10 Seconds Rule

She was more than just an enemy’s daughter. She was his… Clara Hale is looking for a fresh start, not a storm. But from the moment she crosses paths with Zachary Langston, her life is thrown into chaos. Her chance at employment is shattered, and she finds herself entangled in his bizarre world. When she saves his sister from danger, Clara hopes it’s her ticket to peace. Instead, she ends up stuck under Zachary’s roof, where the friction between them only grows. There’s something irresistible about his sharp hazel eyes and dangerous charm, and being close to him feels as reckless as it does unescapable. But Clara had a secrets of her own, which was hidden even to herself. Anyway, Zachary wouldn’t expect that this young clumsy woman would shake the walls around his heart.

"A book to rival TWILIGHT and VAMPIRE DIARIES, and one that will have you wanting to keep reading until the very last page! If you are into adventure, love and vampires this book is the one for you!"
--Vampirebooksite.com (Turned)

CRAVED is Book #10 in the #1 Bestselling series THE VAMPIRE JOURNALS, which begins with Book #1, TURNED!

In CRAVED, 16 year old Scarlet Paine struggles to find out exactly what she’s becoming. Her erratic behavior has alienated her new boyfriend, Blake, and she struggles to make amends, and to make him understand. But the problem is, she can barely understand herself what’s happening to her.

At the same time, the new boy in school, the mysterious Sage, comes into her life. Their paths keep intertwining, and although she tries to avoid it, he directly pursues her, despite the objections of her best friend, Maria, who has her own eyes set on Sage. Scarlet finds herself swept away by Sage, who takes her into his world, past the gates of his family’s historic river mansion. As their relationship deepens, she begins to learn more about his mysterious past, his family, and the secrets he must hold. They spend the most romantic time she can imagine, on a secluded island in the Hudson, and she is convinced she has found the true love of her life.

But then she is devastated to learn Sage’s biggest secret of all: he is not human, either, and he has only a few weeks left to live. Tragically, just at the moment when destiny has brought her greatest love, it also seems fated to tear them apart.

As Scarlet returns to the high school parties leading up to the big dance, she ends up in a huge falling-out with her friends, who excommunicate her from their group. At the same time, Vivian rounds up the popular girls to make her life hell, leading to an unavoidable confrontation. Scarlet’s forced to sneak out, making matters worse with her parents, and soon finds pressure building from all sides. The only light in her life is Sage. But he is still holding back some of his secrets, and Blake resurfaces, determined to pursue her.

Caitlin, meanwhile, is determined to find a way to reverse Scarlet’s vampirism. What she finds leads her on a journey to find the antidote, deep into the darkest corners of rare libraries and bookstores—and to an ancient discovery she can hardly imagine.

But it may be too late. Scarlet is changing rapidly, barely able to control what she’s becoming. She wants to be with Sage—but fate seems set on tearing them apart. As the book culminates in an action-packed and shocking twist, Scarlet will be left with a monumental choice—one that will change the world forever. How much is she willing to risk for love?

"Rule No. 1: Don’t ask your brother's best friend to take your virginity Samantha had always ended relationships, since all men ever wanted was sex, when she wasn't willing they fled and never looked back—and in the quiet ache of wanting someone she can never have. Drew Carter, her brother’s best friend, has been her secret obsession since childhood. Smart. Gorgeous. Untouchable. But when Samantha turns twenty- four, she decides to break all the unspoken rules. With a heart full of nerves and a fire she can no longer suppress, she asks Drew for one reckless favor: take her virginity. No strings. They promise it won’t change anything. They were so wrong. Because once the line is crossed, there's no going back. Passion ignites. Old emotions resurface. And suddenly, everything—loyalty, friendship, and the safety of their past—is at risk. He was never supposed to want her. But some rules were made to be broken. Book 2 ~~~ Jazz thought she had everything a woman was supposed to want—a loving husband, a beautiful child, and a stable career. From the outside, her life looks perfect. But behind the routine of work, family dinners, and quiet nights lies a truth she can’t ignore anymore. She’s bored. Then she discovers The Weekend Club—a secret online community where ordinary couples escape their ordinary lives. At first, it feels thrilling… intoxicating even. But the deeper Jazz and her husband sink into the club’s seductive world, Trust begins to crack. And one reckless weekend sparks a chain of betrayal, obsession, and consequences no one saw coming. Because in The Weekend Club, every choice has a price. And once you step inside… there’s no such thing as just one weekend.

When I'm on my break, I decide to help my neighbor, Yvonne Cook, fix the gas valve, which has been leaking gas. But she instantly lodges a report, saying that I've gone against the rules. She demands compensation for the shock that she's suffered as well. I don't bother defending myself. Instead, I just write a reflection report. After that, my squad leader sentences me to disciplinary confinement. Yvonne wastes no time gloating in the tenants' group chat. "It's time to teach these power-abusers a good lesson, anyway!" Three days later, a fire breaks out in Yvonne's apartment. Thick plumes of dark smoke keep rising from the burning apartment. Yvonne wails as she bangs on my door and pleads with me. "Please crack open the door and put out the fire!" I can only sigh from behind my front door. "I'm under disciplinary suspension right now, so I can't break protocol. You should wait for the fire truck instead."

I watched him in horror as he plunged his silver dagger into my brothers heart while keeping eye contact with me. Tears started rolling down my cheeks as my brother struggled with his life, "Please let him go" I pleaded tearfully. He stared at me coldly before he cackled wickedly saying "I thought you said you are ready to accept me the way I am wife, this is the real me do you still want me? it's not like you have a choice I am your husband". Yes he was my husband, the ruthless and heartless european mafia Lord who doesn't give a fuck about anybody's feeling. ***** In the dark underworld of mafia rule, 18 year old Aurora is ruthlessly sold to the feared Lord Logan Drew, who harbors secrets and hidden agenda. As she navigates the landscape of Logan's mansion she was forced to obey his every command. Aurora struggles to adapt to her new life as a captive in Logan's opulent mansion. Will she find a way to survive in the treacherous world of her new owner, or will she succumb to the darkness that surrounds her?.

Mabel always knew She was born to be a Luna… until her husband, the only man she loved chose her sister, murdered her baby and turned her into a disgraced trash Mabel's title is stolen, her heart shattered, and her home is ripped away from her. Mabel is abused, humiliated, and banished from the pack she was meant to rule. But fate isn’t done with her. To survive, Mabel is forced into the hands of her worst enemy, Alpha Alistair aka the devil of the north. The same man who killed her parents! He is a dangerous Alpha king who is powerful, feared…and obsessed with destroying her. What begins as a deal of necessity turns into something far darker and intoxicating. Determined to return and take her revenge on all her enemies, Mabel is forced to rise from her ashes, train, and conquer until She becomes powerful enough to set the world on fire. And Now she’s back, but not for forgiveness, shes back for revenge. But suddenly, the ex who betrayed her swears he never stopped loving her and he wants her back. While the man who was her sworn enemy now vows he’ll burn down kingdoms before he ever lets her go. Two Alphas. One scorned Luna reborn. This is war for her heart and her crown.

"There should be rules if we are even going to do this," he said without looking at me. "I have always lived by the rules." He slid a file towards me. "This is the contract. The rules are stated there." I opened the file and glanced through it. "You can take it home and study them; give me feedback tomorrow evening. But I will read out the rules for you now because they start now, and in case your brain can't comprehend them, then I can explain." Anger seethed through me, and I almost threw the file back at him, but when I thought about the money involved and how it would benefit little Sophie, I bit my lower lip to push back the anger. He continued. "Rule number one; don't you fall in love with me." His eyes flipped up to me. "Crystal clear," I said. "That would never happen." Ellen never had fun in college. One night she decided to have fun with her friends and slept with a handsome stranger who disappeared before she woke up. A month later, she found out she was pregnant and searched everywhere for him, but to no avail. Five years later, she moved to a new city and met the same man she never thought she would ever see again. He didn't remember anything about her, and he was now a cold, arrogant man who needed a wife, and she needed money. They agreed to contract marriage with strict rules, one of them being never to fall in love with each other. They were sure they wouldn't break the rule, but as sparks grew between them and became too much, they found themselves trying hard to keep to the rules. Who will break rule number one between them?

“You weren’t supposed to fall for me.” A bitter laugh escapes me before I can stop it. “Then what exactly did you think this was going to be?” Alexander stays silent. “This vacation,” I continue, my voice rising. “The way you touch me. The way you look at me when you think I’m not watching. Sleeping in the same bed every night and holding me. What was I supposed to feel?” **************** Ethan Cole has nothing left but debt, a sick sister to protect, and pride he was ready to lose. So when Billionaire Alex Veyron offers him a simple arrangement, he signs. The contract comes with money, protection, no deadline, but has only one rule….. Do not fall in love. It should have stayed professional. Instead, stolen glances turn into heated nights. Power games turn into obsessions, and the man Ethan was supposed to use becomes the only one willing to burn the world for him. When secrets from the past refuse to stay buried, Powerful enemies circle and Family ties twist tighter than either of them expected, love might be their only way out. But in a world ruled by money and control Breaking the one rule might cost them everything.….

One year ago, Frank Luccasio, the heir to the future Don of Newborough's underworld, saved me when I attempted to commit suicide. He cleared my school debt, admitted my younger sister, Ariana Romano, into rehab, and hired the best doctors in the world to treat my mom's cancer. His only request? I had to become his mistress. I thought Frank was a gift from God—that he was a beam of light illuminating my dark world. When he got ambushed by assassins, I used my body to block the fragments caused by the explosion for him. As Frank scooped my blood-drenched form into his arms, he screamed hysterically, "Isabella!" But… my name was Selena… After I got admitted into the ICU, the real Isabella Messina returned to Frank's life. Knowing that I was just a replacement, I sensibly left Frank, only to be brought back by force. Since then, I became a plaything for the both of them. They humiliated and tormented me incessantly while flaunting their love for each other. Unable to take it anymore, I sent a text to a certain someone and attached a photo to it. "Don Luccasio, the one giving your son head in the photo happens to be your darling wife, Isabella Messina. Those who betray the family must never be forgiven." This time, I would be the one sending Frank and Isabella to hell.

Si Yelena ay nanggaling sa isang konserbatibong pamilya. Lahat ng kilos niya ay dapat naaayon sa panuntunan- dapat laging lagpas-tuhod ang mga isusuot niya; dapat diretso bahay siya pagkagaling sa eskwela; bawal ang bisyo, gala, boyfriend o pagpapaligaw- aral lang. Masaya siya; oo, noon. Pero habang lumilipas ang panahon, unti-unti na siyang nasasakal. Maraming bagay ang hindi pa niya nagagawa. Hindi niya pa naranasan ang mag-cutting class, umattend ng school events o tumikim ng alak. Hindi niya alam ang pakiramdam ng may boyfriend at gumala. Kaya naisip niya, normal ba siya? Tao ba siya? Gusto niya ring maranasang magkamali. That's why she made a list- a list of a woman who wants to be free from manipulation. That is her way of revolting against them, to at least prove to herself that she's still human. Subalit sa paggawa niya sa mga bagay na iyon, may isang taong bigla na lamang sumulpot. Isang taong ni sa hinagap ay hindi akalain ni Yelena na darating sa buhay niya.