Best Contemporary Fiction の小説・ストーリー

After years as inseparable friends, Sage and Kaiden have always known they could count on each other until hidden feelings start to bubble up. Kaiden, a beta, has secretly loved Sage, who is also a beta, since their school days. But with Sage eyeing someone new, Kaiden offers to help his friend pursue this new love interest. However, Kaiden’s “help” might not be as innocent as it seems, as it brings them closer than ever and unveils a possessive streak in Kaiden that neither expected.

When Jerome, her best friend's older brother, enters her life, Stacy's simple world is turned upside down. His charismatic presence and compassionate nature draw her in, but their forbidden attraction threatens to ruin her closest friendship. As they navigate the dangerous landscape of their feelings, Stacy must confront her own vulnerabilities and the fears that have held her back. Will she risk everything for a chance at love, or will the weight of her past and the pressure of her present tear them apart?

Aria Stone swore she’d stay away from Thorne Xandros, her brother's best friend, even though she had had a crush on him for 26 years. Thorne Xandros was once her brother’s best friend before they became rivals, and their packs waged war against each other. Why? She didn’t know either, but she knew Thorne was the last person she should crave... except fate didn’t care about rules. She was about to be forced into a marriage with an old man because her brother was losing the war to Thorne and needed more allies. Aria met up with him to convince him to stop the war, and that is the moment the bond between them ignites, along with the realization that Thorne is her mate. Touching him could worsen the war. But not touching him could destroy her. She was willing to compromise until she discovered the reason why they had become rivals and the reason her brother waged a war against him. ######## “I burn for you, Aria Stone. It has always been only you,” Thorne said to me, his voice husky. Since I was a teenager until now when I was 26, I had always fantasized about the moment when Thorne would finally see me as a woman. “This… is wrong, Thorne. Alec will kill you. You’re his best friend," I managed to say, trying to look unaffected by his touch. “Ex-best friend. We are at war, remember?” He wrapped his hands around my waist and pulled me closer to him. Fuck, I couldn’t think straight anymore. “Tell me… Thorne. Why does Alec hate you all of a sudden? What brought about the war between our packs?” I asked him the question my brother Alec had been refusing to answer.

His eyes darkened as he leaned closer, placing a finger on my mouth. “Uh-uh, what did I say you call me when we're alone?” My body tingled with heat. “Daddy?” “Urgh…” A guttural groan tore from his chest. “Yes, baby?” My mind spaced for a second and Andre took advantage of that, tucking his hands under my legs and carrying me bridal style. “Andre, what are you doing?!” I shriek, dangling my legs in the air. “Finishing what we started, baby.” he chuckled, heading straight for the front door. I shook my head in bemusement. His daughter just found out about us and his brain goes straight to sex? Men… I wasn't any better though as I just waited for him to cross that threshold and pounce on me, instead of dissuading him. He strode over to the loveseat couch, sliding me down his body before pushing me back to the couch. Propped up on my elbows, I looked up at him with hooded eyes, only for the the door knob to flip. My eyes widened and instantly, I jerked up to my feet, coming to stand behind Andre. I had no idea who it was as Claire would have just barged right in. The door opening seemed to take several minutes but in reality, it was only seconds. It swung inwards to reveal Leila, the last person I was expecting to see. She took one look at us and wasn't in the least bit surprised. “So it's true?” Those cold grey eyes moved over to me. “You're the whore that's fucking my husband?”

BOOK BLURB: She was betrayed by the man she loved so he offered her a marriage of convenience. But some lies are harder to maintain than others Zendaya Morrison lost everything the night of the accident—her ability to walk, her position as heir to a billion-dollar empire, and three years of her life devoted to a man who only wanted her money. When she finally overhears her fiancé plotting to leave her for her best friend, she makes a choice: reclaim what's hers. But taking back her position as CEO comes with an impossible condition—she needs a husband. Enter Malachi Hayes: her brother's best friend, the man she's spent years avoiding, and the only person who knows the truth about the night that changed everything between them. His solution? A fake engagement that will fool the board and secure her position. The rules are simple: three months of pretending, a wedding for show, one year of marriage, then a clean divorce. But when her brother moves the wedding to five days away, and Malachi's carefully controlled distance starts to crack, Zendaya realizes the hardest part isn't convincing the world they're in love. It's pretending they're not. A fake engagement. A forced marriage. And a secret that could destroy them both.

Living in the heart of Miami, Bridgette Martinez reels from her recent divorce, following how her husband cheated with her sister and blaming her for being a barren wife, therefore destroying her whole world. In search of solace from her suffering, Bridgette traveled all the way to Monaco to avoid thinking about her cheater husband. Meanwhile, her father's friend, Don Thiago Bermudez, who also happened to be Monaco's richest man, entered her life after spending a night together, thereby igniting an unexpected forbidden sparks between the two of them that they could never ignore. And with that, Bridgette shall then navigate the perilous waters between her family and the man she loves as their passions flare and affect them all. But would Bridgette risk it all for a chance at true love, or would their forbidden desires pull them apart? ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• “I expect you to behave like an ideal wife in every sense of word. Publicly, the perfect partner. Privately, you’ll share my bed, my home, and give me everything I ask.” he demanded. “And what do I get in return?” I asked, my chin lifted in defiance. “In return, you’ll get everything you’ve ever wanted, damsel—power, wealth, influence. And, most importantly, your revenge."

Ava Reyes has spent four years doing what she does best — keeping her feelings exactly where they cannot do any damage. She is twenty-nine, co-owner of a thriving bakery, and hopelessly in love with the one man she has absolutely no business wanting. Marcus Calloway is her best friend's older brother — steady, brilliant, and infuriatingly easy to be near. When he left for London six years ago, Ava buried her feelings and moved on. Or did a convincing enough impression of it. Then Marcus comes home. Permanently. And he is engaged. His fiancée, Isabelle Ferreira, is a sharp London solicitor who is warm, intelligent, and impossible to resent. She has done nothing wrong. She deserves everything she has. Which makes what Ava is beginning to want all the more dangerous. Because the more Ava finds herself near Marcus — at family dinners, in stolen conversations, in the small accidental moments that keep finding them together — the more she notices things she shouldn't. The way he watches her. The way the air shifts between them when no one else is paying attention. She is not a woman who chases unavailable men. She has a conscience, and it is loud. But she is also a woman who is tired of being careful. What begins as a private war with herself slowly becomes something more deliberate. Ava doesn't set out to destroy anything. She simply sets out to make Marcus Calloway finally see her. What she doesn't account for is how much it will cost — and how deeply she will fall before she understands the difference between wanting someone and deserving them. Some fires don't care how carefully you've been living.

Grandpa's dying wish is to see me get married, so I quickly call up my girlfriend, Roxanne Moore. However, she scoffs at me, saying, "Why do you keep trying to force me to marry you? Why are you so disgusting? How many times must I tell you that Sam is getting over a breakup right now? As his best friend, how can I make him feel even worse by suddenly getting married? "We'll discuss marriage once he has recovered from his broken heart. Anyway, I've got to go. I'm still on my business trip." The line goes dead, and so does my heart. I look up at Mom. "I'll marry the person you picked out for me."

Bailey Ashwood has loved Liam Black for as long as she can remember. As the youngest daughter of the pack’s Beta, she grew up admiring the future Alpha from afar, praying every night to the Moon Goddess that he would one day become her mate. Her only comfort was her childhood best friend, Jenny — the one person who knew her deepest secret. But on the morning of her eighteenth birthday, Bailey’s world shatters. Drawn by the sudden pull of the mate bond, she follows the intoxicating scent straight to Liam’s room… only to find him in bed with Jenny. Heartbroken and humiliated, Bailey is publicly rejected by the very man she had loved all her life — a rejection fueled by dark secrets, ambition, and betrayal. Unable to bear the pain, she leaves her pack and disappears into the human world, masking her wolf scent with the help of a mysterious witch. For two years, she builds a new life, determined to forget everything about mates, wolves, and destiny. Until the day a powerful and enigmatic CEO walks into her workplace. Xander Draven is feared across the werewolf world as the ruthless Alpha King. The moment he sees Bailey, he knows she is his fated mate — the one he has waited his entire life for. But Bailey no longer believes in fate. And she has no intention of returning to a world that once broke her. As Xander fights to win her trust, old enemies resurface, hidden truths come to light, and a war that could destroy entire packs begins to rise. This time, Bailey must decide: Will she run from destiny again… Or rise from betrayal to claim the throne meant for her?

He’s my dad’s best friend. Twice my age and Off-limits in every possible way. But when I walked into his mansion at midnight, dressed to tease, I knew I wouldn’t leave untouched. Veeraj Kapoor doesn’t play nice. He’s ruthless, dominant, and filthy with his words. One night, he ruined my virginity and now, he makes me count every thrust, beg for permission to come, and thank him for using me. I should hate it, I should run. Instead, I spread my legs wider. Because the truth is.. I love the way he degrades me. I crave the way he owns me and I know this isn’t just lust-this is obsession. But how long before my father finds out his best friend is turning me into a desperate little slut behind closed doors?