Nora Roberts Latest Novels Novels & Stories

My blood ran cold. What is she talking about? Nora’s smirk deepened as she lowered the phone slowly, like she couldn’t wait to drop her next line. “Oh, Carmen,” she sighed, as if she pitied me. “Still clinging to half-truths, huh?” I narrowed my eyes, trying to steady my breath. “What the hell are you talking about, Nora?” She leaned against the pipe across from me, casually crossing her arms like we were in a classroom, not a concrete prison. “You keep thinking I ruined you and Blake. That I was the big bad wolf in your fairytale.” Her lips curled.

**Chapter 10: No Expiration** Nora left the city three days later. She packed one suitcase, closed out the stipend account, and transferred every remaining cent Sebastian had given her into a separate fund for her mother’s continued care. Then she boarded a train north with no destination beyond *away*. The security detail followed as far as the station. After that she was alone.

Nora’s POV “Shut up!” I rolled my eyes, watching as she shrugged a sheer jacket on over her red bra, pairing it with a shiny red skirt that barely grazed her mid-thighs. Hers was shorter than mine, and she undeniably looked hot. Gosh, she was pretty, her chest full and enviable compared to my own modest frame. She stepped into a pair of red boots that hugged her ankles, then shot me a look to put mine on. Thankfully, she’d picked out a decent pair for me, too. They hit right beneath my calf joints, leaving only my mid-thighs down to my shins bare.

The last fluorescent bank clicked off at 8:02 p.m. Nora remained in the rare-book room, seated at the long oak table beneath the mezzanine, a first-edition folio open in front of her. The graduate reading lights were still on, throwing warm pools across the dark wood. She had stayed late every Thursday for six weeks. Tonight was no different—except that the main doors had already been locked and she had not moved.

Nora’s POV “Do not move. Do not make a sound.” Marcus Hale’s voice stayed low and absolute against the back of my neck. His cock remained buried to the hilt inside me. My palms stayed flat on the polished conference table. The master key had already turned. The door handle began to move. City lights still glittered through the glass walls, throwing our joined reflection across every dark panel. I was Nora Blake, twenty-seven, the associate who had spent two nights learning exactly how little control she still owned on this floor. The thin fabric of my skirt sat bunched around my waist. My bare cunt clenched once around him in pure fear and he answered with a single warning press of his finge

Then silence again. Maya’s ears are ringing. She slides along the wall, trying to orient herself. The room they’re in is large. It's about twenty by thirty, with bookshelves lining two walls, a massive desk in the centre, and leather chairs scattered like islands. She's been here so many times that in daylight she could navigate it quite easily. In darkness, every step is a gamble. Light footsteps circle somewhere near the centre of the room. “You underestimated me,” Nora says, her voice moving. “That was your first mistake. Thinking I’d hide the ledger where you’d expect to find it. Thinking I’d let you walk in here and take it without a fight. You’ve spent years watching David. You never o

“But I thought you deserved the courtesy of a farewell.” I pulled my knees closer to my chest and pressed my back into the wall. Every instinct screamed for Ruby, but the silence inside me was absolute. I’d never felt more alone in my life. Nora crouched slightly, just enough to meet my eye through the bars. “Did you really think no one would notice?” she asked. “That you could sneak your way to the throne like a rat?” “I didn’t—” My voice cracked, barely above a whisper. “Oh, you did,” she said, almost gently. “But I can’t blame you. It was a clever plan. Come in looking soft and fragile. Capture his attention. Hide your little affair until it’s too late.”

he hissed. “Fine,” Aion grumbled. The door opened, and Nora stood there looking hesitant. She was about five foot four, with brown hair, and brown eyes. She wore a simple, grey t-shirt, jeans, and a light, grey hoodie. Her shoes were a beat-up pair of sneakers. “Um. Hi.” Roman rounded the desk. “Hello, Nora. I’m glad that you finally came.” “Thanks…is Winter okay with him?” Nora asked, gesturing in the direction of where Winter and Aion had gone. “He didn’t seem like was too happy about having an extra person here.”

No one else could have slipped through the protective wards without triggering alarms, but Nora had always been the exception not just to the rules of this place, but to every carefully constructed belief I had once held. She stood with her back to me, half-illuminated by the glow of a floating orb light hovering near her shoulder. Books were scattered across the long table in front of her, some open, others sealed with ancient wax and forgotten sigils. Her fingers trembled as she traced the faded ink of a map. Her eyes, when she glanced up at my approach, were sharp, wary, and far too tired. “You’re not supposed to be in here,” she said without preamble, like I was just another problem she

Rosa hissed, her eyes sharp enough to wound. “Yes.” Noah replied firmly. “She does.” Nora took the seat Noah drew out for her with quite grace, offering a polite smile. “Good evening, Ms. Bamford.” “With someone like you present, I don’t see how any evening could be good,” Rosa shot back. “Mother,” Noah warned. “It’s fine,” Nora said calmly, though her fingers curled beneath the table. “Say whatever nonsense you came to say,” Rosa snapped. “I’m busy.”