Half-heartedness

After my mother shot down my pleas to cover my medical bills the 100th time, I clutched my bone cancer diagnosis papers and trudged to the crematorium. "Hi, I'd like to reserve a cremation slot ahead of time," I muttered to the clerk. Half an hour ticked by before my parents and adopted brother arrived in their car. My dad, a forensic pathologist, cracked me across the face. "You're pulling a fake-death stunt now, just to steal the spotlight from your brother?" My mom, a hospital director, snatched the papers from my hands and shredded them into confetti. "Faking records using my credentials and tying up hospital resources? You've crossed the line!" My brother cried, tugging at their sleeves. "It's all my fault. I'll skip the amusement park forever. I don't need a thing. Just quit riling up Mom and Dad." I spun around, my hand pressed against my throbbing chest, and begged the crematorium staff. "Please, when it's time, cremate me and scatter the ashes in the river. I've got no family left in this world."

A year ago, twenty eight year old Lisa Armstrong Reed 'princess of Oakenville', lost her husband, Keith. And now, she just got invited to her aunt's wedding at Miami. Determined to forget her dead husband for good, Lisa takes a chance at a holiday and hops into the next available flight to the Florida city, in anticipation for a well-deserved vacation. What she doesn't expect is to find herself in the same room with Keith's handsome, half naked brother for whom she harbours a yearlong crush! Damien Reed 'kinda kissed' his brother's wife last year, and she shut him out almost immediately. Now with his brother dead, and Lisa miraculously turns up as a bridesmaid at his friend's wedding, he's more than prepared to let her know how he feels about her. When a simple wedding getaway turns to a war zone, with stalkers and greeting cards claiming to be from Keith, wyill the two finally find a happily ever after together or is a second chance at romance too hot to handle? [Cover design by Mikael]

"Open your mouth," he whispered and I looked at him in confusion. "Open your mouth, Jackie." I swallowed and did as I was told. The heat between my legs heightened when he ran the wet candy over my bottom lip before stuffing it into my mouth. The sweetness expanded on my taste buds and my body heated up at the fact that the lollipop had been in his mouth. There was something erotic about it and it left me accepting the way my body reacted to it. I looked deeper into his eyes and sucked on the lollipop then moaned when he started to move it in and out of my mouth. I wasn't innocent and I knew just what he was doing. "Fuck it," Lucas said and took the lollipop out of his mouth the crashed his lips on mine. °°° Jackie Garner has always been away from the spotlight, not until bad boy, Lucas Hamilton walks into her life after meeting him half naked in the boys' locker room. Since then, Lucas Hamilton has not let her be and wants her at all cost. But when bad boys fall, expect heartbreaks, jealous ex lovers and backstabbers.

Richard Lorde’s childhood friend had just become a widow. On our fifth wedding anniversary, he brought his childhood friend and her daughter into a karaoke box and removed my ring right before everyone. “Lily needs a proper status right now. It’s no longer right for you to wear that ring. “Resign from your job tomorrow and take care of Lily and her daughter.” Everyone in the room fell silent as they waited for me to blow my top off. But I said nothing. I calmly brought out the divorce agreement I had already signed, put it on the table, and left. My best friend stood up to advise me against it, but Richard just swung the wine glass and snorted. “Let her. She’ll come begging for my forgiveness before tomorrow.” When I slammed the door shut, I heard laughter from the room. What they did not know was that half an hour ago, I had received a message telling me that my visa application had been approved. The person in charge of picking me up had been waiting at my house ten minutes ago. This time, I was not turning back.

My name is Ivy Lawson. At 3:00 am, I get a call from Christina McSpire, a parent of one of my students. "Hello, Ms. Lawson, I noticed Zoe only spent five dollars on her meal yesterday. Did she not eat any meat?" she asks. Pushing through my exhaustion, I reply, "Don't worry, Mrs. Street. I'll check on it tomorrow." Another half hour goes by, and she calls again. "It's supposed to rain tomorrow. Can you remind Zoe to bring an umbrella?" I can hardly keep my eyes open. "Got it," I reply absentmindedly. A few minutes later, my phone rings once more. "Please make sure Zoe brushes her teeth for three minutes. It's also important that she scrubs each side of her face at least three times." Suppressing my frustration, I calmly respond, "Zoe is in her senior year of high school. I'm sure she's capable of taking care of herself." I expect that to be the end of it, but when I wake up, my silenced phone shows over a hundred missed calls.

Sharon McKinzie's husband's first love was dying. He often said to Sharon, "Sharon, Kelly doesn't have much time left. Don't be petty and hold things against her." To make up for the regrets of his past, he traveled with Kelly—through mountains and rivers, beneath starlit skies and over distant seas. He even handed over the wedding they had planned—his and Sharon's—to Kelly Walt, without shame or hesitation. Even their five-year-old son clung to Kelly. "Mommy isn't even half as pretty as Kelly," he said. "Kelly's pretty. Why can't Kelly be my mommy?" Sharon decided to grant them their wish. She left behind the divorce papers and walked away without a word. Later, her ex-husband and son knelt before her—her ex-husband full of regret, her son's cheeks streaked with tears. "Honey… please come back to us." "Mommy… do you really not want us anymore?" Just then, a handsome man wrapped his arm around Sharon's waist. "There you are, honey," he said gently. "Our son's still at home, waiting for you to feed him."

It was forbidden, a sin, but none of these men seemed to understand that. They all wanted to antagonize her, unveil her, tempt her, and pursue her. "A commoner is worth more than a grain of sand, a Half breed is even worse, and you are both, the worst of two worlds, truly you are pitiful….but your fidelity happens to be worth more than both noble and commoner combined. Is that not an interesting fact?"— Oliviér Lé Fóix. "I agree that aside from evangelism there is a sinful agenda but how can you judge my faith when you tempt me by standing in my house with your bare breasts in my sight?"— Sebastién Wright. "You can pray we are interrupted so you do not say yes when I ask if I can rip your underwear and play with your pulsing little clit, Vixen."— Nicolas Dé Penthiévre. "Haha, you've got me, I really have other plans besides seducing you into convincing that bastard for me, I want to fuck you, I mean the thought has been fucking me in the brain since I saw your bright and cheery face. I want my cock to tear that jaw."— Constantine Rousseau.

“I’m not your toy.” “Yes, you’re my toy, Tesoro. Mine to fuck, and mine to do with as I please. I could break you in half too, if I want. So watch your mouth!” ~•~ After discovering the same woman he’d had a one-night stand with years ago owes him a debt, Giovanni, blinded by his own desires, uses the opportunity to abduct her and propose a twisted bargain. Elaine is given two options; pay in two weeks or pay with her body when the time limit is up. But this is the same man she loathes for ruining her five years ago after impregnating her which led to her disownment. She’s had a hard life - working tirelessly to feed two mouths - hers and the son she loves so much. But knowing they won’t be able to stay together if his father is aware of his existence, Elaine decides to keep the child a secret and tread carefully. It was meant to be just sex, but Giovanni has plans to reignite their long-lost passion from the first night they made love, and also break the sharp witted woman who’s making him question his senses.

In my dormitory, there was a poor student. With all the good intentions in the world, my roommates and I were eager to help her, not realizing how much our help would cost. She wasn't impressed by the hairdryer we offered, insisting on borrowing a branded one instead. The skincare products we gave her? They were applied to her feet. And, as if that wasn't enough, she specifically demanded luxury face cream. One day, I lent her my tablet to look up some information, and to my surprise, she secretly opened up my gaming app, spent all the diamonds and reward tickets I had saved for half a year, and left me empty-handed. When I asked her to pay me back, she turned the tables and posted a public message online, accusing me. "I'm just a poor student from the countryside, never played games before. Are the materials in the game really worth this much?" Before I knew it, the comment section was flooded with criticisms of me. In a fit of frustration, I fired back with a post of my own, throwing her into the spotlight. "Well, I suppose you've never tasted the bitterness of being cyberbullied, have you?"

The mafia's maid. "Are you ready?" Damon asked. "Of course. I can't even imagine what torture my sister must be going through right now." Ashley answered. "Mom and dad won't allow this and she needs help, I can sacrifice myself." She wore a deep frown. The anger inside Ashely's heart was burning and that can't be hidden. "Okay then, just follow my instructions and report to me everything he does." Damon continued, "but if you feel you're in danger," he leaned forward from the front seat and placed her hands on his, "please leave immediately." He looked at her seriously. His forehead was wrinkled as he stared seriously at her. "And one more vital information." "What is it?" She inquiried. "He's a heart throb. Promise you will never get attracted to him." "Okay." She half smiled. ***** Ashley is a nineteen year old college girl striving to survive school when her younger sister gets kidnapped by a mafia boss. She has to go undercover as a maid to rescue her sister with some help from Damon. The plan was to get information, save her sister and leave. No falling in love. Easy right?