Novels by Rachiella

Brielle’s POVSleep never came.Not even a blink.Not after the way he said it.“I’ll protect you. Even with my life if I have to.”Desmond’s voice had sunk deep into my bones, stubborn and warm. I’d played it over and over again in my head, like a melody I couldn’t shake off. I wasn’t even sure which unsettled me more—the threat, or the fact that I wanted to be alone with him in the first place.What kind of person feels turned on after a shooting?Me, apparently.I sat on the edge of my bed, already dressed in jeans and a hoodie, trying not to think about how I’d be sharing a house with Desmond for who knows how long.When I stepped out of my room, the hallway was dim. Quiet. But he was there.Leaning against the wall in a black long-sleeved shirt, sleeves pushed up, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a coffee cup.His eyes lifted the moment he saw me.“You ready?”I nodded, avoiding his gaze. “Yeah.”We didn’t say much after that. Paul handed over the SUV keys, and Desmond o

Brielle’s POVMy dad led me back inside, one arm around my shoulders, the other already dialing someone—probably the FBI. Or the President, who knows. Being a diplomat came with a lot of power, and tonight, he looked ready to use every bit of it.Desmond stayed close behind, eyes sharp, checking every shadow like he was ready to take a bullet.The second we walked in, Mirren rushed toward me.“Oh my God, are you okay?” she whispered, grabbing my arms like she was checking for bullet holes.I nodded. “Just…shaken.”She looked at me like I was crazy. “Girl, someone literally fired shots at your house. On your birthday! You’re allowed to be more than shaken—you should be freaking out.”She wasn’t wrong.And she definitely wouldn’t calm down if she saw the texts I got right before the shooting.“I know that look,” she said, narrowing her eyes.“Huh?”“Don’t play dumb, Bri. You’re hiding something. Spill.”I let out a long sigh and handed her my phone.Her expression twisted as she scrolle

Brielle’s POVBy the time my last lecture ended, I was drained—but not from the class.I should’ve been thinking about the project due next week or debugging the AI model we’d been working on in lab. I was a computer science major, not some hopeless girl dreaming about a man she couldn’t have.But none of that mattered.Because Desmond Blackwood was still in my head.My dad’s best friend. The man I’d grown up around. The one I wasn’t supposed to think about like this.But I had. And I did. Over and over again.I closed my laptop slowly, pretending I was focused on anything else.Tonight was my birthday dinner, and I already knew exactly what I was going to wear. Something that would make Desmond look twice. Maybe, if the universe liked me just a little bit, I’d even get a kiss. Or more.“Hey Brielle! Got a reminder from Snapchat. Happy Birthday, girl,” Agnes said, pulling me into a warm hug.“Thank you,” I smiled.Agnes was part of my coding team. Smart, intense, the kind of girl who

Brielle’s POVI sighed the second the hot water hit my skin, but it didn’t help the ache low in my belly.Didn’t cool the heat still pulsing between my thighs.Didn’t erase the sound of his voice whispering in my ear—telling me to let go.Desmond.The man whose face and voice had haunted my dreams for years.The same man who had stood in my room just this morning, right beside my parents, holding a birthday cake like he hadn’t just made me fall apart in my sleep.Like he hadn’t just been inside me… in my dreams. Again.I wasn’t even ashamed anymore. I’d had my first orgasm imagining his face. My fingers buried deep inside me, desperate for something I couldn’t have.God knows what would happen if he ever touched me for real.I forced myself to finish showering and stepped out, toweling off quickly. I had to get ready for school, even if every inch of me still felt tender and on edge.I reached for the vanilla lotion I’d only bought because I overheard Desmond telling my dad once how m

I gulped as he walked slowly toward me. His eyes didn’t waver—locked on mine, burning with that same intense hunger I’d dreamed about so many times. He looked like a predator closing in, and God help me, I loved it.I rubbed my thighs together, trying to ease the heat building between them. I was sprawled out on his desk, helpless, waiting for his touch. My dress clung to my skin like it had melted onto me. Thin. Useless. I might as well have been naked.Desmond stopped in front of me, close enough for me to feel his body heat. He’d always been this steady, calming presence in my life, someone I looked up to. But not tonight. Not like this. My heart pounded as he looked down at my half-dressed form, his eyes dark and unreadable, full of things I shouldn’t want from him.He raised his hand slowly, brushing a few strands of hair from my face. I trembled under the gentleness of it.“Do you have any idea what you do to me?” His voice was low, quiet, made just for me. His words slid down m