"A forbidden fruit he can't resist." A hardworking perfumer, Arella Rogue violated rules once and shared a passionate night with a strange. After seven years, a twisted fate brings them together, but her heart is still raw to gamble over her unrecompensed feelings. An optimistic and charismatic businessman Skipper Linton's plan crumbles like his heart the moment he meets Arella again. Their scorching passion reignites, but there's a slight problem-she's forbidden fruit he shouldn't bite. And if there's one thing Arella learned from her past-it's not to play with fire. But the more she pulls away, fate brings them closer. And one long-buried secret can change their lives forever.
Skip
I SCANNED the packed room, hoping to find an old mate as quickly as possible. Coming back to this place again was harder than I thought. My chest tightened when the door shut behind me-it felt like walking down the memory lane. The air was thick with the same smell of alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, perfume, chalk, and felt.
A curvy woman passed by me with a tray of cold beers and a large bowl the size of basketball full of crisps, making my stomach grumble. At the dim-lit corner, a couple started to snog on their table and didn't give a shit on the replayed football match on the flat TV screen bolted on the wall.
What was wrong with you people? That was the real football for bloody sake! Our European football, and not some bunch of bollocks!
The drinkers laughed boisterously beside the pool players who were carefully analyzing the angle of the ball on the fifth table. Across it, the two blokes slapped down their bets confidently as if they already presumed who was going to win.
Then there he was-the familiar figure about my age, same built as I am, and an inch taller than my six feet two inches height. The light hanging above the table made the tattoo of Mjölnir's symbol stood out on his right arm. He twisted his cue to the chalk square expertly.
Bloody Shark. I inwardly smirked.
He leaned on the table, then slid a cue shaft along the crook of his hand and hit the cue ball, knocking the balls into each other. A roar erupted around, causing it to gather more audience around him.
His opponent was a skin-head bulky guy, leaning across the table. He intently watched the balls rolling in front of him, waiting patiently for his turn, but I was sure it was never going to happen. I could bet a hundred quid on it that Shark was going to win, effortlessly.
A low chuckle rumbled in my chest as I sat down on the wooden stool. Bottles of different types of alcohol lining behind the bar. A sign prohibiting the minors, a liquor license, and alcohol sponsor signage posted on the right side.
A late fifties old man with an untrimmed graying and thick beard approached with a friendly smile. "What can I get for ya, fella?"
"Just a beer. Thanks, mate." I smiled back, fishing some bills from my jeans.
"It's on the house," he intoned.
To my disbelief, I stared at him like he was tricky jigsaw puzzles. Seconds ticked by, I busted out laughing. "Jett?" What the! It was Brett's uncle, who co-owned the Rogue Pool house.
His face split into a grin, showing off his two bottom crooked teeth. "Thought you wouldn't recognize me, Skip."
Still laughing, I extended my hand for a handshake. "I almost did not recognize you, Jett. What's the deal with the beard? How's business, life, and Lorcan?" I met his son with Brett back in London.
"Oh, come on. Let's not talk about my boring life, but Lorcan is in LA. So, you stay here for how long, son?" He grabbed a long glass behind the bar counter and pressed the beer tab. The beer bubbled up, then he placed down in front of me.
"Thanks. Not for good, but I'll stay for a year or so." I sipped the beer. The yeasty and bitter taste slid down, washing out the worry clogging in my throat. My stomach churned as it reminded me of why I was back after seven years.
"Good to know, son. Good to know."
Another cheer erupted and glasses clinked simultaneously from where Brett was playing. A skin-head, bulky man cursed fiercely, face reddened with anger.
"He won," I confirmed.
"Yup, poor man. He doesn't have any idea who Brett is," Jett concurred proudly.
Brett was a pool shark. Sadly, he stopped competing when his grandma died almost four years ago while he was on States tour.
At the corner of my eye, I saw the framed photo of Brett and his team. Other photos were The Minnesota Fats' Rudolf Wanderone and The Filipino's pride The Magician Efren Bata Reyes.
"Thanks, man!" That was Brett. "Nice game, by the way."
I chuckled when I sensed him heading towards us. I turned to face him. "You've got to be kidding me! You tricked him, Sharknado. You're a pool shark and he is barely a rookie. That's literally cheating!"
His big brown eyes widened in surprise, then grinned and spread his arms wide as if to welcome me. "Look who's here, fellas?" He threw his hands in the air in an exaggerated way. "Finally! Finally, he finds his way back to where he truly belongs! The United States of fucking America, where burgers and fries are our religion, right fellas?" He got everyone's attention, raising their drinks. "Welcome home, Skipper Braddock Linton, my mate!"
I slid from the stool, laughing my arse out. "That's quite British-y, don't you think? We're here in US soil, Brett Rogue." We hugged with a back slap. He was my roommate in college and had been my best friend since then, but I had to go back to England to work with my father after I graduated.
"I thought you were joking when you called last week, mate. Are you in trouble? Are you now in the MI6 most wanted lists?" Still grinning, we sat on the stools just like old times.
Jett placed down a bottle of beer for him.
"Not in trouble, as far as I know, not in a wanted list either, Jack Reacher." I laughed. When was the last time I laugh like this? We talked over the phone, exchanged emails, but not like this. I missed the old times when we were just screwing around, partying, and not caring about tomorrow.
The last time I met him was three years ago with Lorcan, but we were busy enjoying the London night. Scratched that. I was totally pissed most of the time to even remember.
"Most wanted bachelor then, Mr. Bean?" His brow waggled playfully, smiling with mischief.
I snorted. "I'm engaged, Ethan Hunt." I wish.
His eyes bulged. "No fucking way, James Bond!" He slammed his hands on my thighs, making me jerk up and wince in pain.
"What the bloody hell was that?" I grimaced. "Of course, I was lying, Stephen Curry?"
"I thought you're serious, plonker." He sipped his beer, keeping his eyes on me.
"What's wrong if I'm engaged, daft? I could have just fallen in love in a week and planned on getting married."
He snorted. "That's Mission Impossible, E. L James. The last time you were heartbroken, I and Lorcan flew from LA all the way to London to mend your stupid broken heart. And the last time I talked to you over the phone, which was just last week, by the way, you seemed far from being in love, so, I know you're lying. I might consider if a hot babe will jump into your knickers tonight, then you take her to your flat and shag her brains out."
"Bloody hell. Why her? Why not just Simon Cowell?" We high-fived and laughed-a deep thunderous laugh like we used to do. I hadn't gotten a chance to tell him the reason why I was here, and it made me felt like an arse.
I scratched the back of my head where I tied up my bronze curly hair into a bun. Talking about my ex, it only ripped the old wound open. I couldn't blame her for choosing her career over me because that time I was also busy working my arse off to make my own name and prove to Dad that I deserved to be a Linton, and not because I was his son.
"Still hurt, huh?"
"Barely." My accent thickened, especially when I was upset or worried about something. I pushed the empty glass. "Jett, scotch, please."
"You're not gonna piss your arse, Linton. It's your first night in New York after seven bloody years," Brett imitated my thick accent, which he quite fancied at it and lured lots of girls during our college days.
"Nope. I'm gonna beat your sorry skinny-arse over snooker," I challenged him, though I knew who was going to win.
"Fucking Brit!" he spat out, laughing carelessly. "Carry on, Harry Potter. So, what will get if I win?"
"Anything, Kardashian." I shrugged, extending my hand with determination.
"I can't believe you know all these shits."
"Blame it on Clyve. He didn't stop talking about shits since he started producing a morning show."
"Wow! Good for your bro, mate."
"Now, what if I'm going to win?"
"Are you serious?"
"Bloody."
"Okay, anything," he answered, sounding unsure. His brows squished together.
"Are you sure?" With confidence, I arched my brows as I gripped his hand to seal the deal. My heart started to hammer in my chest. What the fuck had gotten into me to play the game that he had been playing all his life?
"Yeah, King Arthur."
"I have unfinished business with someone, but can I have your word that you won't kick my arse-"
"With who?"
***
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"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.
LONDON I’ve never been a rule-breaker. Until the God-like and hotter-as-sin, I despise for two years comes back and becomes my temporary bodyguard. I hate his work ethic—Striker Cade never mixes his job with pleasure, but when he looks at me, he’s got heartbreak written all over him. When my father threatens to shut down, the only thing that matters to me, he volunteers to help. Our marriage is supposed to be the solution to my problem, but my father has another evil plan. The more we spend time together, the more I realize I don’t have to act madly in love. I already am. *** STRIKER I’ve never lost focus at work. When London becomes my client, she’s got forbidden fruit written all over her, and she hates my guts, but something tells me she’s worth it. Until I find myself in her bed without any recollections, the next day, we’re engaged. I would love to play her in-love husband. Only we’re trapped by her father’s demands, pawns to his bigger plans. When her life is threatened and our marriage is at stake, I reach out to my last resort. And I realize she has become the person I can’t live without. *** Don't forget to check out THE BILLIONAIRE'S BARGAIN BRIDE , THE BILLIONAIRE'S CREED, and THE BILLIONAIRE'S ROGUE PRINCESS.
Rejected by her mate, who had been her long-time crush, Jasmine felt utterly humiliated. Seeking solace, she headed to a party to drown her sorrows. But things took a turn for the worse when her friends issued a cruel dare: kiss a stranger or beg her mate for forgiveness. With no other choice, Jasmine approached a stranger and kissed him, thinking that would be the end of it. However, the stranger unexpectedly wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered in her ear, "You're mine!" He growled, his words sending shivers down her spine. And then, he offered her a solution that would change everything...
Five years ago, he upped and left his wife without informing her. He had always felt unworthy. As a result, he decided to go and become a better man. It took him five whole years of daily hard work. When he was satisfied, he returned as a powerful and honorable man. He intended to start a family with his wife. But he got back to meet the greatest shocker of his life. He actually had a daughter!
In order to fulfill her grandfather's last wish, Stella entered into a hasty marriage with an ordinary man she had never met before. However, even after becoming husband and wife on paper, they each led separate lives, barely crossing paths. A year later, Stella returned to Seamarsh City, hoping to finally meet her mysterious husband. To her astonishment, he sent her a text message, unexpectedly pleading for a divorce without ever having met her in person. Gritting her teeth, Stella replied, "So be it. Let’s get a divorce!" Following that, Stella made a bold move and joined the Prosperity Group, where she became a public relations officer that worked directly for the company’s CEO, Matthew. The handsome and enigmatic CEO was already bound in matrimony, and was known to be unwaveringly devoted to his wife in private. Unbeknownst to Stella, her mysterious husband was actually her boss, in his alternate identity! Determined to focus on her career, Stella deliberately kept her distance from the CEO, although she couldn't help but notice his deliberate attempts to get close to her. As time went on, her elusive husband had a change of heart. He suddenly refused to proceed with the divorce. When would his alternate identity be uncovered? Amidst a tumultuous blend of deception and profound love, what destiny awaited them?
Accused of murder, Sylvia Todd's mother was deemed a traitor by the entire pack, condeming Sylvia to live the rest of her life alone in humiliation as a lowly slave. All she wanted to do was to prove her mother's innocence somehow, but fate never seemed to be on the side of the traitor's daughter. Still, Sylvia never lost hope. As the future lycan king of all werewolves, Rufus Duncan possessed great power and status, but he had an inexplicable reputation for being cruel, bloodthirsty, and ruthless. Unbeknownst to everyone, he had been cursed long ago to transform into a killer monster on every full moon. Even though fate did not always look upon the two, it brought Sylvia and Rufus together as each other's destined mates. Will justice be served for Sylvia's mother? What about Rufus' secret? Can Sylvia and Rufus defy all societal norms and stay together? Will these two unlucky souls have their happy ending?
This is a story about two damaged people who came together because of one's desire and the other's fear. Cassandra She was young, innocent, loving, and pretty with big eyes that showed her soul. She was stunningly beautiful but broken and alone, trapped in a world of monsters. Then he appeared. People say he is the worst monster of all, someone you pray never to meet. Will she escape him, or will he become her whole world? Dominic He was ruthless, aggressive, and merciless. Everyone feared him, and he was proud to be the king of his world. But he was also broken. Then she appeared. She was like a fragile doll, his doll. Will he take what he wants and move on, or will she become his life? "Let me go, please," she begged. He buried his face in her neck and tightened his grip around her arms. "Shhhh... breathe, love," he whispered. She cringed at his nickname for her, and he continued, "You are mine, and I am never letting you go. I will give you everything, my love, except your freedom from me."
For two years, Ashton had poured his heart into his marriage, yet Emalee's heart remained cold. Despite his dedication, Emalee presented him with divorce papers. She bluntly stated she could not remain married to a man whose net worth was less than a million dollars. Ashton signed the papers, closing one chapter of his life and stepping into a new beginning. Then, Ashton revealed his secret identities: a music mogul, a medical expert, and a martial arts master—each persona impressive enough to stun the world. As Ashton’s true capabilities came to light, Emalee was overwhelmed with deep regret.