Beryl McGraw haven't had her first boyfriend in her whole twenty five years and the last party she went to was her ex crush's. She wasn't that typical girly girl. Not the type of girl that loved to dress or live classily. However, she could have that part of her be blamed for her poor romantic life. Influenced by her sister, Beryl agrees to go to a party to celebrate her new job where she ends up meeting a drunk hottie who tries to pay her for sex. She resumes work the next day only to find out the same man she had slapped last night was her boss, the renowned hot CEO of Rainbows. And it was even more hard to see being the sweet, nice and romantic one with her. Locked gaze triggered nervousness. Every touch caused goosebumps. Every smile caused flusters. Every compliments caused flushes. She never meant to fall in love with. Never thought she'd start liking him so soon. And she never believed she could catch his attention. But of all, she never expected him to pull out a ring and ask her to be his wife on her 26th birthday. And just when everything seemed to be going better between the both of them, when they were both beginning to accept their feelings for each other, when the touches and kisses became the most longed for, Kelvin ex comes demanding for his love again and Beryl's ex crush won't stop tormenting her. Follow the couples on their ride as they struggle for their relationship and love in the mud. Will their love and affections grow stronger or fall apart?
Author's POV
"What'll I be doing here?" Beryl asked her sister, her green eyes widely opened and roaming around the noisy place. The place looked overcrowded and disgusting to her. And she wondered how humans survived the night in such a noisy place all in the name of having fun. And now, she'd have to survive a night all for the sake of celebrating her new work. It was her first time and she couldn't help but show her hatred for parties like this which she called stupid.
"Have fun, of course," Her sister's voice was cronk over the loud music," You need to loosen up for the night. You'll be working in the most famous Rainbows in the next few hours. I won't let you sleep in that house alone. " Ciara grabbed her arm in hers and pulled her along with him as they tramped closer to the bar.
"Red wine, please, two glasses!" She yelled at the bartender, not minding Beryl's uneasiness and not caring if she liked to take alcohol or not. The black haired bartender smiled at the duet, sending a wink to Beryl who in particularly barely noticed him. He dropped them a compliment before going to attend to their order. Immediately he had excused himself, Beryl plonked herself down on the bar stool. She wasn't feeling any comfortable with the tight dress, heavy makeup and expensive hairstyle. And the heels were really bothering her feet. The environment too, the noise in there was surely something she wasn't used to.
When the bartender was taking too long to bring them their order, Ciara turned to face her younger sister, "Do you know how much beautiful you look right now, Beryl? You have every men's attention in the hall and you owe me one for that. But don't worry, I will put it upon myself to make sure you're hotly dressed to work every morning so when you're able to steal a rich boss's heart, you'll pay me with 50% of whatever he gifts to you. Agreed?" Beryl laughed at her sister's supposed joke. She had always been used to owning a crazy, fashionistic sister but was never used to her sister forcing a personality on her. And she was wrong. She doesn't feel like the she has every men's attention like her sister had said or gorgeous. In fact, she had to be sincere with herself, she felt the most awkward, especially with the wine bandage sided gown. It was very short and body hugging to begin with. And she didn't like the way it exposed her sides and cleavages, there was too much skin there. Also, it glittered. She usually preferred dull appearances that didn't call much attention to her. A simple floral gown would've done very well for a party. She was even more satisfied with her baggy 1980s shirt and pants than what she wore now. She felt and looked not more or lesser than a whore.
"I don't need your agreement, you know me to be a very stubborn big sister and you can't change my mind." Ciara boasted as her forest green eyes gleamed with a smile on her face. Ciara looked gorgeous with a smile on, she always did and Beryl surely admired her dimples the most. She would've look even more great without makeup but she wore less makeup, yet she had pancaked her sister's face and dragged her all the way to a party.
"I'll try my best too, I won't easily agree to appearing naked at my workplace." Beryl laughed and Ciara joined her, just as the bartender finally brought them their order. Ciara opened her purse and brought out some notes which she shoved to him on the counter. He smiled and thanked her before taking it and going to attend to other customers. "I know you don't like alcohol but I'm proposing for just this drink and glass clicks to celebrate your new job. It shouldn't hurt much, right?" She said, lifting her own glass of wine.
"Not bad," Beryl remarked and picked her own glass too. It wasn't much in the glass and she didn't think it was enough to get her drunk, yet, although she only tasted alcohol once but she couldn't quite remember how it tasted. The both glass met and made a clank, splitting the wine slightly.
"Cheers to your new job, kiddy sister." Another clang and Beryl lips curled into a smile at that pet name, "More money and a hot, rich boyfriend for you." She winked at the celebrant before lifting her glass of wine to her lips. Beryl watched her 27 years old sister gulp down the whole alcohol within seconds like it was some fucking water, to her own bewilderment. Ciara dropped the now empty glass on the counter and her brows creased when she saw her little sister still holding the filled glass, and she could guess she hadn't taken even a sip out of it. "You won't tell me you aren't taking that, Beryl. I paid with my fucking hard earned dollars for it. And darling, it's just a shot. Your lips aren't a virgin to it, besides. You had it at Jacob's birthday party, remember?" Oh, yes, how can she forget?! That day, she had caught her crush making out with her best friend after getting her confession and proposal rejected by him that same night. She remembered how that pang of betrayal had caused her to get into a drinking game and end up getting drunk. The next day, her sister made her the joke of the house and made sure Jacob and Bridget stayed out of her way until graduation. It made her remember those days when her bad ass sister was still very much her heroine. And when she couldn't even stand up for herself against a bully. But no one really dared to bully her after knowing she was Cici's sister. No guy even dared ask her out. Cici was Ciara's nickname during highschool and it was given to her by a bully on her first day, but she'd make it the most feared name at Winter Smile after she had angrily beat up her bully.
"Knock knock on the door. Beryl McGraw still home?" Ciara dramatically taps her knuckles on Beryl's forehead in an attempt to bring her out of her thought.
"Sorry, I zoned out," Beryl apologized, putting on an apologetic smile which Ciara laughed to, "I noticed. Apologies only accepted if you're going to take that thing in your hand already." The drink! She forgot she never had the alcohol. And with another apologetic smile, she lifted it to her lips and poured the whole content into her mouth, trying to mimick Ciara. It was bitter and burned in her throat. She almost thought of spewing it out back but for the fact that Ciara would be left embarrassed and angry, she hurriedly gulped the remaining liquid down her throat. And once she'd swallow every bit of it, its bitterness was immediately replaced by a sweet savor.
"Oh, now that's my little sister growing up to be a big girl!" Ciara appraised and awarded her a round of clap. Big girl? She's not anymore a girl!
"I'm twenty five, Ciara. You've to stop referring me as a girl already." She reprimanded, her pouted lips wearing a frown as she glared at her elder sister. But her red haired sister only laughed, "You haven't grown up to be that girl I want you to become, Beryl. You might look beautiful and nubile and all but you're still struggling for a first relationship. You're not a woman, yet. Don't worry, the minute you step out of your room wearing the most gorgeous and classy look made by you and putting on the classiest accent, then you'd become a woman to me." Ciara nurtured with her words, feeding her a lip tight smile while Beryl only rolled her bright green eyes at her. She felt the need to insist and protest but she rather shut up and watched her sister's forest green eyes search the crowd, as if to look out for someone. After exploring the whole dance floor with her eyes, she averted her gaze back to Beryl with a grin playing on her lips. Beryl already knew at that instant, she didn't need someone to tell her her sister was leaving her 'I'll catch you up later. Have some fun' already. So, she watched her big sister tell her bye for the night and whisk away, with no ammused look on display. She was probably going to hook up with some hot nigga. She snickered a little and looked around the party once more to catch a better view, now that she was settled. But the place didn't look any better than it had at her arrival. It was only more crowded than then.
Tut-tut. She wondered what she was going to do there for the rest of the night. This was boring, for her. It was the most boring party she'd ever been to. And the worse was that she hadn't come along with her phone. So rather than sucking her thumb and ending up sleeping right there, she took her interest into studying the activities going on in the dancefloor. She almost barfed this time and she literally felt her lunch running back to her lungs to pass out of her mouth. The place was more like a open sex pool with most people making out and grinding hips together. Her eyes! She hadn't bring the sanitizer with her! Tsk.
"Care for a dance?" That strapping voice came from behind her and she yanked her eyes away from the dirty scenes. She turned to the direction the voice came from only to see... Fucking sweet Mary!
'he's hot,' she told herself, staring back at those charming eyes... Dumbfounded, her eyes shameless raked his face features. He had the most gorgeous gray eyes she had ever seen, finely chiseled jawline, thin and pointed nose, the sharpest jaw, full brows, kissable pink lips and spiky dark hair that was quite long and did the perfection to his handsome look. This wasn't just some man before her, he was the fucking hottest guy she'd ever seen in her twenty five whole years. And he looked clean and wore white shirt that brought out his muscular figure. She blinked her lids, snapping out of her admiration when he snapped his fingers at her face.
"Sorry? What do you want?" She asked.
"How much for a night?" His question stung her heart like a bee. She sprung on her feet immediately and glared up at the hot stranger before her. But realizing she might end up making a scene which wouldn't do her much good, she sat back on the stool, "I'm not a whore or a sex worker." She said, calmer than she intended but he only tugged at her arm and pulled her up.
She mewled in pain as he pushed her against the counter.
"Just tell me your fucking price, bitch. I'm hard already," she wanted to slap him in the face for calling her that but she could only wriggle to be free from his hard grip on her in that minute. He was drunk, she noticed, and his breathe reeked of alcohol. If only she knew, then she'd have backed away the moment he approached her. He had her against the counter and everyone was in for the show if he was going to fuck her there. No one cared, except for Ciara of course who was probably getting screwed by now.
"Please," she pleaded, giving up already when she was already loosing, "don't rape me. I promise to do everything you ask me to. Just don't rape me, please." Another tear slipped as she whimpered again. She was beginning to tremble already and her lips too did as she spoke. The drunk, gray eyed laughed and rather than releasing her, he brought his head down to hers and pressed his lips on hers forcefully. She cringed and tensed up with fear as he kissed her violently. This was sexual harassment and she couldn't save herself from it. Yet, she wasn't going to tear up or give in. Gathering all her strength, she pulled out her hands and whacked him at the sides. To her own surprise, he growled in pain and stumbled backwards. She jumped back immediately and watched him caress his ribs where she had hit him.
Now, it was time for a real show and real self's dignity holding. She padded to the drunk stranger who was still nursing the blows from her.
"Now, look here, young man," she beckoned for his attention, " you might have all the wealth and looks and think every girl will gladly welcome you to have a night with her. Well, you're wrong and the next time you try to harass me then I won't take it lightly with you. Heard?" But she didn't wait for his response before going even more closer and slapping him across the face, " sorry, but that's for kissing me without my permission and to tell you not to take alcohol when you can't stand it." She said and before he could even think of grabbing her again, she hurried away. Even she was beginning to feel the need to barf already. And whoever that man was, he was surely good on the outside. Not on the inside.
"What we call love is just..." I falter, biting my bottom lip and gazing at everywhere but those silver eyes that have succeeded in engraving themselves in my thoughts. "Our impure ocean of bloody lust and dirty desires?" He finishes for me, getting rid of the last inch between our faces so that his warm breathe fans my neck. They bring a sense of warmness around me, calming down my panicky soul and sending chills down my spine. His hand continues their dirty assault while I become so vulnerable as to give in to the pleasure. "I've never seen you as uncertain as this, Cain. "He places more emphasis on my name and that causes a moan to escape from me. He's right_ we're too damned and lost in it than to give it a quit. It's as though we're drowned in it and can't be saved. He should be nothing but my enemy, why did the lines suddenly change? It was fifteen years ago when the late alpha introduced them to each other and with no definite relationship. They weren't brothers. Neither friends, nor enemies. Everyone simply called him Jude, including the late alpha but one thing everyone wasn't willing to do was to accept him and that one thing late alpha over-did. For most of his childhood, alpha Cain watched the new mysterious boy take his place as the late alpha favourite child, almost behind the curtain. Ten years later, it almost happened that his fear got destroyed and he inherited leadership of a broken, savaged, hidden pack. Not until his rival appears on scene as his saviour, this time, aiming to win his own very heart.
After years of trying to work things out with ' His Baby's Mama ', Harry finally finds a trap to win her again. It's a contract and she's unable to say no. Gianna has to save her career and there's only one way she can do it : agree to fall into her ex's trap. Sex with an ex; what's it called? Maybe, fornication. But when you still love your ex and you're tricked into falling even more in love with him or her and you want them back, what's that? Even as Harry tries to bring them back together, another stronger opponent plans to make them apart. Will Gianna fall into Harry's trap or into the enemy like soulmate's trap? This is for her to decide. Even if she falls into her lover's trap, will they end up together after the whole thing has been ended?
Hot CEO of Sterlings Ltd, Rand Smith had walked into Rainbows to have dinner with his fiancee when he first meets clumsy Lilac who accidentally spills his wine on him. Surprisingly enough, the renowned CEO, popularly regarded to be arrogant and grumpy seems to be okay with the mistake and to everyone's total bemusement, proposes an expensive offer for her to be his three years old son's nanny after embarrassing Raynell, his fiancee_as she would call it. Lilac is overexcited at the price offer of her new job and sees it as a way to finally get away from her abusive step mother and sisters. But for a reason, she hesitates and stops to think of why the famous Rand Smith would risk his reputation for her and ask her to be his son's live-in nanny while giving her the most intimidating look she could afford from him.
"Well," I begin and stop, a smirk playing on my lips as I stride to him, slowly, swaying my hips in the oversized gown. I'm going to teach him a bitter lesson that'll leave him shivering for days, with my words. I hate the fact that I'm being mated to a human, but killing my wolf would only bring disarray to my reputation. I stop when I reach him and I lay my hands on his perfect, naked abs. Perfect? Even more than perfect, hot! "You don't know me, darling."I say, looking up and trying to intimidate him with my stare while I turn my fingers to claws. Just a bruise won't hurt, will it? "Not human. Werewolf. Alpha of Crystal Promise pack. Deluna Hansen. 23, and powerful." He says and even before I can pierce my nails into his skin, he captures them in a hand. Wait... How does he knows all that?! He's human, I can't be wrong. "And," he stops and wraps his other arm around me, with his forehead leaning down against mine, he whispers, "You're my mate. Mine." The alpha spirit in me is weak and the part of my wolf that wants to kiss my mate badly starts to take over. I want to push him away and tell him I would never be mated to a weak human but due to his closeness, I'm too unstable to even control myself. "Mine alone." He says and brings his face even more closer, letting his nose brush against mine.
"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."
Rosalynn's marriage to Brian wasn't what she envisioned it to be. Her husband, Brian, barely came home. He avoided her like a plague. Worse still, he was always in the news for dating numerous celebrities. Rosalynn persevered until she couldn't take it anymore. She upped and left after filing for a divorce. Everything changed days later. Brian took interest in a designer that worked for his company anonymously. From her profile, he could tell that she was brilliant and dazzling. He pulled the stops to find out her true identity. Little did he know that he was going to receive the greatest shocker of his life. Brian bit his finger with regret when he recalled his past actions and the woman he foolishly let go.
Ivy Rosalia Jones, a young and beautiful doctor working at a suburban hospital, is determined to marry a man she met through a blind date, even though he is paralyzed. Actually, the marriage was meant to be symbolic, with both of them intending not to interfere in each other's affairs after the wedding. However, Ivy never expected that she would end up marrying the most influential man in the world. Shawn Dyxon Tate, Ivy's husband, has no intention of letting his beautiful wife go. Once she entered his life, he made a decision to spoil her and gave her the world she never had.
Betrayed by her mate and sister on the eve of her wedding, Makenna was handed to the ruthless Lycan Princes as a lover, her indifferent father ignoring her plight. Determined to escape and seek revenge, she captured the interest of the three Lycan princes, who desired her exclusively amid many admirers. This complicated her plans, trapping her and making her a rival to the future Lycan queen. Entwined in jealousy and vindictiveness, could Makenna achieve her vengeance in the intricate dance with the three princes?
When they were kids, Derek saved Norah's life. Years later, after Derek ended up in a vegetative state from a car crash, Norah married him without a second thought and even used her medical knowledge to heal him. For two years, Norah was devoted, seeking his affection and looking to settle her life-saving debt. But when Derek's first love returned, Norah, faced with divorce, didn't hesitate to sign. Despite being labeled as forsaken, few knew of her true talents. She was a race car driver, a famed designer, a genius hacker, and a renowned doctor. Regretting his decision, Derek begged for her forgiveness. Just then, a charming CEO intervened, embracing Norah and declaring, "Back off! She's my wife!" Taken aback, Norah blurted out, "What did you say?"
In their three years of marriage, Chelsea had been a dutiful wife to Edmund. She used to think that her love and care would someday melt Edmund's cold heart, but she was wrong. Finally, she couldn't take the disappointment any longer and chose to end the marriage. Edmund had always thought that his wife was just boring and dull. So it was shocking when Chelsea suddenly threw divorce papers at his face in front of everyone at the Nelson Group's anniversary party. How humiliating! After that, everyone thought that the formerly-married couple would never see each other again, even Chelsea. Once again, she thought wrong. Sometime later, at an award ceremony, Chelsea went onstage to accept the award for best screenplay. Her ex-husband, Edmund, was the one presenting the award to her. As he handed her the trophy, he suddenly reached for her hand and pleaded humbly in front of the audience, "Chelsea, I'm sorry I didn't cherish you before. Could you please give me another chance?" Chelsea looked at him indifferently. "I'm sorry, Mr. Nelson. My only concern now is my business." Edmund's heart was shattered into a million pieces. "Chelsea, I really can't live without you." But his ex-wife just walked away. Wasn't it better for her to just concentrate on her career? Men would only distract her—especially her ex-husband.