Luca Mariani, a wealthy and powerful man, feared by men, every woman wants him. Being pressured by family to take a wife he comes across a woman who is abused and treated like a slave by her Uncle and cousins. Robin Potter is a young woman, dressed in loose fitting rags. Though she wore rags and her dirty appearance he sees beauty. He strikes a deal with her Uncle, not only does he buys the horses from the Potter family he also asks for her. He would make her his wife, not only save her from her family's abuse, he would also get his family off his back by marrying the poor and wild Robin. With no intentions of falling in love or sleeping with her, she would be his wife in name only. He had no desire to give up his playboy ways or his other women. But Luca was not prepared for the untamed and wild woman he would make his wife. She would end up changing him, but would it be for the better or worst. Robin will fight him in everything, she refuses to bow to his every demand and will not be broken. Nor will she let him have her body, and most important, her heart.
Luca woke up, getting out of bed he put on his briefs and glanced down at the woman lying naked in his bed.
She was a pretty brunette he picked up at the party he attended that night, he couldn't remember her name. That was nothing new to him, he never bothered to get to know them, they were just a means to satisfy his urges.
After taking a shower and changing he went down to enjoy a hearty breakfast, he had worked up quite an appetite.
Grazia, his cousin was already seated at the table with Filippo, his friend and business associate of over ten years.
They also lived with him in his castle, Grazia has been living with him after her parents, were killed in a tragic car accident six years ago.
When his meal was brought to him by one of the kitchen staff, Charles, he instructed him to send some food up to the young lady in his room. He was also told to tell her a car would be waiting to take her where ever she needed to go.
"Really Luca, you brought another one of your whores into your home," Grazia scoffed.
His eyes turned dark, his cold stare sending shivers down her spine.
"You're right, this is my home and who I choose to bring into it is my business. You'll do well to remember that cousin dear. I will be gone for the rest of the day, don't hold dinner for me."
"Where are you off to?" Filippo asked, scooping scrambled eggs into his mouth.
"I'm heading out to the country side, there'a man, Dan Potter has some horses for sale. I'm thinking of getting a couple, might as well make use of the stable that I paid a small fortune to have built."
"I could go with you," Filippo suggested.
"No, I prefer to go alone, besides, you have that meeting with Hillbrook winery. Get them to sell their company to me." Luca ordered.
"Why do you want it so bad? it's such a small company and you have your own, the biggest one in the world." Filippo asked.
"I just do. It's not for you to question me, it's your job to do as I say."
"Luca, you are turning thirty soon, do you not think it's time to find a wife? you are a wealthy and important man in Rome. People are beginning to talk about you and all the women you are sleeping with. It's time for you to marry, someone with class, refined, a woman who will be an asset to you and your reputation?"
Sitting back he looked at his cousin, she was tall, slender, dark black hair, same as his. She was also a greedy, conniving witch, living off him instead of finding a rich husband to take care of her and her thirst for the finer things in life.
She had it made living here in his castle with her own suite of rooms, household help waiting on her hand and foot.
"Just who would you like me to marry? your friend Eleonora Gallo?" He questioned her.
"As a matter of fact, yes. Eleonora would make the perfect wife for you, she has class."
"She is also a stuck up bitch, no sense of humor and I'll bet her legs are so tightly closed no man could get between them. I prefer my women warm and willing to spread her legs and give me great pleasure."
"Sex is all you think about Luca. Think about the family business, the one your father build up from scratch and left it all to you when he died. He's probably turning over in his grave with all your behavior. Not to mention that you are a descendant of royalty, you make a mockery of it all."
"Quiet, you will not speak to me in this manner."
Tossing his napkin down he stood and turned to Filippo. "I'll see you later, good day to you both."
Jumping into his new Lamborghini he sped out the driveway of his castle. He was sick and tired of everyone telling him he had to marry and always pushing women on him.
They were all well bred, rich and upper class. But they bored him, they were cold and had no sex appeal, sure most of them were quite beautiful. But God forbid you should mess their hair up during sex, lying there, barely moving and making no sound.
It was a four-hour drive to where he was going, a small remote place out in the country. Driving along the dirt road he saw a broken down sign that read Potter's farm.
The place was run down, fence needed mending. The house was nothing more than a shack and he saw the horses in the fenced off area. Pulling to a stop he got out and walked over to where there were three horses, he liked what he saw.
They were beautiful animals, they seem to be well taken care of, he was impressed considering how the house and the rest of the place looked.
Moments later an older man walked over, he was in his late fifties and had on dirty overalls, his hair thinning and had a big potbelly. Two younger men were with him, he assumed they were the older man's sons.
"I'm Luca Mariani, I called about the horses." He held out his hand for the man to shake.
"I'm Dan, these here are my boys, Jason and John. These here are three of the finest creatures you'll find around these parts." He points to the horses.
Going inside the gate Luca checked them out, they were friendly and didn't run off, that was a good sign.
"Yeah, they look healthy, I think I'll take them," he said, patting them.
Dan grinned, showing his missing teeth, the ones left were yellow and stained with tobacco smoke.
"Good, good. Come inside and have a cold beer and we can discuss the money."
The sons went off to do chores while he followed Dan inside. Something he regretted when he saw the inside. It was so run down, the floors creaked, the furniture was old, torn and tattered. It consisted of a sofa, two ripped chairs, and the kitchen was small with a table and three wooden chairs.
A cot laid in the corner of the living room, as run down as the place was at least it was clean.
He hesitated when Dan pointed to a chair and told him to sit, finally sitting he pulled out his checkbook.
"Robin, get your scrawny ass out here and fetch me a couple of cold beers," Dan yelled as he flopped down across from him.
Luca looked over at the fridge and wondered why he didn't just grab them himself.
A moment later the door to what Luca figured was the bathroom opened and a girl walked out. Her hair looked dirty as was the rest of her.
She wore a long baggy dress and a sweater that had holes in it, he couldn't tell if she was a child or a woman. For a moment her eyes locked with his before she lowered them to the ground and walked further into the kitchen.
"Get us two beers girl," Dan barked at her.
She took out the two bottles and reaching into the cupboard grabbed two glasses.
Setting them down in front of Dan she turned to leave, accidentally knocking one of them over. The beer ran down the table onto the floor. Standing up he slapped her across the face and yelled at her.
"You stupid girl, clean up this mess." He shoved her to the floor, tossing a rag at her.
"The girl is as useless as tits on a boar," he said, looking at Luca.
Luca was shocked to see such violence towards someone so young.
"Mr. Potter, it was an accident, no need to hit the girl."
Dan scoffed as he went and took another beer from the fridge.
"The girl has been nothing but trouble from the day she came to live here. She's my brother's girl and when he and his wife died and dumped her off on me."
He talked about her as if she wasn't even there while she washed up the mess.
She went to the sink, rinsing out the cloth.
Taking a swig of his beer Luca opened his checkbook, looked over at her and then set his pen back down.
"I want to buy those horses, I'll pay triple what you're asking." His eyes went to Dan and he saw the greed in the old man's eyes.
"Triple, well sure, if you want to I'm sure as hell ain't going to say no."
"There's one catch though," Luca said, looking back over at the girl, who he now could see was a young woman.
"What would that be?" Dan asked.
"I want the girl," he saw the way she turned sharply to look at him, fear showing in her eyes.
"What would you be wanting with the likes of her."
"Well now, that would be my business. Do we have a deal, Mr. Potter?"
Dan wiped the drool from his mouth, looked from her back to Luca.
"Oh, I see, it's a sex thing. I think you'll be pleased to know she's a virgin, fresh, untouched. Ok, Mr. Mariani, I'll throw Robin into the deal."
Holding out his hand to Luca, waiting for a handshake which he never received. He greedily took the cheque from Luca and going over to Robin told her to go with the man who just paid him a lot of money.
When she shook her head and tried to run out he grabbed her, raising his hand to strike her but Luca grabbed his wrist, stopping him.
"You will not strike this girl again, is that clear?" He looked at her. "Get your things, you're coming with me now."
Dan laughed. "All that is hers she is wearing."
This took Luca by surprise, how could anyone not own another set of clothes. He took her arm and when she tried to pull away he tightens his grip.
"I'll send someone in a few days to pick up the horses".
He then led her out to his car, opened the door and ordered her to get in. She still had not spoken a word, and if it weren't for her uncle he wouldn't even know her name.
Going around to the driver's side he gets in and fastens his seatbelt, ordering her to do the same and takes off down the long dirt driveway.
The Swedish Prince #ROYAL ROMANCE 1 Prologue I never believed in fairy-tales. Never held out for Prince Charming. Growing up poor in small-town California as the oldest of six siblings, I knew I would never ride off into the sunset with anyone. That was even more apparent when a senseless tragedy took the lives of my parents, forcing me to become the sole guardian of our dysfunctional household at the mere age of twenty-three. Then a fateful encounter literally brought Prince Charming to my doorstep. At first I thought Viktor was just your average businessman passing through, albeit obscenely handsome, six-foot-five, blue-eyed, and mysteriously rich. But soon I discovered the truth behind Viktor’s façade. Beneath his quiet, enigmatic gaze and cocky charm, is a man who is running away from who he really is. A role he’d rather not fulfill. He is Viktor of House Nordin, His Royal Highness, The Crown Prince of Sweden. Yet uncovering Viktor’s secret was only the first step. I didn’t expect to fall in love with him. I didn’t expect to have my whole life turned upside down. When you’re from two different worlds, can your hearts meet somewhere in the middle? Or do happily-ever-afters only exist in fairy-tales?
Irresistible #2 Sequel of 'SWEET SPOT' Prologue He was supposed to be my first and only one-night stand. He was definitely never supposed to become my boss. I had always been the good girl – the workaholic with every second of her life mapped out to a tee. Then I got trapped in an elevator with Julian Hoult. He was… irresistible. Sophisticated sex in a crisp white shirt. His voice alone dropped me straight to my knees. What was I supposed to do? Well…. I can tell you what I was definitely not supposed to do. I was not supposed to run into him ever again. I was not supposed to be desperately unemployed, and I was definitely not supposed to accept his dirty little job offer. But I couldn’t resist. As CEO of the Hoult Media empire, Julian will stop at nothing to get what he wants. So for his next venture with Manhattan’s most lecherous billionaires, he’s hired me to play the role of bait. And while my official title is that of Executive Assistant, my actual job requires low tops, tight skirts and flaunting everything I’ve got till his clients are easy to bend – till they can barely think for themselves anymore. It’s sleazy and wrong. Against everything I’ve worked for. But with Julian as my audience, I can’t help but enjoy every second. Thanks to him, I’m embracing the bad, and I swear… I’ve never in my life felt this damned good.
Our first meeting as neighbors was screwed from the start. He was hot. I was naked. And we had no chance in hell at ever being platonic. I'll be the first to admit that I live at extremes. After going ten years locked in what felt like a dysfunctional marriage, I'm now decidedly boy-free. In nearly three years I've had no boyfriends, no flings, no dates and no sex. For the sake of my dream career, the sacrifice has been easy. At least it was. Until he came along. Lukas Hendricks. He's rude, gorgeous, arrogant - a stone-carved wall of muscle and distraction. He's everything I know to avoid but there's no avoiding your next-door neighbor. Oh yeah. The man now lives three steps from me and to make matters worse, he crashed into my life while I was relaxed in the tub - mortifying to say the least and it went something like this: I was exposed. He looked. He laughed. And then I locked myself out. In short, Lukas Hendricks was trouble from the start. And me? I was - for the first time in years - about to be screwed.
Gabriel Maestri at the age of twenty-nine is one of Italy's youngest and wealthiest businessmen, owning several of the finest hotels in Italy and around the world. He is ruthless, arrogant and cruel. Look at him the wrong way, or say the wrong thing he will destroy you without a second thought. He has money, power and women falling at his feet. People say he is a demon, that he has no heart and is incapable of loving another human being. Paige Mosley, a twenty one year old woman, innocent, sweet, she sees the good in everyone she meets. Working as a maid in one of Maestri's hotels in New York City. When word spreads that the hotel is closing and everyone she loves will lose their jobs she makes a deal with the demon himself. Will she be able to save him and melt his hard, cold heart, or will he break hers, destroying the beauty within her.
On her wedding day, Khloe’s sister connived with her groom, framing her for a crime she didn’t commit. She was sentenced to three years in prison, where she endured much suffering. When Khloe was finally released, her evil sister used their mother to coerce Khloe into an indecent liaison with an elderly man. As fate would have it, Khloe crossed paths with Henrik, the dashing yet ruthless mobster who sought to alter the course of her life. Despite Henrik’s cold exterior, he cherished Khloe like no other. He helped her take retribution from her tormentors and kept her from being bullied again.
To the public, she was the CEO's executive secretary. Behind closed doors, she was the wife he never officially acknowledged. Jenessa was elated when she learned that she was pregnant. But that joy was replaced with dread as her husband, Ryan, showered his affections on his first love. With a heavy heart, she chose to set him free and leave. When they met again, Ryan's attention was caught by Jenessa's protruding belly. "Whose child are you carrying?!" he demanded. But she only scoffed. "It's none of your business, my dear ex-husband!"
Belinda thought after divorce, they would part ways for good - he could live his life on his own terms, while she could indulge in the rest of hers. However, fate had other plans in store. "My darling, I was wrong. Would you please come back to me?" The man, whom she once loved deeply, lowered his once proud head humbly. "I beg you to return to me." Belinda coldly pushed away the bouquet of flowers he had offered her and coolly replied, "It's too late. The bridge has been burned, and the ashes have long since scattered to the wind!"
On the day of their wedding anniversary, Joshua's mistress drugged Alicia, and she ended up in a stranger's bed. In one night, Alicia lost her innocence, while Joshua's mistress carried his child in her womb. Heartbroken and humiliated, Alicia demanded a divorce, but Joshua saw it as yet another tantrum. When they finally parted ways, she went on to become a renowned artist, sought out and admired by everyone. Consumed by regret, Joshua darkened her doorstep in hopes of reconciliation, only to find her in the arms of a powerful tycoon. "Say hello to your sister-in-law."
"It was just one night stand, and now I'm pregnant with triplets? Gosh!" Josephine Jade never thought that she would have to run away from her own family while pregnant. She was alone, without money, without connections, with three fetuses in her stomach. How can she survive? However, Josephine couldn't give up now, until she managed to reclaim her arbitrarily seized property and get back at everyone who tried to get rid of her. A sick child, a past crush that comes back, a mysterious eccentric man, and a family that hates her, will weave together the journey of Josephine Jade's new life. "You have no right to separate me from my children, you bastard! I will survive and you will submit to me. Just watch!"
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.