Inquisitor Cod Skin

To my parents, I was their obedient and kind daughter. To my students, I was their gentle and understanding piano teacher. To my audience, I was the star performer at the cabaret. Of all these different identities, my favorite was by far the last. I enjoyed the hungry gazes that fell on me, searing my skin like flames. I enjoyed the juxtaposition between my different identities, never tired of playing different roles. In a sense, I was born to act, and I was passionately devoted to each of my identities. So, won't you come watch me dance?

My breath hitched in my throat as he held me closer. His mouth dangerously close to my ear, his hot breath fanning against my skin, as he started to whisper. “You're a siren, Ember. Luring me into the flames. And it just so happens that I'm ready to get consumed.” ____ Ember Flynn thought she'd left her past behind, after her world was shattered with betrayal and tragedy, she rebuilt her life in Florida with her young son. But when she runs into Maverick Nightshade, the enigmatic stranger from her darkest night - Ember's carefully constructed walls start to crumble. As their passion reignites, she's forced to confront the lies and secrets that have haunted her for so long. Can she trust Maverick, or will their love be destroyed by the very secrets that bind them? And when the full moon rises again, will her destiny be sealed or will love set her free?

“Marry me!” The man whispered in my ears. He leaned closer, his lips inches away from mine. I tried to avoid his gaze but the warmth of his breath on my skin caused tremors down my spine. How could I be attracted to the devil? __________________________ Mariella reconnects with her worse nightmare, Leonardo Ricci, her former bully who happened to be her student's father. He came with a proposal, which she instantly rejected. But when her mother needed surgery, and her brother was about to be life sentenced, Mariella decides to have a deal with Leonardo– A marriage of convenience. She had brought the idea and he accepted, but Mariella's heart seems to have other plans. Everyday with the enemy was starting to look beautiful. Will he fall for her, or would Mariella feel betrayed and serve him what he feared more than anything, DIVORCE!!!

A can change everything. One with your best friend, and it changes the whole dynamic. What will you do when you get to know that your best friend has been in love with you? What will you do when she doesn't want to be friends anymore and wants more instead? * “Everytime I see you with a guy, my skin burns” Millie hisses, pinning me with an intense look that makes my belly flip. I am pinned to the wall with her caging me. “Do you know how hard it is to pretend that you are only my friend, and nothing more? That I love you but cannot have you?” Her words spin inside my head, and the thundering beating of my heart echoes in my ear. How do we come to this situation? I pant as she leans closer, her eyes averting to my parted lips. I am having thoughts of her. Hell, I see her in my dreams so often now that I am not sure what she means to me now. Millie caresses my cheeks and a shiver runs down my spine. “I can't pretend anymore, Grace. It's getting really hard” she whispers in my ear and I squirm. When she meets my eyes, I say something that surprises her. “Then don't.” I crash my lips on hers, crossing whatever lines we had.

Framed by her husband's mistress and abandoned in a prison cell, Bella is left to die—stabbed in the dark, betrayed by everyone she once loved. But a mysterious man saves her, pulling her from the brink of death. Three years later, she returns as a cold, calculative woman, determined to destroy the man who cast her aside. But when he traps her against the wall, his breath hot against her skin, her carefully built walls begin to crack. "I will never let you go again. You’ll forever be mine, Bella."

"You're mine, cara mia. All of you…" Stephan whispered huskily into my ear. I could feel the warmth of his breath against my skin, sending shivers down my spine. I could smell the faint scent of his cologne, mixed with the heady aroma of sweat and desire. His large, strong hands were wrapped around my body, one of them trailing slowly down my thigh. I felt completely consumed by him, unable to escape the heat of his touch. My heart was pounding… “But I have a fiance." Although I was loving every moment of this, I couldn't bring myself to accept what he laid before me. “And he loves me so much, Stephan. I can't do this to him. I—” His next response left me in bewilderment. “Shssh—” He hushed me, placing a finger across my lips. "I'll pay him off…" •••••••• Even though I knew it was wrong, I felt my heart racing at the thought of him. I was engaged to someone else, a kind and caring college student who had always been there for me. But this man, this powerful and mysterious billionaire, had awoken something in me that I couldn't ignore. I knew that I was playing with fire, and that it could all go up in wild flames. But I was willing to take the risk, because I knew that this was something I had to explore. Every inch of it. I had to find out what lay at the end of this dangerous path

Isaac held her hand with the depleting energy in him, his body shaking as he felt the steady stream of crimson fluid pumping out of his heart and flowing down his skin, staining his vest. She tried to pull the scissors out again, but he held on tighter, squeezing his face at the searing pain. "Love," He mumbled, looking into her cold eyes. Natalie pulled at the scissors, but he held on with every little energy he had in him, shaking his head in plea that she'd stop. She didn't, and his tenacity made her twist the tool, and he let out a painful groan, a hot drop of tear escaping his eyes. ... As he laid there with four bleeding puncture wounds in his body, his bloodshot eyes fell on her unconscious body, and more painful tears trickled down his face. He had failed. He had failed his wife and son. *** Natalie Cabel's life changes from bitter to bittersweet after a one-night stand with Isaac Bardekk, heir apparent to the throne of Bardaen. His love was contagious and bewitching, and she found herself helplessly wanting him in her forever. But a lady without roots could never be a crown princess of such a powerful kingdom, especially not one who lived a promiscuous life. Isaac, however, was not ready to give up as he promised her a new identity, prestige, and immunity in return for her being a faithful wife. For how long, though, and to what extent can she remain immune to hate and adversity from the queen consort? The queen mother? Her father-in-law, the king? And the subjects? If so, can she really uphold her faithfulness and be free from her husband's hate? Even when Vincent, Isaac's stepbrother, targets that?

"Aasif," I whispered, my voice shaky with desire. He didn't reply. He only held me tighter, his strong arms a band around my waist. His kisses grew more intense, all I wanted was him, His touch, his scent, him inside me. I was teetering on the edge, yet he held back. He held us back. He pulled away; his breathing as erratic as mine. His voice was rough, filled with an intense battle of restraint and desire   "This is just for curiosity's sake, right?" His voice was deep, husky, a sensual murmur against my skin that made my pulse race even faster. Gabriela a young nurse from a small Mexican town, shoulders the world as she strives to provide for her ailing mother and little sister, Maria. An unexpected opportunity emerges when she's offered a job at a prestigious hospital in Al-Qamar. Thrust into the vibrant but unfamiliar world of the Arabian desert, Gabby grapples with her new reality. But Gabby's life takes a dramatic twist when she crosses paths with a charismatic yet arrogant billionaire Sheikh. Their worlds collide in a whirlwind of opulence and high-stakes power dynamics, their association marked by the Sheikh's emotionally barren, benefit-based approach towards relationships. A tragic accident abruptly turns the tables when the Sheikh suffers memory loss, casting a shadow of uncertainty over Gabby's future. The once arrogant billionaire stands before her, a man without a past, unraveled and vulnerable. As Gabby is pulled into a vortex of caring for the man who once saw her as a mere commodity, she grapples with the strange affectionate ties that emerge. With a newfound bond budding and the Sheikh's memory threatening to return at any moment, Gabby is walking on a tightrope of emotions, what happens when the Sheikh's memory returns?

So there I was, stuck in this dark Victorian mansion for a whole freaking century, thinking I'd never get out. Then, out of nowhere, these two gorgeous girls swoop in and rescue me! I couldn't believe it, and we instantly hit it off. They showed me a whole new world I'd only ever imagined, and I was all about living a normal human life.   But just when I thought things were looking up, this vampire named Vivaldi pops up out of thin air, grinning like a possessed Jack-o'-lantern. I mean, a name like Vivaldi is bound to give you the creeps, right? He claimed I had some ancient first blood running through my veins and demanded that I sign some crazy blood contract with him—the kind of deal that comes with some seriously freaky consequences.   Vivaldi was trying to sell me the idea that this blood contract was his only lifeline, the only way to save his skin from something worse than death. But I wasn't some clueless newborn vamp; I knew better than to just dive into something as serious as a blood contract. Those things come with some heavy consequences, and I wasn't about to sign up for that without a second thought.   The problem was, if I didn't go along with his messed-up plan, he promised to make my friends' lives a living hell—the very people I'd started to care about. I was trapped between a rock and a hard place. If I decided to team up with Vivaldi, I'd be keeping him around, which is far from ideal. But if I refused, my friends and the whole town of Shadowvale would be in serious danger.    It felt like I was caught in this impossible situation, like I was trying to choose between two rotten apples.

"On your knees, baby girl." I looked up at him, lips parted. "You gonna punish me for wanting you?" His smirk was pure sin. "No, sweetheart. I'm gonna make you beg for more." ** He's the one man I was never supposed to touch. My father's best friend. Older. Ruthless. Filthy rich. Damian Wolfe owns half the city-and every filthy thought in my head. He's dangerous the way powerful men are: Quiet, controlled, and used to getting exactly what he wants. One night. One mistake. Now he's in my head, under my skin, and between my legs. He says I'm too young. Too off-limits. But his hands say otherwise. So does his moans. I was supposed to be a good girl. Now I'm the obsession he won't let go of. And the sin he won't stop tasting.