After a string of failed relationships, Mia Hart agrees to a "friends with benefits" arrangement with her best friend, Colton Hayes, a powerful Alpha and billionaire. But when Mia's feelings deepen, she's torn as Colton grows closer to his manipulative ex, Sabrina Lane. "You said this was just physical," Colton says coldly, arms crossed, his intense hazel eyes locked on hers. "It was," Mia replies, her voice breaking as her heart aches. "But things have changed. I can't pretend it means nothing anymore." Colton's jaw tightens. "We had an agreement. I thought you understood." "Did I?" Mia's voice trembles with frustration. "Or was I just fooling myself into thinking I could handle this? Do you think I wanted to fall for you?" For a fleeting moment, his gaze softens, but he quickly masks it. "That pull? It's just lust, Mia. Nothing more." "Is it?" she retorts, her voice rising. "Or are you too afraid to admit you feel it too?" Colton runs a hand through his hair, tension radiating from him as he wrestles with emotions he's not ready to face.
Mia's POV
The sound of laughter filled the crowded rooftop bar, mingling with the low hum of music and the faint clinking of glasses. Mia Hart shifted uncomfortably in her seat, the soft leather of the booth pressing into her back. Across from her, Colton Hayes leaned against the table with a casual confidence only he could pull off. His dark hair was slightly tousled, as if he had run a hand through it one too many times, and his hazel eyes sparkled with amusement as he recounted another one of his ridiculous stories.
Everyone at the table hung on his every word. They always did.
Mia sipped her cocktail, the tart taste of lime and vodka barely registering on her tongue. She forced a smile at the appropriate moments, nodding along, but her thoughts were a thousand miles away. Or, rather, directly across the table.
Colton. Her best friend. Her partner in crime. The man she'd somehow stupidly, recklessly, fallen for.
He caught her staring.
"What?" he asked, one eyebrow quirking in that way that made her stomach flip. "You're looking at me like I've got something on my face."
Heat rushed to her cheeks. "Nothing. I was just... zoning out." She waved a hand dismissively.
"Zoning out?" His grin widened, revealing perfect white teeth. "Am I boring you, Hart?"
"No, just tired." She gave a half-hearted shrug. "Long day."
Colton's expression softened, just for a second. "You work too hard. Remind me again why you insist on managing that whole department solo?"
"It's called being competent, Hayes," she shot back, grateful for the distraction.
His laughter rolled out easily, warm and familiar, drawing the attention of the others. Mia pretended not to notice the curious glances aimed at her. Colton had that effect on people-a gravitational pull that seemed to pull her in no matter how hard she fought against it.
The night dragged on, and Mia found herself retreating into her thoughts again. The casual touches Colton gave her- his knee brushing hers under the table, the way his arm rested across the back of her chair-were enough to send her heart racing. She knew better than to let herself feel this way. Their arrangement was clear. No strings, no expectations. Just an outlet for their mutual frustrations and the chemistry they couldn't deny.
But lately, her heart hadn't gotten the memo.
By the time the group decided to call it a night, Mia's head was spinning-not from alcohol, but from the weight of everything unsaid. Colton offered to walk her to her car, as he always did, and she let him, knowing it was a mistake.
The crisp night air hit her like a welcome slap, cooling her heated cheeks. Colton's hands were shoved into his pockets, his stride easy and unhurried beside her.
"You've been quiet tonight," he said finally, breaking the silence. "Everything okay?"
Mia hesitated. "Yeah. Just tired, like I said."
He stopped walking and turned to face her, blocking her path. His hazel eyes searched hers, and for a moment, she thought he could see everything she was trying to hide.
"Bullshit," he said softly.
Her breath hitched. "What are you talking about?"
"You're not okay, Mia. I know you better than that."
The vulnerability in his voice made her chest ache. It would've been so easy to tell him the truth, to spill everything she'd been holding back. But then what? He'd remind her of their agreement. He'd tell her she was overthinking it. He'd walk away.
"I'm fine, Colton." She forced a smile and stepped around him.
He didn't follow immediately.
"Mia..." His voice trailed off, but she didn't stop walking. She couldn't. Not if she wanted to keep the fragile threads of their relationship intact.
Colton's POV
Mia was lying to him.
The thought stuck with Colton as he watched her disappear into the driver's seat of her car. He leaned against a lamppost, hands shoved deep in his pockets, his chest tightening in a way that was becoming annoyingly familiar... This was supposed to be simple.
From the beginning, they'd agreed to keep things casual. No complications, no feelings, just a convenient arrangement between two friends who had been through their fair share of relationship disasters. And for the most part, it worked. They laughed, they teased, they burned up the sheets, and they walked away unscathed... At least, that was the plan.
Colton ran a hand through his hair, frustration simmering beneath the surface. Lately, things had felt... different. Mia had been pulling away, her usual fire dimmed, her sharp wit dulled by whatever was weighing on her. And Colton hated it.
He wanted to fix it... Hell, he wanted to fix her.
The realization hit him like a sucker punch, and he cursed under his breath. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. He couldn't afford to get tangled up in emotions, not with Mia. It would ruin everything they had.
But the truth was impossible to ignore.
Mia wasn't just his best friend. She wasn't just the woman he slept with when they both needed an escape. She was... everything. And that terrified him.
Pushing off the lamppost, Colton climbed into his car and started the engine. He couldn't shake the image of her eyes-so full of something she refused to say out loud.
By the time he reached his penthouse, Colton had made up his mind.
He wasn't going to let Mia shut him out. Not this time.
Mia's POV
The weight of the day pressed down on Mia as she kicked off her heels and sank onto the couch. Andy, her orange tabby, jumped into her lap, purring softly. She ran a hand over his fur, her mind drifting to the way Colton had looked at her tonight.
It was like he knew.
Her chest tightened as she replayed their conversation in her head. The concern in his voice, the intensity in his eyes-it was too much. She couldn't let herself believe there was anything more to it than that.
Her phone buzzed on the coffee table, pulling her out of her thoughts.
Colton: "You left in a hurry."
Her fingers hovered over the screen, her heart pounding. She could ignore him, pretend she was already asleep, but she knew he wouldn't let it go.
Mia: "I was tired."
His response came almost immediately.
Colton: "Liar."
A small smile tugged at her lips despite herself.
Mia: "I thought you didn't believe in texting."
Colton: "I don't. But you're avoiding me, and I want to know why."
Mia stared at the screen, her stomach twisting in knots. She wanted to tell him everything-that she'd fallen for him, that she couldn't keep pretending this was just physical. But she couldn't bear the thought of losing him completely.
Instead, she typed out the safest response she could think of.
Mia: "I'm not avoiding you. Goodnight, Colton."
She set the phone down and leaned back against the couch, her eyes drifting shut. Sleep didn't come easily, but when it finally did, Colton's hazel eyes haunted her dreams.
Betrayed, rejected, and humiliated in front of her entire pack by her one true love, Jaxon Hale, Amara thought her life was over when he auctioned her off like she was nothing. But her fate took an unexpected turn when she met *him*. Dante Moretti, a ruthless Alpha mafia leader, purchased Amara not for love, but for revenge. Fueled by a deep grudge against her family, he intended to use her as a pawn in his vendetta. Yet, what he didn't anticipate was the undeniable pull between them. He didn't expect to desire her, to cherish her, or to claim her as his own. When love and vengeance collide, Dante is forced to confront his own demons and make an impossible choice. Will he hold on to his hatred, or will Amara's love be enough to redeem him?
Eliza Carter has always lived a life shadowed by hardship, raised by an alcoholic father with no mother to lean on. But things take a devastating turn when she discovers that her father owes a million dollars to Damien Viera, the ruthless and dangerous man who controls the city's underworld. With no way to pay off the debt, Eliza is given an impossible ultimatum: become Damien's wife or lose her life. Torn between survival and despair, she must make a choice that will shape her future. Will she marry a man she fears to clear her father's debt, or will she choose death over a life with him? As the days go by, Eliza faces a whirlwind of emotions-will she find happiness in this marriage, or will she be consumed by hatred for the man who controls her fate?
Raven has spent her life as a forgotten omega, kept alive only by the ruthless will of Lady Morgana, who needs her to save her only son, Alpha Orion. A prophecy foretold that only a hybrid wolf from the mysterious Shadowclaw Clan could cure the madness that threatens to consume him. But the prophecy came at a terrible price-Orion's father led a massacre that destroyed Raven's entire clan, leaving her as the lone survivor. Raised as a tool to fulfill the prophecy, Raven grew into her role, never realizing that destiny would bind her to Orion in a way neither could escape. When she was revealed as his fated mate, joy quickly turned to despair. Trapped between his mother's expectations and his spiraling sanity, Orion rejected her, igniting a series of painful events that would alter both their lives forever. Now, with war looming and another Alpha vying for her heart, Raven must confront a tangled web of love, betrayal, and survival. As long-buried secrets rise to the surface, Orion's descent into madness threatens to destroy not only their bond but the future of the entire pack. Torn between the mate who rejected her and the Alpha who offers her a new beginning, Raven must make an impossible choice.
Betrayed by her closest ally and poisoned by those she trusted most, Luna Seraphina thought her story ended with her death. But the Moon Goddess had other plans. Reborn into the body of Astrid, a rogue with untapped power, Seraphina returns to her pack to uncover the truth. No one recognizes her-not even her mate, Kieran, who unknowingly cast her aside. As she pursues justice, an undeniable passion ignites between her and Kieran, risking everything- or offering her the redemption she craves.
"You're mine, little puppy," Kylan growled against my neck. A soft gasp escaped my lips as his lips brushed my skin. My mind screamed at me to push him away-the Lycan Prince who had humiliated me again and again, but my body betrayed me, leaning into him before I could stop myself. He pressed his lips against mine, and his kiss grew more aggressive, more possessive as I felt my legs weaken. What was I doing? In a split-second, I pulled away and slapped him hard across the face. Kylan's eyes darkened, but the smirk on his lips exposed his amusement. "You and I both know we can't fight this, Violet," he said, gripping my wrist. "You're my mate." "And yet you don't want me," I replied. "You told me you were ashamed of me, that l'd never be your queen, that you'd never love me. So please, accept my rejection and let me go." "Never," he whispered, his grip tightening as he pulled me closer. "Soon enough, you'll be begging for me. and when you do-I'll use you as I see fit and then I'll reject you."
Elena, once a pampered heiress, suddenly lost everything when the real daughter framed her, her fiancé ridiculed her, and her adoptive parents threw her out. They all wanted to see her fall. But Elena unveiled her true identity: the heiress of a massive fortune, famed hacker, top jewelry designer, secret author, and gifted doctor. Horrified by her glorious comeback, her adoptive parents demanded half her newfound wealth. Elena exposed their cruelty and refused. Her ex pleaded for a second chance, but she scoffed, “Do you think you deserve it?” Then a powerful magnate gently proposed, “Marry me?”
After two years of marriage, Sadie was finally pregnant. Filled with hope and joy, she was blindsided when Noah asked for a divorce. During a failed attempt on her life, Sadie found herself lying in a pool of blood, desperately calling Noah to ask him to save her and the baby. But her calls went unanswered. Shattered by his betrayal, she left the country. Time passed, and Sadie was about to be wed for a second time. Noah appeared in a frenzy and fell to his knees. "How dare you marry someone else after bearing my child?"
"There will be no falling in love, we will only act as a loving couple when we are in public, we will share a room to make it believable, but no intimacy, touching is off-limits. We'll only have sex once a month, and that's solely to produce an heir. You won't interfere in my business, and I won't interfere in yours. You will be my wife in every sense and you will not be involved with any other man," he said, arrogance seeping from every word. I watch his mouth move, I'm not ready to fall in love with any man, especially not one as arrogant and egoistic as him. I can handle acting as a loving couple, and as for intimacy once a month. I can agree to that just to satisfy my sexual cravings with no strings attached. "Where can I sign?" I asked since I had nothing to lose. *** Nadine's wedding dreams turned to nightmares when she caught her sister and fiancé cheating! With a secret recording, she's ready for revenge. But then mysterious billionaire Logan West offers a deal: A Contract Marriage to take down her ex's empire. But what Nadine doesn't know is her life is getting complicated as she takes her chance to get revenge or risks everything for a chance at love?"
Rachel used to think that her devotion would win Brian over one day, but she was proven wrong when his true love returned. Rachel had endured it all—from standing alone at the altar to dragging herself to the hospital for an emergency treatment. Everyone thought she was crazy to give up so much of herself for someone who didn’t return her feelings. But when Brian received news of Rachel’s terminal illness and realized she didn’t have long to live, he completely broke down. "I forbid you to die!" Rachel just smiled. She no longer needed him. "I will finally be free."
"Lucien, let's get a divorce," I said in a peremptory tone that was long overdue, the most decisive farewell to this absurd marriage. We had been married for exactly three years-three years that, for me, were filled with nothing but endless loneliness and torment. For three years, the husband who should have stood by my side through every storm, Lucien Sullivan, had completely disappeared from my life as if he had never existed. He vanished without a trace, leaving me alone to endure this empty, desolate marriage. Today, I finally received his message: "I'm back. Come pick me up at the airport." When I read his words, my heart leapt with joy, and I raced to the airport, thinking that he finally understood my love and was coming back to me. But his cruelty was far worse than I could have ever imagined-he was accompanied by a pregnant woman, and that woman was Carla, my closest and most trusted friend. In that moment, all of my previous excitement, all my hope, and all of our shared laughter and tears turned into the sharpest of daggers, stabbing into my heart and leaving me gasping for air. Now, all I want is to escape from this place that has left me so broken-to lick my wounds in solitude. Even if these wounds will remain with me for the rest of my life, I refuse to have anything to do with him ever again. He should know that it was his own hand that trampled our love underfoot, that his coldness and betrayal created this irreparable situation. But when he heard those words, he desperately clung to this broken, crumbling marriage, unwilling to let it end-almost as though doing so could rewind time and return everything to how it used to be. "Aurora, come back. I regret everything!" Regret? Those simple words stirred no emotion in me-only endless sadness and fury. My heart let out a frantic, desperate scream: It's too late for any of this!