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The bartender leaned in, slow and steady. “Do you want to be kissed like you’re not famous?” he asked. I swallowed, the sound loud in my own ears. The air crackled. This wasn't about impressing anyone. This was about… an escape. A moment of being just a woman, not a headline. “Yes.” The word was a breath, a surrender. So he did. His mouth didn’t claim mine gently; it crashed. A sudden, consuming heat that tasted of the whiskey on his breath and a spark of something raw, almost desperate, that mirrored my own unspoken need. It wasn’t a celebrity peck or a polite press-tour gesture. It was real. Urgent. His hand came up to cup the back of my neck, fingers tangling in my hair, holding me there as the kiss deepened, devoured. For a few heart-stopping seconds, the rooftop, the city, my name—it all erased. There was only the bruising pressure of his lips, the slide of his tongue, the sheer, unexpected force of being wanted for nothing more than the body I was in. The transition to the hotel room was a blur of unspoken agreement, a shared momentum born of that kiss. One moment we were on a rooftoppulsing with other people's New Year, the next the door of a sleek, cold hotel room was clicking shut behind us, the silence vast and sudden. The cool air of the room was a stark contrast to the heat still radiating from his skin as he turned me to face him. Buttons fumbled, zippers hissed. My dress, too tight and constricting just moments ago, pooled at my feet, a shimmer of discarded expectation. His shirt followed, his skin warmer than I imagined, taut over muscle. His kiss found my shoulder, hot and damp, a brand against the chill of the room. His hands, rougher than I expected, slid down my back, over my hips, then to my thighs, strong and sure, pulling me closer until I could feel the thrum of his pulse against mine. The taste of him was still whiskey and that undeniable human heat, potent and overwhelming. It wasn’t love. God, it wasn’t even close. This was friction and need, a temporary solace found in the anonymous dark. His body moved against mine with a rhythm that was both demanding and a relief, a primal answer to the ache I’d been carrying. I arched into him, hands gripping his shoulders, nails perhaps digging in a little, lost in the pure sensation, the temporary oblivion. It was a collision, a beautiful, messy erasure of the night, the year, the carefully constructed woman I was supposed to be. He moved over me, inside me, a solid, undeniable presence that filled the emptiness, if only for a while. Find Out What Happens Next. You can read FREE in Kindle Unlimited: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FBDBTY2V

"Don't freak out, but he's here," she whispers. "Who's here?" "Reid." That one name has me freezing in shock. I must have heard her wrong because there is no way the universe is cruel enough to keep punishing me by bringing my past right up to me with everything I'm going through. But oh no, it's exactly that, because I hear his unmistakable voice speak up behind me. "Birdie?" How did he get here so fast? I turn on my heel and come face to face with the past I was so happy to leave behind five years ago. He looks so different, but it's unmistakably him. The last half decade must have been good to him because he's hotter, taller, and buffer—oh so much buffer—he's barely fitting into his uniform. His dark brown hair is shorter now, shaved down to a crew cut, and his honey-colored eyes that are boring into mine look so much wiser and older—obviously. "Birdie," he repeats, using his childhood nickname for me. "I heard you the first time," I grunt in annoyance, the nickname triggering a lot of bad memories that are associated with it and him. His eyes widen further in shock. "It really is you." I ignore him and turn to my best friend. "What the heck is he doing here, Nina?" "Calm down, P. I didn't know Jackson had planned this," she pleads, holding the cake helplessly. "Is he the reason why you were giving me weird looks earlier when Jackson told you what firehouse Garet is from?" She nods and bows her head in shame. "Yes." "Why didn't you warn me?" "I didn't know he'd tag along too!" "Since when is he a firefighter?" I whisper, momentarily glancing at him. "He is here, and he does not appreciate you two talking about him as if he's not standing next to you," Reid pipes in, his deep voice irking me to my core. "Then find someplace else to be," I grunt, ignoring him. "Calm down, Phoenix," Jackson requests, joining us. "Do not ask me to calm down. You knew he was coming, and you didn't warn me," I retort. Jackson looks at his wife, helplessly begging for her help. Nina hands him the cake before taking my hand. "Why don't you guys join the kids? We'll be back in a few." She drags me back into the house, and I don't miss the hurt look in Reid's eyes before he disappears from sight. I guess that wasn't the happy reunion he was expecting. A scorching, toe-curling romance packed with sizzling chemistry, and heart-pounding twists—and a bad boy firefighter who’ll do anything for the one woman he never forgot. 🔥 💋Read FREE with Kindle Unlimited: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F931P2NL

È iniziato tutto con un matrimonio di convenienza, ma poi è diventato molto di più. Sono Nick Whitley, l’amministratore delegato del ramo fitness delle Whitley Industries. Sono uno scapolo convinto che non si è mai voluto accasare, ma sono anche un tipo affidabile che cerca sempre di fare la cosa giusta, ove possibile. Quando il mio migliore amico e la moglie vengono a mancare, lasciando soli al mondo due gemelli, faccio tutto il possibile per aiutare la loro zia. Allison è una donna divertente e bellissima, e adoro passare del tempo con lei. Per far sì che il nostro rapporto sia legittimo davanti a un tribunale, dobbiamo vivere nella stessa casa… e condividere un letto. La situazione si complica, ma io ci sono dentro fino al collo. Non trovo difficile navigare queste acque: Allison è praticamente perfetta e i gemelli si stanno ricavando un posticino nel mio cuore. Mi piace leggere loro le favole della buonanotte, mangiare la pizza insieme e guardare lo stesso cartone animato all’infinito. Sarei pronto ad adottarli in un batter d’occhio, se anche loro lo volessero. Ora devo solo convincere Allison che sono l’uomo giusto per lei, perché io sono certo che lei sia la donna perfetta per me. Leggilo gratis su Kindle Unlimited!

“What were you thinking about? Before I walked in?” Her eyes flick to mine. “I was… um. Nothing.” “Nothing?” I kiss her neck again, and her breath catches. Yeah. She likes that. “I think you’re lying.” I kiss the hollow of her throat, and her free hand surges up, slides through my hair. The pressure at my scalp makes me throb. “What do you want me to tell you?” Her voice is sharper now, tinged with heavy breathing. “The truth.” "You,” she whispers. “I was thinking about you.” Continue reading Free in Kindle Unlimited!

A rugged firefighter. A fiery city girl. A wildfire that forces them together... Available in KindleUnlimited

“NOBODY. LOOKS. AT. MY. WOMAN!” I hear Elio screaming. Each of his words is punctuated with blows to the man’s face. Elio’s eyes are darker than a fearsome storm about to devour the earth. He stops for a moment, only to scream louder like an angry bull, “Nobody even breathes in her direction!” Still holding him by his collar, Elio’s nose is now almost touching his, “BECAUSE SHE’S MINE! MIO!” When he lets go of him, the guy’s body goes limp, flattening on the floor. To my shock, Elio still doesn’t let go. He puts his right foot on the guard’s chest, pressing, making him groan and mumble incoherent words. With his foot still in place, he bends down over him and roars into his face, “MINE ONLY!” The guard’s face is barely recognizable and slick with red; his facial features have been punched into misalignment. My breath catches as the realization hits me; I don’t know who this man−Elio Donatelli−is or what he’s capable of. But right now, he’s here, soaked in someone else’s blood, primal fury enveloping him like an animal from the wild. “Stop!” The word tears from my throat as loudly as possible. Elio’s fist freezes mid-air, his head snapping toward me. His eyes find mine, and in that moment, I can see everything. The rabid anger, the possessiveness, the dominance. The only emotion I cannot find is guilt. He doesn’t feel that what he’s just done is not only wrong but inhumane. The man between us writhes on the ground, moaning weakly. Elio’s fists knead, then hang limp at his sides, dripping with blood that pools at his feet. My hands move instinctively to my stomach. It’s as if the reality of this−the marriage, our relationship, whatever it is−just now fully dawned on me. This man standing before me, covered in blood, would forever be bound to the tiny life growing within me. The irony is not lost on me. I have always been a firm advocate for law and justice. But turns out my child’s father is a criminal mastermind, a murderer. But one that would kill for YOU! My heart yells at me. At the realization, I don’t know whether to scream, cry, or run. The air around me feels too thick to breathe. My chest is thudding wildly, especially from fear. He takes a step toward me, and I flinch, taking two steps backwards to keep the distance between us. But he closes the distance between us and…Read FREE in Kindle Unlimited: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DTBWTKKL

I snapped awake, my heart in my throat, put there by the awful pressure rising in my chest. “Leela, look at me.” Araz came into focus, his face etched in moonlight, drawn in lines of concern. “You were dreaming.” I clung to him, pressing my face to his chest, as the turmoil of emotions that the dreaming had churned up rushed through me. He tensed for a moment, and the part of my brain that had sense whispered for me to release him, but another part that still lingered in the land of nod refused to listen, because this, in his arms, was safe. His chest vibrated against me, and he relaxed, folding me in a hug and carefully adjusting me so that I was tucked against his side. “You’re safe now,” he said into the darkness. “Nightmares cannot hurt you. Just breathe and come back to the waking world.” I inhaled him, allowing his scent to soothe me, and eventually the remnants of the battlefield faded, leaving nothing but an echo of disquiet. “Better?” he asked. “If I say yes, will it mean you’ll push me away?” I sniffed and peered up at him. He looked down at me with topaz eyes burning with emotions I couldn’t fathom. I held my breath. He sighed again. “Not tonight, Leela. Tonight, we will share this moment. But tomorrow…I cannot be what you need.” “Tomorrow, you go back to avoiding me.” His grip on me tightened a fraction. “It has to be this way.” “Because you don’t want to be slave to a bond?” “Do you? To not know whether your feelings are real or fabricated by mystical forces? To be forced to remain in a place you do not wish and be bound to someone you have not chosen? Do you wish this?” “No. But it’s all I have. It’s all that’s been given to me since I was taken from my home, and you…” My stupid eyes were wet again. “You’re at the center of it. I’m not as strong as you are. I can’t just stop…feeling.” “You think I do not feel?” He shifted his body so that he was facing me, his face an intense mask of torment. “You think I do not ache to touch. To kiss…” He traced my lips with the tip of his finger, and my stomach flipped hard. “But it will bring nothing but pain.” His face was so close now that one tilt of my chin would allow me to taste his mouth. ”Nothing but pain if we take that path…” My eyes slipped closed as his breath ghosted over my lips. “For the both of us.” Read Now with Kindle Unlimited!

“Don’t turn!” she whispers, and I freeze, wondering what she is talking about. “There is a giant behind you. A behemoth of a Greek god. Jesus, Marie—this is all the motivation you need to get into the kissing booth.” “You are crazy.” I hiccup as I turn around. My sight becomes woozy, but Cindy didn’t lie. Before me is the most gorgeous man I have ever seen. My breath catches in my chest as his intense gaze wanders from across the bar, near the kissing booth, to where I stand, looking like an utter fool. He is breathtaking. His dark hair is full, thick, and stylish atop his head. His shoulders are broad and capable… of things, and his eyes are intense and subtle at the same time. I am lost for words. My mind is reeling with thoughts—is he real? God bless Cindy for winning these raffle tickets to such an exquisite bar—my eyes are being blessed. I am not sure if it is the virginal hormones that swim in my body or the alcohol in my veins that boost my confidence, but I find myself walking towards the booth, past Cindy, whose mouth still hangs open to—him. He is standing by the booth; he must want to kiss. I sashay toward him, unsure of my plan, drawn to those tantalizing lips. His body radiates a warmth I didn’t think I needed until now. His hands up close look capable, muscular, and strong. My subconscious is doing backflips in my mind, giving me a hundred reasons why this is a bad idea. I could even hear Cindy screaming my name. But I am drunk, drunk on his aura and masculinity. His scent—a heady mix of cedar and something darker—pulls me closer. His cologne wafts up my nose, and his breath feels warm against my skin. Looking at him up close makes my knees feel weak and my insides hot. Without thinking, I reach forward, grab him by the collar, and pull his lips to mine. The moment our lips touch, everything goes up in flames. Read what happens next for FREE on Kindle Unlimited https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DSTB9LGQ

“Don’t turn!” she whispers, and I freeze, wondering what she is talking about. “There is a giant behind you. A behemoth of a Greek god. Jesus, Marie—this is all the motivation you need to get into the kissing booth.” “You are crazy.” I hiccup as I turn around. My sight becomes woozy, but Cindy didn’t lie. Before me is the most gorgeous man I have ever seen. My breath catches in my chest as his intense gaze wanders from across the bar, near the kissing booth, to where I stand, looking like an utter fool. He is breathtaking. His dark hair is full, thick, and stylish atop his head. His shoulders are broad and capable… of things, and his eyes are intense and subtle at the same time. I am lost for words. My mind is reeling with thoughts—is he real? God bless Cindy for winning these raffle tickets to such an exquisite bar—my eyes are being blessed. I am not sure if it is the virginal hormones that swim in my body or the alcohol in my veins that boost my confidence, but I find myself walking towards the booth, past Cindy, whose mouth still hangs open to—him. He is standing by the booth; he must want to kiss. I sashay toward him, unsure of my plan, drawn to those tantalizing lips. His body radiates a warmth I didn’t think I needed until now. His hands up close look capable, muscular, and strong. My subconscious is doing backflips in my mind, giving me a hundred reasons why this is a bad idea. I could even hear Cindy screaming my name. But I am drunk, drunk on his aura and masculinity. His scent—a heady mix of cedar and something darker—pulls me closer. His cologne wafts up my nose, and his breath feels warm against my skin. Looking at him up close makes my knees feel weak and my insides hot. Without thinking, I reach forward, grab him by the collar, and pull his lips to mine. The moment our lips touch, everything goes up in flames. Read what happens next for FREE on Kindle Unlimited https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DSTB9LGQ

“You may call me Troy, if you must.” She could focus even less when he pushed away from the cabinet and strode to stand in front of her, so close one of the stray droplets dripping from his wet black hair splattered her nose. His posture didn’t threaten her—he kept his shoulders relaxed, his hands loose at his sides. But the way he ate up her personal space, and the glint of cut emerald in his mossy eyes, said her body wasn’t wrong when a shiver racked her spine. “And what is your name?” he—Troy—asked in turn. “I’m Lily,” she said, too busy telling her feet not to retreat. It seemed important, holding her ground. Like it might set the tone for them going forward. Like his help, or her answers, would be harder to come by if she scrambled away from him to hide in a corner. “Lily Boyd,” she added when he said nothing for a heartbeat too long. Another laugh. More of a chuckle this time, the puff of air felt against her forehead rather than heard. “Such delicious naivete,” he said. “It truly is, is it not? Lily Boyd.” Click Below to Continue Reading for FREE on Kindle Unlimited!

“I wanted to thank you again…for that night…” I began, but he stopped me. “It’s fine, really,” he said evenly. “It was nothing, but you’re welcome.” I went quiet, suddenly nervous. Leonardo’s eyes were throwing me off, How is he so comfortable staring at me like that? “Will you marry me?” The question took us both by surprise. I hadn’t meant to ask it like that, so my eyes widened in panic. Leo choked on his coffee. “Oh, my God! Are you okay?” I reached for him, concerned and embarrassed. I hadn’t meant to blurt it out. He swallowed successfully; then he turned to me, confusion etched all over his face. “What?” Continue Reading on Kindle Unlimited! One-click to start reading!

“Don’t turn!” she whispers, and I freeze, wondering what she is talking about. “There is a giant behind you. A behemoth of a Greek god. Jesus, Marie—this is all the motivation you need to get into the kissing booth.” “You are crazy.” I hiccup as I turn around. My sight becomes woozy, but Cindy didn’t lie. Before me is the most gorgeous man I have ever seen. My breath catches in my chest as his intense gaze wanders from across the bar, near the kissing booth, to where I stand, looking like an utter fool. He is breathtaking. His dark hair is full, thick, and stylish atop his head. His shoulders are broad and capable… of things, and his eyes are intense and subtle at the same time. I am lost for words. My mind is reeling with thoughts—is he real? God bless Cindy for winning these raffle tickets to such an exquisite bar—my eyes are being blessed. I am not sure if it is the virginal hormones that swim in my body or the alcohol in my veins that boost my confidence, but I find myself walking towards the booth, past Cindy, whose mouth still hangs open to—him. He is standing by the booth; he must want to kiss. I sashay toward him, unsure of my plan, drawn to those tantalizing lips. His body radiates a warmth I didn’t think I needed until now. His hands up close look capable, muscular, and strong. My subconscious is doing backflips in my mind, giving me a hundred reasons why this is a bad idea. I could even hear Cindy screaming my name. But I am drunk, drunk on his aura and masculinity. His scent—a heady mix of cedar and something darker—pulls me closer. His cologne wafts up my nose, and his breath feels warm against my skin. Looking at him up close makes my knees feel weak and my insides hot. Without thinking, I reach forward, grab him by the collar, and pull his lips to mine. The moment our lips touch, everything goes up in flames. Read what happens next for FREE on Kindle Unlimited https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DSTB9LGQ

“You may call me Troy, if you must.” She could focus even less when he pushed away from the cabinet and strode to stand in front of her, so close one of the stray droplets dripping from his wet black hair splattered her nose. His posture didn’t threaten her—he kept his shoulders relaxed, his hands loose at his sides. But the way he ate up her personal space, and the glint of cut emerald in his mossy eyes, said her body wasn’t wrong when a shiver racked her spine. “And what is your name?” he—Troy—asked in turn. “I’m Lily,” she said, too busy telling her feet not to retreat. It seemed important, holding her ground. Like it might set the tone for them going forward. Like his help, or her answers, would be harder to come by if she scrambled away from him to hide in a corner. “Lily Boyd,” she added when he said nothing for a heartbeat too long. Another laugh. More of a chuckle this time, the puff of air felt against her forehead rather than heard. “Such delicious naivete,” he said. “It truly is, is it not? Lily Boyd.” Click Below to Continue Reading for FREE on Kindle Unlimited!

He's rich and dangerous She’s sweet and innocent 👑🐦‍⬛ Read FREE in KindleUnlimited ➤ https://amz.cx/3BRw