Limestone Skin Tone

George Sunther doesn't show up on the day we're supposed to get engaged. His family is nowhere to be seen either. Mom's and Dad's faces become increasingly darker as our relatives whisper disapprovingly. I'm about to contact George when I see a social media update from Winona Sunther, the Sunther family's adopted daughter. "From today onward, we're siblings and also spouses." A photo of her and George decked out in wedding attire while holding each other close is attached. Later, I find George, and he says guiltily, "Winnie is pregnant out of wedlock, and her boyfriend has made a run for it. I have to marry her first so that her reputation remains untainted. It's all so she can have the baby without any hitches." I'm stunned. The invitations for our wedding have already been sent out! George wraps an arm around my waist, his tone as gentle as always. "I'll marry you once the baby is born, okay? You're the only woman I'll call my wife, Mary. You have to trust me." I look into his eyes, which I had once loved with all my heart. My heart twists painfully. He's always like this. He always tells me I have to be more tolerant and magnanimous when it comes to Winona because she's his sister. I watch as he leaves in a hurry after answering a call from Winona. Then, I stop hesitating and call my parents. "Mom, is the Zowski family still up for a wedding?"

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.

On my birthday, Connor Simpson's first love jumped off a building due to depression. She died on the spot. Connor blamed everything on me. I never celebrated my birthday again after she died. After the murderer electrocuted me for more than ten hours, they forced me to call Connor. "Connor, it's my 25th birthday today. Can you come over and spend time with me?" However, Connor did not notice anything unusual. His voice was laced with venomous iciness. "Clarisse Winter, Audrey wouldn't have died if it weren't for you. How dare you ask me to celebrate your birthday? If only you were the one who died." I heard him coaxing a woman on the other end just before he hung up on me. That low and gentle tone was what I loved to hear the most in the past. That night, the murderer cut my body into countless pieces, packed them in bags, and threw them in front of the police station. Connor was summoned back overnight. He spent two days and two nights piecing together the body parts, but he did not realize that the dead person was the wife that he hated the most.

"Push your cock in!" Ayra spoke, gawking at Alpha with the burning fire. Sweat of fright crawled within his skin, in the freezing cold night. Alpha Athen stared back blankly with an obvious hesitation flashing in front of his eyes. He hasn't yet forgotten how his ex turned to ashes as soon as his cock slipped into her. Acknowledging the limitations of his touches, he began to develop feelings for her. The carnal urge to pin her to the wall or take her down, left him restless and agitated. Will the Cursed Alpha ever be able to F**k the love of his life?

As we kissed, it was like a rush of emotions. Relief, joy, and the happiness of being close again filled me up. Every kiss felt like a fresh start, wiping away the silence and bringing us back together. Then I realized that I was truly his desire. The world around us disappeared as if no one mattered. I could feel the heat of his hands through my shirt, his fingers caressing my skin and sending shivers down my spine. His lips moved down to my neck, leaving a trail of kisses. ************************** Harper was rudely bumped into by an arrogant jerk at the gym, not wanting to own up to his fault, he ordered her out of the gym. Imagine her shock when she finds out that he was no other but Joshua Stevenson, her new boss at the office and they had been arranged to marry. Will she bow to pressure or give Josh a run for his money?

"I...Is he my son?" He asked in shock when he saw my son Aldo standing beside me, and I tried to hide Aldo behind my body protectively, scared that now he might take my son from me when he finds out that he is his son, and all this time I have been keeping it a secret. "No! He is not." I lied, trying to sound confident, but I knew I was failing miserably as my forehead was sweaty and my tone was trembling. "Shut up, Sab. Don't lie to me, because you clearly mentioned that the only man who has been inside of you is me. And, even if you lie, no one is going to believe that this boy isn't my son because he looks just like me. Now, the question is, Why did you keep him away from me all this time? Why?!" he barked out the last sentence in anger, making me flinch and Aldo cry out of fear from this man. The Ruthless Italian Tycoon that I had one night stand with and ended up pregnant with his secret heir.

Belle Gray, a 17-year-old with a future as bright as her smile, is the epitome of innocence. She was as pure as any girl can ever be. Her overprotective older brother has ensured she barely had any interaction with boys. But when Noah Alabaster, her brother's best friend, entered her life, Belle's world turned upside down. She realized that she was in love with him who turns out to be his professor as well. She was well aware Noah was strictly off limits, yet she couldn’t help falling for him. Noah Alabaster, a 26-year-old professor, a man of intense passion, irresistible charm and intelligence. He always maintained distance from girls, yet the moment he lays his eyes on Belle, he knows he can't resist her who happens to be his best friend’s sister. Although he did hide his feelings, he soon found himself losing control over his heart. He's obsessive, determined and willing to do anything for the woman he loves, even if it means breaking every rule. The magnetic pull between Belle and Noah is undeniable. Belle's innocent mind filled with forbidden fantasies about him, imagining how would his touch feel on her bare skin, to hear him whisper her name in the darkness. What will Belle do when Noah comes to live with her family for a while? Can Belle resist the temptation that threatens to consume her? Or she will surrender to her desires and risk everything for the taste of the forbidden? As their forbidden love blossoms, they faced complexities to hide their love from the world. But secrets have a way of unraveling. Will their love be strong enough to survive the storm or the intensity of their passion ultimately be their downfall? Dive into the world of love, lust and forbidden desire.

ADRIAN'S POV My head was pounding, a dull throb that echoed the frantic beat of my heart. I was hot, too hot, my skin slick with an unfamiliar sweat. I knew it instantly: drugged. One moment I was escorting Aria, basking in the glittering lights and dancing with her in the ballroom at her birthday party. Next, a wine from a waiter, a trip to the bathroom, and then… darkness. I blinked, trying to focus on the blur above me. Damien. My stalker. The man who’d been haunting the edges of my life for weeks, whispering cryptic claims of a shared past I couldn’t recall. He was on top of me, pinning me to the plush velvet of some unfamiliar bed. His eyes, usually so intense and unsettling, were filled with a disturbing mix of guilt and desperation. "I’m sorry, Adrian, I'm so sorry I had to do this, but I can't stand seeing you with her. Watching you rewrite our history... please, remember me. Remember us." He leaned down, his breath hot against my ear. "I promise, I'll cherish you this time." Then, his lips crashed onto mine, a fierce, possessive kiss that stole my breath away. His hands moved over me, desperate and knowing, igniting a fire that both terrified and strangely thrilled me. Maybe it was the drug blurring the lines of reason. Or maybe… just maybe, deep down, my body recognized something my mind couldn’t. It responded to his touch with a shameful eagerness, a desperate need that mirrored his own. All I could do was surrender to the moment, to the heat, to the undeniable connection I felt with this man, Damien, as I returned his kiss with a fervor that shocked us both.

"I desire you now, beautiful Latifah". The King stated in what I might have thought as a calm but rumbling tone. "Your Grace!". I said, avoiding his gaze,  sobbing in a low, whining, and broken voice. "Look at me!". He ordered, in a husky voice, but I quietly declined, looking elsewhere but his face. "Latifah". He called out, sounding rather agitated this time. "Your Majesty..I fear for my life, should the queen walk in and meet us in this compromising position-". I asked, barely whispering. "I do not give a damn fvck what she thinks or feels". He said, in a rather calm tone, yet so firm it scared me to death. "I want you in my bed withering underneath me as you moan my name". He added. ************ Latifah Lakewood had never known life outside of the palace. Although privileged to have been born in the palace. She was however, raised to serve in the palace all her life, thus, making her life nothing short of sighs, sorrow and sadness.  Over the last century, the evil beast had possessed and dominated the human race, totally annihilating the majority of the population, and enslaving the remnant.  Sadly enough for her, her parents had been counted among the enslaved humans. With the advice of the wise, she must now do everything possible not to draw unnecessary attention to herself, or risk being noticed.  This she ensured until an unfortunate incident happened, altering the course of her life forever. Join me in this ride as we journey into the world of intrigues, suspense and dilemma.

Three years after Vivian and I married into the Domingo family, our husbands' childhood crush Niama Guido came back to the town. Vivian and I had a whole escape plan. But the night before we bailed, Vivian threw herself off a high-rise. I called her husband, Pedro Domingo. He laughed, his tone nasty and cold. "Reena, my brother asked, since she jumped today, are you going to drown yourself tomorrow?"