2nd-glance

Ezekiel is a ruthless billionaire, known for his charm, arrogance, and a long trail of broken hearts. Love, to him, is a game—one-night stands, no strings attached, and women begging for his attention. But when a critical merger threatens his empire, Ezekiel needs a wife—fast. Not a socialite or a gold-digger… someone quiet, obedient, and easy to control. Enter Isla Ramirez, a struggling waitress buried in debt, desperate to save her sick younger brother. When Ezekiel offers her a cold, cutthroat contract—marry him for a year in exchange for a fortune—she has no choice but to accept. She signs her life away, thinking she’s nothing but a pawn in his game. But nothing is simple with Ezekiel. Their marriage begins with venomous fights, cold glares, and unbearable tension. He drags her into his dangerous world of power plays and brutal secrets, expecting her to break. Yet Isla doesn’t bow—she bites back. Her defiance ignites something primal inside Ezekiels: obsession. What starts as a business transaction turns into a searing, forbidden attraction. Ezekiel’s dark desires and possessive nature clash with Isla’s stubborn spirit. He hates her… but craves her. She fears him… but aches for him. Every stolen glance, every sinful touch, pulls them deeper into a wicked game of lust and power. With enemies lurking in the shadows and secrets threatening to destroy them both, Ezekiel finds himself torn between his playboy past and the woman who challenges him like no one ever has. In a world where love is weakness, can a contract marriage built on lies turn into something dangerously real… or will it consume them both? In this dark, steamy romance, hearts will break, rules will shatter, and love might just ruin them.

Rivergate's most elite social circle had always shared an unspoken rule. Men were free to play the field as they pleased, drifting from one woman to the next. Women, on the other hand, were only allowed a single, discreet indulgence on the day they came of age—a privately hired "life assistant" meant to take care of their physical needs. … On my coming-of-age day, I picked Elliot at first glance from a hundred applicants who came in for interviews. He wore gold-rimmed glasses, looked composed and restrained, and carried himself with a calm maturity that set him apart. He was steady, meticulous, and obsessively clean. The only condition he agreed to was that there would be no bodily contact—hands only. And after every encounter, he would scrub his hands with disinfectant alcohol a hundred times. Over five years, the empty bottles alone were enough to circle the villa seven times. I used to think that one day, I'd help him overcome his barriers and truly make him mine. That illusion shattered the night I got drunk and accidentally wandered into Elliot's room. Hidden beneath his pillow was a DV camera, and inside were several videos of him pleasuring himself. On the screen, the same man who had always been calm and rational with me was staring at the lingerie of the adopted sister who had caused my mother's death, his Adam's apple bobbing as he moaned her name, "Chloe… I love you…" Only then did I realize that every step he had taken toward me had never been about me at all. It had always been a carefully concealed, long-nurtured love for her. So, it was very odd that he cried when I took my adopted sister's place in marrying someone else.

18+ Mature Content: This story contains explicit sexual scenes, BDSM dynamics, and dark romance themes. Readers’ discretion is advised. My chest pounded excitedly as I pulled him closer, ignoring the “this is your boss” warning in my head. I tugged at his tie, my fingers itching to undo his buttons. His hands shifted the lacy underwear, his fingers sliding to reach my entrance. When they slid in, I let out a loud gasp. “Shh, Eve. You're not allowed to scream.” Eve Keller has always lived quietly, overlooked, and inexperienced. Her only escape is the voice she obeys in secret: Dom Daddy, the mysterious man whose erotic audios pull desires from her she’s never dared to explore. But on her first day at Kingston Corp, she hears that same commanding voice… from her new boss, Dominic Kingston. Cold. Ruthless. Every word, every glance, pulls her closer to a darkness she’s only dreamed of. When she realizes the voice she secretly worships belongs to him, Eve’s world tips. Dominic sees everything, her secret, her cravings, her limits, and he begins a game of control that is as thrilling as it is dangerous. Stolen touches, whispered commands, forbidden tension. Eve is drawn to him, terrified by him, and utterly captivated. Every time she resists, questions, or defies him, Dominic’s obsession only grows. Add in Alex, her kind and protective colleague, a jealous rival, and a family determined to control everything, and Eve finds herself caught between safety and temptation, desire and power. One wrong choice could unravel her, and yet…every defiance pulls her deeper into a world of obsession, submission, and passion she never imagined.

Moana Queens has two rules: stay on top, and never become her mother. She's the most brilliant girl in school, a cheerleader with a sharp tongue and sharper ambition. She's spent her whole life watching her mother fall for the wrong men who fuck and leave. Moana refuses to be that girl. But then there's Dylan Dickson. Arrogant. Cocky. A playboy who doesn't screw the same girl twice. He's also her academic rival, infuriatingly brilliant, and so goddamn sexy she can barely think straight when he's near. She hates everything he represents, yet she wants him with a hunger that keeps her awake at night. And that terrifies her. Then fate delivers the cruelest blow: Dylan is her new stepbrother. Now they're living under the same roof, and the air between them is electric. She catches him shirtless, water dripping down that perfect body. He watches her like he wants to devour her, his voice a dark promise when he warns, "Don't start what you can't finish." Every accidental touch burns. Every heated glance makes her ache. Moana wouldn't do anything to sabotage her mother's relationship, seeing her mother finally happy and stable. Dylan doesn't believe in love, his mother's betrayal destroyed that years ago and he doesn't do commitment. But denying what's between them is torture. The want is primal…. The need is consuming…. And fighting it is slowly tearing them apart. One taste they'll both be ruined One touch and there's no coming back, The stakes have never been higher, but how much longer can they pretend they don't want to fuck each other senseless.

TRIGGER WARNING!! DARK ROMANCE Sexual content, Slavery, 18+, Violence, and Abusive content. Dark Romance, read at your own risk. "So, you made a choice?" His dark voice vibrated in the room, making me flinch. I brought my legs closer in fear, as if I could stop this fear from crawling through my skin, reaching all parts of my body, and nodded my head, whispering "yes.". "Here." He slammed the contract in front of me. I flinched, raised my head, and looked into his dark, angry blue eyes, immediately lowering them in fear. I once wished for him to spare me a glance, and that could make my day, but right now, his deep blue eyes scare me the most, and I don't want him to even look at me. "You are ready to sacrifice yourself to save that motherfucker?!" His angry voice rang in the room with a hint of pain, making me flinch, and an instant guilt followed. I feel so guilty for hurting the man that I love the most, and yet... I am not ready to hurt the other important people in my life. I tried my best to stay calm, not giving him an answer. "Fine! I know how to make you talk!" His voice was low and filled with anger as he said it through his clenched teeth. My hands started to shiver at the thought of going through the same pain he just put me through a few hours ago. How to make me talk? Is ... is he going to hurt me the same way again? 'you deserve it' My conscious replied. --------------- what happens when the person she loves the most hurts her the most? What happens when she is pulled into his darkness that she never knew existed?

He stepped closer to me, his breath hot against my neck. “Say it Miss Taylor, and I will make you forget my brother ever existed.” His low husky voice vibrated through my core, my body shivered. The way his intimidating eyes burned into my soul, I knew he meant every word he said. He was yet to touch me, yet my legs wobbled under his mere gaze, my knees too weak to carry my body. That's when it dawned on me; Jaxon West was not a man, he was a walking seduction. Just a single glance from those eyes, and I could feel the wetness between my thighs. ** Ava Taylor has always been in love with her childhood best friend, Liam West, the charming, golden boy who could do no wrong. It was her secret, sadly he didn’t feel the same way for her. After a devastating break up, Ava hopes he could finally notice her. When he receives an invitation to his Ex’s engagement ceremony with his Cousin, he pleads with Ava to be his pretend girlfriend so as to make her jealous. But when she arrives at his Family’s old house, she meets his Magnetic older brother Jax, and things spiral out of control.  Finding her in his brother’s bed, Liam is jealous and realizes his own desire for Ava. Now the two brothers want her, and she must choose between them. But what if she can’t make a choice? What if she wants both of them? The sexy masculine cowboy and the football icon! Sounds like the beginning of a reverse harem. Note: This book contains mature/controversial content. It's not your regular romance book, it might just take a very dark turn! (⁠◠⁠‿⁠◕⁠)

Nineteen-year-old Alex Raynot has never known peace. Between a sick younger brother, parents whose love curdled into daily war, and a cheating ex who turned violent, she’s learned that survival means never trusting too deeply, and never hoping too much. But when one night of terror drives her straight into the path of three dangerous men who look like sin sculpted in flesh, her world takes a turn she could never have imagined. Reed. Rhett. Rhys. Three brothers with eyes like night and power that hums in the air around them. They rule Denver’s underground. Their names whispered with both reverence and fear. Ruthless. Unreachable. Untouchable. Until Alex crashes into their world. A wrong door. A desperate escape. One encounter that should have ended in disaster becomes a collision course with fate. Because when her family is forced to relocate for her grandfather’s funeral, Alex discovers the unthinkable truth: those same three men, the ones who saved her, and branded her mind with fear and forbidden desire, are her step uncles. Now, she’s trapped inside their mansion, surrounded by luxury that feels like a gilded cage. Every hallway hums with tension, every look from Reed burns like a challenge, every word from Rhys teases the edge of danger, and every silent glance from Rhett feels like a promise of something she shouldn’t want. They’re older. Powerful. Untouchable. And yet, each carries a darkness that pulls her closer. But beneath the glittering wealth and cold marble walls lie secrets her father refuses to explain, secrets about why he left this family years ago, and what kind of empire his half-brothers truly built.

“Tell me you hate me, Victoria,” his voice rasped as his hands slid beneath my skirt, “and I’ll stop.” But my moan betrayed me before my words even could but I still couldn’t let him win. “I hate you,” I whispered, even as my nails dug into his shoulders. He only smirked, dragging me against his hard length pressing into my belly. “Then hate me with your legs open, sweetheart. Because you’ll never hate me enough to stop wanting me.”Prosecutor Victoria Harper hasn’t felt wanted in months. Her fiancé, a rising politician, parades her like a trophy for his campaign but behind closed doors, he starves her of affection and feeds her bruises instead. Then a cruel twist of fate changes everything: she’s pregnant. And the father isn’t her fiancé. It’s Christian Malcolm, her high school bully turned ruthless mafia heir, the very man she’s been building a case to destroy. He’s dangerous. Possessive. Addicted to claiming her and the child growing inside her. And no matter how much she hates him, no matter how fiercely she vows to take him down, her body betrays her with every forbidden glance, every stolen touch. Now Victoria is caught between justice and desire; between the oath she swore to uphold and the man whose kiss sets her on fire. But what happens when the enemy she’s sworn to ruin is the only one who makes her feel alive? ⚠️ Content Warnings: Contains themes of abuse, coercion, emotional manipulation, dark romance, and mature sexual tension. Recommended for readers 18+.

As the youngest daughter of the Costellos, I had always lived in my sister’s shadow. That was until five years ago, when she betrayed the family and ran off with a street thug. I took her place and completed the wedding with Elio Ross. Over the years, he loved and indulged me, but we never got a marriage license. He always said family matters kept him busy, and that, with or without it, I was his wife in his and the family’s eyes. I believed him. Until today… I watched as Elio walked out of the church with my sister Alyssa, who had been missing for five years, both of them wearing the family rings that symbolized their union. At the church entrance, three black SUVs opened their doors simultaneously, and my three brothers stepped out in tailored suits. “The ceremony’s done? We’ve already booked Antonio’s to celebrate Alyssa’s return.” They climbed into the cars, expressing their joy, while no one noticed my pale, shattered face across the street. Later that night, under the guise of apology, my sister let a venomous spider bite me. “A substitute is always a substitute. Now that I’m back, it’s time for you to die.” I screamed for help. However, my husband and my three brothers only rushed to hold my sister, who had pretended she had fallen, without a glance at me, writhing from the poison. They called in every specialist from the hospital, only to tend to my sister’s scraped knee. That was the moment my heart truly broke. After being dragged back from death’s door by the doctors, I made my decision. I picked up the phone and called the International Private Island Exchange. “That isolated, uninhabited island… I’ll take it.”

The boy group shaking New York City to its core. The Three Golden Voices of New York. **GOLDEN ECHO** Jaxon (the magnetic leader with a voice that could melt steel), Kai (the playful rapper/vocalist who hides sharp pain behind his smiles), and Ryu (the quiet storm with deep, powerful vocals that anchor every harmony). Together, they’re unstoppable. Magnetic. Their blended voices could send shadows running and shatter stadiums. Fans scream their name like a religion. But everything fractures when *he* crashes into their world. Jaxon finds himself falling — hard, recklessly, maddeningly — for Kai’s boyfriend. The man who never asked for any of it. **Leonard Clifford**. Multi-billionaire. CEO of Clifford Enterprises. Cold as arctic steel, built an empire on ruthless control, and commands rooms without raising his voice. Respect follows him like a shadow. Desire does too — but he keeps everyone at arm’s length. He doesn’t chase. He doesn’t bend. Until Jaxon’s gaze locks on him at the wrong (or right) moment, and something cracks in that icy armor. Without trying, Leonard shatters the trio’s bond. Best friends become strangers. Secrets claw their way into the light. Jealousy burns hotter than spotlights. Lust and love tangle until no one knows what’s real anymore. One stolen glance at a mall perfume counter. One accidental rescue. One whispered “Shorty” that hits like a spark to gasoline. From sold-out arenas to penthouse secrets, the ride is messy, intense, forbidden. Friends to enemies. Enemies to something dangerous. And love that might destroy them all — or save them. This is gonna be filthy, heartbreaking, and fucking electric. Jump in if you're ready for angst, steam, betrayal, and two men who shouldn't want each other... but can't stop