"And it's just a fake marriage then? Just a sham?" Dammit. I couldn't believe I was actually considering this. "A complete farce. You'd start right away, fake a whirlwind romance and engagement. Have the whole thing done in four, five months tops. But the benefits to Reach would last a lifetime. Think of it as your legacy, Weston." I drummed my fingers on the tabletop. "This is f*****g insane." "You like insane," he said, leaning in close, knowing exactly which words would push my buttons. ***
DIRTY SEXY PLAYER
One
"Nice rock," I said, admiring the diamond ring Donovan placed on the tabletop. I picked it up and examined the stone in the dimly lit lounge of the The Grand Havana Room, the member's-only cigar lounge we often frequented when we were together. The diamond was a big one, in a platinum setting with at least four carats between the large center jewel and the scattering of smaller diamonds surrounding it. A serious engagement ring. I wouldn't expect anything less from one of the world's most successful young billionaires.
I just had no idea Donovan was even dating anyone.
Of course, we weren't as close as we used to be. Physically, anyway. He'd been managing the Tokyo office with Cade since we'd expanded our advertising firm into that market. He rarely made it stateside, and it had been nearly a year since I'd last seen Donovan in person. When he'd shown up tonight unexpectedly asking Nate and me to meet him at the club, we'd guessed he had serious news but that it was about the business.
An engagement ring was a whole new level of serious. No wonder he wanted to do this in person.
"Who's the lucky girl?" I asked, trying not to sound bothered that this was the first I was hearing about her. A glance at Nate said it was the first he was hearing about her too.
"You're asking the wrong question," Donovan said, and bit off the end of his cigar. "The question is who's the lucky guy?"
I raised a brow, confused. But not surprised. Donovan was known to speak in riddles. I'd figure out what he was trying to tell me when he was ready to spill. Might as well play along in the meantime.
"Okay." I pinched the ring between two fingers and lifted it toward the nearest light source so I could see the full effect of its sparkle. "Who's the lucky guy?"
He lit the end of his cigar and puffed a couple of times before taking it out and answering. "You."
"Oh, Donovan. You shouldn't have." I clutched my hand to my chest for dramatic effect. "I don't know that we've ever said it, but I love you too. Still, I don't think I'm ready for this." I handed the ring back to him with a shake of my head.
Nate hid his smirk by taking a large swig of his imported beer.
"Very funny." Donovan carefully placed the ring back in its box. "I'm not proposing to you, Weston. I'm proposing for you."
"You are, are you?" I chuckled at his attempt at a joke. Inside my jacket pocket my phone buzzed with a text. I pulled it out and quickly skimmed the message.
I need to see you.
Normally I'd be all up for a booty call, but my night belonged to the guys. I deleted the message without reading who it was from, silenced my phone, and put it back in my pocket.
I gave my attention back to Donovan, continuing to play along with his hoax. "Just who exactly are you proposing to for me?"
He puffed heavily on his cigar before removing it from his mouth to speak. "Her name is Elizabeth Dyson. She's the sole inheritor of the Dyson empire. She's twenty-five, classy though spirited, well-bred-definitely a suitable bride. Your union is going to take our business to the next level. Once you marry her, Reach, Inc. will be the biggest advertising company in Europe."
All humor drained from my face. He was serious. Donovan never joked about business. But marriage? "You've got to be kidding me."
"Not even a little bit."
I was beginning to regret not looking at the name before I deleted that text. I'd have loved to have a reason to bail right about then.
But it was Donovan's first night back in town; I really couldn't leave him now. Not to mention, I knew him. Once he got an idea in his head, it was nearly impossible to get it out. My best chance was to listen, find the weakness in his scheme, and then propose an alternate strategy.
If that failed, I'd tell him fuck, no, and that would be that.
Hopefully.
Saying fuck, no to Donovan Kincaid was often a bit harder in reality than it seemed in theory.
If I was going to stay, I was at least going to need a stiffer drink. I signaled the waiter. "Can you bring me a shot of Fireball?" Nate nudged me. "Two shots of Fireball?"
Then I turned to Donovan. "You'd better explain this from the beginning."
He took a puff of his cigar. "It's a short explanation. Dell Dyson, founder, CEO, and majority shareholder of Dyson Media-basically France's version of Time Warner-died about eight months ago, leaving his daughter the sole inheritor to the bulk of his fortune. However, the will states she can't get her hands on any of it until she's 29-with one exception."
"Ah, I think I'm getting the picture," Nate said, taking a pull on his beer.
My brows remained wrinkled, my picture still unclear. "Explain it to me then," I said, turning to Nate. "Because I'm not following."
He set his bottle on the table and tilted his head toward me. "Daddy Dell was a traditionalist. The daughter inherits when she puts a ring on it."
"Oh." Understanding settled in. I screwed my face up in disgust. "That's gross."
"Completely terrible and misogynistic," Donovan agreed, not sounding terribly upset at all. "But there's nothing we can do about the unfortunate setup to her situation, and there is something we can do to get her out of it. Something that works out in our favor. So what we need to do is focus on getting Elizabeth married to our man Weston-"
I started to protest, but Donovan rose a hand to silence me. "Temporarily married-a couple of months is all we need for Elizabeth to claim her inheritance of Dyson Media. Once she does, she can push through the merger of Dyson's advertising subsidiary with Reach, and we'll take over as the biggest ad company in the European market."
"Just like that," I said, skeptically.
"Just like that." There was no trace of doubt in Donovan's voice.
"And what makes you think that she'd be interested in this?" I asked. "I mean why would she be interested in giving someone-giving us-part of the company? Not why would she be interested in me." I wasn't worried about women being into me. But I certainly wasn't into discussing it with Donovan.
Of course he had an answer for this as well. "I'm in preliminary talks with her already. And she seemed quite interested in the whole arrangement. I didn't specify who her groom would be but told her I had an eligible bachelor. She's thinking about it further.
Tomorrow afternoon in the office, all four of us will have a meeting to hammer out the details. I've already cleared your schedule."
It was a good thing the shots arrived then. "You mean I have to have this all thought through and decided by tomorrow afternoon?"
"Oh, you'll agree," Donovan said, confidently.
Our lips stayed locked as we grinded and humped, a tight ball of tension growing deep in my belly. Iâd never been so intimate with someone during a first kiss let alone the first night weâd met. Never felt so close to orgasm with all of my clothes still on. Never been on the verge of begging for sex from a near strangerâThe sound of a throat clearing brought me tumbling out of ecstasy. Dylan broke his mouth from mine and peered around me. âYes?â The driver. Oh my God, Iâd forgotten about our driver. **** British ad exec Dylan Locke isn't looking for love. He isn't looking for fate. He's definitely not looking for Audrey Lind. She's pretty, far too young, and overly romantic--in short, exhausting. But when the girl, young enough to be his daughter, literally lands in his lap and asks for his expertise, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't interested. But Audrey isn't looking for love either--she's looking for lessons, and she's certain Dylan knows everything she needs to learn. If he agrees to play the teacher can he keep his heart? Of course he can. Then again, he might be lying.
Are You Sure You Want To Delete This Contact? He hesitated. Maybe he was overreacting. Just because his parents hadnât worked out⊠âChrist, Brad, divorced?â Stu said into the phone. Until now, Stu hadnât said much and his sudden outburst drew Micahâs attention. âI knew that chick was just after your money.â Stu paused. âLook, Iâm real sorry to hear that. Iâll get Pam to spin it to the press however you want me to. Itâs funny, I was just saying to another client that relationships in Hollywood are tough.â Stu gave a knowing wink and Micahâs mind was made up. He looked back at his phone. Are You Sure You Want To Delete This Contact? Micah pushed Yes. And Maddie from the party was erased from his phone. Erased from his life. *** On the night of her graduation from film school, straight-laced Maddie Bauers fell completely out of character for an oh-my-god make-out session with a perfect stranger. Complete with the big O. Seven years later, that romantic interlude is still fresh in her mind. That stranger is now a rich and famous actor. And sheâs one very distracted camera assistant working on his latest production. She might consider another trystâŠif he even remembers her.
Heâll get what he wantsâeven if Iâm already taken. Holt Sebastian is royalty in our world. As CEO of the Sebastian News Corp, heâs the man with all the power. The man who decides if Iâll always just be a local television anchor or if Iâll be the rising star of my own show. I make it my mission to be noticed. Make him see my potential. But soon, it's clear he's the one in charge. His possessiveness is brutal. His eyes own everything they touch. I feel his gaze on me when he's in the room. The heat of them as they rake down my body, taking me in, marking me as his. He doesnât just want me on the screenâhe wants me in his bed. And Holt Sebastian gets what he wants. No one will stop him, no one will get in his way. No one can protect me from his desire. Not even the man who promised nothing would come between us and his ambitionâmy husband.
âHeâs never going to go for you,â a voice came out of the dark in front of me. âNot while youâre a virgin.â I squinted, and when I looked closer, I saw there was another bedroom at the end of the hall with the door wide open, and though I couldnât quite make out the figure, I could see there was someone sitting in an armchair, smoking a cigarette. Or a cigar maybe. I took a step forward. Surely he wasnât talking to me, but there didnât seem to be anyone else around. âExcuse me?â âWeston never goes for virgins. Itâs one of his rules.â Heat rushed up my neck and flooded my cheeks. âUhâŠâ âYouâre offended.â **** When I met Donovan Kincaid, I knew he was rich. I didnât know he was filthy. Truth be told, I was only trying to get his best friend to notice me. I knew poor scholarship girls like me didn't stand a chance against guys like Weston King and Donovan Kincaid, but I was in love with his world, of parties and s*x and power. I knew what I wantedâI knew who I wantedâuntil one night, their world tried to bite me back and Donovan saved me. He saved me, and then Weston finally noticed me, and I finally learned what it was to be in their world. And then what it was like to lose it. Ten years later, Iâve found my way back. Back to their world. Back to him. This time, Iâm ready. I've been down this road before, and I know all the dirty, filthy ways Donovan will try and wreck me. But itâs hard to resist. Especially when I know how much Iâll like it.
I hated how he said my name, like he had all the power because he knew that bit of information about me. Hated it and loved it. I also hated how his eyes drew up my body, long and slow. Sensually touching my every curve, my every angle. Hated and loved it. Hated that I loved it. I sat on the chair that was still behind me, not trusting my legs to keep me steady for much longer. âWhat exactly is this deal you have? And who are you?â âI,â he paused, âam JC.â Iâd never heard of him. âJCâŠ?â âJust JC.â He said it like it answered everything. Two short syllables to put me in my place. âAs in Jesus Christ?â JC chuckled as well, his expression brash and sexy. âIâve been called that. But usually only when my face is pressed between a womanâs thighs.â Ew. Also, hot. ââ The only reward Gwen Anders got from her rough childhood was a thick skin and hard heart. Sheâs content with her daily grind managing a top NYC nightclubâEighty-Eighth Floor. So hers isnât a happily ever after. She doesnât believe in those anyway. Then she meets J.C. The rich, smooth talking playboy is the sexiest thing that Gwen has ever encountered, but sheâs not interested in a night-in-shining latex. But when a family tragedy pushes her to the brink, itâs J.C. whoâs there to teach her a new method of survival, one based on following primal urges and desires. His no-strings-attached lessons require her to abandon her constant need for control. Her carefully built walls are obliterated. Gwen discovers thereâs a beautiful world outside her prison. Freedom is exhilaratingâand terrifying. When she starts to feel something for J.C., she fears for her heart. Especially as she realizes that he has secrets of his own. Secrets that don't want to set him free.
âI donât need your money.â She stuck out her chin. Insistent. âI do fine.â ââFine,â but youâre getting kicked out of your hotel roomââ âFine doesnât mean I can spare the money for an impromptu trip to NYC and a fancy hotel room. Regular people donât have gobs of cash lying around.â The comment about regular people hit me in the gut. Because Iâd always been the regular one, and sheâd never been anything close to âregular.â But I understood what she was saying. She wasnât desperate. She could take care of herself. She just couldnât take care of this, and to make matters worse, the reason sheâd splurged on this was because sheâd put all of her hope in me saying Iâd help her out, and I refused. ___ We were supposed to run away after graduation. When she didnât show at our meeting place, I got brave and went after her. It was a mistake. I left bloodied and bruised. I had no choice but to walk away. Years passed. I traveled, settled halfway around the world, made enough money that I didnât have to look back. But I never got over her. Then, out of the blue, she calls. And, what she asks for, the favor that she wants? I never thought I'd be willing to take a life. But the truth is, and always has been: I'd do anything for her.
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.
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?
"Ms. Crawford, itâs time for you to divorce Mr. Larsen and come home. You're the only heiress the Master's waiting for.â ~âą~ For the sake of love, Amara accepted the arranged marriage with Tobias William Larsen. She did everything to gain her husbandâs heart but when his old love returned, she realized that all her effort was all for naught. Tobias demanded a divorce on the night of their wedding anniversary, even at the price of threatening her. Heartbroken, she finally dropped all her illusions about him and returned home to be the heiress. The next time she met Tobias, they were no longer couples but opponents. "Mr. Larsen, should I remind you again? We've divorced." "Amara, that's the stupidest mistake I've ever made. Please come back to me."
Marrying her best friend was a dream come true for Kelly, but everything truly has a limitation. Pierce is Kellyâs first love, but as his best friend, she knew well there was always another woman deep in his heart. Lexi Gilbert. The woman Pierce could never forget even if he had already been arranged to marry Kelly. *** Kelly finally realized their happy marriage of the last three years was just a beautiful dream when Pierce asked for a divorce just because Lexi returned. She could only be his best friend even if she was carrying his baby. *** Since their friendship had become a cage, Kelly chose to set him free, as well as the miserable herself. But why then, it was Pierce who became the one who refused to move on? To make matters worse, her devil stepbrother also domineeringly stepped in at the same time, asking her to be his. *** Her Prince Charming vs. Her Devil Stepbrother? How could Kelly save her heart in this battle of love and hate?
**This book contains a trigger warning. Mention about rape and torture in this book. Please read with caution** "Our marriage is nothing but a deal," he said looking at the girl, her green eyes met his cold silver eye, and both of them glared at each other. "For any rules you break, I will claim any part of your body," his gaze grew dangerously darker at his word. Ashley Harlow was at the top of the world, living the perfect and luxurious lifestyle as the legitimate daughter of the well-known Daniel Harlow. But sadly, a one-night stand put an end to that and brought her life upside down and that of her family's name to the ground. To restore his family's reputation, she was forced into marrying Damien Albrecht, a young, ruthless, obnoxious, brutal billionaire and the head of a mafia gang in exchange for her father's company.
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. Whatâs 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 couldnât 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 doesnât seem to believe him. He is pleading for a chance: a chance to get to know her; a chance to show her that heâs 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?