/0/52768/coverbig.jpg?v=57dd275c0cf83070acde22b90354fc9d)
Ana never expected Luiz, her ex-boyfriend, to come into her business meeting, let alone that it would lead to thirty days of searing love. ***** Ana is passionate about journalism, and now that she runs her father's newspaper, she will go to any length to keep it afloat. She didn't anticipate her ex-boyfriend, Luiz, to be the one she turned to for assistance. But there's a catch: he wants vengeance for betraying him back in the day. In exchange for the money, he wants her to spend thirty nights with him; however, things start to go wrong when flames bloom between them. Could this be their second shot at love, or will scandal and blackmail tear them apart forever?
Teng o de tus ojos, de tu boca, de tus besos...
These were the first words I heard Luiz speak.
I long for your eyes, tongue, and kisses...
On a sunny October day, he stood at the front of a University of Miami classroom and recited a poem in both Spanish and English. It was the second week of school, and he had moved to Public Speaking 101. He had previously skipped a few courses, so everyone noticed him when he read aloud.
All the females couldn't quit staring at him. Neither could I.
I was 19 years old.
Luiz stood tall and wore worn trousers and a basic black T-shirt. The dark stubble on his face, mixed with his black brows, eyelashes, and short black hair, gave him the appearance of the devil's best disciple. A flashing red peril for my heart.
Luiz gazed as he spoke. At me. I was seated in the second row. His eyes were filled with possessive want, and I wanted to fall at his feet and ask him to do anything he wanted with my body and soul.
When he finished speaking, Luiz looked at me with a half-smile that promised pleasure.
I was out of breath. Hypnotized.
Thank you, Mr. Menendez. "Ms. Lavoie, you're next," the professor announced, shocking me sufficiently to swiftly grab my papers. One dropped to the floor, and I hurried to get it, picking it up with shaking fingers.
I stepped to the front of the room, passing Luiz as he took his seat. I swallowed hard when our gazes connected for a brief moment. My mouth felt uncomfortably wet, so I folded my arms. I was conscious of how my vintage black-and-rose-printed Betsey Johnson slip dress and black flip-flops brushed against my flesh and wanted to take everything off. luiz's look left me feeling exposed. Makes me want to be nude. With him.
"Please tell us the title of the poem you're reading," the lecturer asked.
"I chose 'Sonnet Seventeen' by Neruda," I said in a faint voice, looking at the floor.
"Uncross your arms." And you'll have to talk louder. Remember: this is a public speaking lesson, not a public whispering class.
The few students who tried to pay attention chuckled, and I raised my gaze to Luiz. He slouched low in his chair, his long legs sprawled across the front row. His lips curled upward and formed a sensuous grin. I tucked my wavy hair behind my ears.
With a deep breath, I started.
Luiz fixed me with long, deliberate stares while I performed the poem. His lips opened, and I saw his tongue in the corner of his mouth. By the second phrase, I was smiling. It's a secret exclusively for him. It seemed like we were the only two individuals in the room.
When the class finished, I dashed outdoors into the white-bright Florida sun, shaking with feverish want. A gentle hand gripped my wrist, and the delicate hair on my nape shook.
"Ana?" he said, his tone mild.
"Yes."
At that time, I had only kissed a couple of guys and perhaps gone a bit farther. I was somewhat bashful back then. And I avoided males that resembled Luiz, mostly because I felt they would not be interested in a lady like me.
"Where are you from?" My little wrist seemed delicate in his large grasp.
"St. Augustine."
luiz's grin revealed dimples below his beard.
"So, Ana from St. Augustine," he continued, rhyming and capturing my heart. "What are you going to do this weekend?" Are you planning to attend the Fantasy Fiesta costume party, which everyone is raving about? "Are you dressing up?"
I chuckled, temporarily silent. Diana, my best friend, had told me about the party and urged me to join her. I had said no.
But if Luiz was present, perhaps I would. My skin flushed with heat as if I'd spent the day at the beach in August. His eyes were the most peculiar color, nearly copper, and they glinted in the sunlight.
"I don't have any plans," I said.
Another nasty smile. I'd never seen such long lashes on a man.
"Do you know what you should be for Fantasy Fiesta?"
I shook my head again, and he gave me a smoldering look.
"Mine."
When Abigail is offered a job as a maid at the Charles estate, it seems almost too good to be true. The work is easy and fair, her coworkers seem nice enough, and the best part? The owner doesn't even seem to live there. That is until he returns.
Irene Hart never fit in; being ridiculed every day at school and working continuously to pay off your mother's drug addiction was not what an 18-year-old wanted to accomplish in their senior year of high school. Â What happens when Irene is appointed to work as a maid at the house of a millionaire family, who also happens to be the crime boss? Â Irene's life is flipped upside down when two attractive brothers show an interest in her. Â Â
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..."Â But Kallie's response was firm and dismissive, cutting through any lingering ties. "Get lost!"
After being kicked out of her home, Harlee learned she wasn't the biological daughter of her family. Rumors had it that her impoverished biological family favored sons and planned to profit from her return. Unexpectedly, her real father was a zillionaire, catapulting her into immense wealth and making her the most cherished member of the family. While they anticipated her disgrace, Harlee secretly held design patents worth billions. Celebrated for her brilliance, she was invited to mentor in a national astronomy group, drew interest from wealthy suitors, and caught the eye of a mysterious figure, ascending to legendary status.
For ten years, Daniela showered her ex-husband with unwavering devotion, only to discover she was just his biggest joke. Feeling humiliated yet determined, she finally divorced him. Three months later, Daniela returned in grand style. She was now the hidden CEO of a leading brand, a sought-after designer, and a wealthy mining mogul—her success unveiled at her triumphant comeback. Her ex-husband’s entire family rushed over, desperate to beg for forgiveness and plead for another chance. Yet Daniela, now cherished by the famed Mr. Phillips, regarded them with icy disdain. "I’m out of your league."
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."
"I heard you're going to marry Marcelo. Is this perhaps your revenge against me? It's very laughable, Renee. That man can barely function." Her foster family, her cheating ex, everyone thought Renee was going to live in pure hell after getting married to a disabled and cruel man. She didn't know if anything good would ever come out of it after all, she had always thought it would be hard for anyone to love her but this cruel man with dark secrets is never going to grant her a divorce because she makes him forget how to breathe.
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!"