Along The Ride Book Novels & Stories

"Ms. Smith, a complaint has been filed with HR. You have been accused of misusing your personal vehicle for unauthorized commercial activity." The administrative manager dropped a printed copy of the so-called joint complaint onto the desk, a faint, knowing smile on her lips. The company had decided to issue me a fine, placed a formal warning on my record, and revoked my performance bonus for this quarter. I stared at the handwriting on the complaint, then let out a short, incredulous laugh. I recognized it instantly. It was Selena Rogers. The same coworker who had been hitching rides with me to and from work every day for the past three years. It was all because of last night's storm. She had insisted I take a long detour to drive her to the mall so she could pick up her boyfriend, and I had said no. Then, in the break room, Selena's voice carried loud and clear. "Jennifer, I didn't have a choice. "We have to keep work and personal matters separate. The transportation stipend from the company isn't for you to make extra money." Around us, coworkers glanced over, whispering and pointing, as if they had completely forgotten how eager they once were to ask for a ride home. I took a slow breath. "Fine. I accept the company's decision." Then I pulled out my phone and made a call. "Mr. Wallace, I won't be renewing the lease on those two vans. "Yes. The ones that have been picking up and dropping off the admin and sales teams every day, free of charge." For three years, I had been the easygoing one, paying out of my own pocket every month to lease those vehicles so my coworkers could treat it as a perk. If that was now considered unauthorized business activity, then from this day on, everyone could figure out their own way to get to work.

When I arrived at my wedding in my bridal gown, I found an octagonal fighting ring set up in the center of the stage. My fiance, Derek Hale, was holding the hand of his "girl bro," Chloe Shaw. With a smile, he handed me a pair of boxing gloves and explained, "Vivian, this is a tradition from my hometown. The bride has to get into the ring and wrestle one of the groomsmen for good luck. I asked Chloe to go up. Just play along for a minute." Looking at Chloe, who was always acting frail and sickly, I did not think much of it and stepped straight into the ring. But the next second, she threw an extremely professional spinning kick and knocked me unconscious with a severe concussion on the spot. When I woke up, I was paralyzed in a hospital bed. Derek stood there holding Chloe's hand and said to me, "Our relatives and friends gave us so much wedding money. The wedding can't go on without a bride. Chloe is willing to take care of me in your place. You're so kind, Vivian. You won't mind, right?" Under the torture of humiliation and severe depression, I pushed my wheelchair off the rooftop of our wedding home. When I opened my eyes again, I was back one month before the wedding. I turned around and knocked on the door of a national-level kickboxing champion training base. "Coach, if I trained for a month, can I punch someone's head open?"

Sheldon promised her mother before her death that she would stop sleeping with men for money. But this promise can hardly be kept when her savings ran out. She went back to her job and on that very night, her client's son caught them in the act. She ran away in fear to avoid the clash. A week later, the client's son, Denzel came looking for her with an offer she dare not refuse — she should marry him to spite his father. Sheldon accepted because it involved a lot of money but the arrangement is more interesting than she thought when she gets to meet the man's family and play along with the scheme. The couple wasn't fully prepared for what is to come.

Zachary Lawson brought his pregnant secretary to my bridal store for a fitting. They had chosen a white gown. His friends were in the VIP lounge, betting on how long I'd last before I'd lose it. I lasted until the very end, where his secretary had tried out the final gown. I was still there, taking her measurement down to the precise decimal. "I can't believe your wife took your mistress' measurements. Her patience is impressive!" Zachary had sunk into the couch's soft caress, flicking his cigarette. "She's a barren woman who lives on my money. She'll have to get used to the part. I don't need a stepmother to manhandle my son." I pulled the tailor's tape back and showed them the bill. "The measurements are perfect. Two million. That's the deposit." Zachary tossed an asset split agreement over to me. "Sign this. Wendy's mood swings are horrible during pregnancy. She's not staying put unless she gets to be my wife. I'll need you to get a divorce and not take a single cent. Once the baby's here, I'll take you back into the fold." I signed the papers without even a moment's pause. Then, I tore the check into tiny little pieces.

"To hell with your boyfriend! You're mine now. Mine to fuck..." Sheila Dunbar's life is suddenly tossed upside down, when a notorious mafia group is after her for something she didn't steal from them. Her boyfriend had absconded, leaving her to face the wrath of the dangerous mafia alone. Somehow, billionaire and popular business tycoon, André Wolfe is able to save her but at a cost! She must marry him and be a mother to his only child. Sheila soon realizes that she had walked into the life of yet another mafia boss. Billionaire by day, mafia by night and now it's too late to leave...but why? What happens when she finds out much more about him than she can possibly bear? What happens when she realizes that their union is a threat to her life? What happens when her runaway boyfriend suddenly shows up again, demanding to have her back? Who will she remain loyal to?

Forced to marry the lycan Alpha in place of her sister the same day her fated mate humiliated her. But her damn mate still has his eyes on her. Bullied, enslaved and isolated by all, she gets. But she must run and raise her babies in secrecy. Why would she run? Will the Lycan King recognize her and her babies when she comes back completely different? What will the future hold for them as the Lycan King has his own secrets and dangers lurking in his kingdom?

Once childhood friends, now reluctant strangers—Lady Clara Valdemont and General Darrell Storm are bound by an arranged marriage meant to unite two feuding houses. Once allies, the Storms and Valdemonts were torn apart by betrayal and bloodshed. Now, the kingdom’s fragile peace rests on the shoulders of a bride and groom who barely speak. As Clara walks down the aisle, memories of the boy who used to tease her and teach her how to fish clash with the man waiting at the altar—stoic, cold, and unreadable. Darrell has not forgotten the past, nor has he forgiven it. Their vows are spoken through clenched teeth, their first kiss a mere brush on the cheek. This is not a love story born of fate—it is one that must fight to be written. In a kingdom of politics, pride, and pain, can two broken hearts learn to beat as one again?

⚠️DARK ROMANCE ⚠️18+⚠️ Like paper thrown in fire, Lexie Dillon's old life quickly burnt, leaving behind nothing but memorable ash. After refusing a marriage proposal, she was kidnapped and brutally thrown in the hands of Zheme Algae, a naive CEO who took interest in her after seeing her just once... From there on, her life started down a new path, one she never dreamt of taking and one she never thought she'd gain happiness from. Zheme Algae's life had always been the same. He hid under his fathers rules and restrictions and aspired to follow his father's twisted path. So when his father outlined these steps, he had no other choice but to take them. Step 1 •Seek and find her. Step 2 •Beat her until she submits. Step 3 •Chain her in that house and forcibly make her your fiancé... Step 4 •Buy two rings, invite a whole lot of guest, take her to a church and get a damn priest... Step 5 •If she so much as whispers no, kill her when the crowd's no more, but make sure to warn her before.

"You should be scared," I whispered, brushing my fingertips along her spine, slow and teasing, then down over the swell of her ass. My palm lingered, gripping one cheek possessively. "Because you've just given yourself to the devil." I leaned down, my lips brushing her ear. “And the devil? He doesn’t believe in mercy." .... I should have known better than to sign his contract. My new husband was never meant to be real. He was supposed to be a name on paper, a shield against the vultures circling my late husband's empire. An arrangement with an expiration date. But Killian Cross doesn't let go. He's ruthless, obsessive, and dangerously possessive. The kind of man who doesn't just own his empire. He owns everything in his grasp. And now, that includes me. I thought I could play his game and walk away unscathed. I was wrong. Because my contract husband has made one thing clear. I belong to him now. But what happens when the shadows surrounding him become my prison? What if love isn’t enough for the hell awaiting us? Will I be able to save him when he needs me? Or will we both drown in the raging tempest?

Sold by her father. Protected by her husband. Hunted by the secrets neither of them saw coming. When her father’s five-million-dollar debt comes due, Ella Adelaide becomes the price of his survival. Forced into a marriage she never wanted, Ella expects a life of cold obligations and silent resentment. Instead, she finds herself living under the roof of Luciano Salvatore—a man feared by many, understood by few, and fiercely protective of the people he calls family. What begins as an arrangement soon becomes something far more complicated. As Ella settles into the Salvatore household, she discovers that not everything is as it seems. Old wounds, hidden enemies, family secrets, and dangerous truths begin to surface, threatening the fragile peace they’ve built together. And just when Ella begins to believe she has found a place to belong, two people from Luciano’s past step back into his life. Celeste wants him back. Damien wants to destroy him. And neither of them plans to leave empty-handed.