Being forged from the trauma that clings to your soul like an additional layer of sin has an elegance to it. When my father and I buried my sister, falling in love with her first love wasn't on the agenda. Don Alessandro Valentino has something I want. Something he refuses to depart with and no matter how much pain he inflicts upon me, I will never give up. I vowed to never let him win. I thought I had escaped his grasp, but his torment had only just begun. Despite everything, he still held the power to manipulate my heart and make me crave to be possessed by him. As secrets come to light and the truth is exposed, can I surrender the battle and surrender what I've been fighting for all along, without hesitation? --- He tore his lips away from mine, peering down at me, brushing the pad of his thumb along his lower lip-smearing my touch as far as it would travel. "You taste like mine." He said in a cold and condescending tone. Then he left. He walked out of the wine cellar without a second glance over his shoulder as Riccardo locked the door behind them.
Some say that Angels mourn for us when we are unable to weep our own tears.
When the pain becomes so overwhelming that we are afraid that if we let the tears fall, they will drown us in our aura of misery.
The air is thick with melancholy as if a heavy cloud of grief continuously hangs over the entire cemetery.
Death lingers in the air accompanied by the faint smell of rain, cheap perfume, and fresh roses.
I shut my black umbrella, letting it slip between my fingers, and I gaze up at the ominous sky as the tears of the Angels cascade down upon us.
It's a cold day.
The sort of day that drills deep into your bones, marking you forever as it licks and nips all over your frigid flesh.
Today, we lay to rest my dear sister, Rose, whose life was tragically cut short.
The coroner's report states she had alcohol and drugs in her system and that's what caused the car accident, killing her three hours later in the hospital.
But I know better.
I know that my sister was murdered and that someone at the Valentino residence had something to do with it.
Rose was no saint, but she never dared to play God with other people's lives on the road; meaning that she would never get behind the wheel under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Don Alessandro Valentino is in the Mafia. He is the most feared man in our country, and I have a feeling many more.
Making his presence known as his henchmen guard every inch of the cemetery not only potentially puts us all in danger, but it also has everyone on edge.
Had it not been for the little girl standing steadfastly by his side, I would have boldly approached him and told him to leave-to fuck off.
Because he isn't welcome here.
The memories of him being, Roses' former flame linger in my thoughts like a haunting melody, ceasing my heart every time I steal a glance in his direction.
The little girl, adorned in a pristine dress with a pearl necklace delicately draped around her neck, is none other than my precious niece, Savannah.
She doesn't know who I am, and it kills me that I never got the chance to build a strong bond with her when Rose was alive.
Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I surreptitiously cast my gaze back to the front, away from him, and the mysterious raven-haired beauty hanging off his arm like a cheap knockoff purse.
The priest's solemn prayer comes to a close. The mourners step forward, each one placing a single, pristine white rose atop the casket of our beloved Rose.
"I am deeply sorry for the loss of your sister and daughter, Mr...."
The sound of a nasally feminine voice breaks my trance.
"Bishop," I sigh irritably.
Since Roses' passing, my father has not been able to string three words together, nor has he shed a tear.
He is nothing but an empty vessel and it scares me greatly
"Rose spoke highly of you, Ivy. She also mentioned how beautiful you were, and I must say that her description of your elegance has done no justice."
Sighing, I shift my gaze from Roses' coffin and I meet her chocolate brown gaze.
"I'm sorry. Who did you say you were again?" I try to keep the bitterness out of my voice because the last time Rose and I spoke, moments before she died, she warned me not to trust anyone affiliated with Don Valentino at the villa.
"My name is Sofia DeLuca, and I have taken it upon myself to be there for Savannah now that she is an orphan," Sofia responds in a voice that makes my skin crawl with venom.
"Savannah is not an orphan." I spit out bitterly.
As the mighty Don Valentino approaches us, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing my grief-stricken eyes, I turn my back towards him.
Feeling like I am offering it to a predator, but the dire thought alone doesn't make me turn around to face him.
A prickle runs down my spine at his nearness, and I can feel him glaring at the back of my head, burning a hole in it.
"Mi dispiace for your loss." His words caress every inch of my body, licking the rage that simmers deep within me.
Curling my hands at my sides, "we don't want or need your condolences." I hiss over my shoulder. "Leave. Take your men and your cheap whore with you."
I grit my teeth, turning my attention to his henchmen standing by the entrance of the cemetery, their hands resting on their weapons strapped to their torsos.
The warmth of his body turns mine to jelly when he stands behind me, his lips a whisper away from the shell of my ear.
"Ivy Bishop." He hisses my name like it's pure filth sitting on the tip of his tongue. "You should know better than to speak to me in such a manner if you value your life."
Raising my chin, I straighten my spine. "You aren't welcome here, and if you had any respect for Rose at all, you would have stayed away."
I spin around on the spot to face him, losing my footing as my heel sinks into the soft soil; he lurches forward, hooking a strong arm around my torso, and pressing my front to his.
"It should have been you in the car. Not Rose!" The harsh words slip between my lips.
Heat explodes across my chest, then my palms as I try to push him off me, but it only coerces the devil himself to press me against his body more firmly.
He smells like sin, whiskey and cigars, making me dizzy with a forbidden lust that sets my skin ablaze.
One of his brows quirks upward. "Then I'd miss all the fun we are going to have. I know what you've been up to, Farfalla, and I'm here to warn you to stop."
Gulping, "and if I don't, are you going to kill me?"
"Not in the sense that you are thinking," he replies in a husky tone with an underlay of amusement.
"You don't scare me," I whimper, lying, continuing to struggle in his grasp. "Let me go..."
"Liar. You are playing a dangerous game, Ivy. I can feel you trembling beneath my fingertips. Just the way I like my women, at my mercy, bare beneath me like a perfect little doll."
"You're disgusting..."
Something flickers in his eyes, and he pulls me closer toward him, brushing his lips along my jawline.
"The second my lips touch yours, you will belong to me. Life as you know it will never be the same. All you have to do is ask me. Ask me to kiss you, Farfalla..." He taunts me, sending a pleasant shiver down my spine. "You know you want me. I can smell it."
I raise my gaze to meet his as something inside me snaps, "get your filthy hands off me, or I swear to the Gods I will scream bloody murder, you arrogant son of a bitch." I snarl breathlessly with tears brimming my eyes.
Snickering, he releases me as if touching me suddenly burns him, and he holds his hand's mid-air, taking two steps back.
"Gladly, tesoro."
Alessandro continues to hold my gaze like he could kiss the hatred out of me, and it makes me sick to my stomach to think that he can achieve the impossible.
"You bastard..." I whisper, willing my pounding heart to slow down.
Looking over his shoulder with a sinister smirk playing on his lips. "Andiamo," he says harshly, waving his hand forward as he brushes past me with his cheap whore in hot pursuit.
And like a switch going off, I go back to feeling numb.
Vowing to find out the truth behind Roses' death and save Savannah from the Valentino Villa, regardless of what it may cost me eventually.
"You know what happens when you run, spitfire." Tobias nips my lower lip with his teeth then soothes the sting with the gentle caress of his tongue. "I catch you!" --- I should have known that Tobias Landry was behind the circus of my troubles. He, who once was a man I adored in my past life, is now a man who leaves nothing but devastation in his wake everywhere he turns. He can pretend all he likes that he is innocent, but the slight twitch in his left eye says a completely different story. I will fight him to the end to keep the bakery that I have poured my sweat, blood, and tears into! Even, if that means that I have to marry him and give in to his sexual desires. My name is Keri Appleton and this is a dangerous and sultry tale about lies, secrets, and the fine line between love and obsession.
He pins me against the wall, all 7ft of him, towering over me. "Tell me to stop. Tell me you don't want this and I will walk away." He mutters with his hot breath fanning my face. "I want you, Zion," I whisper breathlessly against the shell of his ear. "If you walk out that door, you'll never get to feel how good I'll feel wrapped around you." I nip at his earlobe with my teeth. Something snaps within him as a low rumble vibrates from the back of his throat. "Mine..." He snarls as he picks me up from the ground and crushes his lips against mine. --- The moment I met Zion, I knew my life was never going to be the same again. Being in his presence did crazy things to my body. He is my fated mate, the other half of my soul and the only male who can save me from myself. Turns out I'm not your average human and I have the entire universe questioning my very existence and what energy I possess. They fear me and they have every reason to. Including Zion, his elite of warriors and light oracles.
"Fuck.." I moan as my feverish skin makes me dizzy with lust. [Yes.] "Evet, Mila. You make me want to ravage you when I should be disgusted by the thought of even touching you." He mutters. "But I'm not. Instead, everything about you makes me mad with desire and I can not control it. God's, I tried to but I don't want to anymore." He removes his hand from the wall, wrapping his fingers around my jaw and he forces me to stare up at him. "You've already had a taste of me and one taste is all you get." I swallow loudly, throwing his words back at him. >>> Mila Starkk is a lively young woman trapped in a terrible relationship with her mafia-infiltrated boyfriend, Ace. After the Esposito boss points a gun at her, she flees, seeking sanctuary in an Irish bar that no Italian soldier would dare enter. She has a one-night fling with a seductive Turkish gentleman. The following day, she is dragged through an alleyway with a knife pointed at her, and by chance, stabs one of the guys before fleeing to the Esposito family for protection; starting a war between the Irishmen. She is thrust into an entirely new world, assigned on missions under their protection, and when she learns she is pregnant, she assures Ace that he is the father. After giving birth, she is given the orders to destroy Aydem Burak, Sedar Ozturk's second cousin. The Don of the Turkish Mafia. Mila is sent by the Esposito's to steal something from Aydem that will financially cripple him. From the time she enters his company, sparks fly between them and when her baby is held as ransom for her completion of the mission, she must decide where her allegiance
Working in the sex industry isn't always what's cut out to be... Some find love, like to cause chaos, and others just simply try to get away with murder. "Am I turning you on, Mikros?" He grunts loudly in my ear. "I can feel you soaking me like a cascading waterfall." He hisses, his hot breath fanning my exposed skin as he continues to caress me with long strokes. "My body is a treacherous vessel; it appears to have its own mind." I retaliate by pushing against the wall, and he slams me against it. "That's all you'll ever own, Amar." a soft moan escapes my lips. "Is my body, never my heart or my mind,"
"You taste like warm sweet honey, and I want more of you!" He growls as he presses his manhood into my hip. "Give yourself to me, tesoro." [Treasure] His words are like fuel to my igniting fire. I want him, I crave him, and when his lips start to suck on my heated skin, I turn into a puddle of water when his hand dips into the top of my dress. He finds my breast, and he kneads it, flicking my erect nipple has my panties moisten with arousal --- Vanessa Maddison: She is as gorgeous and flawless on the outside as she is scarred and tormented on the inside. Luca Venturi: Came storming into Vanessa's life like a raging blaze that burns everything it caresses. He's an Italian billionaire doctor who can have any woman he wants, but he has his sights set on Vanessa. Intertwined by their secrets, they try to defy the odds. They make their own rules and quickly surrender to the exquisite power of possession. What began as a fling evolved into something far greater than either of them could have imagined. What will the Italian billionaire do to save Vanessa when they are thrown into a world they are both unfamiliar with time and time again?
Life was a bed of roses for Debra, the daughter of Alpha. That was until she had a one-night stand with Caleb. She was sure he was her mate as determined by Moon Goddess. But this hateful man refused to accept her. Weeks passed before Debra discovered that she was pregnant. Her pregnancy brought shame to her and everyone she loved. Not only was she driven out, but her father was also hunted down by usurpers. Fortunately, she survived with the help of the mysterious Thorn Edge Pack. Five years passed and Debra didn't hear anything from Caleb. One day, their paths crossed again. They were both on the same mission—carrying out secret investigations in the dangerous Roz Town for the safety and posterity of their respective packs. Caleb was still cold toward her. But as time went on, he fell head over heels in love with her. He tried to make up for abandoning her, but Debra wasn't having any of it. She was hell-bent on hiding her daughter from him and also making a clean break. What did the future hold for the two as they journeyed in Roz Town? What kind of secrets would they find? Would Caleb win Debra's heart and get to know his lovely daughter? Find out!
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!"
After three secretive years of marriage, Eliana never met her enigmatic husband until she was served with divorce papers and learned of his extravagant pursuit of another. She snapped back to reality and secured a divorce. Thereafter, Eliana unveiled her various personas: an esteemed doctor, legendary secret agent, master hacker, celebrated designer, adept race car driver, and distinguished scientist. As her diverse talents became known, her ex-husband was consumed by remorse. Desperately, he pleaded, "Eliana, give me another chance! All my properties, even my life, are yours."
When they were kids, Derek saved Norah's life. Years later, after Derek ended up in a vegetative state from a car crash, Norah married him without a second thought and even used her medical knowledge to heal him. For two years, Norah was devoted, seeking his affection and looking to settle her life-saving debt. But when Derek's first love returned, Norah, faced with divorce, didn't hesitate to sign. Despite being labeled as forsaken, few knew of her true talents. She was a race car driver, a famed designer, a genius hacker, and a renowned doctor. Regretting his decision, Derek begged for her forgiveness. Just then, a charming CEO intervened, embracing Norah and declaring, "Back off! She's my wife!" Taken aback, Norah blurted out, "What did you say?"
The day Lilah found out that she was pregnant, she caught her fiancé cheating on her. Her remorseless fiancé and his mistress almost killed her. Lilah fled for her dear life. When she returned to her hometown five years later, she happened to save a little boy's life. The boy's father turned out to be the world's richest man. Everything changed for Lilah from that moment. The man didn't let her experience any inconvenience. When her ex-fiancé bullied her, he crushed the scumbag's family and also rented out an entire island just to give Lilah a break from all the drama. He also taught Lilah's hateful father a lesson. He crushed all her enemies before she even asked. When Lilah's vile sister threw herself at him, he showed her a marriage certificate and said, "I'm happily married and my wife is much more beautiful than you are!" Lilah was shocked. "When did we ever get married? Last I checked, I was still single." With a wicked smile, he said, "Honey, we've been married for five years. Isn't it about time we had another child together?" Lilah's jaw dropped to the floor. What the hell was he talking about?
Life was perfect until she met her boyfriend's big brother. There was a forbidden law in the Night Shade Pack that if the head Alpha rejected his mate, he would be stripped of his position. Sophia's life would get connected with the law. She was an Omega who was dating the head Alpha's younger brother. Bryan Morrison, the head Alpha, was not only a cold-blooded man but also a charming business tycoon. His name was enough to cause other packs to tremble. He was known as a ruthless man. What if, by some twist of destiny, Sophia's path were to intertwine with his?