Book Romance Novels & Stories

she whispered. He reached out hesitantly. “Can I?” he asked. She nodded. His arms wrapped around her like a shield. She buried her face in his chest, letting herself breathe for the first time in days. --- The day slipped away in a haze. They didn’t talk about contracts or pretense—just stayed close. Fingers brushed. Smiles softened. It wasn’t perfect. But it was real. By evening, Damien took her hand. “Come with me.” “Where?”

HIS TOUCH, HER FIRE🔥 --- Chapter Five Something You Shouldn’t Want The wind picked up as Evelyn rode the ATV across the far fields, her fingers clenched tight on the grips, her braid snapping behind her like a whip. The Romano name was all over her brain like a stain she couldn’t scrub out. Not just Damien anymore—but all of them. Luca had sent her a link to some sleek app design mock-up “in case she ever wanted to digitize the ranch,” and Dante had casually shown up at the farmer’s co-op talking gym memberships and local partnerships like he belonged. It was calculated. It was charming. It was suffocating. But it was Damien who got under her skin the most. Always him. Always that look like

“Zoe, you bitch! You ruined everything! You ruined my marriage and my reputation, yet you’re here acting like you own the place?! I wouldn’t be in this state if it weren’t for you!” Her eyes were filled with hatred, as though she wanted to rip me apart. “Even Victor… Even he abandoned me because of you! Do you really think you’ve won?” She rushed at me like a lunatic before completing her sentence, her long nails aimed at my face. Before I could back away, though, someone jumped in front of me. It was that regular customer at the cafe who invited me here, and the heir to this hotel, Luke Wynne. “Please mind your behavior, ma’am.” Luke gripped Summer’s wrist, his voice calm but firm.

And not just any romance—dark romance, enemies-to-lovers, mafia romance, arranged marriage, all the subgenres I devoured in private. "This is our most popular section," Edward said, noticing my reaction. "Romance readers are loyal. And they buy a lot of books." "I can see that." Next to it was fantasy. Then a section labeled "Romantasy" that made my heart skip. Sarah J. Maas. Jennifer L. Armentrout. Rebecca Yarros. All my favorites, beautifully displayed. "You read?" Edward asked. "Yeah. A lot, actually." "What genres?" "These, mostly." I gestured to the romance and fantasy sections. "Dark romance. Romantasy. Anything with morally gray characters and impossible love stories."

“I’m sorry, but it’s true. Men think wiggling their eyebrows at us or doing what you were doing is sexy, but really, it isn’t, especially when you’re dressed like that.” I shrug and slump on the bed next to her. “I just thought it was romantic, you know?” She leans over to the side of the bed and pulls out a romance book from under the pillow. “Use this. It’s the best manual for what girls really like.” I take the book and study the cover. A man is kissing the neck of a woman whose blouse is slightly off her shoulder. “Blah,” I say and toss the book to the side. I actually think I’ve read it before.

"This isn’t a romance novel, Nanny. This is my life, and I’m just trying to do my job without embarrassing myself." Nanny laughs, clearly enjoying this way too much. "Oh, Isa. You’re making it sound like it’s the worst thing in the world. Just imagine it—a forbidden workplace romance, secret glances, and the tension! Oh, how thrilling! The babysitter and the boss. You’ve already got the perfect setup." I glare at her. "Nanny, stop. He’s my boss, and he has a child. A cute child, by the way, who is clearly going through something. I’m not about to entertain any fantasies about him."

maybe I’d underestimated it. The sun had dipped below the horizon, leaving the sky inky black, but I hardly noticed. Alessandro was somewhere nearby, probably keeping himself busy, but I was too wrapped up in the pages of this romance novel to care. This one was about some girl—Callie, who’d gotten herself mixed up with this guy, Damian, all brooding and mysterious, the type with a past that could crush him if he let it. But he was in love with her, of course. Only he didn’t say it. Not outright. No, Damian was the kind of guy who spoke in actions, not words.

I bit my bottom lip, shrugging. "What kind of books do you mean? There are motivational books, novels..." I trailed off, listing various genres. Colby rubbed his face, frustration etched on his features. "The book I'm talking about is...dark. Dark romance." I cocked my head, signing, "I do read that. Why? What's wrong?" Colby's eyes seemed to bore into mine. "Then you might know...have you ever had any fantasies? Like, reading them, did you ever imagine..." He trailed off, his gaze intense.

A sharp bell rang out, echoing through the night. A shrill voice announced, "The time has come. Let the bride enter!" A black carriage, lavishly decorated yet unsettling, rolled in slowly. The door opened, and a bride in a blood-stained wedding dress stepped out gracefully. "Where's my groom?" George hurried over, waving for the puppets to drag me away. He pointed at the players seated at a long table. "My lady, please take a look. Which one do you favor?" The bride lifted her veil. Blood slid down her face like melting wax. Her crimson eyes swept across the crowd. "I'm not satisfied with any of them. Not a single one looks pleasing."

Or maybe he'd suddenly realised that accepting a marriage proposal from a stranger didn't exactly speak of a sane mind. But he'd started it first. Too late for regrets, buster. I stood up and offered my hand to him, smirking at his questioning gaze. “Come on now. Like all deals we need to shake hands. You're well enough to do that aren't you Roman?” I emphasized his first name challengingly. It sounded ironic coming from me, given how I'd refused his hand in my bedroom, but matters changed. Something flickered in his gaze that I couldn't understand, but then, his lips lifted into what I could only call a deep devastating smirk.