Novels by Shirley South

Cole's POVIt didn't take as long as I expected before I arrived at Eric’s estate. I did so right when the sky began to dip into that soft gold. It was my first time in his territory.The place looked grand and too polished. It had tall iron gates that opened smoothly at my approach. The security personnel were already informed of my arrival, and by the time I rolled down my window, they saw my face, they didn't ask any questions. I was let in.A uniformed staff member greeted me politely and professionally as I stepped out, but was still curious in that restrained way people got when they recognized you but didn’t dare say it.“Mr. Warren,” he said. “Mr. Damon is expecting you.”I nodded once and followed him inside.I was led into a sitting room near the main staircase, a place clearly designed for waiting, and I did without getting too comfortable.“Mr. Damon will be with you shortly,” the staff member said.“Thank you,” I replied, already loosening my cuffs.A few seconds later, a

Cole's POVI returned to my office with my jaw locked so tight it hurt.I tried to work. God knows I tried.Emails went unanswered. Documents sat half-read. My assistant came in twice to ask if I was feeling all right, and twice I waved her away with clipped words and a fake smile. I signed where she pointed. Approved what she asked. But my mind wasn’t there.And after a few hours of forcing myself through meaningless tasks, I leaned back in my chair and exhaled slowly. I already knew I wouldn’t get anything productive done today. And more than that, I knew I couldn’t sit with what I’d learned without telling my wife.I stood, grabbed my jacket, and left.The house was quiet when I arrived, the kind of quiet that only existed when the staff had retreated, and the children were asleep. I asked after Miles, was told he’d just gone down for his afternoon nap, and nodded absently as I walked through the back doors.That’s when I saw her.Bella was sitting on the wooden bench at the far en

Cole's POVI didn’t break eye contact with the child even when Eric’s voice cut through the tension.“What are you talking about, Warren?" he asked. "How do you know she’s Martha’s granddaughter?”The way he said it told me he was already bracing himself for an answer he didn’t want to hear.I took a slow breath, grounding myself. My jaw tightened, and my heart was pounding so hard I could feel it in my ears, but my voice came out calmer than I felt.“Well, because I’ve seen her before,” I said. “And because Martha never spoke about anything in her life the way she spoke about that child.”Eric’s jaw tightened. Rose shifted in his arms, small fingers clutching the lapel of his suit as if she sensed the tension thickening around us.“Okay, Cole," he chuckled. "You know that’s not an answer".“It is,” I replied. "It's just not the one you like.”I took another step toward them.Eric immediately backed away, his body angling protectively. “Don’t come closer.”I ignored him again.“Martha

Cole's POVBy the time I got to the office, my hands were already shaking.Not visibly, though, because no one would ever see that. They were shaking inside. Everything felt unsteady. I nodded at people, returned greetings automatically, stepped into my office, and shut the door behind me with more force than necessary.I loosened my tie, then I tightened it again, but nothing helped.Bella’s voice replayed in my head, no matter how hard I tried to focus on the screen in front of me.I can’t promise that.Those words had followed me all the way here, echoing louder with every mile between the house and the office. I sat behind my desk, stared at my emails, opened one, closed it, opened another, then finally slammed my laptop shut.This was pointless.I leaned back in my chair and scrubbed a hand over my face. I had faced hostile takeovers, boardroom ambushes, public scandals, things that were meant to break men like me.None of them had come close to this.My wife didn’t remember me,

Bella's POVCole and I never really spoke about Eric again last night. I understood why he must've felt betrayed and heartbroken. But there was nothing I could do... I already told him I didn't do anything with Eric.Even if I wanted to... I didn't. And that was supposed to count for something. But Cole was still moody about me talking and seeing my supposed ex-husband I couldn't even remember.* * *Morning came quietly.I woke before the sun fully rose, the pale gray light slipping through the curtains and stretching across the ceiling. For a few seconds... just a few, I forgot everything. Forgot the tension between us, I forgot the look on Cole’s face last night.Then reality settled back.Miles stirred beside me, making a soft sound in his sleep. I turned my head and watched him, his tiny fist curled near his mouth, his lashes resting against his cheeks. He looked so peaceful. So untouched by everything that felt like it was breaking apart around me.I reached out and brushed my t

Bella's POVCole had gone into the bathroom to have a quick shower while I sat cross-legged on the bed with Miles in front of me, my back against the headboard, my attention entirely on the tiny human wobbling between my legs.He kicked his feet happily, his little hands waving in the air.“Hey... careful,” I murmured, smiling despite myself. “You’re going to roll right off the bed.”Miles responded with a loud giggle, then promptly leaned forward and planted his forehead against my chest. I laughed softly and steadied him, brushing my fingers through his soft hair.“You’re trouble,” I told him gently. “I can already tell.”He grabbed my finger with surprising strength and squealed, delighted, like he’d just won something important.The bathroom door opened.Cole stepped out, steam trailing behind him, a towel wrapped low around his waist. His hair was damp, darker than usual, droplets sliding down his neck and shoulders. When he saw us on the bed together, he stopped and just watched

We pulled away from the kiss just to catch our breath for a few seconds."You've often told me about the awesome blowjobs you gave your boyfriends. And if I remember right, you've only bragged to me about them, but never offered to give me one," he muttered. "That pisses me off a lot.""I always knew you were jealous of the guys I dated." I bit my lips.He stood and dropped his pants, then sat back with his legs spread open a bit as he rubbed his hard wood. "Prove to me how good you are."I got on my knees in front of him. Then I ran my hand up his leg, feeling him shudder as his cock stiffened even more. My hand gripped him tightly. His wood was bigger than any cock I've held, and believe me, I've held a lot of cocks.I began stroking him, pumping him. Derek closed his eyes as my warm hands gripped his cock. Soon, I coated it with my saliva. My tongue ran over the shaft, leaving not one spot dry. I covered the tip and sucked gently, taking in more, and kept a vacuum-like hold on him,

The weight of my body pressed against him was so hot. His breath brushed my skin, and the softness of his touch sent chills running down my spine. My heart was begging for distance, but my body had already made its choice.His hand rested on my face as he tilted my chin upwards. His eyes were locked on my mouth while he traced the corner of my lips with his thumb. Our breaths tangled in the narrow space between us. Our faces drifted closer until our lips hovered just a breath apart.But then he stopped, and that pause burned more than any kiss ever could.The air in my living room felt very heavy, and for a second, I thought I could hear my own heartbeat echo off the walls. Derek’s hand was still at my waist, his breath warm at the base of my neck, but his eyes had changed. He wasn't looking at me with hunger anymore. He was looking at me with uncertainty. And I understood why.He stepped back first, breaking us apart.“I shouldn’t have done that,” he said quietly. "I'm sorry."“You d

Later that day, after I returned home from work. I sat on my couch for what felt like hours, thinking about whether I should give in to the dangerous pull towards Derek. I was caught up between sense and temptation.This was all new to me. Something about the way he is now just makes me want to have him, and not in the same way we were years ago. I reached out, grabbing my phone from the coffee table beside me. I unlocked it and went straight to my mail. My fingers hovered over his contact number as I hesitated to copy it.I thought to myself how silly it was. How totally ridiculous it was to feed more attention to what's happening. And yet... the thought of him still being drawn to me, the thought of me still having that kind of hold over him felt dangerously and deliciously intoxicating.Later that night, after pacing around for what felt like forever, I closed my eyes, took in a deep breath, and exhaled softly. Then I whispered to myself."Fuck it, I'm calling him."I tapped on his

"You remember me?" I asked in a soft voice, unsure if I actually heard him say my name.He scoffed. "There's not a machine in this world that will be able to wipe you out of my head," he smiled, pressing me even harder against him that it felt like our bodies were merging as one. "You're unforgettable, Elsa."I immediately threw my arms around him, hugging him back. After a while, we pulled apart slowly, reluctant to let each other go, but we had to. I couldn't risk letting anyone see me with a bride's husband in that manner.I smoothed down my dress. "Okay, so if you actually remembered me, why then did you not say anything back there? You just walked past me like I was a statue," I asked, playfully frowning at him."I apologize for making you feel that way, Elsa. It was not my intention," he pleaded. "I really didn't think I'd meet you here at all. It was so unexpected that when I saw you, I didn't know what to do. I needed time to process everything so I could react properly withou

My stepmother loved watching me have sex. Whenever I had my boyfriend around, she would stand outside, peeking through the slightly opened door, watching me and my then partner make love.I always thought it was some kind of fantasy of hers to watch her stepdaughter. But it was something else.Years ago, after the death of my father, I was basically turned into Cinderella. The classic 'daughter turned into a slave in her own father's house'. My stepmother was jealous of me. She hated how beautiful I was and the attention I got from guys back then... it was humiliating.After a while, I got fed up with it, and because my father was dead and I was nineteen, I had no one to stand up for me. No one but Derek.Back then, he was a guy who lived next door. Your typical silent, mysterious, but sweet guy that every girl in the area drooled over. I just didn't see what they were thirsting for about him, but whatever it was sure made a lot of girls go crazy.One evening, he approached me, and th