Lbj Library Store Novels & Stories

The things we want are so very rarely the things we need. Clifton Heights, a modest Adirondack town, offers many unique attractions. Arcane Delights sells both paperbacks and hard-to-find limited editions. The Skylark Diner serves the best home-cooked meals around, with friendly service and a smile. Every August, Mr. Jingo’s County Fair visits, to the delight of children and adults. In essence, Clifton Heights is the quintessential small American town. Everyone knows everyone else, and everyone is treated like family. It is quiet, simple, and peaceful. But shadows linger here. Flitting in dark corners, from the corner of the eye. If you walk down Main Street after dark, the slight scrape of shoes on asphalt whispers you're not alone, but when you look over your shoulder, no one is there. The moon shines high and bright in the night sky, but instead of throwing light, it only seems to make the shadows lengthen. Children disappear. Teens run away. Hunters get lost in the woods with frightening regularity. Husbands go mad, and wives vanish in the dead of night. And still, when the sun rises in the morning, you are greeted by townspeople with warm waves and friendly smiles, and the shivers pass as everything seems fresh and new... Until night falls once more. Handy's Pawn and Thrift sits several blocks down from Arcane Delights. Like any thrift store, its wares range from the mundane to the bizarre. By daylight, it seems just another slice of small town Americana. But in its window hangs a sign which reads: We Have Things You Need. And when a lonely traveling salesman comes looking for something he desperately wants, after normal visiting hours, after night has fallen, he will face a harsh truth among the shelves of Handy’s Pawn and Thrift: the things we want are rarely the things we need. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

His hand found the small of her back, pulling her even closer. He dipped his head down, capturing her lips in a fierce, demanding kiss. She moaned as he deepened the kiss, his tongue tangling with hers. And then he pulled away from her lips and leaned in, his breath hot against her ear. "What do you want, Erin?" "You," she whispered, her voice trembling. He wasted no time, lifting her up and pressing her against the wall, his hands running up and down her body. "Are you sure you want me, Erin?" he asked, his voice rough with desire. "Most people are warned to stay away from me, Erin. They say I'm a Demon, they say I'd eat their souls and that I would ruin them. So why do you, of all people, want me?" "I don't care about any of that. I want you to ruin me, just as they say." -:- Princess Erin thought death would be the end of her suffering at the hands of Alpha Magnus, her toxic and abusive mate who made her suffer through hell. However, fate had other plans in store for her... Her spiritual powers lead her to Alpha Axel, the notorious and ruthless future leader of Black Blood Pack, who's eyes held the coldest of gazes and who's tongue spoke the most brutal words. And ever since he got a taste of her, he never stopped his quest to feel more of her. As the two alphas battle for control, Erin finds herself caught in the middle of a dangerous love triangle, torn between her feelings for Axel and the pull of destiny with Magnus. Erin must choose, to fight for what she believes in, even if it means sacrificing her heart.

On the day after proposing to me, Edward Harrington takes his first love, Lily Monroe, on an overseas trip. All that's left is a note on the nightstand. "Lily has been wanting to travel to Marinova for the longest time. I'll spend a few days with her there before coming home to marry you." As I stare at the low-quality ring Edward has purchased from a convenience store at the very last minute, I can only smile silently. Well, it turns out that the so-called "a few days" ends up being 1095 days. Three years later, Edward and Lily return to the country in a high-profile manner. The first thing Edward has done is to seek me out and request that I become their bridesmaid. "Audrey, I couldn't resist Lily's charms, so I slept with her once. But she got pregnant right away." Guilt flickers across Edward's face. "The doctor said Lily can't get an abortion. Otherwise, she won't be able to get pregnant anymore." Upon noticing my silence, Edward suddenly leans down and starts peppering kisses down the side of my neck. "The wedding is just a show for the elders in our families. Trust me, Audrey. Once Lily gives birth to her baby, I'll divorce her and marry you right away." That's when I shove Edward off me forcefully. Then, I roughly dab a piece of wet tissue over the patch of skin Edward's lips have touched. Scott Miller, my CEO husband, is extremely domineering and possessive. It's only thanks to him being on a business trip these few days that Edward has the chance to get close to me. If Scott were to find out about the truth, neither Edward, Lily, nor their unborn child can think about surviving at all!

The day the campus queen got caught shoplifting at the convenience store, I was reborn. This time, instead of pulling her into the back room for a private talk, I called the cops without a second thought. The cops locked up my childhood sweetheart, the campus goddess Samantha Creighton, for fifteen days. During those fifteen days, I cut every tie between us. After that, I dodged her completely. Whenever she organized a class gathering, I fell deathly ill. Whenever she traveled to the southern coast, I flew to the far northwest. When she went to a reunion, I got sick. When she went home, I went abroad. When she returned to school, I dropped out. I avoided every situation that might bring me near her. In my past life, I loved her for twenty years. But in all that time, she never once treated me with any real kindness. I finally found out why during a fire at our house. I held her and our daughter outside the window, shielding them until rescue came. They got out without a scratch. But my entire body was burned beyond recognition. Then my own daughter—the one I raised with everything I had—pulled her mother's one true love close and said, "He deserves this. Back then, he tore you and Mom apart. He should die for it." My wife stood beside them and sobbed uncontrollably. "I almost thought I'd never see you again." I died full of hatred. Now that I'd been given a second chance… since she loved her first love that much, I'd make sure they could stay together.

Steal the CEO's Black Card... or His Frozen Heart? "Please... please, sir. I'm begging you. I didn't steal the card." Belle's trembling voice cracked as tears streamed down her face. "Believe me..." "You belong in prison, fraud!" the store manager spat, his eyes filled with contempt. Humiliated and surrounded by accusing stares, Belle could only clutch her worn bag and pray someone would listen. But no one did. After all, who would believe a poor medical student over the owner of a limitless Black Card? Belle had been fighting for survival ever since she lost her parents. An orphan with nothing but a dream. A dream of becoming a doctor. A dream she once shared with the parents she loved more than life itself. For years, she lived in a cramped room inside a rundown building. She endured hunger, sleepless nights, and the mockery of classmates who looked down on her faded clothes and worn-out shoes. Life had never been kind to her. Yet despite her hardships, she never stole. Never cheated. Never took what wasn't hers. So how did she end up accused of stealing the Black Card belonging to Ethan DelValle—the cold, powerful, and untouchable CEO everyone feared? The man who could buy anything he wanted. The man whose single word could ruin lives. And the man who, for reasons she couldn't understand, suddenly became interested in hers. What begins as a humiliating misunderstanding soon entangles Belle in Ethan DelValle's world—a world of wealth, power, secrets, and dangerous attraction. She never wanted his money. She never wanted his Black Card. But what happens when she accidentally steals something far more valuable? His heart.

Paxton captured her earlobe between his teeth. Rhiannon stilled as the nip sent a shower of familiar sensation through her veins. “Does he kiss like me?” he whispered in her ear. “Do we taste the same?” Fury and lust whipped through her body. “You are disgusting.” But most of all she was disgusted with herself. How could she respond to his touch so immediately while he said those hurtful words? “Did you think of me when he was deep inside you? Making you moan and scream like I did?” “Stop it!” He rested his forehead against hers. “I want to erase his from your memory,” Paxton confessed in a harsh whisper. “I want to take you to bed and make you forget you were ever his.” “I am not going to bed with you.” She wanted to... She wanted him so badly. But Rhiannon knew Paxton would kick her out in the morning. And her heart would stay broken this time. **** When Paxton Ridgway met Rhiannon King, he instantly knew she was a moneygrubber, a gold-digger whose mind was set on seducing Kieran, his little brother, and getting her hands on everything he owned. So, Paxton decides to beat her at her own game. To save his brother from a huge blow, he decides to seduce Rhiannon and get rid of her. Just one night of hot, passionate sex, and then kick her out without any remorse whatsoever. But fate has something else in store for Paxton. While on a hospital bed, Kieran asks his brother to protect Rhiannon, the woman Paxton thought would never see again, the woman he hated the most. This promise will change their future forever… since Rhiannon is hiding some explosive secrets, truths that could bring the new Ridgway heir to his knees.

Maya Chen has one goal: survive university on her scholarship and build a better life for herself and her younger sister. She works two jobs, rides a beat up Kawasaki, and keeps her head down while wealthy classmates mock her thrift store clothes. Romance isn't on her radar, especially not with someone like Dominic Blackwood. Dominic is everything Maya despises. The son of a business mogul, president of the Iron Wolves Motorcycle Club, and a notorious playboy who goes through women like they're disposable. Their worlds should never collide. But when Maya's bike breaks down in dangerous territory and she's cornered by a rival gang, Dominic and his club arrive just in time. To protect her, he does the unthinkable: he claims her as his in front of everyone. In the world of motorcycle clubs, that claim means she's untouchable. It also means she's his. Maya insists their arrangement is fake, just protection until things cool down. Dominic agrees, but his actions say otherwise. He shows up at her job. Walks her to class. Makes her feel things she swore she'd never feel. The more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to remember this isn't real. Then the threats escalate. The rival gang wants revenge and Maya becomes their target. Dominic will do anything to keep her safe, even if it costs him everything. Maya realizes she's falling for the one person she promised herself she'd never trust. When violence erupts and lives hang in the balance, Maya must decide: keep running from love to protect her independence, or fight for the man who's been fighting for her all along. Sometimes the biggest risk leads to the greatest reward. Sometimes you have to crash before you can truly ride free.

NOTE: MATURED CONTENT. Excerpt. "On your knees," he commanded, his voice dripping with dominance and lust. "Now." "Please," I whimpered, but he silenced me with a swift slap across my cheek. "Silence!" he barked. "You know what I want. Now open your mouth and take it." As I unzipped his pants and pulled his hard dick out, My lips parted as he shoved his hard cock between them, his hand tangled in my hair as he guided me. "Suck it!! Suck it slut!!" He slapped me again, making me feel more wanted. I loved the pain because I was used to Noah spanking me so hard. "Suck it you little bitch!!" He stroked my hair, his eyes shut as he thrust so hard and fast that I could barely breathe. ************** Britney Williams, the pack's Omega gets married to Alpha Liam Michaelson, a successful billionaire in New York City but she never had enough in bed and the sex he gave her. It happened that Britney's past life wasn't just the type a regular kind of girl would have. She was a Nymphomaniac, the sex freak. It was all about fun and that meant mad, Psycho fun with her first Alpha. Things were going well in her marriage until she couldn't cope with the fact that her husband wasn't satisfying her so hard in bed like "HE" did in the past. When I say "HE?", I mean Britney's ex boyfriend, Alpha Noah Lex. What happens when the beautiful and most elegant but sex driving Britney gets to find out that she just can't go a day without thinking about Alpha Noah's touch? Or the fact that she gets to meet Noah at a store which led to something crazy...... Find out more on; BITTEN BY THE DOMINANT ALPHA:

On my wedding day, my best friend, Beatrice Hopper, buys a lottery ticket from a convenience store and gives it to me as a wedding gift. I initially believe that she's joking, but when I see the unmistakable disdain in her eyes, I know something is off. "They say it's the thought that counts. This gift is precisely how I show that I care. Besides, I'm pregnant and need money for everything right now. I don't want you to feel bad about taking my money," she says. Honestly, I'm disappointed. But since it's my wedding, I can only stand there and watch as my best friend drags her entire family to the reception for free food and drinks. As expected, the wedding ends on a sour note. The two of us part ways unhappily. What I don't see coming, though, is winning 50 million dollars in the lottery that night. Elated, I tell my husband the news, and we head to the lottery office first thing in the morning to claim the prize. The news quickly spreads among our friends and family. But by the afternoon, Beatrice pounds on my door, demanding I return the lottery ticket. "I should've been the winner!" she screamed. "I was the one who bought it, so why should you take away my prize?" I keep backing away from her, panic flooding my entire body, so much so that I don't even notice she's holding a knife. The last thing I expect is for her to swing it at me in the middle of our struggle. By the time I realize what's happening, the blade is already buried in my husband's chest. I try to call the police, but Beatrice yanks me back. We grapple, stumble, and crash through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Eventually, we fall to our deaths in the courtyard below. The universe must've had mercy on me because when I open my eyes again, I'm back at the moment she hands me that lottery ticket. Here comes my second chance.

On the night of our third anniversary, Killian missed dinner again. Texted me he was working late at the auto shop. I looked at the $5.90 clearance cake on the table. I'd fought a crowd at the grocery store to buy it. I swallowed the bitter lump in my throat. We need to save for a real house in Brooklyn, I told myself. I put the cake in the fridge. I wrapped my cheap coat tight and walked into the cold to deliver late-night takeout for extra cash. I never expected to run into my "poor" husband at a luxury hotel in Manhattan. He stepped out of a Rolls-Royce in a sharp custom suit, tossing hundred-dollar bills to the valet. A hot woman wearing a priceless pigeon-blood ruby followed behind him, hooking his arm. "Killian, it's snowing so hard. Are you really going back to Brooklyn to play house with your naive little peasant wife?" she whined. Killian looked at the cheap, tarnished silver ring on his finger. A hint of softness crossed his cold eyes. "For three years, she worked five jobs a day to pay off the fake debts I made up. She wouldn't even see a doctor when she was sick." "That's enough. She passed my test. Once I deal with the rat in the family, I'll tell her everything. Give her the glory she deserves as my Donna." The woman bit her lip. "What if she finds out you're a Mafia Don and is just after your money? Why not tell her you have a terminal illness—see if she'll drain her savings to save you. Test her one more time…" Killian stayed quiet for a long time. Finally, he nodded. "One last test. After this, I'm giving her the grandest wedding." The freezing wind howled. I gripped the paper takeout bag. Tears rolled down my face without a sound. I am done with this arrogant, lying love.