There's nothing wrong with a harmless little crush, right? And who better to crush on than the gorgeous man next door? The one who would never look twice in my direction. Except he does. The first time he pins me in place with his dark gaze, I'm rendered speechless. Â The first time he lays his hands on me, I melt. Â And the first time he takes me, well...I fall to pieces, wondering if I'll ever be the same again. Everything about him screams danger. And yet I'd be lying through my teeth if I didn't admit that was part of the attraction. Chicago is supposed to be a new beginning for me. Â A chance to find my bearings and live again. Â The man next door is the last person I should be getting involved with. And yet, here I am. A moth dancing too close to the flickering flame, hoping I don't get torched. Protecting What's Mine was created by Jennifer Sucevic, an EGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.
"You know, it's not too late to change your mind." Shoving his hands into the pockets of his khakis, Dominic watches me from across the wide expanse of the bright, sunlight-filled room.
Sucking in a deep breath, the edges of my lips slowly curl into a small smile as I gaze at the huge, floor-to-ceiling panes of glass lining the entire eastern wall of the living room. From this vantage point on the thirtieth floor, I can easily survey the deep blue vastness of Lake Michigan along with the skyscrapers that make up the Chicago skyline.
It's a stunning view.
Just as picturesque as I remember it.
Excitement thrums through my veins. It feels good to be back. Even though I've been gone for a decade, Chicago has always felt like home.
"I won't be changing my mind," I murmur, my eyes held captive by the sparkling water in the distance. "It's a gorgeous view, isn't it?"
He snorts, but I hear the affection he feels for me riddled throughout his deep voice. "It's a view that only two point nine million can buy."
"It's my view now."
I'm not sure it was the right decision to make, but I hope so. I've spent the last two years just trying to hold it together. Struggling to make it through life on a day-to-day basis. Feeling as if I were drowning in a bottomless well of grief and sadness. There were days when I felt like I would never find my way out of the labyrinth of despair that consumed me.
I hate to admit it, because it makes me sound weak and ungrateful for the life I have, but there have been too many nights when I've laid awake, sobbing, wondering why I was still here. Wondering why I hadn't died in the accident that stole my parents from me.
It would have been so much easier that way.
Instead, I'm here.
With no family to speak of.
Sensing the direction of my thoughts, my godfather closes the distance, coming to stand beside me at the window. For just a moment, we both stare silently at the lake. It's this particular view that sold me on the place. I wanted to be right smack in the middle of the hustle and bustle of downtown. Since I'll be starting a graduate program in Art History at Northwestern, I wanted to be close to the university. I'm not more than a stone's throw away from all the museums near the lakefront and all the great shopping on the Magnificent Mile.
What I need is to be in the thick of all the action. To be in a place where I can walk outside at two in the morning and find people. I need the pulse of the city to help bring me to life again. To revitalize me. It feels as though I've been in a deep hibernation since my parents died. I've spent the last two years living in a self-imposed isolation, unable to break free. But I can't do that anymore.
It's time to awaken.
And Chicago is the perfect place for that to happen.
The city streets all but hum with unrestrained energy.
I glance at Dominic, thankful for his constant guiding presence in my life. Without any words spoken between us, he seems to understand just how significant this moment feels. It's as if I'm on the cusp of a brand-new life. Sliding his arm around my waist, he tugs me close.
Several factors went into my decision to pick up and move, but Dominic topped the list. He's all I have left. Technically, he isn't my family. Not by blood, anyway. He's my godfather. Dominic is the one person I can call at any time of the day or night, and he'll sit silently on the other end of the line, knowing exactly how I feel. In a way, he feels it too. The loss of my parents has blown a hole in his life as well.
"Even though you have this place, you're welcome to stay with me. Anytime, Gracie. My house will always be your home."
His words have my lips tipping up at the corners. He has no idea what that means to me. Just how appreciative I am for them. For the sentiment behind them. No matter what happens, I will always have Dominic. He's my safety net. My rock. My de facto family.
As his deep blue eyes crinkle, his mouth curves into a smile.
He knows exactly how difficult this is for me.
Starting over.
Leaving the past behind.
Trying to carve out a new life for myself.
One my parents are no longer a part of.
That thought pierces my heart, making it difficult to breathe.
"I know." With thoughts of my parents and this move churning in my mind, I slowly lower my head until I'm able to rest it against the side of his arm. I can't believe I'm a few blocks from Lakeshore Drive. The views are as sweeping as they are breathtaking. I'm lucky to have found this place. "Thank you."
"Your graduate program doesn't start for another three weeks. You could always stay at the house until then. There's certainly no rush for you to be on your own. That way you can take your time and ease into your new life. Is there any reason you should be thrown into the deep end of the pool just yet?"
He's right. I could crash at his place for the next couple of weeks.
But I don't think I want to. I need to be on my own.
Well... I need to give it a try.
The last two years have been both emotionally, as well as mentally, crippling. I was two months into my junior year when my parents died. From what the police could tell, my father had been driving too fast for the weather conditions. They'd been hit with a terrible storm. Torrential downpours. I have no idea why they didn't just pull over and outwait the weather. Ultimately, that decision cost them their lives.
And made me an orphan in the process.
No parents.
No siblings.
No grandparents, aunts, or uncles.
My parents had been only children and their parents were now deceased, leaving me with no one.
Lost in a debilitating haze of heartache, I'd wanted to drop out of college. Dominic is the one who convinced me to stick it out and finish up the academic year. It hadn't been easy. I'd almost flunked out that fall semester. Depression. Grief. Sadness. I had been adrift in a sea of despondency that had threatened to swallow me whole.
Because Dominic had been close to my parents, he'd long ago been set up as my guardian if the worst ever occurred. He spoke with the school, asking for leniency when I'd been on the verge of getting kicked out. It took nine months before I started fighting my way back again. Retaking a few classes, I focused on graduating from the university and getting the hell out of there.
I applied to a few graduate programs and was lucky to get accepted at Northwestern. My essay and interview were enough to sway them into giving me a chance to prove myself. Before the accident, I had been a straight A student. Once I was finally able to emerge from my cocoon of grief, I was able to get back on track again.
"I need this," I murmur quietly. "I think it's going to be good for me." I don't know whether I'm trying to reassure him or myself.
But the words ring true.
Right now, in this very moment, I need them to be true.
"Last year, I failed out of school in spectacular fashion. Now, I’m starting over at a new university, hoping I can get my life back on track and prove to my family that I’m not a screw up. This year, I’m focused on academics. Unfortunately, someone should have mentioned that to a certain hockey playing hottie who refuses to take a hint and leave me alone. As much as I hate to admit it, if I had a type, Cole Mathews would fit it to a T with his dark shaggy hair, golden-brown eyes, and muscular arms. To make matters worse, he’s ridiculously easy going. Not to mention, nice. We’re talking total kryptonite to the female species. Which makes him much too dangerous for the likes of me. And this year, I’m smart enough to realize it. Resisting all that charm might seem futile, but there isn’t much choice in the matter. I won’t let a hot hockey player derail my future. Now, I just need to convince him of that. Stay is created by Jennifer Sucevic, an EGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.
"Sam Harper is my best friend and has been since we were kids. Unfortunately, he sees himself as my unofficial big brother. Which is to say that the guy is a major cock block. I swear he has a sixth sense when it comes to me getting laid. It's frustrating how I can be on the verge of sealing the deal when Sam will appear out of nowhere, and suddenly my night is going up in a big ball of sexually frustrated flames. I think the guy enjoys messing with me. Why else would he do it? Lately, I'm starting to notice things about Sam that I shouldn’t be noticing. Like those piercing blue eyes that pin me in place. Or his short blond hair that I want to drag my fingers through. Not to mention those killer abs that I sometimes catch a fleeting glimpse of. The strange feelings that have sprung up in me are definitely starting to freak me out. We’ve always been just friends. And I don’t want that to change. Friend Zoned is created by Jennifer Sucevic, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author."
"Sofia I’ve made it a point to steer clear of the men who work for my father. I have no intention of getting tangled up in that lifestyle. But there’s something about Roman, an irrepressible energy that snaps and sizzles between us. From the moment we met, his dislike was palpable. And nothing has changed in the three years I’ve known him. If I were smart, I’d stay away. But I’m not smart. Roman The moment I saw her, I knew she had the power to destroy everything I’d spent years trying to accomplish. I can’t allow that to happen. Most days, I’m barely civil to her, because I know all hell will break loose once the floodgates open. Nothing I’ve found douses the combustible energy that flares to life between us. It’s as frustrating as it is dangerous. One of these days I’m going to get burned. Or end up with a bullet in my head. Claiming What's Mine was created by Jennifer Sucevic, an EGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.
Melanie married Ashton out of gratitude, but she quickly found herself entangled in a web of relentless challenges. Despite these struggles, she stayed true to her commitment to the marriage. In the hospital room, Ashton indifferently attempted to draw her blood, disregarding her discomfort. This callous act was a harsh revelation for Melanie, awakening her to the grim reality of their relationship. Resolved to prioritize her own welfare, she decided to sever ties. With newfound resolve, Melanie filed for divorce. In the process, she unveiled her concealed identities, leaving everyone in shock. Throughout these turbulent times, Melanie realized that Derek, Ashton’s uncle, had been discreetly protecting her all along.
My family was on the poverty line and had no way to support me in college. I had to work part-time every day just to make ends meet and afford to get into the university. That was when I met her—the pretty girl in my class that every boy dreamt of asking out. I was well aware she was out of my league. Nevertheless, I mustered all my courage and bravely told her that I had fallen for her. To my surprise, she agreed to be my girlfriend. With the sweetest smile I had ever seen, she told me that she wanted my first gift for her to be the latest and top-of-the-line iPhone. I worked like a dog and even did my classmates’ laundry to save up. My hard work eventually paid off after a month. I finally got to buy what she wanted. But as I was wrapping my gift, I saw her in the dressing room, making out with the captain of the basketball team. She then heartlessly made fun of my inadequacy and made a fool out of me. To make things worse, the guy whom she cheated on me with even punched me in the face. Desperation washed over me, but there was nothing I could do but lie on the floor as they trampled on my feelings. But then, my father called me out of the blue, and my life turned upside down. It turned out that I was a billionaire's son.
"The entire wealthy circle in Seattle knew how much Stella Carlson loved Aaron Malone. People watched the childhood sweethearts grow from inexperience to maturity, finally getting married in a grand wedding ceremony. On the day of the wedding, despite the alliance between the Carlson and Malone families, the groom ran away. Stella knew that Aaron had rushed to L.A. to take care of his ex-girlfriend, who had attempted suicide. Unwilling to become the laughingstock of all Seattle, she gritted her teeth and dialed the number of her adversary, her tone almost commanding, "Ethan, come and marry me now. This is your only chance for revenge." On the other end, Ethan Powers raised an eyebrow as he gripped his phone, staring at the floor littered with cigarette butts. "Did the groom run away?" he asked. "My darling."
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."
There was only one man in Raegan's heart, and it was Mitchel. In the second year of her marriage to him, she got pregnant. Raegan's joy knew no bounds. But before she could break the news to her husband, he served her divorce papers because he wanted to marry his first love. After an accident, Raegan lay in the pool of her own blood and called out to Mitchel for help. Unfortunately, he left with his first love in his arms. Raegan escaped death by the whiskers. Afterward, she decided to get her life back on track. Her name was everywhere years later. Mitchel became very uncomfortable. For some reason, he began to miss her. His heart ached when he saw her all smiles with another man. He crashed her wedding and fell to his knees while she was at the altar. With bloodshot eyes, he queried, "I thought you said your love for me is unbreakable? How come you are getting married to someone else? Come back to me!"
Three years ago, the Moore family opposed Charles Moore's choice to marry his beloved woman and selected Scarlett Riley as his bride. Charles didn't love her. In fact, he hated her. Not long after they got married, Scarlett received an offer from her dream university and jumped on it. Three years later, Charles's beloved woman fell terribly ill. In order to fulfill her last wish, he called Scarlett back and presented her with a divorce agreement. Scarlett was deeply hurt by Charles's abrupt decision, but she chose to let him go and agreed to sign the divorce papers. However, Charles seemed to delay the process deliberately, leaving Scarlett confused and frustrated. Now, Scarlett was trapped between the consequences of Charles's indecision. Would she be able to break free from him? Would Charles eventually come to his senses and face his true feelings?