Competitiveness And Growth In Brazilian Cities: Local Policies And Actions For Innovation

An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, generally referred to by its shortened title The Wealth of Nations, is the magnum opus of the Scottish economist and moral philosopher Adam Smith. First published in 1776, it is a reflection on economics at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution and argues that free market economies are more productive and beneficial to their societies. The book is a fundamental work in classical economics.

The race is on to save Alex’s life…

Lucy Willcox and Maxwell Pierce make a deal with the devil.

Max wagers that he can beat the gangster Dmitry’s best driver in a race if he’ll agree to these terms: If he wins, Alex’s debt will be forgiven and his life spared. But if Max loses, Dmitry will win his Lamborghini, Max’s prize possession, worth twice what the mobster says they owe.

They have one week to prepare for what’s ahead. One week before the life or death race that will change everything. But that crucial week is not without its distractions. Tension reaches the breaking point between Max and his brother, Jackson, and Isabeau catches her husband Chase keeping secrets.

Can the group come together to win Alex’s freedom, or will everything Lucy and Isabeau hold dear come crashing down around them?

This 11,000 word story is the thrilling conclusion of BOUND TO HIM, the sequel to the best-selling series by Delilah Fawkes, The Billionaire’s Beck and Call.

Stay tuned for TIED TO HIM: THE BILLIONAIRE’S BECK AND CALL, BOOK 3, coming soon!

EXCERPT:

We got into the Lamborghini, and I trembled against the leather seats, adrenaline already coursing through my veins, making me feel like I’d downed three cups of espresso and an Adderall.

It was time to save Alex.

The doors slid shut beside me, and I breathed deeply, trying to calm my jangling nerves. Mr. Pierce’s hand on my thigh was a warm comfort.

“Put the music on,” he rasped.

I did as I was told, and soon the thumping beats of Adder Stone pulsed through the car, invading our senses.

I felt alive, more alive than ever before, feeling the rumbling of the engine coursing through the frame, through my seat and onto me, into me, making me part of this, part of the car, part of the race, part of this night—the most important of my life.

My brother’s face floated before me, but this time, instead of seeing him bruised and broken, I saw him as I remembered him from our childhood, his strawberry blonde hair buzzed short, a grin on his face at once mischievous and so sweet it could break your heart.

Alex…

Time is running out for Lucy to save her brother…

When Maxwell Pierce catches Lucy in a lie, he makes her tell him exactly what’s going on with her brother, Alex, now lying bruised and beaten in the prison hospital. She spills the truth, and he forces her to take him with her to see Alex and think about their next move.

When Isabeau and Chase show up, they come together in a scheme to pay Dmitry off. But when he asks for a more money, they know they’re in serious trouble. How do you get a gangster off your back when he keeps asking for more?

This 10,500 word story is the fourth installment in BOUND TO HIM, the sequel to the best-selling series by Delilah Fawkes, The Billionaire's Beck and Call.

EXCERPT:

“What can I do for you tonight, my sweet girl?”
I looked up into those piercing blue eyes. He was so close—so very close—and his eyes were soft tonight, the startling blue holding a look that felt like a promise. He wanted to care for me. He wanted to comfort me if that’s what I needed. He wanted to be here for me now.
I tilted my chin up and kissed his lips, loving the way he sighed into me. Our tongues brushed, and I ran my hand through his dark hair. It was still wet from his evening shower, and he tasted of mint. I kissed him harder, moaning now, unable to help myself, despite the knot of worry in my stomach. He was exactly what I wanted. What I needed. God, but I couldn’t get enough of this man.
I felt him stir beneath me and smiled. I brushed the curl from his forehead tenderly, wondering what he wanted, too.
“Tell me, Lucy. How can I make you feel good tonight?”
I wrapped my arms around him, holding him close.
“Take me away,” I said. “I want you to distract me from what we’ve got to do tomorrow. Please… just take me away, Master.”
He gazed into my eyes, then, and for a moment, I felt like he was looking inside of me, trying to read my thoughts. Finally, his lips twitched into that half-grin that I loved so much.
“As you wish.”
He stood, picking me up with him. I held on tight, a giddiness filling me as he held me, like it was nothing. He placed me gently on the comforter, my head resting on the luxurious pillow. He leaned over, placing an excruciatingly soft kiss on my mouth, then pulled away. I arched my back, trying to follow him, but he pressed me down with a hand on my chest.
“Lie back, little one. Lie back and close your eyes…”

Lucy Willcox begins her training…

When Maxwell Pierce said she'd start her training in the office, Lucy didn't know what to expect. She certainly didn't expect him to go over his Type A, Control Freak ground rules, especially when it comes to Rule #2: NO surprises. Ever.

Naughty Lucy scheduled a surprise meeting for her new boss just that morning, but Mr. Pierce has a punishment for her that more than fits the crime, making her squirm as she struggles to maintain control in the workplace.

Meanwhile, Isabeau and Mr. Drake have a surprise of their own, when they hire a private detective to get the dirt on Dmitry, the man who's threatening her brother, Alex, in prison. Lucy doesn't want Isabeau's help, but what Lucy doesn't know can't hurt her. Can it?

Good intentions go bad and passions ignite in this third 10, 200 word third installment in BOUND TO HIM, the sequel to the best-selling series by Delilah Fawkes, The Billionaire's Beck and Call.

Don't miss BOUND TO HIM, PART 4, available now!

EXCERPT:

“Good thing I have an assistant who can attend for me.”

“Attend for you, Sir?”

“That’s right.” He grinned down at me, his finger now tracing my jaw, his touch making me shiver. “You’re going to be punished, little miss Lucy. You will attend the meeting in my place and take detailed notes for me, then brief me later today. Understood?”

I sighed. “Yes… Sir.”

Goddamn him. This is not at all what I wanted. But at least he was getting involved, in his own weird way. I supposed that was better than nothing.

“Good girl,” he said.

He gathered up the bottom of my skirt, and I gasped, looking over my shoulder toward the office door.

“Don’t worry, Lucy. No one comes to see me who isn’t scheduled in by my assistants. It’s a hard and fast rule I’ve set with my employees.”

He moved closer, pulling me against his body. I instinctively slid my hands up his chest, enjoying the muscles beneath. His lips met my neck, and I moaned. He cupped my ass, then slid his hands beneath the fabric, running his hands over my thin panties and garter belt.

I was already wet for him, my body responding to his presence even before his touch. When he slipped a finger beneath my panties, I opened wider for him, pressing into him, loving the way he grew stiff against my belly.

“You’re already soaking, you bad girl.”

His breath tickled my neck as I leaned against him, supported by him, as he explored my folds, sending little jolts of electricity through my body. My core was on fire for him, and I wondered if he would take me here and now--wished it with all of my being.

Would he bend me over the desk? Would he press me against the wall? Would he take me on the floor, rubbing my still-sore ass against the rough fibers of the carpet?

He reached into his pocket and drew something out, but before I could see what it was, I felt it pressed against me, inside of the lace of my underwear, its cool, rounded surface totally foreign. Mr. Pierce reached into his pocket again, and the object buzzed to life against me. I shrieked, squirming in his arms.

“Open your legs, Lucy.”