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.
ONE
DYLAN
"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!" Weston, my business partner,
exclaimed from the front passenger seat of my service car as we
pulled away from the curb.
Restraining myself from directing the driver-a habit of mine,
surely not useful now when I'd been out of New York City for so long
-I looked behind me out the rear window at the two figures we'd left
behind. Donovan Kincaid, another one of my partners at Reach, Inc.
along with Weston King, was chasing down a girl who worked in the
office-Sabrina Lind.
I had only just met Sabrina this evening. The woman was
pleasant, smart, straightforward. Had a good head on her shoulders.
Weston and I had dined with her and her younger sister and had just
been finishing up when Donovan had come in, all blustering and
noble and knightly.
"Donovan called himself her boyfriend," Weston said
incredulously, recalling the scene we'd just left. "Was I the only one
who heard that? I can't be that drunk."
It had been an out-of-character declaration for the usually tightlipped and brooding Donovan, but I'd seen this side of him before,
many years in the past. The last time he had given a woman his
heart.
If anyone asked me, he was wasting his time with this one.
Sabrina had said several things over dinner that suggested she was
no longer entertained by the circus that surrounded romantic notions.
"I heard it," the young woman sitting next to me answered.
Now this one-Audrey, the younger sister whom I'd volunteered
to see home-a man would have a much easier time trying to woo
her. She'd made that clear over dinner as well.
Too bad she was that kind of girl. The kind of girl who wanted a
man to love her before she lifted her skirt. Otherwise...
I turned my head slightly, imperceptibly, and slid my eyes down
her form, pausing on the sweet curve of her breasts, watching her
chest rise and fall with her breath. My gaze had traveled this journey
several times this evening, but now I was lucky enough to have the
added view of her legs, which had been hidden under the table
before. They were long and toned, a little curve in just the right
place.
"I heard it," she said again, "and it was so romantic."
The swoon in her voice made me chuckle. God, she was young.
Younger than whatever ridiculous young age she actually was. Who
the hell even believed in romance anymore?
"I don't understand," Weston muttered, combing his hand through
his hair. "I'm Donovan's best friend. I knew he was sleeping with her,
but I didn't know he was her boyfriend. I didn't know he was into her.
I was supposed to be into Sabrina. When did this happen? Where
have I been?"
Oh. That was right. Weston King believed in love and
relationships.
He turned his head to look at both of us in the backseat. "I'm
seriously asking here."
I glanced at Audrey. Her expression said that she had been in the
know, but her lips were sealed.
That left me to console my partner. "You've probably been too
distracted with that Dyson pussy you've been banging," I was
definitely still intoxicated. I didn't normally use such crass language
in front of a lady. Especially such a young lady.
"Hey," Weston said, pointing a stern finger in my direction.
"Elizabeth is not just some pussy I've been banging. I'm going to
marry her."
Never mind that their engagement was part of a business ruse.
Despite the fact that it counted for nothing, Weston seemed to have
grown fond of the girl-even as he bemoaned the loss of Sabrina.
It was exhausting.
"You're exhausting," I told him.
"I'm exhausting?" He seemed baffled by the idea that he would
exhaust anyone.
"The entire lot of you. More exhausting than the flight across the
pond. All of you are intelligent creatures normally. I wouldn't have
gotten into business with partners who gave in to the whims and
fancies of human nature. It takes a clear head, your feet on the
ground, your priorities straight, to be as successful as we have been
with our company.
"But now the lot of you have gone and eaten some fruit from the
tree of temptation. Drank the potion number nine. Watched one too
many Netflix Christmas specials, because you've suddenly all
descended into the ridiculous camp of men who fall in love with
women."
"Wait," Weston halted me. "I never said I was in love with
Elizabeth Dyson. I only said I was going to marry her."
"You spent the entire dinner pining after her. Pining, Weston King.
Surely pining is a sign of love." I turned to the audience member that
I knew would be on my side.
"Yes, indeed," Audrey nodded, with a bob of her head that was
somehow both girlish and sexy as hell. "Pining is Love 101. If a girl
came to me and said the guy had told her he was pining after her?
That's like popping the question."
"Exactly like," I said straight-faced. I was being sarcastic, of
course, but the girl did make me want to smile.
Among other things.
I stretched my arm across the back of the seat bench, casually,
making myself comfortable. Not making a move. No, not that.
"I am not in love with Eliza-"
"And on top of your pining..." I said, speaking loudly over
Weston. His denial, which he was surely about to deliver in full, was
infuriating and, frankly, patronizing, and I refused to listen to more
than a second of it. "We have Donovan, who declares a relationship
with a woman on a public street, for crying out loud, in front of his
partners. I thought for sure that man, of all of you, had reason." He
must have forgotten how miserable he'd been the last time he'd
given his heart, albeit ten years ago.
Soon enough, he'd remember.
"And then we have Nate," I continued. A man of varied sexual
pleasures and interests, Nathan Sinclair had been another fly I'd
never expected to drop. "When I'd had drinks with the man last night,
he was talking about one particular woman like she hung the moon.
Soon it will just be me and Cade."
I leaned closer toward Audrey, since she probably didn't know
anything about our fifth partner who headed the Tokyo office. "No
one will ever love Cade, even if he goes pansy on us. That's a man
that even a mother wouldn't love. He's one of my best friends. I
ought to know."
Weston harrumphed from the front seat, completely indignant,
but I noted a hint of optimism, as though he hoped I were right about
his future, and that he'd be leaving the bachelor life for good.
He really had gone bananas over that Dyson girl. Poor sucker.
I stole another glance at Audrey, curious at how badly I'd
offended her with my speech, love-cheerleader that she was.
But when I turned in her direction, I hadn't expected that she'd
already be staring at me.
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.
How (not) to get over your crush: compare him to every man on your dating app... Chloe is on the wrong side of her quarter-life crisis. Dead-end job, lease ending, and single af. It’s made all the harder by knowing exactly who the perfect man for her is: her super hot, incredibly kind, and extremely taken friend Austin. What’s a girl to do but drown her troubles in pinot and let her bestie open her an account on a dating app? If there are other perfect men out there, she’s determined to find them. Her ensuing series of boyfriends spark several revelations for Chloe: Never date a man with step-mommy issues. Always ask about criminal records on the first date. Swimsuits were never intended to be made from leather. Maybe perfection is as overrated as her new app.
"Mr. Evans, please maintain some dignity. Don't forget I'm your brother's wife!" Having caught her husband and best friend together in the bed, Elena wanted nothing more than to exact revenge on the people she once called family. She refused to be a pitiful divorcee and vowed to make everyone who had once looked down on her beg for forgiveness. And to start with her newfound freedom, Elena indulges in a one-night stand with a stranger. However, what was meant to be a fleeting escape turns into a nightmare when she learns that the stranger is none other than her husband's older brother! Would Elena be free from the shackles of her marriage? Or would the mysterious stranger make her life a living hell since he seemed to have a personal vendetta against his family? [The story is 18+ and involves mature content.]
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."
As a simple assistant, messaging the CEO in the dead of night to request shares of adult films was a bold move. Bethany, unsurprisingly, didn't receive any films. However, the CEO responded that, while he had no films to share, he could offer a live demonstration. After a night filled with passion, Bethany was certain she'd lose her job. But instead, her boss proposed, "Marry me. Please consider it." "Mr. Bates, you're kidding me, right?"
Joelle thought she could change Adrian's heart after three years of marriage, but she realized too late that it already belonged to another woman. "Give me a baby, and I'll set you free." The day Joelle went into labor, Adrian was traveling with his mistress on his private jet. "I don't care whom you love. My debt is paid. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other." Not long after Joelle left, Adrian found himself begging on his knees. "Please come back to me."
Rachel used to think that her devotion would win Brian over one day, but she was proven wrong when his true love returned. Rachel had endured it all—from standing alone at the altar to dragging herself to the hospital for an emergency treatment. Everyone thought she was crazy to give up so much of herself for someone who didn’t return her feelings. But when Brian received news of Rachel’s terminal illness and realized she didn’t have long to live, he completely broke down. "I forbid you to die!" Rachel just smiled. She no longer needed him. "I will finally be free."
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!"