Lingered Antonyms

Daddy Issues Series Tagline: He was older. Forbidden. Everything I craved Clawing her way out of a toxic relationship that could be likened to hell, all Astrid Volkov wanted on the night of her twenty-first birthday was to be alone, but her loud friends found a way to drag her ass to the club where she came in contact with the mysterious older man, who appeared to be her knight in shining armour after he saved her from getting harassed. The connection they tried so hard to suppress fought its way out after a few drinks, entangling them in a night of unforgettable passion. Astrid could have sworn that would be the last of him, but this bitch called fate pulled its stunt once more and their paths crossed again, but this time, the tables drastically spun and she was quick to find out that the mysterious older man that gave her the best night of her life was none other than Jordan Remington, her father's long time best friend. The duo were hellbent on putting that night behind them, but Astrid's stubbornness and the sparks that still lingered from that night begged to differ. Was Astrid willing to screw all odds and go for what she wanted, knowing the risks involved? Was Jordan willing to put his friendship and reputation on the line for a girl he was old enough to father? Book one of Daddy Issues

“The agreement won’t be valid unless your husband signs it, ma’am.” The lawyer shot me a dismissive glance as I signed my name. “I know you’d like to use this as a way to flirt with your husband. After all, you can’t possibly be foolish enough to walk away from billions with nothing.” I gave him a faint smile, tucked the papers away, and sent a message to my husband’s most trusted secretary, Jolene. Even now, no one has realized that I had been reborn. My hand drifted to my still-flat stomach. The warmth and anticipation in my eyes were gone, replaced by cold resolve. I had to make sure my child and I “die” together, in front of everyone. In my previous life, everyone envied me for marrying Leo, the head of the Kosa mafia family. I thought I was the happiest woman in the city. Anything my gaze lingered on for more than three seconds, he would have someone deliver to me immediately. It was just because he thought it would make me happy. In this life, all I wanted was to end my marriage to Leo as quickly as possible!

I was dying of kidney failure. Henry Colombo—the ruthless Mafia heir who once swore he’d burn the world to keep me alive— found me a donor. But the price… was her. Susan Miller, the woman who’d always lingered between us, smiled as she set her terms: “Be mine for one month. Pretend you love me—and I’ll save her life.” He agreed. He said it was just to save me. But every lie, every kiss, every photo she posted online was another nail in my coffin. Each time the surgery drew near, she invented a new delay—a fever, a nightmare, a tender bruise. And Henry believed her. He always believed her. The night my heart flatlined on the operating table, he was across the city, feeding her grapes under candlelight, whispering her name—the name of the woman who had let me die. When he finally learned the truth—that every tear she shed was rehearsed, every promise she made was poison— he destroyed everything. Her lies. Her wealth. Her family name. His own empire. But none of it brought me back.

His tie hung loose, his eyes darker than sin. The scent of whiskey lingered on his breath as he leaned closer. “Tell me to stop,” he murmured, the words brushing against my skin like a dare. “You’re drunk,” I said, staring into those grey eyes as my heartbeat filled the silence. He smiled faintly, his gaze trailing from my hair until it fell on my lips. “Drunk,” he whispered, his thumb grazing my mouth as if testing how soft it was, “but not blind. You want this as much as I do.” ----- After her husband’s mysterious death, Mara Lawson becomes the center of a scandal threatening to destroy the powerful Lawson empire. Elias Lawson, her late husband’s twin, is everything she should resist—dangerous, magnetic, and forbidden. David Hale, her ex-lover, the man who walked away once and now wants forgiveness… and another chance. Between the man who broke her and the one who could ruin her, Mara is caught in a web of passion, guilt, and secrets that could shatter them all. Because in the Lawson world, love is never pure—it’s just another sin waiting to be punished.

Warning: Rated 18+ "You have me..." Once he dried my eyes, I noticed that his hand was no longer as chilly as it had been earlier in the interaction. He moved his mouth closer to mine and spoke in a low whisper, saying, "You only have me, and there's no way for you to run away from me since I am everywhere..." “You kissed me, you imprinted me as your vampire mate,” he added as he smirked.  My eyes widened when I touched my lips, and I felt his slow approach, asking, "You want me to kiss you, right?" I could feel him moving closer and closer. "You wanted it so desperately..." he groaned, then his eyes lingered on my lips, and in the flash of an eye, He was already laying claim to my lips; I gasped in response to his gently nibbling on them. I could taste blood on my lips, but he licked it up and withdrew away from me before I could react. "Fuck!" he muttered under his breath. "Catalina, what have you done to me? Why do I want to devour you so badly?"

My mom always said, "I've never played favorites. "You and your brother mean exactly the same to me." She said it so often I almost believed it. Growing up, anything my brother had, I had too. If he got a new pair of sneakers, so did I. If he signed up for coding classes, I was enrolled in the same ones. Even this year, when we came home for the holidays, my mom smiled as she handed each of us a neatly-packaged designer shopping bag. "I picked these out for you two at the store. One for each of you, exactly the same. "These outdoor brands are expensive, you know. A single jacket costs thousands. I'd never buy one for myself, but I don't mind splurging on you two." I took the jacket. It was well-cut, structured, and looked high-quality. A small warmth stirred in my chest. However, when I tried it on, the collar felt oddly irritating against my skin. Frowning, I pulled back the lining to check. There was a ring of yellowed sweat stains around the label, and tiny flakes of dandruff were caught in the Velcro. A faint musty smell lingered on the cloth, mixed with the stale odor of cheap tobacco. It was sour and impossible to ignore.

"Shh, just a little bit more," I said against her skin. I raised my head to stare at her and her blue eyes were wide. My thumb caressed her cheeks as she stared right back at me. "More, Kiara," I whispered. "Just a little bit more," I could feel the softness of her lips, the warmth of her body, and the sparks under her every touch. "Ivan," She whispered. *** She was my addiction. I couldn't get enough of her. Her touch set my body ablaze, and the taste of her lips lingered long after she was gone. Every moment without her was agony, and I longed for the next chance to hold her close. I had never been one to fall so deeply, to be so consumed by another person. She was my undoing, my weakness, and yet I couldn't imagine a life without her. She brought out a side of me that I had never known existed -wild, primal energy that couldn't be contained. And even now, as I lay beside her, watching her chest rise and fall with each breath, I knew that I could never get enough. She was my addiction, and there was simply no other way to describe it. #2 BROKEN SERIES

On her wedding night, Moza gave herself to the man she believed was her husband. ​But as the heat of their passion lingered in the dark, a gravelly, unfamiliar whisper shattered her heart: ​"I am satisfied. You have finally healed me." ​That voice didn't belong to her husband. ​In a single night, Moza’s life was destroyed. Stripped of her dignity, she was divorced and cast out into the cold, carrying the secret child of a stranger she had never seen. ​Four years later, Moza returns. ​She is no longer the broken girl they discarded. Steeled by a mother’s love and a thirst for the truth, she infiltrates the legendary Limantara Mansion. But she doesn't come back as a wife or a socialite, she comes back as their maid. ​Inside the mansion’s walls, she is at the mercy of five brothers. The Limantara heirs are the city’s most dangerous predators: handsome, ruthless, and intoxicatingly powerful. ​Somewhere among these five masters hides the man who took her innocence... and the father of her son. ​Now, trapped in their world and bound by their rules, Moza must play a deadly game of cat and mouse. Will she find the man who ruined her life and take her revenge? Or will she end up truly owned by the very men she’s supposed to destroy?

He tilted her chin up, his touch deceptively gentle. “You’re trembling,” he whispered, brushing his thumb over her lips, slow enough to make her shiver. “Is it fear…” his gaze lingered on her mouth. “Or me?” Her pulse stuttered, betraying her. He was too close, and her body didn’t seem to remember which feeling came first, terror or desire. **** Elena Castellano never thought her father would trade her freedom to keep her safe. But after a violent attack changes everything, she is forced to marry the one man she has every reason to be afraid of, Stefano Bernardo, the ruthless heir to one of Milan’s most dangerous families. To the world, it’s a union between two powerful families. To Stefano, it’s the sweetest revenge. Stuck in a marriage built on deceit and danger, Elena must fight not only for her freedom but for her life, because Stefano’s revenge runs deeper than she ever imagined. And if she truly wants to live, she must face the truth; the real danger isn’t her husband’s revenge, it’s falling for him. He married her to destroy her family. But she might become the death of him – literally.

On the day of our wedding, Maverick Lowe sacrificed me as bait to save his childhood sweetheart, Janet Stewart, from her kidnappers. I was left behind, brutally tormented by the gang. The next day, the entire internet was flooded with indecent videos of me. Maverick publicly branded me a disgrace, broke off our engagement in front of everyone, and soon after, paraded Janet as his bride. While I was drowning in despair, my childhood friend Alfred Hawkins confessed his love. He said he had always cared for me, and vowed to shelter me from every storm. With him by my side, I slowly climbed out of that darkness. We married, and soon after welcomed our daughter, Ruby. The three of us built a life of simple, perfect happiness. Until one day, I stumbled upon Janet sobbing in Alfred's arms. Between tears, she choked out, ''The doctor said… without a matching heart, Yoana won't last another month…'' Yoana, her little girl, had been born with a congenital heart defect. Alfred's hand lingered tenderly on her shoulder as he whispered. ''Don't cry. I told you, Ruby's heart was always meant for Yoana. ''After her birthday, I'll arrange the accident. Then Ruby will be delivered straight to the hospital…''