She's completely off limits, or so I'm told. My best friend's little sister. Hot, curvy, and soon to be mine. And to say the least, she's fiery mad. Her brother is willing to sell out their family business to me, and he's right for doing it. I'm a billionaire. Hello. Little did I know that this beautiful vixen is about to jack my world up. There's one trinket I want most in the world for my collection and guess who just bought it? Right. Her. But I'm down to play her games. I've got aces in my pocket waiting for the right moment to strike. And when I do, the prize I yearn for isn't a shiny object. It's my girl. She's going to be upset to find herself sleeping with the enemy, but those tables will turn. I'm not after today or tomorrow, but forever.
Mae
I dumped an ungodly amount of sugar into the strong black coffee that tasted and smelled like jet fuel. The restaurant my dear brother had picked for us to eat breakfast served the worst coffee on the planet. I should have remembered that fact before I took that first sip that nearly sent me into convulsions.
"Do you want some coffee with your sugar?" Patrick asked with a heavy dose of sarcasm.
"This is not coffee. This shit is nasty."
"You're uppity with your coffee," he replied, taking a sip of the muddy water. "It tastes fine."
Once I had doctored my coffee with enough cream and sugar to turn it a milky brown, I got down to business. "We need to up the game," I said.
He acted as if he didn't hear me. I stared into his green eyes, which were just a shade darker than my own. He was my big brother and a lot of people commented on how much we looked alike. I supposed we did but he was painted with a darker hue. My fair blond hair compared to his darker shade. My fair skin and his olive tone. But we had the same high cheekbones, which I loved as a woman, but he wasn't quite as thrilled.
"I don't want to up anything," he replied before taking a bite of crispy bacon. "We're doing fine."
"But we could be doing better. If we could get a bigger storefront in a better part of town, we could really be raking in the cash. We have some great pieces in our inventory, but no one knows because no one knows us."
He shrugged. "Mae, we make enough money selling the pieces we do get. I don't like the idea of an antiques store. That is so old fashioned. I don't want to be the guy wearing an ugly sweater vest and roaming around piles of old dusty things."
I rolled my eyes. "That is so dumb. And so stereotypical."
"And so true. The majority of antique shops we visit have a guy exactly like that."
"That's the problem," I said, glad he had brought it up. "We need to quit shopping around at other shops and find some actual dealers."
"We're doing fine," he argued.
"Well, yes, but we could do better. Let me put my marketing degree to use. Let me market the business and make some real money."
He didn't look like he cared. That was because he didn't. "We're fine," he insisted.
"Yes, we are fine, but I would like to be better than fine."
"Look, we make enough to pay our bills. Neither of us is living hand to mouth. We don't have to report to some corporate asshole. We get to do our thing and live without anyone breathing down our necks. If we get bigger, then we deal with bigger clients. We will have to have investors that bitch and moan about every little thing. I like our business just the way it is."
"But it could be so much more," I insisted.
He shrugged. "It's more than what Dad left to me."
I rolled my eyes. "First of all, he didn't leave it. He abandoned it, and secondly, he left you a pile of shit that was in the red."
"Exactly. Now it's better."
"But it could be more. We need to think about our future. We need to think about Hayden's future. God knows our parents are not thinking about anyone but themselves."
"We'll take care of Hayden," he said without committing to helping me make the company bigger and better.
"I've got to run," I said and took one last sip of the nasty coffee. "I'll meet you at the office later."
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to brave the den of nastiness and try to find that book Dad had with all his contacts," I told him.
He cringed. "You're going to their house?"
"I have asked Dad for the thing a million times. He always says he'll drop it by the office and then he never does. I want those contacts. If we can find a source that hasn't been tapped into in a while, we could maybe find some real gems."
"Good luck. If you don't show up to the office by the end of the day, I'll send out a search party."
I rolled my eyes. "Thanks for the help."
"I'm not going there. I won't go there."
I nodded. "I know," I said, touching his shoulder before walking out of the restaurant.
Patrick couldn't be in the same room with our parents. There had been too much said and done between them. He was the oldest and had shouldered the bulk of the stress growing up in that house. He'd always protected me. He'd always made sure I was safe and had something to eat on days my parents disappeared.
Our family used to be normal. I missed normal. I missed the days we would take vacations that were actually work trips for my father to collect antiques for the business. I didn't mind that it had been a little work mixed with pleasure. Our mom had kept us busy and we had a good childhood.
Then one day, we didn't. My dad picked up the bottle and my mother picked up a bottle of pills. There was no turning back once that started. There had been a happy break when my mom found out she was pregnant with our little sister, Hayden Marie. I had been fifteen and thrilled. Patrick had been less thrilled. He was already out of the house at that point but came back because he didn't trust our parents to take care of a baby. They did. They pulled their shit together and things had been great for a few years.
Until they weren't.
This guy could offer me the moon, and I’d hand it right back. Never in a million years did I expect to run into the biggest crush of my childhood. But, of course, I have. And I’m reporting to him at the new company I landed a big-time job at. Arrogant. Hot as hell. Total jackass. Why he’s still single is no mystery to me. He’s not willing to settle down. He’s always been that way, and as far as I’m concerned, he always will be. But, boy, is he beautiful to look at. Every part of me screams "run" as my insides turn to mush. No. Not me too… Not again. I should be immune by now. I know him far too well to fall into this hopeless pit of adoration again. But maybe there’s a way around it. It’s his power that drives me over the edge of insanity. If I were the boss instead of him, I’d hold all the cards. Good thing I’m always up for a challenge. Funnily enough, this guy thinks he’s going to score. He might have to redefine what getting lucky looks like after me. At least, that’s the plan.
Ethan Lewis has been in the bright lights for as long as he can remember. He’s just turned the cusp of celebrating his twenty-fourth birthday, and yet he feels more like eighty. Living the life of a celebrity isn’t all it is chalked up to be, and dealing with the unruly number of women who are more interested in his billions than who he is as a person is getting old. He has resigned himself to giving up on love and focusing on the only thing that truly gives back – his career. Riley Phillips has always dreamed of being on a big stage with the warmth of the spotlight baring down on her, but she just couldn’t seem to catch the right agent’s attention. After giving a quick commencement speech as Valedictorian of her graduating class at Billmore High, she’s offered something she can’t refuse... The chance to work in Hollywood. It’s not all it’s chalked up to be, but she works hard and finally gets her big break four years down the line. There is a new movie that her agent wants her to audition for, and her co-star? The dreamy Ethan Lewis. She scores the part, but soon regrets it due to his callous, overbearing persona. He’s nothing like the public touts, and she for one isn’t impressed. Funny enough, he is - immensely. This is book 1 in a continued series. All books are available
He said I couldn’t do it, but he was wrong. An old professor at UCLA promised me that I would make nothing of myself, so I made sure I did. To the tune of billions. I’m only a little cocky about it. Yachts, parties, and one-night events pretty much spell out my life. And all of it works well until I run into a beauty I can’t get out of my head. But we’re keeping it friendly and casual until we aren’t. There’s just one problem. Her old man hates me. And for good reason. He was my UCLA professor. He’s dead set against me becoming anything important to his little girl, but the old man’s got it all backward. I’m not looking to make an example out of our passion or prove a point. This isn’t about hit it and quit it. His daughter is mine, and he might kick me out, but she’s letting me all the way in.
My Needs. My Demands. Your Pleasure. You're Welcome. She had one year left of college when our parents got married. And thanks to being raised in poverty, she needed help with her expenses. My dad, being the benevolent billionaire, stepped up without question. But there was a catch. She had to intern at the firm for a year. With me. As her boss. Poor sweet little thing. She has no clue what she’s up against, but she’ll figure it out soon. I don’t play typical games, but the ones I do play, I always win. And regardless of how taboo our relationship might become, I’m all in. The reward is worth the risk. I just hope she can keep up with my many demands.
He’s going to make me break my number one rule. And possibly lose my job. How dare he? It’s pretty simple, though. Don’t date students. Which is normally easy to stick to. Who wants to date an eighteen-year-old boy? Not me. I much prefer an older man with rough hands that knows what he’s doing. Enter Mr. Evans. A single father billionaire with more time on his plate than he knows what to do with. And the man is brilliant and wickedly delicious. Much to my surprise, he’s quickly becoming my star pupil, which means he gets more of my time than necessary. But I can’t help myself. He’s exactly what I need in my life, in my bed, kissing me at the stroke of midnight… And the best is even though he’s older than me, he’s more than willing to let me teach him a few new tricks. Let's just hope we don't get caught.
I need a wife. Now. It doesn’t have to do with love and living the good life. This is all about getting the money my billionaire father left to me. And I’m running out of time. But who proposes to a stranger after the first date? Me. That’s who. As if I have another choice. Luck is on my side though, and a beautiful model shows up in my office. Single? Gorgeous? Funny? All of the above. Our first date goes so well that I feel unsure about my decision to do this thing with her—you know, fake it. I put it off and decide to do it later, to ask for her help after we get to know each other better. But I like her more and more each time we meet, and eventually, offering her a ring isn’t for my dad’s money—it’s because I want her more than anything else in the world. Besides, who’s going to know if it’s fake or real? And does it really matter? Yeah. It does.
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..." But Kallie's response was firm and dismissive, cutting through any lingering ties. "Get lost!"
Lindsey's fiancé 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 fiancé. " "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?
Joelle thought she could change Adrian's heart after three years of marriage, but she realized too late that it already belonged to another woman. "Give me a baby, and I'll set you free." The day Joelle went into labor, Adrian was traveling with his mistress on his private jet. "I don't care whom you love. My debt is paid. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other." Not long after Joelle left, Adrian found himself begging on his knees. "Please come back to me."
She was a world-renowned divine doctor, the CEO of a publicly traded company, the most formidable female mercenary, and a top-tier tech genius. Marissa, a titan with a plethora of secret identities, had hidden her true stature to marry a seemingly impoverished young man. However, on the eve of their wedding, her fiance, who was actually the lost heir to a wealthy dynasty, called off the engagement and subjected her to degradation and mockery. Upon the revelation of her concealed identities, her ex-fiance was left stunned and desperately pleaded for her forgiveness. Standing protectively before Marissa, an incredibly influential and fearsome magnate declared, "This is my wife. Who would dare try to claim her?"
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.
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!"