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.
Terran
I should have been having a blast instead of feeling as if I were facing the most important decision of my life. It was one of those rock and hard place decisions. Damned if I did and damned if I didn't.
"I need a drink," I mumbled.
"I'll get you one, sweetie." A pretty blonde woman sitting on a leather couch across from me quickly jumped up to do just that.
Zach looked at me and smiled. "That was easy."
It hadn't exactly been what I meant. I needed a drink, but I didn't expect her to fetch it for me. She was a guest. She returned a minute later with a margarita, the rim of the glass lined with salt. It wasn't exactly the drink I had in mind, but it would do.
"Thank you," I said, unable to remember her name.
She smiled. "Any time, Terran. If you need anything, you only have to ask."
I smiled and nodded my head, ignoring the flirting. I wasn't in the mood to flirt, which was out of character for me.
"Can you ladies give us a minute?" Zach asked.
The four women who had followed us downstairs quickly jumped up to leave us alone. We were relaxing in the mahogany sitting room below deck on my yacht. The sound of loud music coming from the top deck reminded me this was a party. As if I needed the thumping music as a reminder. Zach Bailey, my best friend in the world and the guest of honor at this little shindig on the Pacific Ocean, a few miles off the coast of Los Angeles, had been telling me to loosen up for the past hour.
"Dude, relax," Zach said from his seat beside mine. "Get loose. This is my birthday party, and you're killing the vibe."
I shrugged. "I'm relaxed," I lied. "I needed a minute out of the sun."
"You're not relaxed. You're walking around as if you are personally responsible for holding up the world."
I chuckled. "Sorry. I don't want to be a downer. Let's go up."
We walked up the stairs to the top deck where the party was happening. I had spared no expense to give Zach a stellar party with excellent food catered by one of the top chefs in the city and a lot of alcohol. I heard a splash and knew someone had just hit the water. I had hired lifeguards as well, knowing alcohol and water could be a deadly combination.
"You need to do that," Zach mumbled.
"Do what?" I asked, walking in front of him up the stairs.
"Jump into the water, shake off the worry," he suggested.
I looked down at the swim shorts I was wearing. Bathing suits were the dress code for the party.
"I might," I shot back.
He laughed. "I doubt that. You'd get that pretty little mop of hair all messed up."
I self-consciously ran a hand through the shaggy black hair on my head that was currently free of hair products. When I was going to a formal business meeting, it was usually gelled back. On a normal day at the office, I kept it tamed, but today, it was free to fall around my face in somewhat of an old-school Johnny Depp way.
"Don't let me hold you back," I told my blond-haired, blue-eyed friend. Although celebrating his thirty-second birthday, he didn't look a day older than twenty-five.
We hit the top deck where the alcohol was freely flowing, fueling the gyrating bodies on the makeshift dancefloor. I could hear more splashing and knew someone else had just used the slide. Everyone was having a good time.
"Happy birthday," a lovely redhead said, kissing Zach on the mouth before running her hand across his bare chest and walking away.
He was grinning like a fool.
"Who was that?" I asked.
He shrugged a shoulder. "Not a clue."
I laughed at the boldness of the woman. The amount of skin showing was alarming. I was sure some of the bathing suits the women were wearing were illegal in some countries. Dental floss would have covered more.
I sighed. That was the goal. Two things Zach loved most in the world were beautiful women and being on the water. It was a little hard to get the guy who had everything he wanted a meaningful birthday gift.
"I need a real drink," I said.
"Good, I'm going to say hi to a couple people I do know," Zach said before walking away.
I walked straight for the bar, asking for scotch, neat before turning and heading in the opposite direction of the festivities. I was usually the life of the party, but today, it just seemed like another day ticking away until I had to make a decision. I rested my arms on the railing and watched the waves roll in, thinking about my life.
It wasn't long before Zach propped his elbows on the railing beside me. He was quiet for a while.
"Are you still upset about your dad's will?" Zach asked.
I shrugged. "Not upset, a little stressed."
He laughed. "I think that's the same thing."
I pushed back a chunk of my unruly black hair from my forehead and turned to look at him. "I stand to lose all this or get saddled with a ball and chain. It isn't a decision I can make on a whim."
He slowly nodded his head. "I understand. I wouldn't expect you to. I think you need to decide what is more important to you."
I groaned. "I don't know. I like my life the way it is. A wife would just add a dose of drama. I don't want a relationship. I don't want the hassle of checking in with someone."
"Or getting in trouble for cheating or having a wandering eye," Zach added.
"Exactly. I like my freedom. I like the luxury of flirting with an attractive woman if I want to. I don't want the proverbial ball and chain holding me back."
This guy could offer me the moon, and Iād 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 Iām reporting to him at the new company I landed a big-time job at. Arrogant. Hot as hell. Total jackass. Why heās still single is no mystery to me. Heās not willing to settle down. Heās always been that way, and as far as Iām 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 tooā¦ 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 thereās a way around it. Itās his power that drives me over the edge of insanity. If I were the boss instead of him, Iād hold all the cards. Good thing Iām always up for a challenge. Funnily enough, this guy thinks heās going to score. He might have to redefine what getting lucky looks like after me. At least, thatās the plan.
Ethan Lewis has been in the bright lights for as long as he can remember. Heās just turned the cusp of celebrating his twenty-fourth birthday, and yet he feels more like eighty. Living the life of a celebrity isnāt 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 ā 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 couldnāt seem to catch the right agentās attention. After giving a quick commencement speech as Valedictorian of her graduating class at Billmore High, sheās offered something she canāt refuse... The chance to work in Hollywood. Itās not all itās 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. Heās nothing like the public touts, and she for one isnāt impressed. Funny enough, he is - immensely. This is book 1 in a continued series. All books are available
He said I couldnāt 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. Iām 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 canāt get out of my head. But weāre keeping it friendly and casual until we arenāt. Thereās just one problem. Her old man hates me. And for good reason. He was my UCLA professor. Heās dead set against me becoming anything important to his little girl, but the old manās got it all backward. Iām not looking to make an example out of our passion or prove a point. This isnāt about hit it and quit it. His daughter is mine, and he might kick me out, but sheās 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 sheās up against, but sheāll figure it out soon. I donāt play typical games, but the ones I do play, I always win. And regardless of how taboo our relationship might become, Iām all in. The reward is worth the risk. I just hope she can keep up with my many demands.
Heās going to make me break my number one rule. And possibly lose my job. How dare he? Itās pretty simple, though. Donāt 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 heās 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, heās quickly becoming my star pupil, which means he gets more of my time than necessary. But I canāt help myself. Heās exactly what I need in my life, in my bed, kissing me at the stroke of midnightā¦ And the best is even though heās older than me, heās more than willing to let me teach him a few new tricks. Let's just hope we don't get caught.
Sheās playing hard to get, and I love it. I decided a long time ago to let my career as a high-powered New York Editor and my son be my only focuses. But my family had hoped for a different fate. As much as I miss them, Iāve lost touch with them, and with love in general. Wealth calls to me after my grandfather dies and leaves me his billions. But thereās one catch. There always is, right? I have to live on the farm I grew up on for six months and take a break from my big city life. Itās worth it and maybe my little boy will enjoy the time with me. One thing I never expected was a beautiful woman to show up and steal our hearts. Sheās everything I want in my life and my bed. But sheās a tough cookie. Iām up for the challenge. Thereās nothing Iāve wanted in life that I havenāt gotten. Unfortunately for her, I donāt want just six months in Montana. Iām demanding all of her.
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 townās 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. āWay to go, honey!ā
COALESCENCE OF THE FIVE SERIES BOOK ONE: THE 5-TIME REJECTED GAMMA & THE LYCAN KING BOOK TWO: THE ROGUES WHO WENT ROGUE BOOK THREE: THE INDOMITABLE HUNTRESS & THE HARDENED DUKE *** BOOK ONE: After being rejected by 5 mates, Gamma Lucianne pleaded with the Moon Goddess to spare her from any further mate-bonds. To her dismay, she is being bonded for the sixth time. Whatās worse is that her sixth-chance mate is the most powerful creature ruling over all werewolves and Lycans - the Lycan King himself. She is certain, dead certain, that a rejection would come sooner or later, though she hopes for it to be sooner. King Alexandar was ecstatic to meet his bonded mate, and couldnāt thank their Goddess enough for gifting him someone so perfect. However, he soon realizes that this gift is reluctant to accept him, and more than willing to sever their bond. He tries to connect with her but she seems so far away. He is desperate to get intimate with her but she seems reluctant to open up to him. He tries to tell her that he is willing to commit to her for the rest of his life but she doesnāt seem to believe him. He is pleading for a chance: a chance to get to know her; a chance to show her that heās different; and a chance to love her. But when not-so-subtle crushes, jealous suitors, self-entitled Queen-wannabes, an old flame, a silent protector and a past wedding engagement threaten to jeopardize their relationship, will Lucianne and Xandar still choose to be together? Is their love strong enough to overcome everything and everyone? Or will Lucianne resort to enduring a sixth rejection from the one person she thought she could entrust her heart with?
"You're my wife in name only, on paper only. My heart and love will never be yours." Edward made it clear to Daisy that she was nothing to him. They were both victims of family greed -- the marriage was arranged for them. Six years passed. She remained quiet, gaining a reputation in the army as a tough-as-nails colonel. When she walked into his life again, Edward fell in love with this woman, unlike any he had known. She surprised and delighted him. But will Daisy take him back? Can their son keep them together? Can the rift between them be healed? Pick this one up and find out!
During her three years of marriage with Brendan, Adeline had become as humble as dust itself. However, what she got in return wasn't love and affection, but endless indifference and disdain. Worse yet, when the woman in Brendan's heart suddenly showed up, he further distanced himself from her. Finally, Adeline couldn't stand it anymore and asked for a divorce. After all, why should she stay with such a cold, distant man? The next one would surely be better. Brendan watched as his ex-wife left with her luggage in tow. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him and he made a bet with his friends. "She'll definitely regret leaving and will come crawling back to me in no time." After hearing about this bet, Adeline sneered. "Dream on!" A few days later, Brendan ran into his ex-wife in a bar. It turned out she was celebrating her divorce. Not long after, he noticed that the damned woman seemed to have a new suitor. Brendan was starting to panic. The woman who had clung to him for three years suddenly didn't seem to give a damn about him. What was he going to do?
A sudden twist of fate connected Helena to a prominent and influential person. To onlookers, she appeared as a naive bimbo. In truth, she was a top-tier specialist, shrouded in layers of hidden identities. Charlie declared, āSheās quite delicate and easily hurt. Cross her, and youāre crossing me.ā The elite families, outwitted by Helena's prowess, kept these truths from him. Helena eventually broke free from Charlie, sending him on a frenzied worldwide hunt. To him, she was a bird with dazzling wings, and his goal was to help her reach new heights.Ā
We've been married for three years, but I've never truly had his love. When his childhood sweetheart returned, just as promised, all I was met with were the cold, glaring divorce papers. "If I were carrying our child, would you still choose to divorce?" I asked, holding onto the faintest glimmer of hope, making one last desperate plea. His response, as expected, was just as cold as ever. "Yes." I closed my eyes, choking back tears, and finally chose to let go-to honor his decision. Years later, my heart had turned to ash. Lying in a hospital bed, I trembled as I signed the divorce papers. "Alexander, from this moment on, we owe each other nothing..." What I never saw coming was the ruthless, decisive CEO kneeling at my bedside, his voice hoarse, almost broken, as he pleaded, "Vivienne, don't divorce me... please."