El Vino Del Estío

Jacopo's hands roved down my body, and he crushed me to his chest as the kiss grew passionate. A soft moan escaped my lips as I savored the feeling of his touch. His hard frame pressed against me, and I could feel the unmistakable bulge in the crotch of his pants. "You want me even though you know how bad I am for you," he murmured against my lips, his voice rough with desire. I nodded, unable to form words. The feelings I felt for him were consuming me, and I knew there was no going back.Sophia's passion and dream was to restore art. Accepting a job from a mysterious wealthy man led her into a secretive world of the mafia, art theft, money laundering, and blood. But even with the danger that now surrounded her, Sophia chose to lose herself in the arms of the heir to the dirty empire behind it all. Could she survive the passion of the Italian mafia and their business, or will she become a victim of their world?Vendetta and Vino: Tuscan Temptations is created by Amelie Bergen, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

On the day of the wedding, my fiancee, Bianca Newton, approached me with a bright smile, handing me a glass of wine. I drank it down in one gulp. Suddenly, her male best friend, Xander Lynch, raised his phone and burst out laughing. "See! I told you this idiot wouldn't even notice that it was my piss! Pay up, everyone! Don't forget to follow my account! Pay up!" I started puking uncontrollably, but Bianca merely looked at me with disgust. I demanded that Xander apologize, yet Bianca placed herself in front of him and stopped me. "It was just a joke! Why are you taking it so seriously?" At the same time, Xander said smugly, "Come on, say hello to the views in my livestream! Tell them how it feels to drink piss!" I smashed a wine bottle right on his head. Bianca demanded that I kneel and apologize to him. Then, she hurriedly escorted Xander to the hospital, still in her wedding gown. Looking at the wedding venue in utter chaos, I calmly took my phone out and dialed a number. "Are you interested in marrying me?"

My adopted sister won the Elixir Challenge by stealing my potion. To her shock, she was informed that the event was a selection event for the future wife of the Serpentkins' future head—the same heir who was infamously impotent, barbaric, and hideous. When the Serpentkins sent over a proposal letter, demanding her hand in marriage, my fiance panicked and promptly took my adopted sister away for a quick marriage and even consummated. Once the deed was done, she returned triumphantly, showing off the mark on her lower back. "Well, what are you going to do now, Winnie?" she gloated. "Your fiance is mine now, and you'll be twenty-five in three days. If no one comes to pick you up, you'll just be dumped into the hands of some wife-beating Rogue who is ageing and unwanted…" Actually, she was wrong—I had a choice. I went to the parlor where my parents—who were busy fixing the mess my adopted sister made—were, announcing, "If she refuses to marry the future head of the Serpentkins, I will!"

Before the dark, obsessive, hideous, and disabled Alpha of the Wolf Pack chose his wife, rumors spread that he favored Cat Clan beastwomen above all others. My fiance feared that my family's maid would be selected, so he spent days and nights making passionate love to her in my bed behind my back. Only after the maid conceived his beast egg did he finally feel at ease. On the day my fiance and I were supposed to form our bond, the maid stroked her slightly rounded belly and flaunted it before me. "Ms. Sinclair's bed certainly served its purpose. Nate and I only needed three months to conceive a beast egg." After speaking, she deliberately covered her mouth with a triumphant smile. "Oh, I forgot to mention—Nate is actually the exiled heir of the Eagle Clan! "For old times' sake, he said he'd graciously allow you to join the Fairfaxes as my maid to care for me during my pregnancy." I let out a cold laugh. She was destined for disappointment. If she would not marry the Alpha of the Wolf Pack, then I would. I could never be her maid, because I would only ever be the Wolf Pack's Luna.

My adopted brother made a name for himself during the potion competition by using a potion he had stolen from me. No one expected the competition to be a ruse, but it turned out to be a scheme to find a husband for the serpent clan's youngest princess. She was born barren, cruel, and hideous. That very night, the serpent clan delivered a marriage contract, demanding that the creator of the potion take the princess as his wife. When my fiancée heard the news, she panicked and bonded with my adopted brother on the spot. After sealing their bond, he lifted his shirt, proudly showing me the wolf mark carved into his back. "Your fiancée's mine now, bro. What are you going to do? You'll turn twenty-five in three days. If no one marries you by then, you'll be randomly matched to one of those older, violent nomad beastwomen." He was wrong. I still had one choice left. I found my parents in the front hall, once again cleaning up the mess he had made. "If he won't marry the serpent princess," I said, "then I will."

On the day a dispute broke out between my students, I saw Samantha again—the girl I had broken up with ten years ago; the girl who had been fighting wiped away her tears and cried out for her mother. Samantha froze when she saw me. After a long moment, she seemed to remember herself and quickly apologized. "Mr. Brooke, I'm sorry for causing you trouble." I handled the compensation matter strictly by the book. When everything was settled, she lingered behind the others, clearly wanting to speak but hesitating. "I remember you didn't want to be a teacher back then," she said. I smiled faintly and walked her to the office door. "People change. So do their thoughts." Just like my feelings for her—those had been turned over long ago.