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*They called her collateral damage.*
*He made her his favorite weapon.* Lauren McQueen had a plan. A life. A love story. Until her boyfriend of three years shattered it with a smile and a promotion—dumping her days before Christmas and branding her a “liability.” Worse? He’s now engaged to her coworker. Rosette Goldberg. The office queen. The venom in Valentino. Humiliation tastes worse with champagne. So Lauren does what any woman with pride and a pulse would do—she lies. And in walks Alexandro “Lex” Castello. Trillionaire. Sin in a tailored suit. The kind of man who doesn’t just walk into your story—he rewrites it. He agrees to play her boyfriend for one night. Except with Lex, nothing is ever just one night. The lie spirals. The spark ignites. And soon, Lauren is drowning in a world of secrets, power, and seduction she never asked to enter—but can’t find her way out of. Because Lex Castello doesn’t pretend. He possesses.
And what started as revenge may end in obsession. He’s not her date.
He’s her reckoning. 
And she’s about to find out that the worst thing wasn’t losing her boyfriend…it’s trusting the wrong devil.

Twenty-two stories. Twenty-two chances to lose yourself. From storm-stranded islands to tattoo parlors after dark, this collection takes you places you’ve never been with people you’ll never forget. A marine cartographer discovers that the most thrilling territory to explore isn’t on any map. A pastry chef learns that the sweetest pleasure comes with a sting. A mafia fixer breaks his one unbreakable rule. A firefighter finds heat that has nothing to do with flames. These aren’t your typical romance stories. Here, a museum archivist rediscovers her wild side. An insomniac musician becomes a sleep researcher’s favorite subject. Twin vocal coaches teach an opera singer to find her voice again. A tattoo artist and a widow bond over grief and ink. Each tale is different: different bodies, different desires, different ways of coming undone. Some encounters are tender. Others are raw. A few will make you blush in public. All of them will leave you breathless. Whether it’s the tension of waiting, the trust required to surrender, or the electricity of a first touch, each story explores what happens when two people finally give in to what they’ve been craving. Diverse. Bold. Unapologetically sensual. Your next obsession starts here.

The night my husband, William Costello, was assassinated by his enemies was supposed to be a celebration—our wedding anniversary. I was dressed in his favorite red dress, waiting for him, when the phone rang. "Mr. Costello was shot at the harbor. The bullet went through the back of his head. He died on the spot." I collapsed to the floor. I clung to his belongings, mourning for a week straight. We even lost our unborn child during this time. Everyone said William and I were true love. Even the Don himself came to the funeral, resting a heavy hand on my shoulder with a sigh. He said, "All of Blackhaven knows you were the only woman he ever loved." Grief nearly destroyed me. I stood at the river's edge, ready to follow William into the afterlife. However, I overheard my sister-in-law, Emily Hawkins, leaning into my brother-in-law, Jones Costello, her voice dripping with a twisted affection. She purred, "William, I love you so much. Between Nina and me, who do you think is sexier?" "Of course it's you, babe!" came the husky reply. I stood frozen, my eyes wide and my body trembling. Why was Emily calling my brother-in-law by my husband's name?

Nine years ago, Charlotte Green willingly bound herself to a companionship system to save her sister. The system guided her to the side of Eric Lorvis, a man adored by fate and envied by the world. Her role, as dictated, was to pursue him under the guise of being mute. Before long, everyone in their social circle knew of the mute woman who loved Eric with a fervor bordering on madness. At a gathering one evening, he finally relented. "If you make yourself look like Emily, I'll allow you to stay by my side." Without hesitation, Charlotte borrowed money to undergo plastic surgery. She reshaped herself to resemble Emily Spencer—Eric's first love. With painstaking precision, she molded her preferences to match his, learned to cook his favorite dishes, and catered to his every need. Yet to him, she was no more than a housekeeper. He neither hid his disdain nor spared her his indifference. His insults, his cold stares—she bore them all in silence. She didn't care. As long as she fulfilled her task, the day would come when she could finally leave this world behind. However, when Charlotte truly died, the cold and aloof Eric, who had always appeared so composed in front of others, lost his mind...

Sasha Smith is the owner of an exclusive dance club catering to the rich and arrogant. When one of her favorite customers and close friends is missing from his regular spot at the bar, she goes in search of him. Finding him very ill, lonely and at risk, she agrees to move in with him temporarily until he's feeling better. When Rin Allegretti, Italian mafia Don, finds out his grandfather has an exotic dancer living in his house, he rallies his family to the family home to thwart whatever the gold-digging girl's plans might be for his grandfather. Rin finds himself drawn to the younger woman and wanting to protect her from the harshness of the family he himself dropped on her. Sasha finds herself in the midst of family drama, under scrutiny of an attractive older man and falling in over her head. She herself comes from a similar family and she knows the dangers of tangling with a boss, especially one of a rival family. She knows once he realizes who her family are, there will be hell to pay. Rin wants only to protect the little dancer and to keep her safe, even if it means, opening his heart up for the very first time. Can he convince her he’s not the monster mobster she believes him to be?

When the power meter in the house trips, Mom's foster daughter, Juniper Hawthorne, is trapped in the dark for five minutes. Even though I have claustrophobia, Mom locks me in an empty, pitch-black room. "You knew Juniper was terrified of the dark, yet you intentionally shut off the power just to frighten her! I'll teach you how to behave today!" I cry and beg her not to, but all I receive in return is a harsh slap. "Claustrophobia? That's just what happens when a kid grows up too spoiled." Late that night, I sense someone breaking into the house. The first thing I do is to call Mom, a renowned criminal psychologist, for help, only to be yelled at. "You're still really getting into this role just to fight Juniper for attention, aren't you? "Kidnappers, huh? Well, go ahead and die so you'll stop bothering me!" As she wishes, I'm brutally tortured and killed. My body is buried beneath Mom's favorite flowerbed. After I die, my soul is trapped in the body of a cat. All I can do is helplessly circle Mom until five days have passed. The police arrive with a mangled body and request her help in creating a portrait of the killer.

When Matteo Ricci threatens to end our engagement for the 100th time unless I take Lydia Capone's place in the famiglia's drug trial, I don't cry or make a scene. I just sign my name on the engagement termination agreement and calmly hand over the man I've loved for eight years to my twin sister. A few days later, Lydia storms the mafia summit like she owns the room, insulting the Pirelli family and daring anyone to stop her. I'm forced to step in and bear the full weight of her chaos. And now they're saying Lydia's body can't handle the trial after all, so they want me, the older sister, to take her place. The moment I agree, my parents smile at me for the first time in years. Even Matteo, who barely notices me, hovers nearby and murmurs, "Don't be afraid. The trial isn't lethal. When you get out, I'll take you for your favorite spaghetti alla Napoletana." But he has no idea that there's a late-stage stomach cancer diagnosis tucked inside my pocket. No matter what horrors the trial holds, he will never witness me walk out alive.

WRONG BRIDE - CORRECT BRIDE Regardless of being a self- made Billionaire, the untamed billionaire Antonio is the heir apparent to his Father's stinky wealth. On the contrary, his Father has decided to make life difficult for him or he will risk losing his entitlement to be the CEO of the RODRIGUEZ EMPIRE to his not so favorite cousin Andre. Megan has to work hard to make sure she manages to send her only little sister Mitch to school and help her achieve her dream. Unfortunately, the only job she could get for now is being the maid to the untamed billionaire Antonio. "Unfortunately, whilst saving the model for a bride, the maid has got to be the bride". Antonio must get himself a wife quickly before the clock turns red. His maid could be his only desperate option for now, since his model goddess is not available for the marriage right, but is that all she's going to be... Apparently from being a desperate option to being the mother of his son and the woman he can't live with. Warning: This contract marriage which starts with no love gets to be a steamy romance as our hero takes over the life of our heroin who doesn't want to be his. Grab your best drink and cozy up with this sweet treat.

Anateya Berretta had her entire life mapped out. Get good grades, get her MBA, and take over her papi's security company as his sole heir. However, papi messed up and now she was a bargaining chip held hostage by New York's No. 1 Mafia Lord. It certainly didn't help that she'd met the man before, and yearned for him like no other. Romero Bartolone was at the peak of his rule when he lost his favorite casino in an organized attack. Now he was out one billion, with countless elitists jonesing for the returns on their backdoor investment. She was only supposed to be a hostage, but he couldn't stay away from the alluring light inside her that called to his darkness. First things first, a debt was owed-- and if someone had to pay-- why not her? Besides, she was entangled in the game of the underground now, and he was the only monster who could keep her safe. Still, with dangers lurking all around, they remain vulnerable in the most high-stakes game of all, the game of hearts. And he'd burn the world... so as long as he didn't lose. [Nb: This is a dark romance book intended for mature audiences. Reader's discretion is advised.] No. of Chapters To Be Released: ~50

The day I found out I was pregnant, they threw me in the cold room. Ninety-nine calls later, Sandro Vaitti finally picked up. "The Family made that call," he said. "It was Genny's birthday. She got a fever because of you. This is your punishment. Just wait—once you're out, I'll marry you." Sandro's favorite line? 'Just wait.' His mafia family hated me. He swore once he gave them their precious heir, he'd cut ties and choose me. I bought it. Waited two years. Waited while he hooked up with Helga Cicili and had a kid—Genny. Then came the kicker: A daughter can't carry the Family name. He had to have a son with Helga. And yeah, I believed him. Again. Waited another year—until Helga got pregnant with his golden boy. I thought, 'Finally. Done waiting.' Then plot twist—I was pregnant too. Day before the wedding. Felt like fate. Didn't even get to tell him. They locked me up. Cold room. I curled up, shaking, barely breathing. When the door creaked open, I knew— I was done. Done waiting. Done begging. I'd leave. And I'd take my baby with me.