Crows Like Shiny Things

Julian "Jules" Ashford was born to wear a suit, walk the shiny halls of power, and marry the perfect woman - even when he's lied his entire life to everyone, including himself. Closeted, bullied by father Stephen Ashford Sr., and stuck in a copycat marriage to political heiress Camille "Cam" Stratton, Jules has just one freedom: acting... until an ice-blue mess and a beat-up Dodge Challenger smash into his carefully built world. River Moreno is signed, shattered, and too occupied destroying Moreno Custom Garage with his sister Sierra and father Tomás to give a shit about billionaire dickheads in fancy suits - until one of them "accidentally" hits him from behind to get his attention. When Jules and River's worlds collide - quite literally - what begins as a calculated untruth sets something raw and magnetic in motion. One man's existence is constructed on silence and legacy; the other's on survival and truth. But when a brick comes through River's shop window and threats begin to escalate, Jules doesn't hesitate to defend him - even if it means putting himself at risk and exposing himself in ways he's never been brave enough to. As Jules utilizes his power to protect River from harm, something deeper takes root - deeper than lust, deeper than rebellion. It's real. It's risky. And it may cost them everything. In a city where Ashford & Co. Wealth and the Stratton political machine reign supreme, where love between two men puts more than reputation at risk - it puts power at risk - Jules must make a decision: Can the man who was trained to live behind a mask come to love - and live - in the open?

"You make it sound like I did something wrong?" Niklaus says with a sly smile before stepping back to avoid the punch I swing at him. His hand grabs my wrist tightly before he spins and presses me back on his desk, with my upper body facing him. His hips press against my parted legs. "Really...Luci, I missed you like crazy. How can you say such harsh things to me?" He says with a pout. Wait…wait, what is that pressing against me? "You crazy b*stard." I all but scream the words, but the manic excitement in his eyes doesn't waver as he forces his hips against me. Eight years ago, novice recruit Lucien Sinclair had the perfect partner and brother-in-law anyone could ask for; everything vanished in the blink of an eye when the 'perfect' man, Niklaus Heinrich, turned out to be the perfect devil, an arms dealer masquerading as the perfect CEO to the largest company in Ferndale. What happens when the two are forced to work together again? {This is a stand-alone book}

WARNING: MATURE CONTENT️ This story contains themes of BDSM, including elements of dominance and submission, bondage, name-calling kinks (such as terms like "whore"), consensual rough play, and some scenes that involve violence. If these topics could be triggering or uncomfortable for you, I strongly recommend proceeding with caution or choosing a different story. But if you're into all this delicious chaos—welcome, and get ready for the ride of your life. Things are about to get wild. Enjoy! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Why was I thinking about his lips? Was I really that starved for attention? I couldn't tear my eyes away. Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was just the sheer need for something to distract me. But it wasn't just his lips. His jaw was sharp, the muscles of his neck visible beneath the fabric of his shirt. He looked like someone who could make me forget everything. His voice broke through my thoughts. "Something wrong?" I blinked, shaking my head, forcing my eyes to pull away from him. "No. Nothing." I felt his gaze still on me, making me feel like he could see right through all the bullshit I was trying to wear. I wasn't sure if it was the alcohol, the heartbreak, or the way he looked at me, but suddenly it didn't feel like a mistake. It felt like something I needed. Without thinking, I stood, my body moving before my mind could catch up. My heart raced as I stepped closer to him, his brow furrowing slightly in confusion. He was surprised, but I didn't care. I grabbed his shirt, pulled him down to me, and pressed my lips to his.

"You're just like your father who is vulnerable to temptation, so stop denying that this woman you're disgusted with, is a good kisser. Forget that I'm your father's mistress." The mocking words of Jennifer Garcia, known by those who are considered her enemies, by the name, Kailani Monuz. No one wants to be the loser between her and Yazed Amante, who is an arrogant man and has his own stand in life. Yazed will do everything to keep his family's reputation and the safety of his mother. One of the things he has to get rid of is the woman who has an angelic face but is dangerous to his family. What will Yazed do when he finds out the truth about Kailani Monuz?

Being the daughter of the prestigious Beta Russell Buldoc, one would think Audrey's life would be a bed of roses, but her entire life ever since she lost her mother has been nothing short of a nightmare. Everyday came with a different dose of both emotional and physical pain, and to make things worse Audrey turned out to be wolfless. Audrey had accepted her fate that she'll live a miserable life until she dies, but unknown to her there was more misery than she could ever imagine, she was being sold off to the ruthless Lycan King, Alpha Trudeau. How will Audrey navigate this new part that has exposed her to pains like nothing she has ever imagined before?

The most powerful and wealthiest family of Delta City is furious that an ordinary maid hit their only heir . At the end, Diana ends up behind bars just simply because she tried to protect her self from being molested. Fast forward, Three years later, she is a free woman but finds out that the Wakin's family who sent her to Prison back then had subdued her parents into a life of slavery. She won't let things slide. Luckily, with the new found abilities and identity, she will embark on a journey of "losers counterattack" accompanied by handsome Jason. Rising like a phoenix from the ashes, she swore to make everyone pay for the misdeeds they had done to her! Who would think this would enrage the most powerful family?

"Because I should be the only one who looks at you like that," he murmured, his voice dropping low as he steps closer. Miles Carter is notorious around town for being a player. Miles and his best friend, Finn, have always been well-known for their wit, good looks and charming personality. Neither of them ever let a girl get under their skin, until Miles and Finn's twin sister, start seeing each other. After one fateful night of lies, leading to someone's death... Things have never been the same. Finn and Isobel are still recovering from what happened, a year and a half ago. Everything changes, when Miles arrives back in town, with one thing on his mind.

Having her life upside down, Lily Peters being adopted by two amazing dads when she was a baby is the best of both worlds. She didn't care what other people thought. She has always loved her family. But, her mind was sometimes adrift, and she would wonder why anyone like her parents would give her up. After eighteen years, things became complicated when her grandparents from India suddenly showed up at her doorsteps and announced her engagement. Things got crazier, and the road to her future had turmoil when her best friend's grandfather announced her engagement to none other than the boy who always got away...Liam Wolfe. Liam and his brothers would be flocked by women all the time, and they wanted them so bad that they would do anything. But, since he and his brothers moved to the beautiful city of Long Beach, it would just be healthy living in a different town. Plenty of women would go down on their knees before an introduction. That all changed when he first gazed at large beautiful chocolate-brown eyes, hair like the night, and inky and sun-kissed skin that could be too delicate to touch. Liam had never believed in fairy tales until meeting Lily changed his mind and found his princess. Obstacles got in the way between Liam and Lily, including his dark past. He did not want her to have become of that past. But pretending to be engaged to the girl that stirred inside his pants can be challenging. When his past followed him, Liam had no choice but to keep Lily away from him if hurting her would keep her safe. Liam would have to become a black knight to protect his Indian princess.

Ever since we were kids, I'd always known how to make use of my gentle childhood friend for things like sending him on errands, and borrowing his allowance. He never complained. Just silently indulged me. Things continued the same way until the day we got engaged. That's when everything snapped into place. That was the day we both woke up. I was just a throwaway character in a novel. He was the male lead—fated to fall in love and end up with the novel's heroine. I was stunned. Ready to walk away. But he was furious. Jaw clenched, eyes wild. He grabbed my hand and dragged me straight to City Hall. "Screw the novel. Screw the plot. The only thing I know is that I love you, and I want forever with you." After we got married, he treated me like I was made of glass. Gentle. Meticulous. We worked side by side, building a reputation as a power couple in the business world. The events of the novel faded into the background. I fell deeper in love with him. Three years later, the youngest daughter of a real estate tycoon started her internship at our company. That day, there was a fire in the office. In the chaos, the girl stumbled into a shelving unit. It came crashing down, headed straight for my husband. I didn't hesitate. I threw myself in front of him. Pain exploded in my skull. Blood poured down my face. The girl, in her panic, had fallen to the ground, crying out, "Aaron, help me!" My husband's face went pale. His expression—pure terror—as he ran toward her without a second thought. "Grace!" he cried. Lightning split through me. My face drained of color. The heroine in the novel—her name was Grace.

"I'm your husband now, Janice. Give me your hand, and don't do something stupid," Connor Hughes whispered those words that sent shivers down my spine, and I knew I was doomed for the rest of my life. I was supposed to get married to Carl Hughes, but his brother, the person I feared the most in life, showed up instead. Standing in front of the altar together, my heart pounded hard against my chest and the smirk that played on his lips made me regret ever playing a trick on this man. If only I could be given another chance to make things right, but it was too late. Just two weeks ago, I was happy, duping this man, thinking I was smart, little did I know that I would be tying the knot with him today as his wife. "You may exchange your rings now," My heart stopped beating as I watched him slid the diamond ring into my finger while having a deadly smirk playing at the corner of his lips. The ring felt like shackles of bondage, a promise of lifetime nightmares and miseries, something I wasn't sure I would ever be able to escape from. There were only two things involved. It was either I have a happy ending, or a sad one...