She cannot escape him. On a blind-date, she unknowingly meets the most dangerous man to exist, and falls into his world of darkness and desire as both his mate, and his worst enemy. *** I rest both my hands against the table. "I'll go on another date with you, if you tell me one thing about yourself that no one else knows." He's silent for a long moment, pondering my offer. Eventually he quirks his fingers at me. "Lean closer." Bracing myself against the table, I lean over it toward him, noting every detail about his face as I get closer. Every hair, every freckle. His beautiful is unimaginable. His breath warms my skin, dancing over my ear as I dip my head toward him. Will he kiss me, and make good on my sinful thoughts? His voice is like an erotic caress as he murmurs in my ear, "I'm a murderer."
~Tove
I never do this.
Ever.
Dating doesn't exactly come naturally. Not when my luck has been abysmal, and my only companion recently is my talented fingers.
Tonight, that changes.
I'm unsure what to expect. My friend Mary practically begged me to come on a date with this stranger after she met him at her work.
She wouldn't tell me much, although insisted I wouldn't regret it.
We'll see.
The restaurant it quiet tonight, the storm gathering outside having chased off most of the potential patrons. The gentle glow the fireplace on the far side of the room emits is alluring warm, as I shrug off my wet coat.
And then I see him.
He sits at a table tucked into the far corner, watching me.
My mouth dries.
If that's him, I'm in trouble.
He leans back in his chair, amidst the shadows, a dark, almost cruel look about him. It should frighten me back out the door, and yet, I'm compelled to stare back at him.
Slowly, the corner of his sensuous mouth tilts up in a knowing smile.
Fuck.
Cautious steps lead me toward him. Men like him don't exist in this part of the city, nor do they agree to go on blind dates.
They don't exactly need them.
"You're not Keo, are you?" I ask breathlessly. I half expect him to say no, to brush me off to summon his beautiful wife over.
"Surprised?"
He's not a Territory One native, I can hear it in his strange accent. His voice is like a silken caress, as if it should only be reserved for nights of raw passion.
One's I'm sure he is very familiar with.
"Kind of."
Mary. What have you done?
He stands swiftly, making me painfully aware of his towering height, rounding the table to pull my chair out for me.
I shift as his shoulder brushes against mine, his mouth coming close to my ear.
"Sit down, Toven," he murmurs.
Elegance be damned, I sink unceremoniously into the chair, unsure I'll ever regain the ability to control my legs again.
"You can call me Tove." I let my coat slip to the floor, surveying him as he sits back down.
His eyes are the most striking aspect of him. They are a dark green, like what I imagine Territory Four forests to look like.
And his face. Well, the shadows accent his cruel beauty, settling beneath his sharp cheekbones, under his eyes.
I feel like I'm staring at a painting. He can't be real.
"Beautiful name." His voice pulls me back to reality.
The way he says beautiful...It's as if I can feel him murmuring it against my skin.
"So, you know Mary?" I clear my throat, shifting my gaze down to the menu's, absently skimming over it.
He takes a long drink, eyes never straying from my face. "Somewhat. I've only spoken to her that one time, at the library."
"She's my best friend."
"She told me you don't date often. What changed your mind?"
How do I tell him my past lover cheated on me, and semi-casual sex with some man in my apartment complex has had to suffice until I gave up on that too?
"It's just because of bad past experiences. Thought I better move on from it, and try again."
A faint smile plays at his lips. "I'm glad you agreed."
"What enticed you into a blind date?" I ask. Why not just walk into any establishment and seduce the first beautiful person you see?
I swear his gaze dips down to my lips. "The mystery."
It's as if no one else in the room exists. His attention never strays from me, compelling me to subconsciously lean closer.
"Are you satisfied?" I whisper.
His gaze is cold, even as he smiles. "We'll see."
How much will we see? Am I going to invite him back to my apartment for the night? I'm tempted, although the fear of rejection plays in the back of my mind.
I get the feeling being fucked by Keo is a spiritual experience.
"Are you from this Territory?" I already know he's not, but I need to say something that will distract me from the thoughts which cause my cheeks to flush.
"Not originally. Territory Eleven, actually."
I knew there was something unfamiliar about him. I've never met someone who grew up in Eleven.
"Woah, really? I thought it was mostly uninhabited."
"For the most part, it is."
The waitress passes by and I order a drink. I feel the need to loosen up a bit, to get up the courage to ask him to come home with me by the time the night is up.
What is wrong with me? Usually I don't make the decision to leave with a man until I've done more than just glance at his face.
Although none have had a face quite like this man's.
"What made you move here?"
Keo sighs, tapping his fingers against the surface of the table. "It wasn't exactly a choice."
"Why not?"
He doesn't look uncomfortable with my prying, although he tenses, an unreadable look passing over his eyes.
"What do you do? Do you work?"
Odd change of subject, but I brush it off.
"I'm studying and working. I'm hoping to get out of this Territory," I tell him. I came here a few years ago with the intention of leaving after the first, although my lack of money has unfortunately pinned me down.
"Where do you want to go?"
"Territory Six, I hope. Everything sounds so idyllic there."
All the good romance books I read are always based in Six. It sounds so wonderful, to be amidst the pink trees, to sail down the endless rivers and to meet the kind citizens there.
Keo let's out a long breath, recalling a memory. "It is."
"You've been?"
He looks away, toward a window berrated by miserable weather. With every question I ask him, he seems to grow colder, more distant.
His sudden turn of attention back to me leaves me breathless. "Do you study your own magic?"
My blood chills, my fingers instinctively rolling up into fists against my lap.
I keep my mouth tightly closed as the waitress delivers my drink, never releasing Keo from my gaze.
"I...You know?"
I don't exactly advertise that I have Angel blood. Most of the time it's not enough to bother anyone about, and some are wary of those with magic, even if it's a small amount.
"I can see it in your eyes," Keo murmurs, watching me take a long sip from my overly sweet drink.
"My powers are weak. My Angel blood is limited enough that I've never qualified to become a Noble, or even been offered a place in a protected institute," I tell him curtly.
Honestly it's embarrassing.
He tilts his head, a stray black wave of hair falling down over his eye. "Why not?"
"My powers aren't dangerous," I shrug, stabbing at a mint leaf amongst my ice with my straw.
"Why do you assume you don't have strong abilities?" He presses.
I sigh through my nose, irritated that this is even a conversation he wants to have with me. "When I was a child I tried hard to increase my powers, but eventually I hit a wall."
Keo doesn't look convinced.
"You were a child. Perhaps things have changed."
"They haven't. I had a mentor, and they confirmed I had reached the end of my abilities, and that I should be grateful I don't have enough to become a Noble," I growl, trying to keep my voice low.
"You may have not had an appropriate mentor."
I close my eyes, willing myself to be calm before I open them again "You haven't told me anything about yourself."
"I would like to see you again, after this."
I blink, surprised. By his interrogation, I figured he had no interest in a second date.
I'm tempted to tell him to come back to mine tonight, although I quietly calm myself. "I'm free in a couple of days."
He smiles tightly. "Excellent."
I clear my throat, wanting to know more about this enigmatic man. "Do you work?"
"No, not exactly."
"Do you have any friends? Maybe we could get all our friends together," I offer. Mary would love to be privy to a date between Keo and I, and perhaps it would ease the tension.
Not to mention it makes me less inclined to embarrass myself by physically pursuing him.
"I don't have any interest in acquiring friends." His brows crease, jaw clenching slightly.
"But you want a lover?" I almost laugh.
He draws his finger over his lower lip, captivating me. "Who said I wanted a lover?"
"You're on a date with me, aren't you?"
Unless of course, Keo, you're only interested in fucking and being done with me.
I wish I had the dignity to feel bad about it, but I don't think I would have any complaints about that.
He sighs. "Do you live close?"
"Why?"
He gestured to the window. "This storm doesn't appear to have any interest in stopping. I was wondering if you need accompanying back to your home?"
I follow his gaze, watching a streak of lightening illuminate the sky. Unbeknownst to him, my minor magical ability allows me to transport myself from place to place, meaning I don't need to get a strand of hair wet if I don't desire to.
"No, I should be fine." I wave him off.
He goes quiet for a long moment, staring at me with that intense gaze, causing me to shift uneasily in my chair. The buzz from my drink is taking far too long to get here.
"Have I upset you?" He asks lowly.
My throat dries, as I force myself to straighten. "You unnerve me. And confuse me."
"What about me confuses you?"
"You act as though you don't have a past. You've told me nothing about yourself, and yet you want to see me again," I explain.
Is he hiding something? I know all about dark pasts, and I get the sense Keo's was no fairytale.
"Perhaps we can talk about me more on our next date," he muses.
I rest both my hands against the table. "I'll go on another date with you, if you tell me one thing about yourself that no one else knows."
He's silent for a long moment, pondering my offer.
Eventually he quirks his fingers at me. "Lean closer."
Bracing myself against the table, I lean over it toward him, noting every detail about his face as I get closer. Every hair, every freckle. His beautiful is unimaginable.
His breath warms my skin, dancing over my ear as I dip my head toward him. Will he kiss me, and make good on my sinful thoughts?
His voice is like an erotic caress as he murmurs in my ear, "I'm a murderer."
Sienna has been in love with her Alpha since she could remember. He's rough, dangerous and the epitome of raw sex appeal. The problem is, he is her best friend, and strictly off limits. Tradition mandates he marry a woman of noble birth, and that is not her. She knows this is for the best, until she becomes his mistress, and things start to change. As she falls for her best friend, she must reconcile a deadly secret she has been keeping from him for years, that could change everything. Onyx has sacrificed everything to become Alpha. So, not marrying for love shouldn't be such an issue. His entire life he has denied his feelings for his best friend, until he is forced to take her as his mistress to grant her protection. With threats growing against them, and when his prospective wife candidates start showing up murdered, he make some difficult decisions.
On a quiet Spring morning, Avila awoke, six months after her death. By some miracle, she was suddenly alive, with no memory of her life. Confused, Avila is thrust into a world of where she is a Princess with a secretive family who battles a vicious rebellion. And, she is engaged to a wealthy, handsome Prince who couldn't stand who she was before she died. Avila is forced to piece together her previous life while making sense of her current one, but with a rebellion member who is in love with her, and the attraction growing between her and the Prince, things are only getting more complicated.
"I can't tell what is real and what is a dream," I murmur, looking up to his silver eyes, glistening mist swirling within his irises. "But I know I can't hold myself back from you any longer. Luella has been having the same dreams every night involving two silver eyed men, who remain elusive during the day, but come alive from the shadows by night. After visiting a therapist who tips Luella off on what could be the cause of these dreams, the start to become more frequent, to the point she can no long tell the difference between dream and reality. Who are these silver eyed men? One wants her desperately until he doesn't, while the other is always there when she needs him, until he is not. That is, until she swears she is seeing them in her waking life. And suddenly, her dreams might just be coming to life.
Having survived the River, Akara wakes alone, and with a decision to make. Find Marek, the mysterious hunter who saved her life through deception and lies? Or find Taius, the King, who's lies are coming to the surface. And through the decision on who to trust, Akara must battle through her emerging powers, and her torn feelings between Marek and Tai. And her decision will reveal a connection far deeper than what she ever thought she was capable of.
“I...I’ve never had an orgasm before!” I blurt out, backing away a few steps. He sits up, dark hair ruffled and messy from the fingers I ran through it. His eyes, once wide, slowly darken. “You what?” He breathes. *** Running from a dark past, a girl stumbles into a territory ran by a notorious Alpha. He's cold, dangerous and poisons her, forcing her into his proximity. But she harbours a dark secret, which when revealed to the wrong people, causes her to become tied to the Alpha in an arranged marriage that reveals more about them than anticipated... Including the bond they share when they touch. And the Alpha too has a secret, an obsession. For her. __ Themes: Fated Mates, Forced Proximity, Arranaged Marriage, Werewolf (Alpha), Romance, Smut, Dominance. (18+)
"So you're a virgin, then." He says it so blatantly it rattles me to the core. "No! I mean, would it matter if I were?" "I suppose not," he muses, his gaze shifting back to me. "But when I look at you, I want to violently fuck you until you cannot move for days." ---- On a hiking trip with a friend, Meara accidently breaks an ancient curse, releasing a powerful Alpha from another time. He wants revenge from who imprisoned him as much as he wants her, and Meara may be the only one who can stop him. But she has a life she isn't ready to give up. And yet, there is no escaping a seductive Alpha and a deadly curse that has been unleashed across her Pack that threatens her life.
"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."
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."
Corinne devoted three years of her life to her boyfriend, only for it to all go to waste. He saw her as nothing more than a country bumpkin and left her at the altar to be with his true love. After getting jilted, Corinne reclaimed her identity as the granddaughter of the town’s richest man, inherited a billion-dollar fortune, and ultimately rose to the top. But her success attracted the envy of others, and people constantly tried to bring her down. As she dealt with these troublemakers one by one, Mr. Hopkins, notorious for his ruthlessness, stood by and cheered her on. “Way to go, honey!”
Desperate to handle her grandmother's towering medical bills, Gianna agreed to a contract marriage with Tristan, the enigmatic man she'd once shared a one-night stand with. She assumed they'd fulfill each other's needs and dissolve the arrangement once the terms expired. Unbeknownst to Gianna, this marriage was a dream Tristan had clung to for ten relentless years. Certain she was just filling someone else's role, Gianna prepared to leave when that other woman returned. But Tristan, his eyes burning with unspoken emotion, seized her trembling hand and declared, "You’re mine. Now and always."
"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?"
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?"