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Emily Danzi has been stalked by a deranged man for most of her adult life. She thought she had left him behind when she moved to the west coast of Canada, but one rainy night, he catches up with her. Emily finds a temporary solution by having a complete stranger pose as her boyfriend. Byron Pomeroy, the man who was about to end his own life by jumping off a bridge scares off her pursuer but brings complications when she learns how deeply troubled he is, despite his enormous wealth. Emily wants to help him in return, but she must contend with Byron's domineering mother and a devious journalist who wants Byron for herself and will destroy the reputation of anyone who gets in her way. WARNING: This novel contains depictions of suicidal depression and stalking. The Billionaire's Runaway Bride is created by Carolee Croft, an EGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.
"Don't ever call me again!" Emily yelled as she got out of a car belonging to a guy who turned out to be the worst date ever.
He had offered to give her a lift home in his Mustang, but instead of driving he seemed more focused on sliding his hand under her dress.
Emily was not looking for a serious relationship, but she also didn't want some average one-night stand with a guy who seemed interested in her only in the sense of her being a warm female body.
The wind blew cold, slapping tiny drops of rain onto her face. She did not regret escaping from that creep's car, but now she had to walk home. She was in the middle of downtown Vancouver, and it would be nearly impossible to catch a taxi. She walked quickly to avoid being stopped by other smarta**es like the guy whose car she had just jumped out of.
It's not like she had extremely high expectations, Emily thought moodily as she walked past drunk and excited nightclub goers. She wanted what every girl in her twenties probably wanted: someone she could have some laughs with, who liked her personality, who made an effort... and she wouldn't mind if he good in bed. Why was it she only met men who were either obsessed with her or just wanted to use her for sex? Was there no happy medium?
And speaking of men who were obsessed with her, who was that tall figure walking behind her?
No... it couldn't be. This night had already turned out disappointing, and there is no way it could get worse. She was just being paranoid. Josh wasn't here. He was miles away.
The echo of her high-heeled boots grew louder as she left the towers and clubs of downtown and began to cross the long bridge that stretched across the bay.
She looked back just to reassure herself that it wasn't Josh following her. She nearly lost her footing.
It was him. The boy she thought was cute when they were in high school, but now five years later did not seem so cute anymore because he never stopped following her. She recognized his spiky hair and slightly hunched posture.
Emily tried not to panic even though her heart rate sped up to what seemed like a million beats per minute.
She was already on the bridge, and she decided to cross it. Maybe Josh wouldn't approach her this time. If she could just keep walking at the same pace, it would be fine.
Some drunk girls ran past her, giggling loudly. She looked back again, and this time it seemed like Josh was catching up to her. Had he been waiting, watching her all this time just to catch her alone?
He had never been violent yet, but Emily suspected he could snap once he finally realized she was not interested in him. No matter how much she tried to avoid him, he never seemed to get the message.
If only she could have caught a taxi, she would have been halfway home by now, but none of the yellow cars passing by had their light on to signal that they were available.
Emily really did not want to talk to Josh. Maybe even riding in the creep's car would have been preferable. There was something so frustrating about the way Josh wouldn't leave her alone, wouldn't take no for an answer.
Her anger drover her on to walk faster. Josh made his way onto the bridge and was getting closer. She could almost make out his facial features in the yellow overhead lights.
Even if she ran now, she might not be able to get away fast enough, but anyway she hated the idea of running. She was so tired of feeling like the frightened victim. There had to be another way to deal with him.
Then she saw the lone man standing in the middle of the bridge, looking out over the water, and a brilliant idea struck her. At least she hoped it was brilliant.
About as tall as Josh but with a broader frame, this man looked like he could kick some a**. Not that he would have to do anything. Just the sight of him alone would probably scare Josh away. Men seemed to respect other men more than they respected women. Once they saw that a woman was 'taken' they would usually back off.
The man did not react when Emily stopped beside him, so she touched his shoulder, acting as if they were old friends. His fashionable wool coat was actually really pleasant to the touch.
"Hey, great to see you!" she said, making big gestures that Josh would be sure to perceive even from a distance.
When the man turned towards her, the look of unbearable pain and despair in his eyes actually frightened her for a moment. She had rarely seen anyone look so vulnerable, and she realized she must have caught him deep in thought or completely consumed with his suffering. The beauty of his eyes, green with just a hint of blue, stunned her almost as much as his anguished expression.
It seemed a contradiction that such a remarkable-looking man should have such a terribly sad gaze, his dark brown hair speckled with raindrops and his long lashes unmoving as if he was too tired to blink. She almost forgot about Josh as she grew mesmerized by the stranger's handsome face.
The man didn't say anything as he looked at her, probably still deep in his own world. Emily wasn't sure if he was just crazy or on drugs, but at this point she had few other options, and she tried to press on with her plan.
"I'm sorry," she said, "could you do me a really big favor? I need you to act like you know me. There's a guy following me. Please?"
After hiding her true identity throughout her three-year marriage to Colton, Allison had committed wholeheartedly, only to find herself neglected and pushed toward divorce. Disheartened, she set out to rediscover her true self-a talented perfumer, the mastermind of a famous intelligence agency, and the heir to a secret hacker network. Realizing his mistakes, Colton expressed his regret. "I know I messed up. Please, give me another chance." Yet, Kellan, a once-disabled tycoon, stood up from his wheelchair, took Allison's hand, and scoffed dismissively, "You think she'll take you back? Dream on."
As a simple assistant, messaging the CEO in the dead of night to request shares of adult films was a bold move. Bethany, unsurprisingly, didn't receive any films. However, the CEO responded that, while he had no films to share, he could offer a live demonstration. After a night filled with passion, Bethany was certain she'd lose her job. But instead, her boss proposed, "Marry me. Please consider it." "Mr. Bates, you're kidding me, right?"
"Ahh!" She was in a moaning mess. She did not want to feel anything for this man. She hated him. His hands began to move all over her body. She gasped when he pulled down the back chain of her dress. The chain stopped at her lower waist, so when he zipped it off, her upper back and waist were exposed. "D-Don't touch m-ummm!" His fingers rolled around her bare back, and she pressed her head against the pillow. His touches were giving her goosebumps all over her body. With a deep angry voice, he whispered in her ear, "I am going to make you forget his touches, kisses, and everything. Every time you touch another man, you will only think of me." - - - Ava Adler was a nerdy omega. People bullied her because they thought she was ugly and unattractive. But Ava secretly loved the bad boy, Ian Dawson. He was the future Alpha of the Mystic Shadow Pack. However, he doesn't give a damn about rules and laws, as he only likes to play around with girls. Ava was unaware of Ian's arrogance until her fate intertwined with his. He neglected her and hurt her deeply. What would happen when Ava turned out to be a beautiful girl who could win over any boy, and Ian looked back and regretted his decisions? What if she had a secret identity that she had yet to discover? What if the tables turned and Ian begged her not to leave him?
"I've warned you from the beginning. Don't marry him, but you won't listen." She stood close to me and smiled with concern. "You are not a woman worthy of a man as handsome, rich, smart, and virile as Blaze." My whole body trembled at her words. "Have you no shame?" I asked in a quivering voice. "Take a good look at yourself, Heather." She looked at me in the mirror. "You can't even look at your ugly face. Do you think Blaze can endure a lifetime of looking at that face?" Heather Bailey had a surprise from her husband that night: a divorce agreement. After a year of marriage and facing ups and downs, she couldn't believe Blaze intended to divorce her. But she was devastated when she saw him gazing lovingly at another woman because that person was closest to her. Shortly after she put her signature on their divorce papers, shock waves caught her up. Her flower shop was severely burnt, beyond repair. Her father's company collapsed, and her parents blamed her. She struggled to rebuild her life from the ground up and became more successful than ever. Having many customers who came from influential families, she started her action against Blaze. She won the very thing he wanted. But that was just the beginning.
"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?"
They don't know I'm a girl. They all look at me and see a boy. A prince. Their kind purchase humans like me for their lustful desires. And, when they stormed into our kingdom to buy my sister, I intervened to protect her. I made them take me too. The plan was to escape with my sister whenever we found a chance. How was I to know our prison would be the most fortified place in their kingdom? I was supposed to be on the sidelines. The one they had no real use for. The one they never meant to buy. But then, the most important person in their savage land-their ruthless beast king-took an interest in the "pretty little prince." How do we survive in this brutal kingdom, where everyone hates our kind and shows us no mercy? And how does someone, with a secret like mine, become a lust slave? . AUTHOR'S NOTE. This is a dark romance-dark, mature content. Highly rated 18+ Expect triggers, expect hardcore. If you're a seasoned reader of this genre, looking for something different, prepared to go in blindly not knowing what to expect at every turn, but eager to know more anyway, then dive in! . From the author of the international bestselling book: "The Alpha King's Hated Slave."