Intrigue; something or someone who arouses curiosity or interest or fascination. Intrigue; making secret plans to do something illicit. Enigma; a person or thing that is mysterious and difficult to understand. A mystery; a paradox; a puzzle. Enchanted, to fill with great delight or charm. Three best friends; three smoldering love stories. Follow Grace, Kendra and Tatiana as they experience love, lust and everything in between with three hot, badass men of their dreams.
Intrigued
Synopsis:
Intrigue; something or someone who arouses curiosity or interest or fascination. For Grace Summers, Daniel Romano is the personification of that verb. A perfect stranger to have a perfectly wild one-night stand with, but he's definitely not the kind she wants in her life on a day-to-day basis. She has enough trouble as is, she doesn't need a rich playboy who can't take no for an answer.
Intrigue; making secret plans to do something illicit. Oh, he has plans alright, and some of them can get him behind bars. Once Daniel has had a taste of the sensual beauty, he knows that once wasn't enough. And the plans he has for her....But God forbid, the stubborn woman is Hell bent on keeping him from getting under her skin and her tight fitting corporate skirts. But, Daniel isn't a quitter. And the prim and proper Miss. Summers needs a few lessons in the bedroom on how to loosen up.
Chapter 1:
Grace
The pounding music blasting from the inbuilt speakers gave me a headache. It pulsed through my veins, vibrated in my blood stream and slammed straight to my heart until it beat with the same intensity, a merciless tattoo against my ribs.
But who was I to complain? It is, after all, the reason why I'm inside Hell Hole, not the literal one, but my favorite bar to hang out on Friday night's with my girlfriends....one of whom.... is nowhere to be found. Ah! There's Ken, slender blonde with killer legs and an extremely short black dress, on the dance floor, devouring the face of a guy in an orange jacket. A very Orange jacket. Trust Kendra Millar to have other-worldly tastes.
My other girlfriend, Ty, short for Tatiana, sat next me on a barstool, sipping from a glass of Bloody Mary-trust her to add veggies into a cocktail-bobbing her head to the music while singing out the lyrics and texting her boyfriend of two years, Connor, all at the same time. Multitasking at its finest.
I was doing the same too, minus the texting the boyfriend part, since I don't have one. But somehow, the 'it's-freaking-Friday' excitement had gone out like a light bulb in my head. As always, Ty notices.
"What's with the sulky face?" She demands. Tatiana may be a bit shy around strangers, but she's popular for her bossiness among her friends. And we try our best to obey her because...Hell hath no fury as a Tatiana scorned. But we all love her, so it's okay.
My first instinctive thought was to lie, but Ty's my best friend and she deserves the truth. "I think I'm getting fired." I told her what has had me in a nervous bundle this entire time.
The Bosses of our company had trusted me with a rather complicated case, which I had delivered before the deadline, with maximum accuracy. But in doing so, I'd ignored the projects I'd already had on hand and now, I'm on a deadline with a ton of work to do and no time to ponder. And to top it all off, Vincent, my senior, would love to see me kicked out onto the streets and take credit for all my work, so he's done the good deed of 'reminding' our bosses that my initial job came first. "My head's so full right now," I told Ty. "I know what I have to write but I cannot fathom where to start!"
"You know what," Ty leaned in schematically, her auburn hair sliding over nude shoulders, a wicked gleam in her eyes. "I have the perfect solution for your little problem."
"Really? What?" I leaned my head towards her to have a better hearing of her magical remedy.
"Sex."
"Sex?"
"Why, yes! What else?" She leaned back, grin stretching from ear to ear, leaving me dumbfounded.
"How on Earth is sex going to help me with my problems?" I toned down my volume when the bartender passed me another bottle of ice-cold beer.
"Honey, there's nothing like a mind-blowing orgasm to clear your head of all thoughts...instantly!" She snapped her fingers with a flourish, like that explained everything.
"Really?" I raised a dark eyebrow at her. "Even if I do believe in that ridiculous notion of yours, where am I going to find a partner for this 'mind-blowing orgasm' to clear my head? Last I checked it takes two to tango...unless, of course, we're taking a trip to the sex shop."
"Oh no, silly! With the hottie over there, of course!" She shamelessly pointed a finger in the direction behind my head, like whoever she was pointing to was the most obvious of choices. I didn't follow her lead.
"And why is he the rightful candidate?" I took a wild guess in thinking that the hottie she'd so boldly pointed at in her drunkenness was a guy. The last thing I need is an invitation from the same sex.
But Ty's voice was coherent when she said, "Because he's been giving you an once-over since you got here."
"And how do you know that?" I raised an eyebrow, taking a sip from my beer.
"Because I've been giving him an once-over."
I nearly spat out my drink. Coughing, I dabbed a napkin on my chin and tried to make rational sense of what Ty was telling me. "So, you mean, you were giving this guy an once-over, who's giving me an once-over. Remind me, why exactly are you setting me up with him again?"
Ty blinked. "You're drunk. And I have a boyfriend."
Shit! I really am drunk. Which really wasn't all that staggering once I realized I'd already had three bubblegum vodka shots and was currently on my second bottle of Anheuser Busch O'Doul's Amber NA.
Taking the opportunity of a distracted Ty, who was now smiling goofily at her cell phone, I risked a glance at the direction where she'd pointed not a minute ago, hoping that maybe, by some unforeseen miracle, she was hallucinating and there wasn't actually anyone in that direction, but instead, I met eyes of endless blue, visible from even this large a distance, placed in a face that evoked wicked thought of dark rooms and ruffled bed sheets and seductive plump lips that dried up my throat. The attraction was instant and, I blame it on the alcohol, made me want to take up the offer clearly visible in his eyes.
He stood on a far corner, between the private booths and the dance floor. Black hair spilled over his forehead, his jaw clouded by a five o' clock shadow. He wore a full sleeved shirt in the darkest of blues that almost seemed black in the dim disco lights, a glass of whiskey held in one hand while the other was tucked into the pockets of charcoal dress pants. From what I could tell, his skin had an olive tint to it, but it just might be the flashing lights.
"Hey there crazy frienemies!" Ken came bounding up to our stool at that instant, her cock-screw curls in tangled disarray that didn't leave much to the imagination on what she's been up to and lipstick smudged all in the wrong places. Leaning over, she ordered the bartender for another round of shots and, once delivered, placed three suspiciously green glasses in front of us.
"What on Earth is this monstrosity?" Ty scrunched up her nose.
"Something called celebration." Ken answered with a back flip of her hair.
"And what are we celebrating?" I asked, although I already knew the answer.
"Why, me hooking up of course!" A contagious grin.
It's not that Ken was a slut, but she really loved sex and took it as it came. She wasn't really the relationships type though. People she'd previously dated claim to find her too adventurous, too bold, too aggressive, too free-spirited and bit too of everything.
"Great!" Ty exclaimed, giving me a sideways glance. "So is Grace."
"You are!" Ken gasped, placing her hand over her heart. "My little girl is all grown up!" She pretended to wipe fake tears from her eyes.
"Hey! I said no such thing!" My complaint fell on deaf ears as Ty was already pointing at the guy with the bluest eyes.
"Hmmmm." Ken made a moaning sound as she too gave the guy an once-over. "I approve." And for some ridiculous reasons, I wanted to dunk her head into the shot glasses. The guy was looking at me, for God's sake!
"To hook-ups it is then!" Ken picked up a shot glass and waited for us to do the same. I must be really drunk if I'm even agreeing on a toast to myself getting hooked tonight. Oh well, it's Friday night, might as well, I shrugged.
Tipping back my glass, I let the familiar burn of the alcohol run down my throat...and gagged. "Gods! This is horrible!"
"Monstrous!" Ken seconded.
"I liked it!"
We both looked at Ty in horror.
"You know what," Ty chirped in. "I think it's time to hit the dance floor."
Agreeing, we all got out of our seats and headed towards the mass of sweaty swaying bodies.
Ken blended in instantly. Swaying her hips to music and moving her head from side to side as her curls flew in every direction. It wasn't long before the guy....let's call him Orange shall we? Yes, that sounds much better than calling him 'the guy she'll be hooking up with tonight'. So, as I was saying, it wasn't long before Orange was right behind her, grinding his junk into her hips, giving us an unwanted trailer of what was to come.
Ty and I both gave a synchronized shudder and moved to a less crowded spot and began to sway awkwardly, both more deplorable than the other at dancing. Before long, we too were dancing the night away, making weird alien like gestures and doubling over.
See, who needs sex when you have crazy friends to clear your mind, I thought to myself.
"Bella Signora," a heavy Italian ascent whispered into my ears, sending shivers down my spine. "May I have a dance?"
Forget friends, I'll take sex over friends anytime if the guy has such an ascent.
Turning around, I looked up...and up...into the devilishly delicious face that had me mesmerized. He was even more gorgeous up close and personal. My throat suddenly felt blocked with some unknown object.
Because it was him. The guy with the endless blue eyes.
My hook-up for tonight.
Kai Hunter is H Universityās biggest player and heartbreaker. Known for his good looks and for being one of the brightest students on campus, he is one of the most eligible bachelors that everyone wants to ātameā. However, everything changes when freshman Night Winters becomes his new dorm mate. Kai is instantly attracted to the hot, young freshman who he had caught having a one-night stand at a bar and hasnāt been able to get out of his mind ever since. Night is openly gay, but Kai has been into girls his whole lifeā¦or so he thought. Can he let go of his pride and accept Night for who he is? Or will Night forever be forced to be just his dirty little secret, under the sheets, inside the closed doors to their dorm? However, Night is hiding secrets that can break the fragile foundation of their relationship at any time, and if Kai waits any longerā¦he just might end up losing the only person precious to him.
Kimhan, Kim, needs to produce an heir in order to rule over the empire that his father built from scratch, but since he canāt change whatās in his heart, he will need to change ways to produce an heir. So the only option left is to ask his best friend, Kanya, to become his surrogate. Sheās the only one who had always understood him and accepted him for who he was. However, when Kanyaās younger brother Kit decides to follow her to the mafia household for her protection, Kim is instantly drawn to the boy at first sight. From the moment both of them laid eyes on each other, itās the beginning of their endgame. But being a part of the criminal world is full of dangers. Is Kim willing to let Kit enter his world despite the fear that he could lose his life at any moment? Or will he let go of the only ray of light he has left in his dark, dark world.
After running away from home seven years ago to escape a loveless arranged marriage, Karina Wilder has finally mastered up the courage to be back in her small town of Ruthwell in Washington DC. Sheās ready for a second chance with her parents and the people who used to be her friends back in High School and most of all, sheās ready to tell her parents that sheās about to become a bride. But the small town hasnāt changed as much in the past seven years and no one seems to have forgotten her betrayal or seem anywhere near ready to forgive her for her past mistakes. Everywhere she goes, sheās met with hostility and anger and itās thinning out her chances of redemption ever second. Now, how does she tell her parents and her friends that not only has she moved on in her life, further than anyone had ever anticipated, but sheās happy and successful in what she does? Most of all, how does she tell everyone that she isnāt marrying a man, but the woman of her dreams?
Mikalya Carnell, a woman born into a cursed pack where women are nothing but birthing machines. The first female alpha in the world. But to become the Alpha, she had to commit a crime that haunts her an eternity later. Now she a lone wolf, a rogue that has no place but the one she made on her own and sheās happy being left alone. But an Alpha canāt stay alone forever without forming a pack and inevitably, she begins drawing wolves to her. Abhay Raichand is a photographer who meets this mysterious woman in the deserts of Rajasthan, who looks like a foreigner and is instantly drawn to her. But whenever he is around her, he feel the chill of the mountains and a reoccurring dream of his impending death. However, despite the sense of danger, he cannot help but continue to fall in love with her. Will Mikalya finally settle down and let Abhay into her life? And will Abhay be able to convince her that she was chosen as the Alpha for a reason?
Miaka Von Speltsper, the myth, the legend and the daughter of two Gods. Miaka, the Demon King and the head of the Dark Council is the most powerful demon ever known to mankind, but she has a secret. Sheās a hybrid. And the world she lives in has hunted down and eliminated every single hybrid in all the dimensions. But nowā¦someone knows her secret, someone who has the power to destroy her. However, the world is changing and one of those changes is Kaleb Takeshi, the man with extraordinary eyes who has stolen Miakaās heart with just one glance. But there is something about Kaleb that Miaka can sense but canāt describe. And not only is he human, heās an enemy who has decided to give his loyalty to her. In this world of lies, deceit and betrayal; can Miaka trust her heart or will she have to choose centuryās old traditions to stay alive? Because if she dies, it will truly be the end of the world.
No one can escape the Moon Goddesses wrathā¦and Clay and Flora had been no exception. Torn apart and their memories completely erased, Clay and Flora are now living separate lives, completely unaware of each other. But things have changed drastically. Clay is no longer the Alpha apparent to the ReedStone pack, but a Rogue Alpha, while Flora is at Lindersay, working as a healer and a worshipper of the Moon Goddess. But even though fate isnāt on their side, destiny has tied them together forever as they meet once again, but this time as enemies. Will Clay and Flora be able to go back to the way they were and fall in love all over again? Or will the power of the Moon Goddess prevail over their undying love?
Lindsey's fiancƩ was the devil's first son. Not only did he lie to her but he also slept with her stepmother, conspired to take away her family fortune, and then set her up to have sex with a total stranger. To get her lick back, Lindsey decided to find a man to disrupt her engagement party and humiliate the cheating bastard. Never did she imagine that she would bump into a strikingly handsome stranger who was all that she was currently looking for. At the engagement party, he boldly declared that she was his woman. Lindsey thought he was just a broke man who wanted to leech off her. But once they began their fake relationship, she realized that good luck kept coming her way. She thought they would part ways after the engagement party, but this man kept to her side. "We gotta stick together, Lindsey. Remember, I'm now your fiancƩ. " "Domenic, you're with me because of my money, aren't you?" Lindsey asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Domenic was taken aback by that accusation. How could he, the heir of the Walsh family and CEO of Vitality Group, be with her for money? He controlled more than half of the city's economy. Money wasn't a problem for him! The two got closer and closer. One day, Lindsey finally realized that Domenic was actually the stranger she had slept with months ago. Would this realization change things between them? For the better or worse?
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 masterāeach persona impressive enough to stun the world. As Ashtonās true capabilities came to light, Emalee was overwhelmed with deep regret.
Kallie, a mute who had been ignored by her husband for five years since their wedding, also suffered the loss of her pregnancy due to her cruel mother-in-law. After the divorce, she learned that her ex-husband had quickly gotten engaged to the woman he truly loved. Holding her slightly rounded belly, she realized that he had never really cared for her. Determined, she left him behind, treating him as a stranger. Yet, after she left, he scoured the globe in search of her. When their paths crossed once more, Kallie had already found new happiness. For the first time, he pleaded humbly, "Please don't leave me..."Ā But Kallie's response was firm and dismissive, cutting through any lingering ties. "Get lost!"
For ten years, Daniela showered her ex-husband with unwavering devotion, only to discover she was just his biggest joke. Feeling humiliated yet determined, she finally divorced him. Three months later, Daniela returned in grand style. She was now the hidden CEO of a leading brand, a sought-after designer, and a wealthy mining mogulāher success unveiled at her triumphant comeback. Her ex-husbandās entire family rushed over, desperate to beg for forgiveness and plead for another chance. Yet Daniela, now cherished by the famed Mr. Phillips, regarded them with icy disdain. "Iām out of your league."
A sudden twist of fate connected Helena to a prominent and influential person. To onlookers, she appeared as a naive bimbo. In truth, she was a top-tier specialist, shrouded in layers of hidden identities. Charlie declared, āSheās quite delicate and easily hurt. Cross her, and youāre crossing me.ā The elite families, outwitted by Helena's prowess, kept these truths from him. Helena eventually broke free from Charlie, sending him on a frenzied worldwide hunt. To him, she was a bird with dazzling wings, and his goal was to help her reach new heights.Ā
What happens when a hook-up gets complicated by a baby? Can she hide the secret from him? Or will he show her how possessive he can be when he learns she's carrying his child? "Seven years ago, I had a one-night stand with my brother's best friend, who also happened to be my lifelong crush. The next day, he vanished leaving me pregnant. Now, I am a single mom raising our son in the same small town. Recently, he returned to attend my brother's wedding and the truth about our son was finally revealed. As he reclaims his place in our lives, the sparks between us reignite. However, danger from his past threatens to shatter our newfound connection. I am torn between my love for him and my fear of getting hurt again, especially now that I have two hearts to protect - our son's and my own."