Novels by HO PE

ENID'S POVI hauled him up by the shoulders like he weighed nothing, his body crashing into mine. His lips were swollen, slick with spit and pre-cum, eyes glassy and wild. I didn’t give him time to breathe—I crushed my mouth to his, tasting myself on his tongue, bitter and filthy and so fucking perfect. He moaned into the kiss, loud and broken, the sound vibrating straight down my spine.“Fuck, you taste like me,” I growled against his lips, biting down on his bottom one hard enough to make him whimper. “You love that, don’t you? Sucking your soon-to-be husband like a desperate little slut.”He shuddered, his hands clawing at my shirt, trying to rip it open. “Enid—please—”“Look at you,” I rasped, wrapping my hand around him roughly. He bucked into my grip with a choked cry. “So fucking hard just from choking on my dick. Pathetic. Beautiful.”I stroked him once, twice—slow, punishing—then let go. He whined, hips chasing my hand.“No—no, please, touch me—”“Beg prettier,” I ordered, c

ENID'S POV Within a heartbeat, his hands were at my belt. They fumbled for a second, a brief, human moment of haste, before the practiced motion took over. He undid the clasp and the buckle with a swift, confident pull, the leather sliding free with a soft hiss. He was a pro at this, his movements efficient and sure even in the dim light. He pushed my trousers and boxers down just enough, and my cock sprang free, already hard and aching. The cool air of the room kissed my skin for a fleeting second before his mouth replaced it. Fuck. His mouth was warm, impossibly so, a wet, velvet heat that enveloped me completely. A low groan tore from my throat, raw and unbidden. He took me in deep, his head bobbing slowly at first, a torturous, perfect rhythm. I could feel the flat of his tongue pressing against the sensitive underside, the gentle suction that made my hips twitch forward of their own accord. My hands, which had been clenched at my sides, flew to his hair. My fingers tangled i

ENID'S POVThe fear flashing in his eyes was everything I’d been craving for months. His lips parted, trembling, as he struggled to find words that refused to come. I let the silence stretch just long enough to make him squirm, savoring every second of it.I had planned this moment down to the last detail, and now I was going to drag it out until he gave me exactly what I wanted.“W… what do you mean by taking my shares in Kane Global?” His voice cracked, lips still shivering.I gave him a slow, knowing smile, leaning back against the edge of the desk with deliberate calm. “Yes, Alex. I’m going to do exactly that.”The pain that flooded his expression was almost beautiful. He stood up abruptly, chair scraping behind him, hands shaking at his sides. “That’s not possible. You can’t just… just do that. I’m… the law doesn’t…”“This is the UK,” I cut in smoothly, voice firm and unhurried. “And I’m sure you know exactly how the law works here—especially when it comes to a marriage of conven

ALEXANDER'S POV My heart beats really fast, begging to burst out of my ribcage. I stood frozen before the door marked 55, the key card in my palm already slick and cold with sweat.The receptionist had handed it to me without a word, a knowing, professional smile barely touching her lips. He’d arranged it all. This hotel was different from the last, but the opulence was the same—plush carpets, hushed hallways, a scent of clean linen and money. It was the closest to the city center, confirming he’d traveled, just as Cynthia said. But standing here now, I didn’t know if he was waiting behind the door or still somewhere in the world, pulling my strings from a distance.I swallowed hard, the sound loud in the quiet. "Summon courage, and Just open it." I swiped the card. A soft green light, a hushed click. I pushed the handle and stepped inside.The suite was spacious, immaculate, and eerily quiet. Sunlight streamed through windows, illuminating tasteful, modern furniture. My eyes scann

ALEXANDER'S POV The next morning, I was already awake. But instead of the usual morning haze, my mind was a sharp, buzzing hive of activity. I'd been up for hours, buried in research. The plan—my plan—to start my own company needed a foundation, and I was determined to build it. I’d read through pages of market analyses, financial projections, and legal frameworks until my eyes ached. The soft, relentless tapping of my keyboard and the rustle of printed articles were the only sounds in the pre-dawn quiet, a private symphony of ambition.I was stretching, rolling the stiffness from my shoulders and cracking the tension in my neck, when the door to my room opened without a knock.Raymond stood there, silhouetted in the doorway. My heart gave a single, hard thud. I snapped the laptop shut and sat up straight, the movement too quick. “Hey. Good morning.”He sighed, leaning against the doorframe as he yawned, his white t-shirt stretching over the familiar, muscular planes of his chest.

ALEXANDER'S POV I watched my phone ring repeatedly in my hands. It had been buzzing nonstop for what felt like forever, but I still couldn't bring myself to pick it up. Each vibration sent a small jolt through my palm, a reminder of the world I was trying to escape, even if just for a little while longer.It was Raymond calling, and I knew he was already worried sick about where I'd disappeared to since this morning. The concern in his voice messages earlier had been clear—short, urgent pleas to call back. But right now, I couldn't face him. Not with everything swirling in my head.I glanced at my watch, the dim glow of the screen cutting through the night. 10:00 PM. Time had slipped away from me, just like everything else lately.After leaving Enid's office this morning, a strange mix of relief and sharpness had settled over me. It was like a cool blade pressing against my skin—uncomfortable but impossible to ignore. Something deep inside kept nagging at me to really think about wh

ETHAN’S POVI slipped into the lecture hall twenty minutes early, picked my usual spot, very last row in the tightest corner, and tried to disappear. My hands were still shaking from the morning, from the stranger’s gray eyes that looked too much like Kai’s, from the way my heart kept ricocheting between hope and dread. I pulled my books out slowly, lining them up like armor, my hoodie pulled low over my face.Students started pouring in, laughing, gossiping, alive in a way I hadn’t felt in days. I kept my gaze on my desk, tracing the carved initials of people who didn’t have to wonder if the man they loved was a killer.Then the door opened again, and I felt him before I saw him.That same tall frame from the quad filled the doorway, scanning the room with lazy confidence. His eyes landed on me instantly. A slow smile curved his mouth, friendly, warm, and completely disarming.My stomach flipped, instantly.He started walking straight toward me.No, No no no.I dropped my gaze to m

ETHAN’S POV I woke up tasting salt and regret.The morning light slicing through the blinds felt like punishment. My eyes were swollen, crusty from crying all night, and I was still wearing Kai’s clothes: his oversized black T-shirt and the gray sweat-shorts that uses to smell like safety and now just smelled like goodbye.I hadn’t taken them off. I’d stumbled through the front door last night, ignored my dad’s startled “Ethan?” and locked myself in my room. Then I’d curled into a ball on the bed and cried until my throat was raw and my pillow was soaked. I kept checking my phone every thirty seconds, waiting for something, anything: a text, a call, a single word that said come back. But there was nothing. The screen stayed cruelly blank.He hadn’t followed me. He’d stood in that garage and watched me walk away without moving a muscle. Maybe he’d been relieved. Maybe the second I accused him of being a coward, maybe when I had looked him in the eye and used a cursed words.I dr

ETHAN’S POV I was sitting cross-legged on the edge of the bed when he stepped out of the bathroom, towel slung low on his hips, another one rubbing roughly through his wet hair. Water still traced the lines of his chest, sliding over the ridges of muscle and the stark white bandage that covered his side. He looked unfairly beautiful, dangerous in that quiet way that used to make my knees weak, but now, it just made my stomach knot. “You good?” he asked, voice soft, careful. I swallowed. “I’m fine. Just… waiting for you.” He gave me a small, crooked smile and reached for a black T-shirt from the dresser. The movement was quick, practiced, but I still caught a flash of the scar beneath the bandage before the fabric covered it. But I never saw a scar on his chest. My breath hitched, and he noticed. Of course he noticed. “Come here,” he murmured, opening his arms. I went without thinking. I always did. He lifted me easily, hands sliding under my thighs, settling me against his

ETHAN’S POV The walk to the park had been torture.We moved side by side, but it felt like there was a canyon between us. Kai kept his hands clasped behind his back, pace slow and measured, matching my shorter strides without seeming to try. I kept stealing glances at him: the sharp line of his jaw, the way the wind tugged at his dark hair, the blank mask he’d worn since the pizza last night. Every time our eyes almost met I jerked mine away, heart racing like I’d been caught doing something unforgivable.Which, in a way, I had.The park wasn’t crowded. A few kids shrieked on the swings, a couple walked a dog, an old man fed pigeons. Normal life. It made the silence between us feel even heavier.“Should we get ice cream?” Kai asked suddenly, nodding toward the pastel-colored van parked under the oaks.The question was so ordinary it threw me. “Uh… yeah. Sure.”We walked over. I ordered vanilla with strawberry topping because my brain couldn’t handle decisions right now. The lady beh

ETHAN'S POV“Ethan?” Kai’s voice, low and muffled through the door. “Baby, it’s me.”Relief and panic crashed together so violently I almost threw up.My palms were slick with sweat. My borrowed shorts had dark brown streaks across the thigh where I’d wiped my fingers. I could smell the metallic tang of old blood on my skin.Another knock, gentle. “Ethan? You okay?”“Coming!” I croaked, voice cracking. I sounded guilty as hell.I bolted for the bathroom, turned the faucet on full blast, splashed cold water on my face, scrubbed my hands until they stung. The mirror showed a wild-eyed boy with flushed cheeks and trembling lips. I looked like I’d just committed a crime.Because I kind of had.I grabbed a towel, dried my face, tried to slow my breathing. Inhale four, hold four, exhale four. It didn’t work.The knock came again, softer. “Baby, open the door. You’re scaring me.”I forced my legs to move. Every step felt like walking through quicksand. I reached the door, hands shaking so ba

ETHAN’S POV I curled my toes, at the wild sensation of this, then I felt his hands cupped my cheek. "Look at me, Ethan."He said calmly, as he moved my face to his sides."I said you should go. You don't have to worry about me."I muttred.He sighed. "I’m coming back. I’m not disappearing again. I’m not leaving you. Do you hear me?” I wanted to believe him. God, I wanted to. But all I could see was the way he’d walked out to that balcony, the way he’d hidden the phone, the way he was dressing like a man preparing for war instead of a Tuesday afternoon. I nodded anyway, because I didn’t have the strength to fight. "If you say so."I muttred.He kissed my forehead, hard and desperate, then my lips, tasting my tears. “Few minutes, I'll be back” he whispered again. “Lock the door behind me. Don’t open for anyone but me.” He got off the bed, as he head to the door, and then he was gone. The door clicked shut. I stayed on the bed long after the door clicked shut, curled on m