were, a fantasy. Nothing more, nothing less. Now it’s time to move on. But how can you when your heart wants to stay stuck in the fantasy? When, even through all the lies and kisses, you still have lust?

Detective Braxton Hero should keep his distance from me. Even though I can't seem to stay away from him. Letting him get too close is a mistake. One I can't stop making. He sees me. The woman I pretend to be and the one behind the mask. And for the first time, I don't know which version is real. Even though I've spent my life in the shadows, I've never been conflicted about who I am… until he blurred the lines. The thought of him seeing my darkness does something to me. He makes me want things. Things I can't have. A life that isn't mine to take. A love built on lies.

It started out as a hit. One bullet. One man. My orders are clear—get close to the mafia heir, Eli Monti, play with his head, and wait for the signal to end it. End him. I thought he would be my easiest mark yet. But somehow I'm the one being played. Eli always gets what he wants, and now, he wants me. His vengeful proposal isn't a request. It's a demand. When you play games with a man who's been mastering them all his life, you learn some new tricks. Top of the list: Find the best way to kill my fake fiancé.

Hawke Ivanov is known to excel at two things: sex and violence. It's why I never took our fling seriously, accepting it with no strings attached. Except now, his mischievous ways have become all-consuming, and I'm his new obsession, especially after one night that changed everything between us. Hawke is using me to run away from his own demons, and when I realize it's not only a matter of our bodies but hearts as well, I tell him sweet little lies to keep him away. All I wanted was a good boy in my bed. The last thing I needed was a dangerous man carving his way into my heart.

Cunning, lethal, and resilient were just a few words men have used to describe Anya Ivanov. Others would use words that are far worse. The head of questionable auctions just so happens to have the eye of a very ruthless businessman, River Bently. River knew the moment he saw her, Anya was his. And he was more than patient to give her time to realize he was not going anywhere. Even if he was imposing on her territory, he was there to stay. The only way to spend time with Anya is if you have the money to pay for her company. He very much could.

I was destined to marry another man when I first met Dawson. He was charming, deadly, and everything my father hated. And I lived by my father's rule, which happens when he's a king of the underworld. That was until I managed to escape and somehow straight into the arms of the man who sells your desires for a living. Did I have a price? Or was he willing to share me for free?

I lie to one of the city's most ruthless men—and it feels so good. Deception is a drug, and I'm quickly becoming an addict. Each time we speak, Zuko has no idea it's me. The lie tastes sweet leaving my mouth. I couldn't stop now, even if I wanted to—which I don't. He thinks our conversations are more than just sex. He's wrong. The intimacy he feels is all a facade. Until the day an embodiment of my darkest fantasies walks into my bar, and his unmistakable voice sends a shiver down my spine. It turns out I'm not the one in control.

When the king of the underworld wants you. You have no place to run. No matter how hard you try, no matter where you go. He will find you. It’s just a matter of do you want him to find you? Or do you want to run?

I've worked for men all my life, been enslaved by them. My new boss is different. He buys me designer handbags to ensure I'm on time. But scowls at me when he hands them over. He's intoxicating. Dangerous. All the things I should stay away from. The thing is... when his hands touch mine, I'm not disgusted, and I should be. Because he owns a scandalous club, and I work there…

Our worlds shouldn't cross. I'm a performer in the spotlight, and he's the monster people in the underworld fear most. He's someone who doesn't feel, let alone touch another person. The thought revolts him, so much so that he always wears gloves. So why can't I seem to stay away from him? And why is he able to touch only me?

Cognitive behavior therapy, which has been adapted to treat so many problems, has also brought data-driven and data-yielding treatment to insomnia. Focusing on this evidence-based modality, cognitive behavioral treatment of insomnia (CBT-I) is a much-needed treatment manual that provides clinicians with the whys and hows of this approach in concise and practical terms.

We met at his ex's wedding, where she uttered their safe word in her vows. Immediately, his jaw clenched, and his hands balled into tight fists. Moments later, he told her I was with him. When in reality, I had snuck into the wedding. Knowing full well he was trouble, I tried to leave when he gripped my arm and whispered in a low, intimidating voice, "Do you sneak into weddings often?" His words had me stuck to the spot.

I loved him from the beginning. In the middle. But maybe not at the end. His love for me was full of possibilities, hopes, and dreams a girl like me wasn't accustomed to. He was a nightmare that cracked and bled through my hands, and I stood there watching as it seeped into the ground. Until him. He put me back together without even knowing he was doing so. And he wasn't even my husband.

In the new world, where the old world is long forgotten, an evil queen sits on the throne, and anyone who challenges her reign is a mortal enemy—I am that enemy just by breathing. The queen always gets what she wants, and she wants me dead. Then one day, my life is turned upside down by a prophecy naming me the one true queen. I was oblivious to the true roles of the two men in my life—the Angel of Light and the Angel of Death—as my existence hung in the balance. One man there to save me, the other to claim me should the queen succeed in her quest for my blood.

Ford Ivanov follows the rules. I was born to break them. A single scandalous moment turns into a year of lies, stolen kisses behind closed doors, and whispered promises in the night. Sneaking around with my brother's friend is forbidden. Because where I come from, love isn't just dangerous; It's deadly. The lies are unraveling. And in a world where love is a weakness, we're about to find out just how strong we really are.