I can't and won't drag another person into my hellscape. I could never do that to someone. Let them invest their time and heart with me because it will only end in heartache. So now you know my secrets, the truth... A troubled past has left Kat running from relationships. That is until rockstar musician, Jackson, disrupts her carefully controlled life, challenging her to take a risk and open her heart. A passionate romance about taking chances, letting go of the past and opening up your heart to the possibility of love.
A loud laugh cuts across the general noise of the bar interrupting my concentration and making me glance up in time to see a large group of men entering through the main doors. "Wanker bankers," I mumble to myself grumpily noting their sharp suits that probably cost more than most people make in a month, before plastering on a 'happy face' in an attempt to hide my sour mood. I am the barmaid and, even if I despise this particular class of customer, it doesn't make sense to give them any reason not to tip well.
My mood is made worse as crowds of women seem to part automatically for them as if they are some biblical phenomenon. Typical, I think to myself as they high-five and slap each other on the back for having finally made it across the room complete with various phone numbers and, in one case, a limpet on his arm. Argh, it makes me want to vomit.
"What can I get for you guys?" I ask, flipping my hair back off my face and adopting my most flirtatious tone. They are paying customers and these guys are par for the course when working in a bar in London's financial district. While I studiously listen to their jumbled requests and start pulling pints, my attention is suddenly grabbed by a guy standing at the back of the group. In contrast to the others, he is wearing jeans and a light-blue button-down shirt that seems to match his piercing eyes. Urgh! A cold, wet sensation, suddenly makes me aware that I'm not paying enough attention to what I'm doing when the pint in front of me suddenly overflows and splashes all down my legs.
"Oh shit," I mutter as I aggressively pull wads of paper towels out from the container on the wall before attempting to mop up the mess. Seriously, today is not going at all like I planned. The guy in front of me lets out the most annoying laugh, seriously this dude sounds like a donkey, and I have to resist the urge to pour the pint that I am holding all over him. I scowl, using my deadliest look, perfected since working in the bar. A look essential when you are a five-foot blonde working in a bar frequented by the lords and ladies of the financial world. Yes, it is Capitalism at its best, and they can't wait to tell you just how much better they are than you because they drive a supercar and screw old people out of their pension funds. Yeah, I'm not bitter at all. The guy flinches slightly and shuts the hell up which is a welcome relief.
When everyone is finally served, including Blue Eyes, I watch them meander towards the back of the bar and take a seat in one of the large, raised booths. Taking advantage of the brief lull, I finish cleaning up the mess I have made all over the floor, swearing under my breath and trying to force myself into a better mood.
Usually, I love working behind the bar at Cock&Tails, even with the kind of pretentious idiots we usually attract from the nearby high-rise offices. Normally, I can find humour even in the most stressful situations but tonight is an aberration. I briefly consider calling out to one of the other bar staff or even Finn, the bar manager, who disappeared into the office about twenty minutes ago with a buxom blonde in painted-on jeans, to come out and take over but, hey, at least one of us should be having a good night.
Instead, I take a deep breath and close my eyes briefly as I attempt to find some sort of inner calm. Most of the time I walk around feeling numb, and today of all days I would welcome that. But it's the ten-year anniversary of my mother's death, and all I feel is anger and a simmering irritation with anyone whose life seems better than mine. Usually, my sister would be around, and we would hole up for the day in my apartment with ice-cream and chick flicks, but Sophie is in Borneo tracking down orangutans for a travel piece she has been commissioned to write. So, instead, I am... alone. Volunteering to work had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now I am not so sure.
I let out the breath I haven't even realised that I have been holding when I see Finn emerge from the back, a self-satisfied smirk all over his face. His blonde friend looks like the cat that got the cream, but little does she know that Finn is probably the biggest man-whore around and the only cat around here is him; this little canary is nothing more than a half-hour distraction, and after getting what he wants, he will chew her up and spit her out. I hold up my hand to let him know that I am taking five and he nods, a sad smile on his face.
Finn has been my best friend since we met on the first day of university; I was lost and bumped into him, sending his books flying and landing ungracefully on my arse. We bonded over my apology coffee and have remained firm friends ever since, so he knows exactly what today means to me. As I pass him, he gently squeezes my hand, murmuring, "Take as long as you need, Kat."
Escaping into the ladies' toilets, I take a moment to make sure no one is watching before locking myself into the end stall and doing my best to temper my emotions. A stray tear escapes and I hurriedly swipe it away, not wanting any weakness to be on display. Plus, I really can't afford to mess up my eye makeup and end up looking like Uncle Fester from the Addams Family.
When I finally gain some semblance of control, I let myself out of the stall and head over to the row of sinks to run my wrists under the cool water. I glance down and realise my hands are shaking under the gentle flow from the tap. This is not good. Come on, Kat, I think to myself. Let's just pretend it's a day like any other. "Oh, for fuck's sake," I hiss, hating the fact that I'm feeling so vulnerable today. I close my eyes and visualise putting on a suit of armour. As each element clicks into place, my breathing starts to slow, and the churning feeling in my stomach begins to settle. When the final piece is in place, I concede that I'm good to go. Just as I'm about to leave the bathroom, I notice movement on the large flatscreen that sits above the mirror.
Set in London and Brighton, Thirty Days is a fabulously provocative romance series that gives you a very steamy love affair between a hot guy and an unsure heroine, baked goods and some rather unexpected twists and turns along the way. Shy and unassuming, Abigail James loves to bake. She dreams of opening her own dessert café but instead she spends her days working as a data analyst and sneaking in her cakes as the company's 'diet assassin' on the side. Taylor Hudson, the enigmatic owner of Hudson International, has been captivated by Abby's innocence and quiet charm since the day she started working for the company. However, his history with women is marred by personal circumstances and he has vowed to stay away. A chance meeting sees Abby's world turned upside down when, drawn in by Taylor's chocolate-coloured eyes and unexpected kindness, she starts on a journey of attraction that will see her heart and soul laid bare. While their attraction is mutual, both Abby and Taylor have their own inner demons that they need to overcome if their relationship can move forward for them to find their own 'happily ever after’.
What happens when you hit rock bottom and can't see a wway out? Do you take the handsome stranger's indecent proposal that seems too good to be true? In a word, yes. Desperation will make you do crazy things, like giving up a year of your life and travelling halfway around the world to marry a gorgeous Aussie winemaker who seems to come with more baggage than he knows what to do with. I know I should keep my distance but there is something about him that just draws me in. Maybe it is the way he always seems to be there for me when I need it most, or that he just seems to know the right thing to say. All I know is that the moment he kisses me on our wedding day, I am in trouble.
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!
Blurb "Part your legs for me, princess" Alpha Damian humored huskily like he was intoxicated, I whimpered as he voice sents a jolts of emotions round my body. An emotion that I wasn't supposed to feel. Selene was 18 years old when she found out that Alpha Jasper of the Silver Crescent pack was her mate at her Awakening ceremony. Being a reject with no parents she lived with him for over one year as a slave and he never acknowledged her as his mate because he couldn't accept a reject as his mate. On her 20th birthday, her mate not only rejected her and chose her best friend; Imogen, as his new mate, but he also sold Selene to the most feared Alpha; Alpha Damian of the Crimson Moon pack whom everyone referred to as a beast. Not knowing why Alpha Damian chose to buy her, she can only resign herself to fate. What has the moon goddess installed for me again? Is this the freedom she solely crave for? Will she be tied down with the shackles of the unknown?
She thought he was the villain. He was only trying to save his soul. Rena lives in a world of sunshine, sweets, and simple dreams. Until one reckless decision drops her into a dark realm of secrets, curses and werewolves. Kidnapped, heartbroken. She doesn't know who to trust anymore especially not Logan, the arrogant, cruel Alpha who's keeping her as a hostage. Until she discovers his dark secret. He's been hearing her thoughts all along. Now the walls between them are crumbling. And when feelings grow where hatred once lived, a curse demands that blood becomes a love that demands sacrifice. But how can she give her heart to the one who might need it to die?
Bailey seems to be never destined to fit in, a little geeky, but under it all, a hidden beauty that so many seem to miss, but still not what her pack Alpha is looking for in a fated mate... so he is determined to reject her and make her life hell. Bailey, knowing her life will likely never be the same focuses on what she can control, her future, and heads off to study; becoming a teacher. Asher is the Beta of Autumn Valley Pack, a neighbouring pack. A broken man having suffered the loss of his mate after a rogue attack, Asher is slowly crumbling. Falling to pieces. A shadow of his former self, and not a man that anyone wants to be around anymore... Until, Autumn Valley Pack require a new teacher, and Bailey finds herself there and pushed together with the Beta. Is there a connection building or is that in their imaginations? And what will happen when Bailey's mate comes back to claim what is his?
"It's getting hot in here, don't you think?" I shudder as my clit becomes wet with his smooth voice. I melt away in his arms. He kisses me with a passion I've never felt before, and I moan into his mouth, lost in the moment until I sense him kicking open a door. I realize we're in a room. He continues the kiss as I wrap my leg around him, pulling him closer, his erection pressing into me. I feel my panties dripping wet from arousal. He releases me, resting his back on the headboard, and grabs my thigh, pulling me closer. His hand goes to my hair, releasing it to let my curls fall freely. He guides his fingers from my scalp to the ends of the curls, muttering in a husky voice, "Fucking beautiful. ****** Jasmine found herself trapped in a loveless marriage. Her world shattered when she uncovered her husband's betrayal on his birthday. Heartbroken and betrayed, she made the difficult decision to leave him and start anew in Illinois, with her friend Ava by her side. As Jasmine tried to go through her new life, a one-night stand left her pregnant, uncertain about the father's identity. But complications arose as Maxwell, Jasmine's ex-husband, refused to let go. Jasmine discovered shocking truths about Ava's betrayal. As secrets unraveled and loyalties were tested, Would she find the strength to overcome the obstacles in her way? Could she trust her heart, or would the shadows of the past forever haunt her?
Julia and Evan were the perfect couple-or so she thought. But everything changed when Evan abruptly ended their relationship, leaving her heartbroken and unable to tell him she was carrying his child. Years later, Julia has built a life for herself and her son, Andy, while Evan has risen to unimaginable wealth and success. Their paths cross again at a chance meeting, but Julia soon discovers Evan has moved on with someone else. Julia is done with the pain. She's fought battles alone, raising a son who deserves the truth about his father, even if Evan doesn't deserve her forgiveness. When Julia told Evan years ago she had something to say, he didn't listen. Now, it's time for him to listen. But is it too late to reclaim what he lost? "We should break up," he'd said, the words cutting through her like glass. The pregnancy test in her pocket stayed hidden, just like the child they would never share. Now, it's Evan's turn to hear the truth-and to face his deepest regret.