Found 3644 the penguin book of the modern american short story pdf Stories

“My brother is dying…”
“Then you’ll do whatever I say, Sia. No questions. No hesitation. If you want to keep breathing.”
His grip was bruising, pinning her against the wall, his scent wrapping around her like a drug.
“I should let you go,” Kai rasped, his mouth ghosting over her lips, “but f**k… all I want is to ruin you.”
Her breath hitched, her pulse pounding. “We can’t—”
“Then stop me,” he dared, his hand sliding lower, claiming skin that didn’t belong to him… yet.
Sia Grey—mute omega. A ...

I'm Jane—until I discovered my marriage was built on lies.
The hotel penthouse door stood ajar as I approached.
"Your wife is so pathetic," she moaned breathlessly, her voice echoing from inside.
My breath caught as I pushed the door wider, revealing my husband with another woman pressed against the floor-to-ceiling windows, her legs wrapped around his waist as he moved inside her.
"Does she even know how to satisfy you like this?" she gasped, her nails raking down his back.
Lucas gripped h...

“I’m sorry Quinn, but I; Jeovanni Lum rejects you; Quinn Felon as my mate. You’re no longer Luna of this pack, nor are you my fated mate. Accept my rejection.”
His words awakened the pain within Quinn, and she fell to her knees, crying out when it became too much to bear…she didn’t want to, but if she didn’t accept his rejection, she’d die.
“I…I Quinn Felon a-accepts your rejection…I am no longer Luna, nor am I your fated mate.”
It was hard to say the words because these words were ne...

"Today was supposed to be our day! Our wedding day but here you are, sleeping with my best friend, Jasper!!" I yelled tearfully, swallowing down the burn of acid in my throat.
"Take you this long to find out, how ridiculous?" Brielle says, sitting upright, and clutching the bedsheet to hide her naked body. But I can see the glimmer of pleasure in her eyes, the way she is happy seeing me in pain.
"How long?" I can feel Leah struggling to be let out, so as to bounce on that shitty friend in fron...

Thirty-eight year old Levy a successful business owner and bike finds himself lost and lonely after his wife, Lilly has passed away. It's been two years and despite all the efforts of his close friends, Levy just isn't ready to date anyone or let them close. He's frightened to love and lose again. He doesn't think his heart will ever be the same.
That is until he starts to notice his son's ex girlfriend, Harper. At just twenty she knows her own mind. And Levy is all the man that she wants. And ...

Off to the human world, I could pretend to be just an ordinary girl with ordinary hormonal girl problems.
As everyone knew, I would be the one to replace my father as the future Luna and leader of the underground workings of the city. I had a front-row seat to the back-alley politics of the city.
The reality is for a wolf at seventeen, your world is never the same. It can be a lot of pressure. Even more so when you are the daughter of the alpha and are the future Luna of the pack.
...

"Our marriage is nothing but a deal," he said looking at the girl, her green eyes met his cold silver eye, and both of them glared at each other.
"For any rules you break, I will claim any part of your body," his gaze grew dangerously darker at his word.
Ashley Harlow was at the top of the world, living the perfect and luxurious lifestyle as the legitimate daughter of the well-known Daniel Harlow. But sadly, a one-night stand put an end to that and brought her life upside down and that of...

She's the housekeeper's daughter. He's Manhattan's coldest billionaire. One drugged drink changes everything.
Aria Taylor wakes up in Blake Morgan's bed, accused of seducing him. Her punishment? A five-year marriage contract—his wife on paper, his servant in reality. While Blake flaunts his true love Emma at Manhattan galas, Aria pays for her father's medical bills with her dignity.
Three years of humiliation. Three years of being called a murderer's daughter—because her father's car "accident...

Hunnie had been informed her mate has arrived back from Hell!
She wants to apologize so much for her Behavior and agreeing on sending him to the scariest place on Earth, but Kris, her second mate who's bound To The Demon-Wolf King, threatened her to stay away!
He says it's for both of their own good and he doesn't want her mate to mentally snap from his horrific journey to Hell, so it's best she forgets him as he does to her.
Hunnie is crushed. She's waited almost two years to be reunited w...

Daphne's groom failed to appear on the day of their wedding. Daphne was so devastated by the breakup that she lost control and drank all night, eventually running into Nathan, a successful businessman who had recently relocated to the country.
Daphne, inebriated at the time, barged into Nathan's private meeting, causing him to lose some of his most lucrative clients. Daphne spent the night in detention as a result of this incident.
As an apology for Daphne's hasty actions, however, Nathan offe...

RIEKA
She was a naive,chubby,wolfless werewolf,maltreated by her mate to the point where she loses her sanity and womb,her crime was being chubby and less attractive than her peers.
GABRIEL
He was a handsome,strong willed womanizer,who happens to a hybrid ALPHA prince,the person he loves the most is his kid brother RALPH.
He has searched high and low for a mate he could never find.
What will happen when he finds out that his beloved brother's ex wife,happens to be his long awaited mate,who ...

"I will make them pay for making you suffer," Lukan said to me.
"Why me?" I asked, swallowing hard. "I'm not good for you. I killed my parents. I might repeat the same mistake."
"I don't care about that," He replied, his voice steady. "I bought you because I want to mark you and make you mine."
How do you survive when the only life you've known has been taken from you?
At six years old, I was branded a murderer—blamed for something I didn't understand. My wolf was bound, and I became a slave to ...

I was once the only younger sister of the Alpha family, and my quadruplet brothers treated me like a princess. But three years ago, they accidentally ran into their “real sister” and I turned out to be the fake one. From being the family's most cherished daughter, I gradually became the target of their bullying under the schemes and traps of the “real” Alpha daughter. After I finally decided to flee from the quadruplets, and from the toxic family, I realized they are my fated mates on my 19th bi...

Because of Zara's excessive drunkenness, she accidentally had a One Night Stand with the man she had always been dreaming about – Lucas Blackwood. Unfortunately, Lucas despised Zara for spreading her legs and then he threatened her after ruining his relationship with a long-time fiancée.
Things became more complicated when Zara became pregnant and Lucas was obliged to marry her. After the marriage, Lucas made sure to punish Zara for ruining his life.
It's a loveless marriage but as soon as Z...

"Relax, Ruby. No one is this tense around their fiancé."
I tried to do as he said and relax so I leaned further into him and pressed my back to his front which seemed to ignite a different reaction from him.
"Not that kind of relaxing. You're only going to get me hard." He hissed in my ear.
I smiled and decided to be naughty and play dumb.
He held my arm tightly, "Ruby, stop." He warned.
"I'm not doing anything, Oliver. I'm merely acting my role. Perfectly." I said innocently.
"You really ...

“Look at me, baby,” he snarled, ripping my dress apart, his thick length thrusting into me with brutal force. “You’re fucking mine,” he rasped, dragging me to a hated, shattering climax. My heart raced, lost in a storm of lust, believing my lost Sam had returned—until I woke alone, realizing I’d surrendered to a stranger.
I’m Nora Frost, and that night broke me, plunging my life into betrayal and chaos. My greedy parents sold me for a hundred million to Kingsley City’s ruthless Claflin family, ...

Layla's POV :Little did I think my world would be turned upside down. Dean and Aleck my best friends who who protected me ever since kindergarten and had always remained by my side, truly were nothing like I remembered. Ever since I was eighteen I knew and I kept it hidden, I hid it so well until it wasn't. Falling in love with your Best friends isn't something you should do especially when they're twin brothers. Our friendship was good until I ditched them for my Own sanity. Disappearing did th...

I’m Andria Gregori—spoiled and the only daughter of Italy’s most feared Mafia empire. But I was never supposed to fall for the one man paid to protect me.
Luca Bianchi. My father's most trusted bodyguard. A man with secrets darker than his tailored suits and eyes that have haunted me since I was sixteen. When threats close in and betrayal strikes from inside our mansion, my parents send me away with the one man I swore I hated.
But this isn’t just about stolen glances and red lace. Because someo...

WARNING MATURED CONTENT R16
Layla had everything she ever wanted in life not until the day she began to live with her stepmother after her mother passed on.
Layla was maltreated by her stepmother, but her stepsister scarlet always stood by her until the day she found out that scarlet had been having sex with her boyfriend.
Layla is broken and finds herself in a bar where she has a one night stand with a complete stranger.
Layla discovers that she was pregnant for a stranger and to protect he...

【Warning: Do not open this novel lightly, or you'll find yourself hopelessly addicted, unable to put it down for three days and nights...】
Three years of loveless marriage turned her from an angel into a black widow.
That night, she roughly bound his wrists with his tie and straddled his waist. As she leaned forward, her scarlet silk nightgown slipped off one shoulder, revealing a tantalizing curve of flesh beneath.
"Enjoying this, Alexander?" she chuckled softly, her fingertips trailing slow...

"Lily," he growled one evening as I helped adjust his pillows. "Why are you still here?" His eyes were hard, and angry when I turned to face him. The accident had taken so much from him, and he hated feeling helpless. He still hadn't accepted it. "Because I care about you, I'm not going to leave you like everyone else." "You're wasting your time!" He snapped. "Look at me! I'm a broken man. I can't walk, I can't even take care of myself. What do you expect to accomplish by staying here?" "I expec...

My fingers grasped his hair and gave it a tug as my desire burned higher. Lapping at my slick folds, delving deep into me— it didn’t take long for me to cry out his name and then come in his arms. When I threw back my head, the tips of my long hair teased his thighs. Bunching the black lace teddy up around my waist, he settled me over his rock-hard erection.
Rain Wild was my first love, my first heartbreak—my everything.
I left so he could chase his dream of becoming a rockstar, even th...

Synopsis/Blurb:
After a devastating divorce with the man she had been married to for over three years, Rachel thought her life was over. Her family disowned her, they wanted nothing to do with her anymore and she couldn't blame them.
She had just divorced David Hart, one of the top successful bachelors in the country and heir to the Hart industries. But they would never understand that she didn't divorce him, he divorced her after she caught him cheating on her with her god-damned best friend!...

After many thousands of years, the flame of war between human clans and demon clans continued to cause chaos. However, in just a few years in the future, one kingdom managed to bring harmony to these two clans. Come and go as you like but never harm. If you do, punishment awaits you.
Zeliker (Demon Prince): I wish to see the peace created like the Eskimos Kingdom.
Stiria (Human Princess/Duo?): It is not impossible. You are from the demon royalty. Maybe your presence will create the peace you s...

From first crush to wedding vows, George Capulet and I had been inseparable. But in our seventh year of marriage, he began an affair with his secretary.
On my birthday, he took her on vacation. On our anniversary, he brought her to our home and made love to her in our bed...
Heartbroken, I tricked him into signing divorce papers.
George remained unconcerned, convinced I would never leave him.
His deceptions continued until the day the divorce was finalized. I threw the papers in his face:...

As the substitute bride, I was viewed by my father as a pawn and by my stepmother as someone of no worth.
Abandoned by my father and sent to the countryside while still a child, I finally returned home, only to be swiftly discarded once more—this time, to a mental institution at my stepmother's behest.
It was not until three years later that I was released, my freedom bought solely for the purpose of taking my stepsister's place in marriage to the Sterling family.
"The Sterling family's wealth i...

Lily Hart is desperate for a fresh start and uses her brother’s connections to land a job as the secretary to Adrian Blackwood, the cold yet magnetic CEO of a billion-dollar empire. But Adrian, haunted by his mistrust of women and battling an intense attraction to Lily, subjects her to menial tasks to drive her away. During a business trip, their simmering tension explodes into a passionate affair, but Adrian forces her to sign an NDA and plans to fire her. Everything changes when Lily discovers...

Luciana Falcon, an Alpha's daughter with a false identity and the next in line to be Luna, who desires a love life, is under pressure to marry one of the Alphas who approaches her for marriage, despite her declinations. However, she meets her fated mate, the Alpha she has been secretly in love with since childhood, who had a one-night fling with her during her heat.
Amarok Lycaon He is a tyrant. He despises fated partners. He is every girl's fantasy. He ruled the pack as he darn well pl...

Slowly stroing her again he leaned down placing a kiss, tender almost imperceptible on her hand. Daisy is so delicated and pure, the perfect mate of his madness dreams.
“Just trust on me, I won´t hurt you”
He extended a hand using it to wipe the lipstick on her lips and wet cheeks. She was supposed to be writhing in pleasure not crying in pain. But She was so afraid of becoming into a werewolf. The Alpha ing smiles and whisper to her:
“Do you know you look more beautiful than the moon when you s...

During a trip to Athens, in the ancient temple of Apollo, Cecilia's life changes forever. Gerardo is deeply hurt because his ex-girlfriend Beatriz has broken up with him and has committed herself to a new man, his best friend, just two weeks after ending things with him. Desiring to forget his painful past, Gerardo travels to Greece and there he meets Cecilia. Both share a love for ancient sites; she is a beautiful journalist who is studying the temple of Apollo for a report. But amidst hundreds...

"I love you,"
"You do realize that you are married to my best friend, the Beta of the pack right?"
"We aren't married yet. Just engaged,"
"What's the difference?"
"I can choose not to marry him."
"Sorry, not on my watch. We should probably stop seeing each other,"
Morticia, after being engaged to the Beta of the pack, finds herself falling in love with the Alpha of the pack. She tries hard so as not to embarrass her parents by sticking with Jacob.
Jake tries his best to hide his feelings for...

Alpha Adonis finally found his mate after waiting for seven years. Alpha Adonis is beyond happy except there are two problems;
His mate Alex is the son of the Hunter lord terrorizing Alpha Adonis’ pack.
Secondly; An Alpha with a human Mate is seen as weak and unacceptable. As much as Alpha Adonis wish to reject Alex as his mate, he can’t because he promised his mother on her dying bed that he will only be mated to his destined mate.
Alpha Adonis have no choice than to fight the hunters ...

Sold to Be Loved by the Mafia Prince is a dark, emotionally charged New Adult romance set in a world where power is inherited, trust is a weapon, and love is the most dangerous game of all.
When seventeen-year-old Malia sacrifices her freedom to save her father, she is thrust into the violent world of the Italian Mafia—betrothed to Blaine DeCavalcante, the cold and untouchable Capo Bastone. Held at the luxurious yet haunting Crimson Garden estate, Malia must navigate a new life of control, secr...

Blurb
Celeste was married to a Mafia Don, by the name Xenois Kingston on a contract marriage, that would last 6 years.
The deal was that Celeste would give him children during that period and after the end of the 6 year contract, he would offer her $100,000,000,000, divorce her and keep the children as his.
Celeste, an orphan, abandoned by the orphanage she grew up in at the age of 18 had nothing to lose and agreed to the deal.
6 years later, Celeste is now 24 years and mother to triplets boys; ...

Elena, a strong-willed She-wolf is forcefully sold by her father to the cruel Alpha Damien; they tell her that once she bears the Alpha an heir she would be set free.
What she doesn’t know is the cruel Alpha is her mate yet he remains oblivious to their mate bond, he torments her everyday and when Elena discovers she is pregnant she runs away from the abusive grasp of Alpha Damien.
Alpha Damien swore to find her and bring her back but what he doesn't know is Elena is now a well sought out he...

Hypothetically speaking, can an Army Ranger war games strategist and an environmental scientist bent on saving the planet fall in love at first sight? Romey Capulano knows that marrying Jordan Spinelli is the most logical, expedient, and practical way to save the farm commune she’s lived on her whole life. But when the pragmatic-minded, hydroponic gardener says I do, she’s surprised to find her heart speeding up when he makes his vows, her hands tingling when he slides the diamond on her finger,...

Evelyn's life changed when a hot sexy neighbor moved into the apartment next to hers, Walt Andrews. A divorcee and an ex-mafia boss. Her only aim in life was to work hard to be a strong and independent lady, so she could bring her parents' killers to book and take revenge like she promised them on their deathbeds.
She had a one-night stand with the boy next door, Walt Andrews, and got pregnant for him. They both agreed and signed a contract to get married for One year for the Child's sake, p...

Two different people who shared the same fate…
One is a demon alpha while the other is just a human.
Her life feels as if it's shrouded in the mist.
"Who is a friend and who is a foe? Or is everyone from her pack a foe?"
She can't tell.
" Is the one approaching her through the mist?"
"Is it a devil or an angel? Have they come to save her or to destroy her?"
The truth is in front of her but she's finding it extremely hard to know the truth.
Even the faintest mist can't hide the truth.
...

She had a one night stand with the most richest CEO in Liverpool in a drunken state. She woke up only to be rejected and rebuked by him.
Balqis Minaj loosed her honor as an internet celebrity as soon as the sex tape of her streamy night with the CEO got out and she was sent back to the trenches.
Five years later, her twins who was the result of her one night stand starts schooling making things extremely difficult for her and here comes the offer for a secretary.
She accepted the offer gla...

After the death of her father, the richest man in all of Australia, Isabella is named the sole heir to his throne and vast wealth. This decision by her father earns her a lot of enemies. Isabella's stepmother is found dead on the morning of her wedding. The wedding is called off and an adept detective with an eagle eye is called upon to crack the case. Will he find the killer? Will Isabella keep her father's fortune...

As her father faces wrongful imprisonment, she turns to a top lawyer who refuses to defend him. Desperate, she proposes a physical exchange... After a night of passion, she discovers his heart belongs to another woman, while she finds herself falling for him. What will she do? Where will their emotions lead them?

Steamy, dirty stories with a kinky, forbidden twist. Each story is about 20,000 words so sit back, grab some holy water and relax! It's time to sink in 11 deliciously dark and twisted love tales! Highly erotic and brimming with dark desires, don't say I didn't warn ya!
18+ Forbidden Temptations (Steamy Collections Erotica)
Coach and Cheerleader
Principal and Student
Step-brother and Step-sister
Teacher and Student
Step-father and step-daughter
Father’s best friend and 18 year old daughter
Profe...

In "Powerless Hearts: A Tale of Survival and Love," the world as we know it changed drastically on April 1, 2023, when a global blackout plunged civilization into chaos.
With power outages worldwide and communication systems failing, society began to collapse. Amidst the turmoil, Gabriella, a college student trapped in her dorm, faces immediate danger and desperation. She is saved from a threatening situation by Andrew, a compassionate rescuer with a solar-powered home.
As the world outside gr...

When I found my first love, I learned that loving and losing are almost synonymous. A victim of injustice, I was forced to leave him without a goodbye. And now, all that's left are secrets and memories of a love cut short.
Alissa Blake and Holden Young haven't seen each other in years, but when a near-fatal accident brings them together, the emotions that still burn between them become impossible to ignore. Holden, now a rock star, must balance his hectic new life with the intensity of ha...

She was so beautiful, her sister couldn’t stand it—so she destroyed her face.
Liora Quinn was the secret behind every dish her stepsister was praised for, the silent wife trapped in a violent marriage, the disposable daughter in a family that only saw her as a tool.
The night of the national cooking finals, she was stabbed in the dark. By her own blood. And left to die without a sound.
But fate gave her one last mercy.
She woke up. A few hours before it all happened.
This time, she doesn't...

After Divorcing a Billionaire, Secretly Giving Birth to His Triplets
For three years, Chloe Stanhope endured her marriage with Quintus Ellington, only to conclude in divorce, earning herself the mocking title of a forsaken elite wife throughout the city of Phoenix. Six years later, Chloe returned to her homeland, accompanied by a pair of twins, and underwent a miraculous transformation into an internationally renowned healer. Now, she finds herself pursued by countless suitors, each vying for ...

Ancient stories surrounding the town of Lovecraft County resurface as mysteries rage around the world and murder cases and investigations involve all the clans and monsters, mystical creatures that live and exist in the town.
Amidst the many secrets involving the city all this to solve or help in his case when trying to solve his own feelings, he has two soulmates, a vampire and a werewolf.
Amidst the events of past lives, when a businessman, the great hero and detective, as well as the avatar o...

After two years of marriage, she had never shared a bed with her husband. Summoning courage, she dressed in lingerie to find him, only to be coldly rejected. Later, she realized he already had someone he loved!
In a twist of fate, she accidentally slept with her husband, mistaking him for a stranger, and he was unaware that the person that night was her! Finally, one day, he learned the truth and pursued her madly, but she, utterly disappointed, decided to leave...

"I'm mated to you, Asher," I whispered, hoping for his acceptance.
"No, you're mated to yourself because I can never be with someone like you," Asher replied coldly. "I, Asher, hereby reject you as my mate."
Confusion and heartache consumed me as I stared at him, my voice trembling. "Why are you saying all of this to me?"
"Because, Lenora, I can't be your mate. I regret accepting to be your boyfriend in the first place; it was merely out of pity," he declared, devoid of emotion.
Tear...