The Sebastians own this city. Hell, they own the whole world. All I want is one little piece of it, a corner that I can call my own. So when my boss runs away to "find herself", I seize the opportunity and dive head first into the Sebastian's glamorous universe. It's everything I've ever wanted - fast paced and high stakes - and, even though I don't fit in, I'm excellent at faking it.
Man onTop
I was holding my phone up, looking for a signal when I heard it. A soft mewling. The kind of sound a kitten makes when it's in trouble.
Perking my ears, I scanned my surroundings. Behind me, four metal silo-shaped structures huddled together. Below me, the crowded rooftop bar pulsed with high energy. In front of me, the Empire State glowed prominently in rainbow colors (in honor of the LGBTQ rally happening that weekend), but the abundance of flashing club lights from the venue made the famous tourist site pale in comparison. It was loud too, which was part of the reason I'd snuck up the steel staircase to the building's highest level, wanting to make a phone call. The other reason being that I had yet to get more than one bar to show on my screen.
The mewling, I determined, had to be coming from the silos, whatever they were. I imagined they housed mechanical items for the building-electrical, air conditioning, whatnot. Some top-notch architect had for some reason decided that bronzed cylindrical towers with tops that looked like Asian rice hats was the best way to pretty up the industrial equipment. Seriously, trendy New York City design style was beyond my grasp. They were weird, as far as I was concerned.
And they were also on the top of a building with sixty stories, so the likelihood that I'd heard a lost cat was relatively slim.
The sound had stopped, anyway. It had probably been just a squeak of a generator, or I'd imagined it. I went back to my phone. Two bars now when I faced this direction. I climbed the remaining three steps to the official top level. Three bars! That would work.
Except, now I heard the cat again.
Twice more. It definitely wasn't mechanical. I lowered my phone and crept cautiously around one of the silos. If it wasn't a cat-which it couldn't be this high up, right?-then what was it? Did rats make those noises?
I cringed at the possibility. There was honestly no reason to look for the source.
But what if it was a cat? Maybe the hipster bar kept one up here to take care of the mice. It wasn't the most ridiculous idea, and my curiosity was piqued, so against my better instincts, I continued around the curve of the second silo.
Then I froze.
It wasn't an animal making those noises-it was a woman. She was about fifteen feet away, her back pressed against the brick wall that framed a smokestack on the other side of the silos. Her eyes were closed, her cocktail dress gathered up around her waist, and the sounds she was making were whimpers of pleasure, not distress. Probably due to the man standing in front of her. More specifically, his hand working between her legs.
And, wow, he was really working it if the expression on her face was any indication.
Quickly and quietly, I scuttled back around the silo and let out a slow breath. I didn't know if I should laugh or...well. What other reaction should I have? Certainly the instantaneous buzz of arousal between my thighs wasn't appropriate.
So laugh it was. A silent laugh, so as not to disturb the "lovers."
When the impulse at humor had passed, though, the buzz was still there. It had been way too long since I'd gotten laid. My last real relationship had ended the previous summer, then there'd been that one rebound hookup over the Halloween weekend, and since it was currently early September... Oh my God, it had almost been a year. No wonder I was so intrigued by the rando couple getting it on in a dark corner of a rooftop shindig.
The vicarious stimulation was too alluring. Softly, I tiptoed back around the silo, my body pressed against the edifice so I could just...peek.
Whoa. The sight was just as sultry the second time as it had been the first. More so now, when the woman's hips bucked up against his hand. It was downright filthy, the way he held her arms over her head, the way they didn't kiss, the only points of contact between them at her wrists and the place between her legs.
The next time she moaned, I almost moaned with her.
I made a note to self-apparently you think voyeurism is hella hot.
So hot that I'd forgotten all about why I'd come up here in the first place. So hot that my own pussy throbbed. So hot that I didn't think to slip back into hiding when she let out a final gasp and shuddered out her orgasm.
It was obviously when I should have left. Okay, I should have left earlier, but since I hadn't, this was the time. Yet, I stayed, entranced by the nonchalant attitude of her man as he pulled a hankie from inside his tux jacket and wiped off his hand before tucking it back into his pocket. Didn't even offer it to her.
It was evident the woman noticed. She scowled as she adjusted her dress, but her smile quickly returned. Throwing her brown tresses over her shoulder-dark but not as dark as mine-she sidled up to him, her hand lowering toward his crotch.
"Come on, Eden. You're finished." While I couldn't make out everything from my vantage point, I could clearly see him move her hand off of him.
"But you're not," she purred.
He stared at her for several seconds. I wished he was facing me so I could see his expression. It was so hard to spy on people who weren't cooperative.
"I'm not interested," he said finally. A dismissal, clear as day. I could tell that without having to see his face. "Only reason I got you off was so that you'd leave me alone."
Ouch.
This guy was a real asshole.
Or was he? He had given her what seemed to be an extremely proficient orgasm before blowing her off. Of course, I couldn't know enough to make the judgment from what I'd seen. But it was hard not to imagine details of the scenario as I stood by figuratively eating popcorn, and in my imagination, the guy was both fantastic at the sex and at the assholing.
The traits seemed to come in pairs from my experience.
Eden harrumphed, but she seemed to know when she was defeated. "Your loss. You know I treat you good."
"Yes, I do know. That's the problem."
Oh, yes, definitely a prick. The kind of guy who needed strange. The kind of guy who only messed with a girl once and moved on. Considering that the entire bar had been rented for an elite event, the one roaring on below us, I had this guy totally pegged. Rich. Entitled. Playboy. Eden would do best to walk away.
Her smile fell away, and she straightened her spine, her eyes throwing daggers. "You're an asshole."
My word exactly, Eden.
Playboy shrugged. "I warned you."
"You warned me knowing that by doing so you would come off as exactly the opposite. You know what? You deserve your misery."
Our lips stayed locked as we grinded and humped, a tight ball of tension growing deep in my belly. I’d never been so intimate with someone during a first kiss let alone the first night we’d 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 stranger—The sound of a throat clearing brought me tumbling out of ecstasy. Dylan broke his mouth from mine and peered around me. “Yes?” The driver. Oh my God, I’d 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 hadn’t worked out… “Christ, Brad, divorced?” Stu said into the phone. Until now, Stu hadn’t said much and his sudden outburst drew Micah’s attention. “I knew that chick was just after your money.” Stu paused. “Look, I’m real sorry to hear that. I’ll get Pam to spin it to the press however you want me to. It’s funny, I was just saying to another client that relationships in Hollywood are tough.” Stu gave a knowing wink and Micah’s 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 she’s one very distracted camera assistant working on his latest production. She might consider another tryst…if he even remembers her.
He’ll get what he wants—even if I’m already taken. Holt Sebastian is royalty in our world. As CEO of the Sebastian News Corp, he’s the man with all the power. The man who decides if I’ll always just be a local television anchor or if I’ll 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 doesn’t just want me on the screen—he 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 ambition—my husband.
“He’s never going to go for you,” a voice came out of the dark in front of me. “Not while you’re a virgin.” 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 couldn’t 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 wasn’t talking to me, but there didn’t seem to be anyone else around. “Excuse me?” “Weston never goes for virgins. It’s one of his rules.” Heat rushed up my neck and flooded my cheeks. “Uh…” “You’re offended.” **** When I met Donovan Kincaid, I knew he was rich. I didn’t 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 wanted—I knew who I wanted—until 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, I’ve found my way back. Back to their world. Back to him. This time, I’m ready. I've been down this road before, and I know all the dirty, filthy ways Donovan will try and wreck me. But it’s hard to resist. Especially when I know how much I’ll 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. “What exactly is this deal you have? And who are you?” “I,” he paused, “am JC.” I’d never heard of him. “JC…?” “Just JC.” He said it like it answered everything. Two short syllables to put me in my place. “As in Jesus Christ?” JC chuckled as well, his expression brash and sexy. “I’ve been called that. But usually only when my face is pressed between a woman’s thighs.” Ew. Also, hot. —— The only reward Gwen Anders got from her rough childhood was a thick skin and hard heart. She’s content with her daily grind managing a top NYC nightclub—Eighty-Eighth Floor. So hers isn’t a happily ever after. She doesn’t believe in those anyway. Then she meets J.C. The rich, smooth talking playboy is the sexiest thing that Gwen has ever encountered, but she’s not interested in a night-in-shining latex. But when a family tragedy pushes her to the brink, it’s J.C. who’s 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 there’s a beautiful world outside her prison. Freedom is exhilarating—and 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.
“I don’t need your money.” She stuck out her chin. Insistent. “I do fine.” “‘Fine,’ but you’re getting kicked out of your hotel room—” “Fine doesn’t mean I can spare the money for an impromptu trip to NYC and a fancy hotel room. Regular people don’t have gobs of cash lying around.” The comment about regular people hit me in the gut. Because I’d always been the regular one, and she’d never been anything close to “regular.” But I understood what she was saying. She wasn’t desperate. She could take care of herself. She just couldn’t take care of this, and to make matters worse, the reason she’d splurged on this was because she’d put all of her hope in me saying I’d help her out, and I refused. ___ We were supposed to run away after graduation. When she didn’t 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 didn’t 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 two years of marriage, Sadie was finally pregnant. Filled with hope and joy, she was blindsided when Noah asked for a divorce. During a failed attempt on her life, Sadie found herself lying in a pool of blood, desperately calling Noah to ask him to save her and the baby. But her calls went unanswered. Shattered by his betrayal, she left the country. Time passed, and Sadie was about to be wed for a second time. Noah appeared in a frenzy and fell to his knees. "How dare you marry someone else after bearing my child?"
Linsey was stood up by her groom to run off with another woman. Furious, she grabbed a random stranger and declared, "Let's get married!" She had acted on impulse, realizing too late that her new husband was the notorious rascal, Collin. The public laughed at her, and even her runaway ex offered to reconcile. But Linsey scoffed at him. "My husband and I are very much in love!" Everyone thought she was delusional. Then Collin was revealed to be the richest man in the world. In front of everyone, he got down on one knee and held up a stunning diamond ring. "I look forward to our forever, honey."
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!"
I'm a Luna. After three years of marriage to Alpha Nathaniel Blackwood, I'm finally pregnant with his pup. But he's unclaimed me for his first love. I'm leaving the pack with this secret, praying he never finds out. Nathaniel Blackwood is a handsome, powerful Alpha. In a world where humans and werewolves coexist, he has it all: a billion-dollar empire, untold power, a massive pack, and, most importantly, the perfect Luna. But the return of his first love shattered our marriage. When he finds out the secret I've been hiding, will he regret rejecting me? Will I ever be able to forgive him? Dive into this gripping serialized novel to find out more-Enjoy the ride!
"I've warned you from the beginning. Don't marry him, but you won't listen." She stood close to me and smiled with concern. "You are not a woman worthy of a man as handsome, rich, smart, and virile as Blaze." My whole body trembled at her words. "Have you no shame?" I asked in a quivering voice. "Take a good look at yourself, Heather." She looked at me in the mirror. "You can't even look at your ugly face. Do you think Blaze can endure a lifetime of looking at that face?" Heather Bailey had a surprise from her husband that night: a divorce agreement. After a year of marriage and facing ups and downs, she couldn't believe Blaze intended to divorce her. But she was devastated when she saw him gazing lovingly at another woman because that person was closest to her. Shortly after she put her signature on their divorce papers, shock waves caught her up. Her flower shop was severely burnt, beyond repair. Her father's company collapsed, and her parents blamed her. She struggled to rebuild her life from the ground up and became more successful than ever. Having many customers who came from influential families, she started her action against Blaze. She won the very thing he wanted. But that was just the beginning.
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.