A Virgin for the Desert King


Book Description

The sheikh is entirely irresistible to the innocent in this sexy desert romance from New York Times bestselling author Maisey Yates. She may be able to tame him …but does she want to? Taken as a political prisoner as a teen, Sheikh Riyaz al Hadid grew into a man in a dungeon. His first glimpse of Brianna Whitman is a visceral reminder of all he’s missed out on… It’s Brianna’s job to reacclimate Riyaz to palace life and prepare him for his long-arranged royal wedding. She knows she should smooth down his wild edges—just like she knows that he’s already betrothed. But the forbidden attraction that flames between them makes her want to cast her innocence to the desert winds… From Harlequin Presents: Escape to exotic locations where passion knows no bounds. Read all The Royal Desert Legacy books: Book 1: Forbidden to the Desert Prince Book 2: A Virgin for the Desert King




UNLOCKING HER INNOCENCE


Book Description

Ava was in a car accident on Christmas Day and lost her best friend. She was accused of being responsible for the crash despite her lost memory of that confusing night. After serving years of prison time, she freezes up in shock in the conference room of her new workplace. The man who controls the place is Vito, whom Ava used to admire. Vito is also the brother of her late best friend. Ava assumes he must hate her so much that he would want to kill her, not work with her. But he steals a kiss from her and asks her to plan this year’s Christmas party. What is he thinking?




The Italian's Unexpected Baby


Book Description

A billionaire learns it will take more than money to claim his heir in this contemporary romance by a USA Today–bestselling author. Having escaped the streets of Rome, Alessandro runs a multibillion-dollar empire with a control that is world renowned. Yet Mia, his new, forthright executive assistant, threatens that control. And soon their fiery exchanges explode into unrivaled passion! Mia is wary of trusting others, so when Alessandro coolly dismisses her after their night together, she dares not tell him she’s pregnant! But on learning her secret, he’s determined to legitimize his child. Mia’s priority is her daughter, but can she let Alessandro in when it means risking her heart?




SECRETS OF HIS FORBIDDEN CINDERELLA


Book Description

To be a wife or a servant... I am forced to make a cruel choice… In the cold weather, Amelia visited an old castle in Spain to meet her first love, Theo, Duke of Marinselli, whom she once called her brother-in-law. Even after her parents split up, she still couldn't forget him, so she snuck into a masked ball held in autumn and spent a passionate time with him without revealing her true identity. I never expected to get pregnant, but I won't ask for anything. I'll let him know, and then I'll live as a single mother. But when she told him she's pregnant, Theo took Amilia away to his villa in the mountains and coldly told her that she would be treated as a duchess only if she slept with him.




Unwrapping the Castelli Secret


Book Description

A billionaire Italian playboy gets a chance at redemption for Christmas when he reunites with his forbidden love in this romance by a USA Today bestseller. Five years ago, Lily Holloway walked away from a car crash, turning her back on the forbidden passion she shared with her stepbrother, Rafael Castelli. Nothing could make Lily return to the irresistible Italian’s demanding world. Now, when their paths cross again, Lily is desperate to retain her freedom and claims amnesia has blocked her memories of him. Yet all deception is quickly burned away by the incredible attraction that still simmers between them. But he’s found her, and she knows Rafael will soon discover her greatest secret—their son!




Forged In The Desert Heat


Book Description

A woman that could start a war The Gypsy Sheikh, betrayer, modern–day marauder–Zafar Nejem has been called many things. And now he is to be called Your Majesty. Returning to the throne of Al Sabah, his first act is to rescue American heiress Analise Christensen from her desert kidnappers. Since Ana is engaged to the ruler of the neighboring kingdom, her discovery must be concealed until Zafar can explain her presence, or else he risks war. But as the sun rises over the sand dunes, so does the forbidden heat that burns between them, threatening everything….




Heir to a Desert Legacy


Book Description

Sayid al Kadar was trained from childhood to be a warrior. He's fought, he's conquered—but was never meant to rule… Thrust reluctantly to the throne, Sheikh Sayid is shocked to discover a child who is his country's true heir, and he'll do anything to protect him, even if it means taking on the child's aunt! Chloe James might behave like a tigress protecting her cub, but this trained soldier can see her weak spot. Taking Chloe as his bride would appease the people of his kingdom, and provide the perfect outlet for the blistering chemistry between them….




The Bodyguard's Christmas Proposal


Book Description

The top of her Christmas list? A family! Nurse Kat Steel always wanted a big family, but a childhood accident and her ex's departure ended that dream - she's not about to lay her heart on the line again. Until Logan Connors - ex-bodyguard and new trauma surgeon - and his adorable son, arrive! Logan's complicated past means he's not looking for happily-ever-after either. Could a little mistletoe magic change that for them all?




The Cigarette Century


Book Description

The invention of mass marketing led to cigarettes being emblazoned in advertising and film, deeply tied to modern notions of glamour and sex appeal. It is hard to find a photo of Humphrey Bogart or Lauren Bacall without a cigarette. No product has been so heavily promoted or has become so deeply entrenched in American consciousness. And no product has received such sustained scientific scrutiny. The development of new medical knowledge demonstrating the dire harms of smoking ultimately shaped the evolution of evidence-based medicine. In response, the tobacco industry engineered a campaign of scientific disinformation seeking to delay, disrupt, and suppress these studies. Using a massive archive of previously secret documents, historian Allan Brandt shows how the industry pioneered these campaigns, particularly using special interest lobbying and largesse to elude regulation. But even as the cultural dominance of the cigarette has waned and consumption has fallen dramatically in the U.S., Big Tobacco remains securely positioned to expand into new global markets. The implications for the future are vast: 100 million people died of smoking-related diseases in the 20th century; in the next 100 years, we expect 1 billion deaths worldwide.




The Devil’s Dictionary


Book Description

“Dictionary, n: A malevolent literary device for cramping the growth of a language and making it hard and inelastic. This dictionary, however, is a most useful work.” Bierce’s groundbreaking Devil’s Dictionary had a complex publication history. Started in the mid-1800s as an irregular column in Californian newspapers under various titles, he gradually refined the new-at-the-time idea of an irreverent set of glossary-like definitions. The final name, as we see it titled in this work, did not appear until an 1881 column published in the periodical The San Francisco Illustrated Wasp. There were no publications of the complete glossary in the 1800s. Not until 1906 did a portion of Bierce’s collection get published by Doubleday, under the name The Cynic’s Word Book—the publisher not wanting to use the word “Devil” in the title, to the great disappointment of the author. The 1906 word book only went from A to L, however, and the remainder was never released under the compromised title. In 1911 the Devil’s Dictionary as we know it was published in complete form as part of Bierce’s collected works (volume 7 of 12), including the remainder of the definitions from M to Z. It has been republished a number of times, including more recent efforts where older definitions from his columns that never made it into the original book were included. Due to the complex nature of copyright, some of those found definitions have unclear public domain status and were not included. This edition of the book includes, however, a set of definitions attributed to his one-and-only “Demon’s Dictionary” column, including Bierce’s classic definition of A: “the first letter in every properly constructed alphabet.” Bierce enjoyed “quoting” his pseudonyms in his work. Most of the poetry, dramatic scenes and stories in this book attributed to others were self-authored and do not exist outside of this work. This includes the prolific Father Gassalasca Jape, whom he thanks in the preface—“jape” of course having the definition: “a practical joke.” This book is a product of its time and must be approached as such. Many of the definitions hold up well today, but some might be considered less palatable by modern readers. Regardless, the book’s humorous style is a valuable snapshot of American culture from past centuries. This book is part of the Standard Ebooks project, which produces free public domain ebooks.