/0/66019/coverbig.jpg?v=f79d225c974aad2288107306d9f5a545)
lurb: Originally a naive young woman with great aspirations, Evelyn Harlow rebuilt herself into someone unrecognizable-a woman resolved never to trust once a betrayal destroyed her world. Her life veers off course when she is obliged to work under the formidable and brooding billionaire Damon Hawke. Years of both personal and professional betrayal have hardened Damon, who is merciless in business and cynical in love. Still, Evelyn has a fire that pulls him in against will. Evelyn's secrets go beyond what anyone could possibly dream. She is the lady who once loved the man she feared would ruin her-not only his assistant but also her lover-before he destroyed her heart. Now, the lines separating love from vengeance blur as she has the opportunity for retribution on the guy who destroyed her family. Until he sees her once more, Damon never knew how much he had lost; yet, as he works to recover her heart, he must face the ghosts of his past-dark enemies and an irresistible attraction that might cost everything. Will Evelyn's need for retribution destroy them both, or will the shattered man she once loved find a means to make her see that their love was never really lost?
Evelyn
Like the echoes of my broken heart still embedded deep within me, I recall the night Damon Hawke destroyed me as it seemed yesterday. That was the night I discovered his true nature and learned about his actual capabilities. Still, I have spent the years since persuading myself; it makes no difference. Yet it does.
Once upon a time, though, I loved him more than anything. He was all I could have wanted-a man with ambition, might, and a passionate passion capable of igniting a woman. He was everything I could have possibly needed.
He then betrayed me as well.
At first, it was minor-small lies, petty deceptions-until it all came down. He stole the wealth of my family, wrecked everything I had ever worked for, and left without even a cursory glance in my direction. I was simply yet another victim of his merciless quest for supremacy and riches.
But I'm back now, after years of brokenness and at last rebuilding myself from the ashes.
Returning to the scene from whence it began. The spot I promised him to pay for what he did to me. And I would do everything to cause him the suffering he put me through. Even if it means sliding back into his arms.
Though it means loving him once more.
Before the glass doors stands me, the striking Hawke Enterprises emblem shining in the sunlight. From the girl I once was-innocent, hopeful, trusting-the reflection peering back at me is alien. No, the woman staring at me now is scared, tough, and a survivor. Too much effort has gone toward being anything else.
The doors open automatically, and with every stride, my heels click across the marble floor, resonating across the building's magnificent foyer. Though I rarely notice, the glass walls give a clear view of the vast city. Already, my thoughts are on him-the man who destroyed my life-the one whose every breath reminds me of my downfall.
I am here primarily for one thing-revenge.
That will be more difficult than I had anticipated, though. I sense the weight of the past slamming down as soon as I enter the elevator. The familiar smell of his office-leather, expensive cologne, and power-fills my senses, quickens my pulse, and twists my stomach. I am not breathing.
I close my eyes, straighten myself, and will my hands stop shaking. I know the right thing to do. Not this time; I cannot allow my feelings to dictate to me. I'm in command this time.
The elevator doors slide open, and as I step out, my breath freezes in my throat.
Then I started to see him.
Damian Hawke.
Sitting behind a large desk, he is a flawless silhouette in a custom suit. For a moment, my body betrays me-his broad shoulders and dark, penetrating eyes precisely as I recall them. My pulse beats and my heart pauses as a tsunami of memories floods my brain. I drove them all away, though. I'm not here to once more get lost in him. Here I am to demolish him.
Unspoken anxiety buzzes in the air between us. His vision narrows, and for the first time in years I see the familiar flutter of recognition-the knowledge he recognizes me. And in spite of this, I get a tiny surge of something I despise myself for-desire.
"Evelyn," he says, his voice low and commanding, exactly as I recall. "I expected nothing from you."
I try to hide the bitter edge of my voice and say, "No one ever does." But right now I am here.
His eyes darted over me to evaluate. Though it still burns between us, the years of wrath, treachery, and pain that have molded us both smother the flames. I will keep myself from letting him see the way my heart is betraying me. I will myself hold his stare.
He moves toward the chair in front of his desk, "Have a seat." "What can I do for Evelyn?"
I inhale deeply and settle, not looking back. "I want a job," I say straightforwardly. "Here. at Hawke Enterprises.
Clearly startled, he arches an eyebrow. You really are serious?
"I'm quite serious."
His lips open to a knowing smile, as if he already solved me. And why would you want to work for me with all that transpired between us?
I give him a tight-lipped smile and slant forward slightly, the heat growing between us. "You and I both know others have suffered as well, not just you. But I have progressed. For past wounds, I am not here. Here I am to pick what is mine.
Leaning back in his chair, he studies me with an unreadable look. And just what precisely is that, Evelyn?
"I want you to regret everything you did to me," I say, my voice steely, slicing across the air like a sword.
His confident façade breaks the first time. Behind his eyes, I can glimpse something-probably guilt. He looks at me for a long time; the tension between us is practically intolerable, then he says.
"You believe that working here would damage me?" His voice low, almost a whisper, he asks. "You think you could cause me to experience what you experienced when I destroyed you?"
I hesitate at all." I do not only believe this. I am aware of that.
I found my spot in Hawke Enterprises not long after. I give my work the zeal I have never experienced before. Still, the spreadsheets, the meetings, the deals-none of which keep me awake at night. That's him.
Damon permeates everything-his voice, his touch, his presence. Every time I hear his footsteps or feel his eyes fixed on me, I am reminded of the suffering he brought about. Not enough, though, to break me. I have lived after breaking once. I won't go on a trip this time.
But the more I stay, the more I see that getting even is more complicated than I had assumed. Not the same man I used to know Damon is. He's more dangerous and colder. Every time I look into his eyes, he still shows the same fire burning between us. He observes me with an intensity that causes my pulse to rush.
And even if I detest it, it attracts me toward him.
Still, I cannot let myself overlook what he did to me. I refuse to let myself once more fall for him.
Damon and I have an obvious conflict. Every conference and every conversation is a struggle of wills. Then it happened-one night, just following a demanding day of meetings, he drew me into his office, his face strained with annoyance.
His voice was gravel. "I know what you're doing, Evelyn." "You pretend you don't care or that you don't want me, so you may destroy me. You are wrong, though.
I try to distance myself, but his hand closes around my wrist and stops me. "Let go of me, Damon."
"No," he says, snarling. "You wanted retribution, but you're really asking for something else."
Heat permeates the air between us, and despite all the warnings in my thoughts, I find myself approaching him. As his grasp releases, my pulse thunders in my ears, and his hand travels down to my waist, dragging me in. His lips hang perilously near me.
He breathes and says, "I never stopped wanting you, Evelyn. And you haven't either, either.
Before I could say anything, he closed the distance between us and kissed me. I open my mouth to object, to drive him away.
And the earth pauses.
The door opens, and a loud voice interrupts us as the kiss deepens.
"You consider me to not know?" From the doorway, the voice of a lady sings.
I stopped the cold. She then comes into view.
The ex-wife of Damon.
Darya spent three years loving Micah, worshipping the ground he walked on. Until his neglect and his family's abuse finally woke her up to the ugly truth-he doesn't love her. Never did, never will. To her, he is a hero, her knight in shining armour. To him, she is an opportunist, a gold digger who schemed her way into his life. Darya accepts the harsh reality, gathers the shattered pieces of her dignity, divorces him, takes back her real name, reclaims her title as the country's youngest billionaire heiress. Their paths cross again at a party. Micah watches his ex-wife sing like an angel, tear up the dance floor, then thwart a lecher with a roundhouse kick. He realises, belatedly, that she's exactly the kind of woman he'd want to marry, if only he had taken the trouble to get to know her. Micah acts promptly to win her back, but discovers she's now surrounded by eligible bachelors: high-powered CEO, genius biochemist, award-winning singer, reformed playboy. Worse, she makes it pretty clear that she's done with him. Micah gears up for an uphill battle. He must prove to her he's still worthy of her love before she falls for someone else. And time is running out.
Elena, once a pampered heiress, suddenly lost everything when the real daughter framed her, her fiancé ridiculed her, and her adoptive parents threw her out. They all wanted to see her fall. But Elena unveiled her true identity: the heiress of a massive fortune, famed hacker, top jewelry designer, secret author, and gifted doctor. Horrified by her glorious comeback, her adoptive parents demanded half her newfound wealth. Elena exposed their cruelty and refused. Her ex pleaded for a second chance, but she scoffed, “Do you think you deserve it?” Then a powerful magnate gently proposed, “Marry me?”
"You're a creepy bastard." His eyes smolder me and his answering grin is nothing short of beautiful. Deadly. "Yet you hunger for me. Tell me, this appetite of yours, does it always tend toward 'creepy bastards'?" **** Widower and ex-boss to the Mafia, Zefiro Della Rocca, has an unhealthy fixation on the woman nextdoor. It began as a coincidence, growing into mere curiosity, and soon, it was an itch he couldn't ignore, like a quick fix of crack for an addict. He didn't know her name, but he knew every inch of her skin, how it flushed when she climaxed, her favourite novel and that every night she contemplated suicide. He didn't want to care, despising his rapt fascination of the woman. She was in love with her abusive husband. She was married, bound by a contract to the Bratva's hitman. She was off-limits. But when Zefiro wanted something, it was with an intensity that bordered on madness. He obsessed, possessed, owned. There'd be bloodshed if he touched her, but the sight of blood always did fascinate him. * When Susanna flees from her husband, she stumbles right into the arms of her devilishly handsome neighbour with a brooding glare. He couldn't stand her, but she needed him, if she was ever going to escape her husband who now wanted her dead. Better the devil you know than the angel you don't. She should have recalled that before hopping into Zefiro's car and letting him whisk her away to Italy. Maybe then, she wouldn't have started an affair with him. He was the only man who touched her right, and the crazy man took no small pains in ensuring he would be the last.
Rumors claimed that Fernanda, newly back with her family, was nothing more than a violent country bumpkin. Fernanda just flashed a casual, dismissive grin in response. Another rumor suggested that the usually rational Cristian had lost all sense, madly in love with Fernanda. This frustrated her. She could tolerate gossip about herself, but slander against her beloved crossed the line! Gradually, as Fernanda's multiple identities as a celebrated designer, a savvy gamer, an acclaimed painter, and a successful business magnate came to light, everyone realized they were the ones who had been fooled.
Lucia Balstone thought she had chosen the right man to spend the rest of her life with, but he was the one who ended her life. Their ten-year marriage seemed like a joke when her husband stabbed her with a dagger. Fortunately, God is never blind to people's tears. Lucia got a second chance. She was reborn at the age of 22, before all the terrible things had happened. This time, she was determined to avenge herself and let those who hurt her pay! She made an elaborate list of her goals, and the first thing on her list was to marry her ex-husband's enemy, Alonso Callen!
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. What’s 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 couldn’t 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 doesn’t seem to believe him. He is pleading for a chance: a chance to get to know her; a chance to show her that he’s 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?