Meet Emma Hart, 24, drowned in debt all her life, from bills to bills, and loans to pay off, the cycle never seems to end. Fresh out of college, she manages to get a few jobs, saving up to clear her debts, until her mother falls sick… lung cancer. Destitute and helpless, she must learn to shake the hand of Liam Caruso. Liam, 35, known for his cold demeanor and controlling act, he's a perfectionist, and, what he wants, he gets. Reluctantly, she shakes hands with the devil himself, after all, she needs to save her mom. Emma must learn to accept Liam's life, including his dark past and unwelcoming mother. With time, Liam must understand, that mutual connections do matter. Will she be able to break through Liam's icy heart? Or, will they be engulfed within their flames? Within the heat, they generate?
View MoreI'd never taken a day off in my life. A leave of convenience? That's not for me. Well, except for tonight.
Tonight, I seem to have broken a lot of my rules, no alcohol, no reckless decisions, no dressing and/or dancing like slut, and, no flirting. Is this normally how one reacts after recently learning that their mother is dying from cancer? Nope, but if I continue like this for tonight at least, I can forget my problems for a while. I swung my hips to the blasting music, no one was dancing hard enough, fuckers. I traced my accentuated curves as I spun. It was a shame my ex never got to see this dress, I had bought it for our graduation celebratory dinner, but the asshole decided to fuck my best friend the night before. Now, I get to wear it for a bunch of strangers, ones who look eager to take it off tonight. One person looked more determined than the rest, he was seated quite far from where I was, but his gaze was so sharp. He's beautiful, I thought to myself. If he's lucky enough, I might let him take this dress off of me tonight. Mission: make the unreal-looking, sexy guy come to me. How? By seducing him with my amateur moves, I've no experience but it seems to be working on the men here, I'd succeeded in snubbing a few guys earlier, but another was headed my way. "Hey, hun. You need another drink?" The middle-aged man slurred over my ear. He reeked of beer. I ignored him, my attention was stolen by Mr. Greek god approaching us. The expression on his face seemed rather stoic now rather than intrigued and aroused, as it had been earlier. I couldn't help the smirk creeping up my face. "I'm talking to you sexy." The man slurred again, this time snaking his hand around my bottom. Before I could protest, his hand was yanked off. "Go home to your wife and kids, stronzo." Mr. Greek god told the asshole off before I could. He's here, I smiled to myself, how did he get even sexier in less than five minutes? Without any protection, the jerk scrambled off. I didn't expect him to leave that easily. "Are you okay?" He bent to whisper in my ear. Fuck, even his voice was hot. "You don't need to worry about me handsome. Just dance with me." I don't know where that courage came from, probably from the few shots I had earlier, maybe not a few, but you get the point. He tilted his head and grabbed my waist, his fingers digging into my bare back filled me with the utmost desire. His eyes said the same as well. We swayed our hips to the music, front to front, back to front, dancing has never felt this good. I could feel every inch of him, his chiseled muscles, his 'member' hard-rock beneath his clothing, pressing against my back. I hadn't had sex in over a year, I'm not choosing to abstain, but sex had always had a meaning for me, one I'm about to throw away for this beautiful man against me. "What's your name?" he whispered, his breath hot and alcohol-laced on my skin, I shivered. His grip on my waist got tighter, could my desire not be any more obvious? Fuck. "What are you gonna do with it?" I teased, facing him. A surge of courage laced my veins, I looked up to him, staring directly into his dark eyes. He tried to mask his emotion, but, I read the playful hint in his eyes. "I want you to enjoy how your pretty name sounds from my mouth." He teased right back. I was tempted to tell him my name, but, where's the fun in that? I bit my lip to avoid spilling it. "If you can make me come tonight, I'll tell you." Did I just say that? The fuck I did. He clenched his jaw and pressed his fingers on my bare back, pressing me firmer to him, so that I could feel how 'on fire' he was for me. He felt so huge, I wonder if I'm doing the right thing. "Oh honey, I'm not sure if that's gonna work, you'll probably forget your name by the time I'm done with you." Show off. I rolled my eyes mentally, he's probably all talk and no action. But, who cares? I need to get laid. "We'll see about that." We were tongue-deep into each other by the time we got out of the elevator. Mr. Greek god had gotten a suite at the hotel across the street. If he's going knee-deep into his pockets to impress his one-night stand, then he's even more intriguing than I thought. But damn, he sure is an excellent kisser. He pulled away to find our suite, after opening it with the keycard, woah… the place looked massive. I have never been in any place as grand as here, impressive. Even if the lay may end up being an ass, I'd get pleasure from knowing I was fucked in a place so grand. Filthy, pathetic, I know. I turned to him, eager to get his lips back on mine but he didn't move, just stared at me from where he was. "Into the room," he ordered. Like a dog, I obeyed. It was like he had this invisible leash on me, and it turned me the fuck on. I stood still, trying not to gawk at the wealth written all over the room, waiting, patiently, sex-starved for him. I felt him behind me, with one finger, he slid my hair to the side, exposing my neck. "Goosebumps." he chuckled. "Is this how hungry you are?" he traced his finger across my shoulder. "I-" I started but he cut me off. "Take off your clothes." I wasted no time, undoing my zip. "And face me, I want to watch you." He commanded. Something about his voice made me lose all power, so dominant. I'm not sure if this is how one-night stands normally are. This feels different, he seems to always want to be in control and I'm enjoying every inch of it. I took off my dress, now bare in front of him, except for my lace black panties. My nipples peaked for him, and he couldn't keep his eyes off it. I bent to take my panties off too, it's probably why he was just staring and not saying anything. "No, darling. That's my job to do." He growled and walked towards me.I glance at the clock and my heart starts racing. I'm late."Okay, stop fussing!" I scold my bridesmaids, but I can't help the nervous laugh that escapes my lips as Gia fluffs my veil for the third time. Natasha is running around, making sure every single detail is perfect, while Odette is already dressed and helping the makeup artist add the final touches to my lips.And then there's Rob. He's pacing back and forth, muttering under his breath, "You're going to be late for your wedding, Emma. Of course, you are. I knew it. I knew this would happen!""Rob," I groan, rolling my eyes. "You're not helping!"He stops pacing and dramatically places his hands on his hips, his eyes full of fake indignation. "Excuse me, darling. Who has been by your side through every single dress fitting, cake tasting, and meltdown?"I chuckled despite myself, the tension easing just a little. "I love you, Rob.""Yeah, yeah, yeah," he mutters, coming over to adjust my gown. "But seriously, we need to get movi
The darkness is heavy, but slowly, painfully, it starts to lift. I feel a strange tug in my chest, and I'm aware of the beeping sounds, the sterile scent of the hospital filling the air around me. My eyes flutter open, and the brightness of the room stings my vision. It takes a few moments for everything to come into focus.Where… where am I?"Liam?" A soft voice calls out to me, and when I blink again, I see Lilian, Emma's mother, standing by my bedside, her eyes wet with tears. "Oh my God, you're awake."I try to speak, but my throat feels like it's on fire. Instead, I groan, my hand instinctively reaching out to grasp hers. Lilian smiles through her tears, gently squeezing my hand."You've been in a coma, sweetheart," she says softly. "For a while now. But don't worry, you're okay. You're going to be okay." Her smile wavers for a moment before she adds, "Emma… she's at the station with your mother, confronting Serena. But she's fine. She's been by your side every day."My mind race
The silence in the room is deafening. Isabella stands before us, her posture rigid, her hands clasped together tightly as if she's holding on to a secret too heavy to bear. My mom and I sit across from her, the tension thick between us, suffocating."There's something you both need to know," Isabella begins, her voice wavering slightly. I glance at my mom, who looks pale, her fingers tightly gripping the arms of the chair. "I've held onto this for years, but it's time you hear the truth. About Enzo."At the mention of my father's name, my heart skips a beat. I feel my stomach churn as I wait for her to continue. Isabella takes a deep breath, then says the words that make my world tilt off its axis."I knew him."The words hang in the air like a weight, pressing down on me. My mom's face pales even more, her lips trembling as she absorbs the shock of the revelation. Isabella presses on, her eyes filled with a mixture of shame and regret."Enzo and I… we had an affair."The room goes co
The beeping of the heart monitor is the first thing I hear, steady and rhythmic, pulling me from the darkness that has consumed me. My body feels heavy like I'm being held down by invisible weights, and there's a dull ache spreading across my chest and limbs. The sterile smell of the hospital fills my nostrils, and it takes a moment for me to remember where I am.I blinked, squinting against the harsh fluorescent light above, trying to make sense of my surroundings. As my vision clears, I notice my mom, slumped over in a chair next to me, her head resting on her crossed arms, fast asleep. Her face looks worn, more tired than I've ever seen her.I try to sit up, but a sharp pain shoots through my ribs, forcing me to wince. The memories hit me all at once—the truck, the crash, Liam's bloodied face. Panic rises in my chest, and I gasp, "Liam."My voice is weak, barely more than a croak, but it's enough to wake my mom. Her head snaps up, her eyes widening as she sees me. "Emma!" she cries
We're curled up on the couch, the flicker of the fireplace casting warm shadows on the walls. Liam has been quiet all evening, his usual playful mood replaced by a somberness I haven't seen before. I know something's wrong. The weight of his silence presses down on me, but I don't want to push him, not yet.Eventually, he breaks the silence."Emma," he says quietly, his voice strained. His eyes are red and teary, and my heart aches just seeing him like this. "We need to talk."I sit up, my chest tightening. "Liam, what's going on? You're scaring me."He doesn't look at me, his gaze fixed on the fire. His hands tremble, and I gently place mine over his, trying to calm him, to let him know I'm here, whatever it is."I'm a monster," he whispers, his voice breaking. "I've done terrible things, Emma. Things I can't undo."I freeze, my heart hammering in my chest. "Liam, what are you talking about? You're not a monster."He shakes his head, his eyes squeezed shut as if the memories are too
I lean back in my office chair, glancing out of the large windows that overlook the city humming with life. It's been a perfect week, just me and Emma, no distractions, no obligations. We've spent our days exploring the city, enjoying quiet dinners by candlelight, and getting lost in each other's company. For the first time in a long while, I felt completely at peace.But now, it's back to reality. Back to work. And as much as I hate to admit it, the tension in the air is thick. I've barely been at my desk for half an hour when my mother storms into the office, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floors. Right behind her, Serena follows with a face full of barely contained rage. Great. Just the pair I didn't want to see today."Liam!" my mother snaps, her voice slicing through the silence of the room. "We need to talk."I sit up, bracing myself. I knew this was coming. Ever since Emma returned, I've been waiting for the inevitable confrontation. My mother never approved of E
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