Heartstrings Tugged

My mate, Luther Evans, had spent 20 thousand dollars on two first-class tickets for the Moonlight Express to Vespera Coast. Just as we were about to board, he pulled me aside and gave my seat to my foster sister, Zoey Turner. He explained, "There's only one empty seat left on the train, and Zoey's son has never seen the ocean before. This is the perfect chance. Kids can't be separated from their mothers, so I'll take them first and get them settled, then come back for you." I nodded and stepped off the train, watching it disappear into the distance. Once they reached the beach, a friend asked Luther why I hadn't come along. He was busy inflating a pool float for Zoey, answering casually without looking up. "The Moonlight Express runs every three days. Avery Smith can just buy her own ticket and come later. I'll pick up some gifts to make it up to her. She's really understanding and won't stay mad at me." A bitter smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. The whole family had always favored Zoey, and now even my own mate was no different. Since nobody wanted to see me anyway, I decided I would leave in three days.

I had taken leave from the sealed research institute where I'd been confined for six years, just so I could attend my daughter's kindergarten graduation. The moment I stepped through the gates, I froze. A woman holding a little boy by the hand was shoving my daughter, Amy, straight into the gutter. She slapped Amy across the face, then sneered for everyone to hear, spitting venom as she called my little girl a filthy wretch. Drenched in filthy water, Amy dropped to her knees before the woman, trembling in humiliation. Rage burned through me. I stormed forward and slapped the woman across the face. But instead of shame, she jabbed a finger at my nose and shouted, "Do you even know who I am? To offend me is to offend the entire Grant family!" Tears welled in Amy's eyes as she tugged at my sleeve, pleading in a choked voice, "Please leave… she's my dad's nanny. My dad will punish you if you hurt her." The woman planted herself in front of me, her arrogance towering. "The Grant family rules this city. You think you can run from us?" For a brief moment, I stood stunned, then calmly pulled out my phone and dialed my husband. "Your nanny says you run Bexley City. Well, I think that's about to change."

"Limits, Charli. I'm going to f**k you like you've never been f**ked. Tell me now if I've crossed that limit. Tell me now if you don't want this." Words didn't form; instead, I pushed my ass backwards until it brushed against his erection. Sometime during his speech he'd freed it from the confines of his slacks. "Last chance, Charli." "Please." My word was barely audible. He tugged my hair again. "What did you say?" "Please, Nox. I want you. Take me." He didn't need to be sure I was ready. The evidence glistened under the awful fluorescent lights. The sound of the condom package tearing was soon replaced by my whimper as he plunged... *** One Week. No Last Names. No Regrets. Alexandria "Charli" Collins is done playing the perfect Southern heiress. At an exclusive California resort, she meets Nox Demetri—a billionaire as enigmatic as he is irresistible. When he boldly claims her as his "wife" to ward off an unwanted admirer, their explosive chemistry ignites a no-strings affair that quickly spirals beyond either of their control. But Nox is hiding dangerous secrets, and Charli's past won't stay buried. As their week of passion draws to a close, reality comes crashing in. Can a temporary escape survive the real world—or will the truth destroy them both?

"Do you actually think you can kill me?" He asked me, tracing his hand upward my thigh. I tugged at the strings that had tied me to the bed. "I will kill you Ren." "Or you could die trying." He smirked, sending sparks through my skin as he found where I wanted him the most. "You are wet. For me." I gritted my teeth, "Get your hands off me you fucking vild bastard." "Ahhh, no longer the cute swearing girl I see." He grinned bending his head to take my lips but he swore immediately as I bit him hard drawing blood. Then he laughed. Aryn Flynn’s world crumbled when she found her boyfriend cheating—with the woman he called his cousin. But the real betrayal came when he sold her to a mafia boss to pay off his debts. What no one knows is that Aryn planned every step of this “downfall.” Her real mission? To find out what happened to her twin sister, Arya, a cop who disappeared while investigating the same mafia. But things get complicated when Aryn realizes the truth is darker than she imagined, and the mafia leader she’s supposed to destroy isn’t the monster she thought. Torn between justice for her sister and the growing feelings she can’t deny, Aryn must make a choice—love or revenge.

“I don’t want to be here.”I let out, weakly and tugged my face away from his hand. God! Where had all the oxygen gone to? I was finding it hard to breathe and he kept pressing his body against mine. “You look adorable when you lie.” He held my chin, forcing me to stare at him. “I am sure if I were to wrap your legs around my waist and fuck you against this door, you’d take my cock like a good girl.” He drawled, his cold eyes spearing into my soul. Heat pooled between my legs and I shook my head. **** Forced to marry Alora Ramos, Gael Torres vowed to remain in a loveless marriage with her. He gave her his rules. She wasn’t allowed to feel jealousy or any other possessive feelings towards him. They were in an open marriage where they could do whatever they wanted. But Gael never imagined Alora truly having extra marital affairs. And he definitely never imagined her getting involved with his cousin, the ruthless Don Lorenzo Armani. She had always been the docile little girl who followed him around. And then he realized that he might just end up breaking his own rules. Was it too late to get her back?

“Funny how the best things are the ones you are not supposed to touch,” he murmured. His voice was low and husky. It curled under my skin and made me shiver. I bit down on my lip, remembering his kiss from nights ago. “Do not,” I whispered, but my voice cracked. He lifted a hand, his fingers grazing my arm before he tugged me closer. “Knowing we should not be doing this makes me want you more.” June Wallace believed she had the perfect life: a wealthy husband, two beautiful children, and the admiration of everyone in her social circle. But when she walks in on her husband of twenty years with a secretary young enough to be their daughter, her world shatters. One night of heartbreak pulls her into the arms of Luca, a stranger with piercing blue eyes who is half her age and makes her feel alive again. It was meant to be a single night. Fake names. No strings. Until he walks into her home weeks later as her son’s best friend. Now June is caught in the most forbidden desire. Luca does not care about their age difference. He does not care about the risks. He wants her, and he is not afraid to fight for her even if it tears her family apart. But secrets never stay hidden, and when the truth emerges, June must choose between the perfect life everyone expects and the messy, consuming love she never knew she needed until Luca.

In my final year of high school, my parents died, leaving me nothing but a crumbling brick house. And yet, I somehow got myself a younger brother. He was a second-year student at our school, at the top of his grade. But no one respected him. Even when he was bullied, the teachers turned a blind eye. Why? Because even if others didn't beat him, his drunken father did it every day, while his cowardly mother never dared to fight back. I dragged him home with all my strength, patched up his wounds, and kept him with me for several days. Later, when his mother was beaten to death, I called the police and had his father arrested. "Hey," I told him, "from now on, live with me. I don't have any family left. Call me sister, and I'll put you through school." He dreamed of getting into a prestigious university. So I dropped out, set up a street stall, sold my own blood, and even took illegal jobs just to support him. When he graduated, he said he wanted to start a business. I gave him every cent of my savings. And then one day, I watched him stand beneath the dazzling lights, a radiant girl at his side, holding a trophy for a youth entrepreneurship award. I looked down at the cancer diagnosis in my hands. A bitter smile tugged at my lips. In the end, I had raised him into someone I could no longer reach. It was time for me to leave the stage.

I sighed again. "I understand. I'm sorry for using the tone I used before." I ran a hand through my hair in frustration. "Why didnt you tell me about your problem on day one? I would have spoken louder. I wou-" She shook her head. "That's not necessary." "Why isn't it?" "T-t-there's something about your voice," she stammered nervously as she gently tugged at her fingers. "My voice?" She nodded again. "It's hard to ignore." "I don't understand where you're going with this." "Your voice," she looked down as a light blush stained her cheeks, "is the only voice that I can hear perfectly." ~ Alexia Dawson is a partially deaf woman who struggles to fit in with the other staff at her workplace. Being heterochromic as well, she is the main target for gossip and this makes her very insecure. One night, she is humiliated during a party by one of her coworkers and leaves the building in tears. In the parking lot, she meets a stranger who listens to her troubles and this man later turns out to be the boss' son who happens to be taking over the company the following week! As these two come together in this beautiful romance, a jealous younger brother and ex fiancée get thrown into the mix! What will become of this pair of lovers?

Zelena spent her life as a punching bag—for her father’s fists, for her classmates’ cruelty. Survival was her only purpose… until he walked in. ~ Gunner is everything she shouldn’t dare to want: towering, devastatingly handsome, with piercing blue eyes that strip away her defenses. He shouldn’t have noticed her—a shadow in a world that had long since discarded her. Yet he sees her. Truly sees her. ~ But why? Why would a man like him risk everything to shield her from the darkness? As their connection deepens, Zelena uncovers a terrifying truth—one that forces her to question not just Gunner’s motives, but the very essence of what she is… ~ ************WARNING************ This title includes scenes of abuse, extreme violence, mutilation, bullying, torture, death and sexual activities. ********************************** Excerpt ********************************** “Mine” I growled lowly as I inserted my finger. I want to make this last. She was warm and moist, her skin soft and inviting. She put her arm over my back, digging her nails into my skin, she pulled me down so that my body was on top of her. “More” she whispered biting onto my earlobe. She tugged at my boxers pulling them down over my ass, I slid them down my legs to my ankles and kicked them off. My throbbing erection was pressed against her dripping s*x. I kissed her mouth rough and fast, taking her tongue in my mouth and giving her mine. “Are you ready?” I whispered...

"I love you!" He screamed and a sob escaped her lips. "I love you Rosie…from that day—" he took a step and ran his hands through his hair. "From that day I fired you Rosie. You were so clumsy—" he sniffed and chuckled. "You were so anxious and I had to fire you but that same day; that I saw you in the bar drunk; that I kissed you" he exhaled and laughed. "I fell in love with you" he confessed and she blinked back her tears. "Then why have you been cold to me Xander? Why have you been pushing me away? You were so warm to me, then it all changed when your brother came to you. Why!" "Because Rosie—" he licked his lips and tugged on his hair. "You're too innocent to get involved in the life I'm in." ———— Alexander Macaulay, the CEO of spelldrink Mac's was in love with his secretary from the day he saw her intoxicated self. He craved her presence but kept it to himself until he had the situation around him sorted out. Rosalie Jones promised to stay as long as he showed her he needed her. She could feel his love even if he never said it out loud. She was willing to keep the fire of their love burning unless he quelled it. Will their love overshadow their indifferences? Will their love be blissful despite the antagonists around them?