When River Rouge's ex starts stalking her, she turns to the man she resented for years for help-a rich, powerful, and private named Krew Selik. At first, she's just a damsel in distress, and Krew is her white knight, but their attractions are undeniably strong. She's grown to him that she'd never been with anyone, breaking her free from her own restraint. Krew Selik is not only someone's knight. For years, he's struggled to fight his own demons. Haunted by the secrets of his past, he finds a light from the woman he never thought he can be trusted. But when River thinks that her life is going in the right direction, everything falls apart. Being with Krew comes at a price, and some secrets threaten to tear them apart.
RIVER
Three years ago...
He's even more stunning. The tall, dark-haired in a tux was standing across the hall, conversing with the other invites before he looked around and caught me gawking. Heat rushed in a wave from my chest to my neck. My cheeks were burning. My heart was pounding as I watched him freeze, turned to stone before an older man caught his attention. I sighed in relief despite my heart still hammered in my chest. That was three hours ago.
Damn. My feet were throbbing. Thanks to my expertise in online purchasing. I would have enjoyed a soak in a bathtub with my cheap Pinot noir, but my HR diploma came in handy. Journey loved her job at the Cullen Art Catering, so I decided to take her place for tonight.
The venue that featured a 70-foot ceiling with a gigantic column balcony was just majestic. I was assigned in the cocktail area with my partner Colleen, a little bit chatty, keeping me entertained with the gossips of people she recognized.
"He doesn't look pleased with the party, " Colleen sang.
The fundraising gala was doing great, aside from the fact that it was more tedious than I thought, but this event was to raise money for a cause, and I had to suck this up for a few more hours.
"And you call this a party? I mean, yeah, it is because there's a live auction, but no one seemed to appreciate the musical performance." I'd been watching these people and only one man who managed to top my boredom-him.
"Forget about live music. Just take a look at the eye candy over there." She was looking over my shoulder.
"Who is exactly the eye candy you are talking about?" I pretended to search for the eye candy even though I thought I may have an idea.
"Don't look, " she rushed, pretending to inspect the table. "He's looking at you."
"Who's looking at me?" With wide eyes, I looked at Colleen.
"Not now, " she whispered through greeted teeth.
"And you missed to mention him to me, why?"
Her hazel eyes widened into circles. "You don't know him?"
I squinted slightly. "Should I?"
"If a man could knock you up by a stare alone, damn, you are nine months pregnant, River, " she casually said.
"I honestly don't know anyone, " I admitted. "And besides, my only interest is saving Journey's job. So I'll stick with it."
"Ugh. You're no fun. But he's hot, isn't he?" She pushed the topic, which Journey warned me about her. We stepped back when the refill had arrived.
Yeah, like the hottest flame. "He's okay, I guess." I tried my best not to talk too much. We were briefed to avoid chitchatting, but here we were. We couldn't just help it.
Colleen threw me a where-the-freaking-part-of-this-universe-you-come-from look. "Are you crazy? You should have seen his brother, " she whispered and straightened her back. "Poor Journey. She's been looking forward to this event."
"There's always a next time. I need a five-minute break. I'll be right back." I wanted this to be over. I couldn't wait to throw myself onto the couch and raise my feet.
Even a server needed to look decent. I entered the employer break room, and luckily, it was empty. I sat on the counter and kicked my shoes off. My heels were killing me. I closed my eyes and wiggled my toes.
A moment later, the break room door cracked open, my eyes flew open. Before I could compose myself, my spine stiffened like a stone. Oh, my god. It's him. And he was holding his blistering gaze at me as if he was trying to talk to me telepathically.
"Not enjoying yourself." He had a deep and husky voice. And just wow, no introduction? I guessed he thought he didn't need one. Direct to the point. Is he the type of person who doesn't like foreplay and choose the wall over the bed instead?
I gulped, stared at him in astonishment as I slid my butt down. When I straightened my spine and fixed my uniform, I realized what he was doing-he was talking to me as he stepped closer. He seemed to suck the air in the room, taking my breath away as I met his fascinating searing dark eyes. Sweet Jesus, he's so damn gorgeous.
Thankfully, I managed to detach my tongue from the roof of the mouth. "Sorry. Is this supposed to be-?" Did I enter the wrong room? I looked around then back to him.
As he was closing the distance between us with his hands in his pockets, I was still rooted in place. He was tall with broad shoulders, at least, a foot taller than me in high heels. His tux was molded to his frame, showing his bulging biceps and sturdy thighs.
"I think you're in the right room." Something in his voice that crawled shivers up my spine, in a good way, and made me feel hot at the same time.
"And I supposed you're not?" I raised a brow a little.
He studied me for a ferocious focus for a moment before he shrugged.
"Don't tell me that event behind this wall is not your crowd." I motioned to his perfect well-tailored outfit that cost a fortune.
His lips curved at the corner, then pressed them into a thin line as if trying to hide his smile. His dimples showed through his five o'clock shadow. He was almost perfect, except for his dark thick hair touching the collar of his starched white crisp shirt, but he couldn't be any less perfect in my eyes. This man radiated power, oozed confidence, and had a full load of testosterone.
"And I can tell that this isn't your thing." How did he know? He stopped merely a foot away from me, eyes glittering with humor. He filled up the room like a force of nature, and I could hardly catch my breath. His pine and woodsy cologne quickly intoxicated me, and I also smelled alcohol in his breath.
"Bingo. I have to replace a friend who's sick at home." I didn't know why I even bothered explaining to a stranger. Maybe I didn't want to look stupid in front of a hot as hell of a male specimen, or maybe, I was only making a decent conversation.
"My brother backed out an hour before the event." Colleen was right, he had a brother.
I nodded in understanding. "Well, how unlucky we are-" I stopped when he stood still for a moment and stared at me. Really stared at me, making me almost quiver. What's wrong with this guy? Why did this man have the ability to invade me and make me all hot and race my heartbeat?
I wished I could read what was in his mind right now. I gulped. "Aren't you supposed to do something, like pretend to fix your bow, lit a smoke, or dial your girlfriend and tell her that you're dying in boredom?" Gah! Just shut up, River. I looked down at my feet, feeling utterly embarrassed.
"Couldn't say I was unlucky. Maybe things really happen for a reason. If I didn't show up tonight, I wouldn't have met the most beautiful woman in the room."
"What?" I froze. I had to think twice that he wasn't referring to me. Of course, why would I think it was me? "I guess so. I've seen a lot of beautiful women tonight." So, no girlfriend then.
Crap. I sounded stupid. I met his gaze, and he was staring at me again, seeming to zero into my eyes for a few moments as if to memorize my face, which I could tell that nothing special about me. Does he paint for a living or something? Then he dropped his gaze on my mouth. Every nerve in my body jumped.
"You have the most beautiful blue eyes I've ever seen." He must be drunk, or this must be his pickup line.
I blinked at his words. He was just probably bored and wanted to waste his time with someone, and that poor someone was me for a moment, in this freaking break room. Great.
I was sure I looked like a mess. My exhaustion weighed on me. My penny brown hair was falling out of its ponytail, and god, there was nothing special with the color of my Prussian eyes. Nevertheless, my knees weakened, and my eyes widened into circles. Stupid River, get a grip.
"You're not bad yourself." God, please, kill me now. In my head, I could see myself facepalming. Did I just say that? But okay, this man was hot, like a blue flame. His dark eyes were hypnotic, and he had the cerise red full lips I'd ever seen, not to mention his strong jawline to add to his perfection. And if he only made a move, I was definitely willing to let him bang me in this room. I would hate myself later. Tomorrow would be the new day anyway.
With his nose flaring, he muttered a curse under his breath as he was still staring at my mouth. He then trailed a finger on my cheek. It was a simple touch, yet I felt a jolt as if I accidentally jabbed my finger into a socket.
When I looked at his slightly parted lips, in an instant, my blood was molten lava in my veins. Oh, boy. Am I really doing this?
I hadn't had fun in a long time, and I couldn't remember the last time I had the best orgasm or wild sex in a powder room or any room for that matter.
Before I could contemplate further, he crushed his mouth to mine, his hand at the back of my neck. I gasped in surprise, taking that advantage to thrust his tongue deep. He completely invaded me, and I had no power to resist. He tasted of wine and mint, and it was strangely good. So good that I couldn't push him away and slap him hard.
Instead, I kissed him back, tangling my tongue with his. Our lips slid each other as if they'd done this a thousand times. I entwined my fingers in his dark hair, and it felt like silk against my fingers. I dug my fingernails into his scalp, pulling him closer as if I couldn't get enough of him.
A low growl vibrated from his throat into our mouths, fueling the heat between my legs. We kissed like we'd missed each other for a long time of bottled-up desire and longing between us crackling up into the fire. This kiss was not the first normal kiss-this was hard, yearning, and raw with pure desire.
He pressed his hard body against mine, and my back hit the marble counter. My god, he wanted me. I could feel his rigid erection pressed against my lower belly, and I also wanted him that my nipples ached, tightened, and hardened, causing an intensified heat to pulse in my core.
"God, I want you so bad. I want to fuck you so hard right here right now, " he said roughly into our mouths as he reached towards my breast. I flexed forward, seeking to ease the ache between my thighs and my sensitive nipples. I shivered and sighed as if he just read my mind-he cupped and pinched my hardened buds against the fabric. Oh, yes!
I felt how wildly my heart pounded, and it wasn't the only one, I also felt his big, hard, hungrily digging cock twitching on my lower abdomen. And it felt incredible.
I held my moan as he nibbled and nipped my bottom lip, and I imagined his mouth sucking my breast. Dear God, I wanted his mouth and tongue in there, everywhere, all over my body. I could feel the pool of desire soaking my panties. All I knew was I wanted him. At this moment, I didn't even care that I didn't know his name.
Then his hand slid south, trailing his fingers between my thighs. I inhaled in a huge gust, shuddering. I wanted him to fuck me now until I couldn't walk. Except, this wasn't me. This isn't me.
"Stop." I pushed him. My voice sounded like I wanted to dash out of the door, but my body screamed something else-please, don't stop!
He froze as if he'd turned to stone. His face paled as if someone just slapped him, but his dark eyes pinning into mine were still on fire, and they were shooting flames at me. "Excuse me?"
"I'm not the kind of woman you could just throw compliments and spread legs for you." God, what was I thinking? My hormones had taken control of my brain.
He stared at me, seemingly offended, and I could clearly see now that he was sober, but still drunk with lust. Then deliberately, his freeze started thawing while I was beyond turned on. But now something chilly filled between us. We were merely an inch apart, but the distance seemed like miles away.
He said nothing as he stepped back.
Heartbroken, Charleigh Wrylee, a charming and driven associate architect, dedicates her life to her career. She grabs the opportunity when a new project promises her a promotion. Bryce Chase is a tough daddy and a great baker with only two goals in life-raising his child and managing his cake shop. But things change when he runs into a new girl. Even though their interests don't align, it turns the heat between them, pulling them together like magnets. Will they be able to set their issues aside and follow their hearts instead? Or will they rather stick to what they're fighting for; his shop and her promotion? *** Sometimes hiding the truth comes with a great price. That's what the quiet and preserved Arizona Sky realizes after meeting Tripp Wrylee- a hardworking overconfident CEO of a top architectural firm. She finds herself doing things she never thought she'd do- marrying a man she barely knows and leaving her the next day. Three years later, he comes back, asking for a second chance, filling the husband's role he left empty, bringing out the other side of him that Ari never knew he had. Things between them become surreal until his job is at risk, their relationship is in hot water, and the people she loves are against their relationship, but something between them is maybe worth saving.
"Why did you bend over, Maverick?" Â "Because you told me to, assh*le." Â "I'm so tempted to f*ck you right now. You're the most exquisite woman I've ever been with, the only beautiful thing I see and have." Â "Then what are you waiting for? Just punish me already!" *** MAVERICK As a working college student, I struggle to make ends meet until a stranger approaches me with a proposal-- to be his employer's wife for an enormous sum of money. Knowing the cash will help me pay my grandmother's medical bills, I accept the offer with a demand-- just a marriage of convenience, no intimacy. It's too late to realize I'm marrying the charming and gorgeous to a fault, young Mr. Winston. And there's this instant fire between us despite my inhibitions. Things get more complicated when our sham marriage is put to the test by his father, who threatens to expose my dirty little secret. *** LAKE Being a Braddson-Winston heir is sometimes a curse. My father is a real SOB and a pain in my ass. He makes one outrageous demand for me to secure the CEO seat in the company-- marriage. So I found a perfect bride- Maverick Bates II, who is beautiful but in a dire financial situation. I only ask two things. We stay MBA and keep things purely business until the contract ends. As simple as that. It was meant to be a straightforward deal, but each day I get to know her, my position is not the only thing at stake but also my heart. I realize I can't let her go even if I have to make a dangerous bargain with her father, who happens to be a ruthless crime boss.
Without warning, he grabbed me by my ankles and dragged me to the edge of the bed. “Take your panties off,” he ordered me as he unbuckled his belt and worked on his pants, letting them fall on his ankles. Then he grabbed his dick out of his boxers. He was already hard and began stroking it. When I was too shocked to move, he growled at me, his green eyes searing against mine. “Panties. Off. Now, Nirvana.” I did as he said, scrambling to remove my shorts and underwear. My chest started heaving. My lips went dry as I watched him enjoy stroking himself. “Open your mouth, suck me, and take me all in.” His order woke up something inside me. Lust fired up through my veins, and my clit ached for him. I opened my mouth, and he shoved his shaft inside. “That’s it, sweetheart. Good girl.” *** All her life, Nirvana Thorne thought she was just human, at least not until a mysterious guy rejected her for no reason. When she finally uncovers her family secrets, Knight reclaims her as his fated mate and forces her to dig deep into the unimaginable danger of the underworld to undo the curse. Fighting her attraction towards him is hard enough. Every time they get close, their chemistry sizzles, and the heat between them becomes irresistible. When the pack is under siege, she must learn to gain control of the newfound power within her while the alpha intends to show her where she belongs. *** All Knight Blackwell ever wanted was to run his pack while getting rich. What he didn’t need was a woman demanding his attention, let alone a human mate like Nirvana. So he rejects her. What he never sees coming is his mate possesses an ancient secret— she’s a creature bound in magic intertwined with an ancient dark prophecy and the key to something bigger than anything they’ve ever imagined. With his primal urges getting harder to resist and the powerful being wreaking havoc in his wake, Knight has to sate his dark cravings for his mate before they go to war that Nirvana might have to sacrifice a piece of herself.
“Do it again.” “Be more specific, baby.” I heard a smile in his words. He was enjoying this and wanted me to beg. “Fuck you. You know what I mean.” I grunted in frustration. “I actually don’t.” He stopped again. His rough hand remained between my thighs. “Stop playing games, or I will stroke myself until I come.” I wiggled my ass, seeking a quick relief from the throbbing in my core. Breathing raggedly, he said, “No one is playing games here, baby. I just want to know what you want.” “You really make me do this, don’t you?” My voice was a combination of frustration and irritation. He was enjoying this too much, probably punishing me for giving him blue balls twice. “You were complaining earlier, so, yes. I don’t want another broken nose.” “Spank my ass, Califf. Then touch me and fuck me with your finger. I wanna come. Do you think you can do that?” *** All Shadow ever wanted is to live in peace with their pack, but as a royal Lycan and the daughter of a witch, it comes at a price. When a faceless enemy targeted her, she did not only lose her wolf but also her healing gift, leaving her powerless and vulnerable. Now that the bond is gone and her happy ending is not guaranteed, she has nothing left to offer. She doubts whether she’s still worthy of her mate and Luna of their pack. Alpha Califf becomes a formidable Alpha after defeating a sinister enemy. He should be invincible with allied packs everywhere and witches at his disposal, but Shadow becomes a liability. Despite what happened to his mate, he’s willing to leave the pack and live with her away from threats, but their enemy is two steps ahead of them, and Shadow becomes cold and distant, leaving him nothing but agony he’d never felt before. Will Shadow get her revenge and find a way to get her wolf and gift back? Will they uncover the ugly truth behind their enemy? Or their foe is just right under their noses all along.
“I can smell you’re wet for me, my little mate.” My nose flared. My chest heaved. My rage boiled inside my body, making me want to explode. “Well, take this, Alpha. I, Shadow Raven Hawks, omega of Night Stalker Pack—” “Shadow, what the fuck are you doing?” He was fast to cup my face as his eyes began brewing the pain. “Rejecting—” I wasn’t finished when he slammed his mouth against mine, stopping me. *** She’s a lone wolf— a rogue. Shadow Hawks learns to keep her head down. That’s how she survives until she wakes up in a pack run by a control freak hot-as-sin ruthless Alpha. With one single sniff of him, she feels an intense connection with irresistible heat. Now she’s got her old pack on her heels. The only one who can protect her is Alpha Califf. She will do everything, even if she has to bow down and reveal herself. Califf Stone doesn’t have time for a relationship but to protect his pack from a sinister, vicious Alpha killing the neighboring packs. Until he meets a mysterious rogue who enjoys defying his orders, he finds himself craving for her, losing control— And he knows she’s the one. When their common enemy threatens her, he’s ready to break his defenses to protect his mate. What surprises him, she’s not only half-Lycan, half-witch. She’s also a Lycan Princess.
Estelle Bladwyn has a certain type— a little older with a little less demanding job and knows his way in bed. When she bumps into a hot thirty-ish man on her not-so-romantic-getaway on an island, he does check two on her checklist, and exactly what she wants for that moment. One thing that doesn’t set right— their growing attraction is overwhelming, and her life is already complicated. But who can deny someone like Linden, who held you captive with his eyes, caged you in his arms, and still promised you a good time? Gabe Linden is getting old and still single and done with hookups and doing favors. When some big guns like Moses Braddson, a man he looks up to, he just can’t say no to. The only problem is he hasn’t taken the job yet— he knows he’s already failing it. Looking into her celadon blue eyes, he sees right into her soul. There’s no way he’s letting her go, even by means of breaking his number one rule— The beautiful billionaire is his to keep.
On the day of their wedding anniversary, Joshua's mistress drugged Alicia, and she ended up in a stranger's bed. In one night, Alicia lost her innocence, while Joshua's mistress carried his child in her womb. Heartbroken and humiliated, Alicia demanded a divorce, but Joshua saw it as yet another tantrum. When they finally parted ways, she went on to become a renowned artist, sought out and admired by everyone. Consumed by regret, Joshua darkened her doorstep in hopes of reconciliation, only to find her in the arms of a powerful tycoon. "Say hello to your sister-in-law."
The night before her engagement, Valerie was tricked by her boyfriend and stepsister into spending the night with a stranger. After the night together, the man vanished. Later, her boyfriend accused her of cheating, revealing his affair with her stepsister. Pressured by her father, Valerie married an unconscious man in place of her stepsister. Valerie exposed the scheme, sabotaged her father's ambitions, and transformed herself. When her husband woke and chased her to the airport, she calmly refused him, saying, "It's over between us." He held her firmly. "You married me, so you must commit."
Due to the plight of her family, Phoebe had no choice but to embark on the path of selling herself. In an accident, she had a tangled night with Alexander. Everything began to derail, and even if she fled to the ends of the earth, she would still be found by him and entangled... *** Phoebe screamed in frustration, "What do you want from me?" What was this supposed to be? He raised an eyebrow wickedly. "What do I want? You'll find out soon enough." With that, he hoisted her up and carried her back into the office. The door slammed shut with a kick, and he cleared the desk with a sweep of his arm before laying her down on it, his body pinning hers in place, completely trapping her in his grasp. Every cell in his body was telling him he wanted her. He wanted to claim her again. This time, there would be no escape for her-he wouldn't let her slip away. Never again. If he had suffered for five years, then this woman wouldn't get off easily either!
Dear readers, this book has resumed daily updates. It took Sabrina three whole years to realize that her husband, Tyrone didn't have a heart. He was the coldest and most indifferent man she had ever met. He never smiled at her, let alone treated her like his wife. To make matters worse, the return of the woman he had eyes for brought Sabrina nothing but divorce papers. Sabrina's heart broke. Hoping that there was still a chance for them to work on their marriage, she asked, "Quick question,Tyrone. Would you still divorce me if I told you that I was pregnant?" "Absolutely!" he responded. Realizing that she didn't mean shit to him, Sabrina decided to let go. She signed the divorce agreement while lying on her sickbed with a broken heart. Surprisingly, that wasn't the end for the couple. It was as if scales fell off Tyrone's eyes after she signed the divorce agreement. The once so heartless man groveled at her bedside and pleaded, "Sabrina, I made a big mistake. Please don't divorce me. I promise to change." Sabrina smiled weakly, not knowing what to do...
After three secretive years of marriage, Eliana never met her enigmatic husband until she was served with divorce papers and learned of his extravagant pursuit of another. She snapped back to reality and secured a divorce. Thereafter, Eliana unveiled her various personas: an esteemed doctor, legendary secret agent, master hacker, celebrated designer, adept race car driver, and distinguished scientist. As her diverse talents became known, her ex-husband was consumed by remorse. Desperately, he pleaded, "Eliana, give me another chance! All my properties, even my life, are yours."
To the public, she was the CEO's executive secretary. Behind closed doors, she was the wife he never officially acknowledged. Jenessa was elated when she learned that she was pregnant. But that joy was replaced with dread as her husband, Ryan, showered his affections on his first love. With a heavy heart, she chose to set him free and leave. When they met again, Ryan's attention was caught by Jenessa's protruding belly. "Whose child are you carrying?!" he demanded. But she only scoffed. "It's none of your business, my dear ex-husband!"