Novels by Gracie

It was around 5 AM, and Sophia was still curled up on the floor where she'd collapsed after Valerie left, her nightgown wrinkled and stained with tears. Her knees were drawn up to her chest, arms wrapped tightly around them, as if she could somehow hold herself together by sheer force of will.The silence was deafening. Without Trevor's shouting, without Valerie's sharp words, the penthouse felt hollow, empty of life.Sophia pressed her face against her knees, unable to do anything else. She didn't have it in her to move, or leave that very spot. She was just tired and too weak to walk to her bedroom. A soft sound made her lift her head slightly - the quite sound of the elevator doors opening.Sophia's heart lurched. Had Trevor returned already? Was he coming back to finish what he'd started? Her body tensed, preparing to run, to hide, to do whatever it took to avoid another confrontation."Ma'am?"The voice was deep, gentle, not Trevor's. Sophia's head snapped up, her tear-blurred v

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Trevor asked Valerie, his words laced with ice. His tie hung loosely around his neck, and the top buttons of his shirt were undone. "As you can see, I'm trying to discipline my wife."Valerie stood rooted to the spot, the shock of what she was witnessing rendering her speechless. Trevor looked disheveled, his eyes bloodshot and wild with rage. Sophia looked... weak. Behind her, Joe tensed, ready to intervene at her command."Have you gone insane?" Valerie finally asked, another wave of anger coursing through her. First Aaron's assault, and now this? The night seemed determined to test the limits of her patience. "How dare you lay a hand on her!"Trevor sneered, gesturing grandly around the penthouse. "You must be crazy for asking me such questions in my own home.""In Sophia's home, you mean? A home I gifted her on her wedding day?"Trevor's face became filled with ugly contempt. "And so? Do you want to take it back?" His eyes narrowed as he took in

Valerie paced the length of her bedroom, her body still trembling with rage and disgust. She glanced at the blood trail staining her white marble floor and felt bile rise in her throat.Never again. She would never allow herself to be this vulnerable again. Maybe she should station one of the guards in here. Or two. Aaron is an animal, only God knows what he will do next if he eventually pulls this stunt again. She wasn't safe in her own home.There was a soft knock on her bedroom door, pulling her from her thoughts."Ms. Calder?" Joe's deep voice called from the other side. "It's done."Valerie took a steadying breath, forcing herself to regain control before responding. "Come in."Joe entered, his knuckles bruised and bloodied from his encounter with Aaron. His work suit was rumpled, with specks of blood visible on the sleeves. "Where did you leave him?" She asked coldly."In an alley behind a waste management facility," Joe reported. "As instructed - naked, with no phone or identi

Valerie slammed her penthouse door behind her, leaning against it as she kicked off her heels. The evening had been a disaster. After Rick's rejection on the rooftop, she'd barely managed to get through the rest of the gallery opening, forcing smiles and making small talk while her insides burned with humiliation and desire."Damn him," she whispered. So much for not spending Saturday night alone.Valerie stripped off her dress as she walked to her bedroom, leaving it in a heap on the floor for Clara to pick up - something she'd never done before. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror as she passed, pausing to stare at her reflection. Despite her efforts to repair her appearance before rejoining her guests, her eyes still held a wild, haunted look."This is ridiculous," she told her reflection. "He's nobody. A mechanic. Not worth a second thought. Why do you keep doing this to yourself, Valerie?"She needed to find a remedy for this. Just like Sophia had said, maybe her obsess

Valerie stood frozen in place, staring at the door that had just closed behind Rick. Her heart was still pounding erratically in her chest, her lips swollen from his kiss, and her body aching with unfulfilled desire. The cool evening breeze that had felt so pleasant minutes ago now chilled her heated skin, raising goosebumps along her bare arms."Val?" Karen's voice broke through the haze of Valerie's thoughts. "What the hell just happened?"Valerie turned to face her friends, who were watching her with shock and curiosity. She quickly attempted to smooth her hair and straighten her dress, though she knew it was useless. The evidence of what just happened was written all over her."Nothing happened," she said sharply, her voice betraying her with a slight tremor. "Absolutely nothing worth discussing."Sophia stepped forward, her eyes roaming over Valerie's disheveled appearance with concern. "Honey, you look like you've been mauled by a bear. A very sexy bear, from what we just witnes

His mouth crashed down on hers with such force that Valerie gasped against his lips. The sudden intensity of his kiss sent shockwaves through her body, making her already weak legs weaker. This wasn't a kiss of a man who didn't want her. This was pure, unbridled hunger.Time seemed to stop as Rick's strong arms encircled her, one hand still tangled in her hair while the other pressed firmly against her ass, drawing her deeper into him. Every nerve ending in Valerie's body came alive at once. Suddenly she was hyperaware of everything - the rough texture of his stubble against her skin, the heat radiating from his chest, the faint taste of coffee on his tongue.He's not pulling away, she thought with wonder, her mind struggling to process what was happening. The last time they’d shared a kiss, it didn’t last long before he’d pushed her away, treating her like a deadly disease. Yet here he was, devouring her mouth like a man possessed.Before she could fully savor the victory, Rick moved