Under the Mask of Desire
by Sabrina Steele

In the shadowed corners of the city, desire wears a mask—and sometimes, the most dangerous part is what lies beneath.

Maya Fitzgerald knows about struggle. At twenty-five, she’s clawed her way out of a broken, loveless childhood, surviving on long diner shifts and the stubborn ember of a dream: that somewhere, there’s a life meant for her. But nothing in Willow Creek’s cracked sidewalks and flickering streetlamps prepares her for him.

Damien Blackwood steps into her world like temptation made flesh—towering confidence, eyes like ice and fire, and a voice that can caress or command in the same breath. He offers her everything she’s never had: wealth, escape, and the kind of passion that burns through common sense. From the moment he speaks her name, Maya is caught in his orbit… and walking into a world she can neither fully understand nor resist.

What begins as a heady whirlwind of luxury and seduction becomes something darker, more binding. Damien isn’t just possessive—he’s consuming. He draws Maya into nights of intense, unflinching intimacy, where pleasure and control entwine until she can’t tell them apart. He isolates her from friends, from family, from the fragile life she knew, until he becomes the center of her existence.

And yet, in stolen moments between kisses and commands, she catches glimpses of a man she doesn’t recognize—slivers of truth behind the charm. Questions creep in: Why won’t he speak of his past? Why do his stories shift like smoke? And who is the man in the photograph hidden in his home?

The deeper Maya falls, the more dangerous the undertow becomes. Damien’s charisma hides sharp edges, and his love comes with a price: her freedom. His pleasures grow darker, pushing her to the limits of surrender, tempting her with the thrill of danger and the intoxication of giving in completely. But desire is never simple—because when passion blurs into control, every touch can either heal… or destroy.

As secrets unravel, Maya discovers that Damien Blackwood might not exist at all. The wealth, the name, the identity—it’s all part of a façade more elaborate than she ever imagined. Piece by piece, she learns the man she loves is a mask worn by someone with a history steeped in lies, manipulation, and something far more sinister.

Now, she faces an impossible choice: walk away and reclaim her life… or surrender to a man who might ruin her, but who has already taught her the most dangerous lesson of all—how much she’s willing to risk for love.

Under the Mask of Desire is a seductive blend of erotica, romantic suspense, and psychological mystery—perfect for readers who crave the intoxicating push-pull of power and passion, the decadent fantasy of luxury laced with danger, and the kind of twist that leaves you breathless.

With a heroine you’ll root for, a dangerously magnetic love interest you’ll love and hate in equal measure, and an ending that will shatter every assumption, this is not just a story—it’s an experience. Every chapter draws you deeper, until you, like Maya, can no longer tell if you’re choosing to stay… or if you’ve already given yourself away.

If you’ve ever devoured the fevered obsession of Fifty Shades of Grey, the dark mystery of Behind Closed Doors, or the seductive danger of The Mister, this book will own you. It’s a masterclass in tension, sensuality, and suspense, crafted for readers who want to feel the heat and the chill at the same time.

Step behind the mask. But remember—once you’re inside Damien’s world, there is no going back.

Some tapes play even if no one’s listening.

When freelance journalist Clara Hensley agrees to write a Halloween feature on America’s most haunted asylums, Ridgewood is supposed to be just one stop — a forgotten facility buried in the forests of upstate New York, long since abandoned after a fire and a series of unexplained disappearances.

But Ridgewood Asylum doesn’t stay abandoned.

And some voices don’t stay buried.

What starts as a routine assignment quickly spirals into something darker, stranger — and far more personal. Clara uncovers five reel-to-reel audio tapes hidden inside the asylum's archived materials. Each tape plays fragments of impossible recordings: whispers in languages no one can translate, screams layered over children’s laughter, and voices that seem to know who she is.

As Clara digs deeper, she uncovers chilling transcripts, surviving staff members who refuse to speak, and evidence of an occult experiment that was never supposed to be documented. The asylum’s history becomes tangled with her own. Her voice starts appearing on the tapes. Even when she’s not recording.

And the worst part?

Tape Five hasn’t played yet.

Told through traditional narrative, found-media transcripts, and immersive analog horror, The Ridgewood Tapes is a visceral, slow-burn descent into supernatural possession, psychological collapse, and the terrifying persistence of media long after its creators have vanished.

Based on the archives of a real place.

What you’re reading may not be fiction.

Because this isn’t the first time you’ve read it.
It’s just the latest loop.

P.S... this is just a fiction story.

It’s not only segregated love but forbidden love. The type of love that’s looked down upon in the south. It’s the type of love that made the Sheriff of Houston an outlaw - with a bounty placed on his head.

Bestselling historical and cultural author, Samuel Anderson, bestows the fiction story set in the old town of Houston, Texas, where two friends had turned an early childhood friendship into a kill or be-killed relationship. Segregated Love is the perfect combination of historical fiction, erotica, and action.

Sheriff Hank Thompson is a wealthy plantation owner. He inherited his father’s empire and the votes of Houston, Texas, making him a second-generation sheriff of the town. Like his father, Hank treats all people with respect regardless of their skin color, unlike Henry, who sees the slaves as equivalent to animals.

Though Hank does not need any more slaves, he impulsively buys a new one only for two reasons: she was intoxicating to look at, and he couldn’t let his former friend - Henry - buy her. Hank knew the things Henry would do to this beautiful Black woman, and he wasn’t going to let that happen.

The Sheriff introduces this new lady to his farm and other slaves. He has a weird affection for her, and gradually the two begin to reveal this feeling as a mutual occurrence which resulted in a secret intimate relationship.

When Hank frees two of his favorite slaves, Henry makes it his mission to destroy him - his goal all along. The town finds out about the freed slaves and the forbidden relationship Hank was involved in, and Hank is stripped of his badge and labeled as an outlaw. He faces an ultimatum of traveling as far away as he can go or hang by the neck in front of the whole town. Meanwhile, Henry takes over as sheriff, capturing Hank’s newly bought slave and using her for sex and torture.

Tormented by the mental images of abuse she must be going through, Hank decides to go back into his old town - after disappearing for three months - to save the love of his life, even if it means somebody will collect the bounty placed on his head. And, though he’s the fastest gun in the south, he’ll still need the help of his new friends from the Native American village he’s been living in this whole time.