Pastel Tone

"You are one stubborn lady, you know that?." His raspy tone sounded close to her ear, sending gooseflesh up her arms. And her emotions must have been closer to the surface than she'd wanted to admit, because she could feel the sting of tears behind her lids. She hid her face in his shoulder and laughed. It sounded a little wobbly, but it was the best she could produce. "You hardly know me, David. And you already made it clear to me that you don't want to" "Well, you are making it difficult for me to stick to that" "It wouldn't be so bad if you let yourself. Forget about whatever reason brought us together. Let go... live in the moment" David groaned, and then his hand was beneath her chin, tilting her face up. Bonnie smiled, thinking he had a few more questions for her, when his mouth closed over hers and she couldn't think at all. —---------- Bonnie Rimmer is in danger, and David Stewart knows that it's all his fault. He had made more than a few enemies over the years, but a creepy stalker kidnapping the woman he was meant to protect is an entirely different matter. All of this could have been avoided if he had kept to one rule: don’t protect anyone you want to screw. Don't get emotionally involved with your client. But with Bonnie, he’s caught between his job and his increasingly hard libido. The woman is way out of his league, but David wants nothing more than to take the hot volcano of a woman in his hand. To make her writhe in pleasure, until she’s at his complete mercy. She needs protection. He needs satisfaction. And the moment the line is crossed, all hell will break loose…

When my Alpha mate, Logan noticed I hadn't submitted a single expense request in three days, he reached out to me on his own for the first time ever. "Baby, I've already approved the next phase of your wolf's healing. See? As long as you learn to behave, there's nothing I won't give you." His tone was still so affectionate, as if he were truly a good Alpha, worried sick over his mate. But he didn't know that as his "Baby" flashed across my phone screen, I had already finished drafting the agreement to sever our mate bond. Before I left, the only thing I could take with me was the old T-shirt I had worn when he marked me. No one would ever believe that the beloved Luna of the Blackmoon Pack, in the three years since our bonding ceremony, couldn't even scrape together five decent dresses of her own. Every household expense I incurred had to be approved by the Luna's seal, the very symbol of my power. "Sienna, managing the books is too tiring. It will wear you out." "Just let Chloe handle the tedious work with the seal. All you have to do is be beautiful, be my perfect Luna." And so, the Luna's seal, which should have been mine, became something I had to beg for from Chloe, the Alpha's secretary who was supposedly "handling the tedious work for me." Three days ago, my wolf was on the verge of collapsing. I cried and begged him for the two hundred thousand needed for an emergency intervention. But Chloe deliberately withheld the seal, delaying approval by claiming improper procedure. Finally, my already fractured wolf went completely silent in the depths of my soul. And with that, I was done with this Alpha, too.

"Do not run, my female. Face my fire. I promise it won't burn you but bring pleasure of... all kinds." He whispers hoarsely his pink tongue sensually caressing his moist plump lower lip, he is hungry for my flesh for my body. "Please let me go." I plead with him a faint whine leaving my lips. He shakes his head in denial a wicked devil's grin on his face. "If you run, I will take it that you want me to hunt you. If I find you after, I will gobble you up." He speaks with a deep aroused growl his eyes keenly studying my ample heaving breasts and my exposed trembling thighs. "Have mercy." I whimper knowing I will be mercilessly eaten by him. "Come here, mate." His tone is innocent as if he promises he wouldn't do anything to me. But I recognise the beast that lurks beneath in disguise just waiting to pounce on his prey and devour it. Deimos opens his arms wide taking a big step forward to capture me and that is all it takes for me to ignore his sinful warning and run. ~~~ Being born an Alpha female came with its own struggles but being mated to a God, the Alpha of Alphas tore me apart to pieces and shoved me into a neverending cycle of pain, betrayal and heartbreak. He wouldn't love me for his soul held a coldness that no heat could melt, his heart unfeeling and empty. He did not understand the true meaning of love or mates and he ruthlessly shattered me with his heartless words and actions yet the cruel beast never let me go for I belonged to him and him alone till death parted us and he made sure I understood that.

“You've read the contract, I assume?” His tone was soft but firm. His eyes, however, were fixated on her lips. “Every word.” Aurora hesitated, fingers brushing against the folder's edge. Michael furrowed his brows, gauging her expression. “Are you sure you want this? You can say no, and we’ll simply pretend this never happened.” “No,” Aurora said firmly, gripping the edges of her skirt. Her entire body pulsed with need for him, so how could she disagree? “I want this.” She quickly signed the contract. His hands left her jaw, reaching down to pull her up and against his office table. His hands slowly reached under her skirt. “Well, then. Let us begin, shall we?” *** Aurora Lane thought the worst day of her life was catching her boyfriend trying to sneak off on a hotel trip with her best friend, using her money. She was wrong. Booking the suite solo, she never expected to find a stranger already there. Tall, brooding, and infuriatingly magnetic. Michael Carson, a billionaire hotel mogul who lives for control, should’ve thrown her out. Instead, one night of passion turned into something neither could forget. When fate brings them together again, their simmering chemistry becomes impossible to ignore. A secret “no-strings” contract should have kept their hearts safe, but the more they try to resist, the deeper they fall. Then the past returns to destroy everything. A jealous ex. A web of lies. A powerful family that will do anything to keep them apart. And when a shocking betrayal turns deadly, Aurora must decide whether love is worth risking everything for… even her life. In a world of money, manipulation, and impossible love, can two broken hearts rewrite their destiny, or will the secrets between them burn it all down?

For the past three months, I've slept only three hours every day just so my team and I can create an app. Thanks to our hard work, the app goes absolutely viral to the point we've garnered over 100 million registered users on the first week of its launch. At the afterparty, my wife, Stacie Woodward, announces that her godbrother, Tory Frost, who's the PR manager, will be the one receiving the million-dollar bonus. She then tosses me a few 50% discount coupons that can be used in shopping malls as my bonus. "You're just a code monkey—why do you need that much money anyway? You can have these discount coupons. Use them on anything you want. At least buy some nice clothes for yourself. Don't go around wearing these rags. You'll just end up humiliating me more." I plead to her in a low tone, "Have you gone crazy, Stacie? My dad needs the money for the best medication in order to save his life! Can you please stop joking around?" But Stacie clings to Toby's arm, looking high and mighty. "Your dad's dying, isn't he? He might as well stop wasting the public resources! I can always choose him a better grave and hold a nice funeral for him when his time comes!" As I look at Stacie's smug face, I just smile at her instead of getting mad at her. She must have forgotten that the app's core algorithm and the user growth model are built using my private, undisclosed technology stack. That means the copyright is mine and has nothing to do with the company. I just smile while nodding at Stacie. That night, I activate the technology stack's self-destruct and migration protocols.

"Bhai… you can't act aggressive here. You love her and want to marry her. But she doesn't and you need to understand this. She doesn't even know you are the same man she used to talk with before", Sammy tries to reasonify. "Then what do you want me to do, huh? What should I do? Should I just leave from here and wait till the day she would be ready fully. It's been a goddamn fucking 2 years I'm looking for her. And now that I finally found her, she declines to marry me just like that", he says, seething. "But she doesn't know you are the one. She knows you as a guy fixed by her and our parents and even before seeing her you knew the same. Then why be angry with her", he says in a calmed tone making him agree. "Fine then. Let's wait and watch till she says yes because I-Am-Not-Going-Anywhere-From-Here. She has to marry me today or whatever the date mom decides", he says and fixes Sammy's shirt with a big smile. "But.. bhai..", he stops as Karan shows his palm to him. Crazy, He has lost it!!, he mutters internally looking at Karan. ************* Dia is an independent girl whose career was her first priority and wishes to never fall in love. While Karan the cold hearted dominant guy falls for her gradually and tries to make her his. He didn't want her for his one time lust, but for the rest of his life. He wanted her to be with her always and entitle her as his 'Wife'.  But what he didn't know was the upcoming storm which was ready to destroy his marriage. Will he be able to save his married life? Or will lose her till the end?

“Why are you like this, Axel?” she asked in a low voice, her tone slightly breaking. “Why won't you just leave me alone?” For a moment, something inside me stirred. I reached out slowly and placed my fingers under her chin, lifting her face. She tried to look away, but I wouldn’t let her. Tears pooled in her eyes, but she bit her lower lip stubbornly, trying to keep them from falling. But that tiny act of defiance… God, it did something to me. I wanted to pull her closer, to claim her, to make her mine and never let anyone else touch her. “One year,” I said finally. She frowned. “What?” “I want you,” I said clearly. “For one year, you’ll be my woman. In exchange, I’ll take care of you, your needs, your family’s protection, your brother’s freedom. Everything.” *** After catching her scumbag boyfriend in bed with her coworker, Olivia Brooks did what any heartbroken woman might… she drowned her sorrows at a club. One too many drinks later, she ended up in the arms of a dangerously handsome stranger. What she didn’t know was that the man she mistook for a gigolo was Axel Reynolds, a ruthless billionaire with a taste for control. Olivia tried to move on and bury the memory of that reckless night… until fate delivered a cruel twist. Axel Reynolds wasn’t just anyone—he was her step sister’s soon-to-be husband. Now, trapped between guilt and desire, Olivia wants to hide the truth. But Axel has already found her, and the devil never lets go of what he claims.

"Ethan," she began, her voice wavering slightly, "I've been thinking... considering our situation, maybe it's time we end this charade." Ethan, engrossed in a book, looked up, his eyes meeting hers. "End what, Mia?" he asked, his tone gentle yet curious. "Our marriage, Ethan," Mia said, her words hanging heavy in the air. "It's not real, and we both know it. We're living a lie, and I can't keep pretending anymore." Ethan placed his book aside, his expression serious. "I understand it's not ideal, Mia. But we made a commitment to our families. We can't just throw it all away because it's difficult." "But what if there's another way?" Mia suggested, her voice gaining strength. "What if we stage a cheating scandal? "Mia, I can't agree to something like that. It's dishonest, and it would hurt both our families. I won't play a part in such a deceitful plan." **** Ethan's voice, low and filled with desire, broke the sultry silence. "You look absolutely enchanting tonight, Olivia." Olivia's eyes smoldered with seduction as she replied, "And you, Ethan, are simply irresistible. This dinner is a feast for more than just our appetites." Their hands grazed each other, sending electric pulses of desire through their bodies. Ethan leaned in closer to Olivia, his voice a seductive murmur. "I can't resist your charms, Liv. You have a way of igniting my deepest desires." Olivia's lips curved into a seductive smile as she replied, "And you, Ethan, have a magnetic pull that's impossible to resist. Our little secret is driving me wild."

Ivy never planned to fall, literally, into Liam’s arms. But the day she bumped into him in the hallway, everything changed. His girlfriend noticed. The school noticed. At first, it was side eyes and some attitude. Then came the rumors. Just as the drama became unbearable, her world crashed, her parents died on the same day.  She had to move in with an aunt who she barely knew.  She stopped going to school, because the pain became unbearable. When she finally returned to school, the tone changed. There were new whispers, but only about her. To the girls like Claire and her group, Ivy was a pity seeker. She was beautiful, quiet, soft, so obviously, they thought she was faking it. Especially when the boys, including Liam, started being nice to her. Even her best friend, Sophia, changed after a new girl, Maya, showed up. Soon, Sophia turned against her, started acting mean. Another betrayal. Ivy was losing people faster than she could have ever imagined. And when her aunt suggested going to therapy, Ivy finally cracked. Ivy didn’t ask to be strong, she was shoved into it. She wasn’t eased into being strong, wasn’t given the time to learn, or grow into it. She learned to talk back. She learned to slap back, literally. When Sophia humiliated her in public, Ivy hit back without apology. But that didn’t mean Ivy was suddenly strong on the inside. She still cried when she was alone. Still felt broken. This isn’t some perfect girl story. Ivy’s not a superhero. She’s just trying to make it through each day without falling apart. She’s just trying to breathe without breaking. And maybe, somewhere in all that mess, she’ll find her own kind of peace.

My in-laws, Melvin Gardner and Sharon Murphy, kept it a secret from us and traveled all the way to Metoville to surprise their daughter, Vivian Gardner. I brought them to the restaurant where Vivian worked as head chef, thinking she would give them a proper welcome and a great meal. However, Vivian called over her favorite pretty-boy apprentice, Tyler Lambert, and had him handle a batch of wild-harvested oysters from the deep sea. These rare specimens were notorious because they may carry Tetrodotoxin if not purged with extreme precision—a high-stakes task that even the seasoned chefs usually avoided. Tyler frowned and whined at her, "Oh come on, Chef, these oysters are so tricky to prepare. I'm not sure I can handle them..." Vivian just laughed it off. "Just give them a quick rinse, and you're done. They're just a couple of old country folks. There's no need to fuss." Melvin and Sharon ate the oysters. Within ten minutes, they were foaming at the mouth and collapsed on the table. When Vivian rushed over, she did not even bother to look at the two elderly people. Instead, she was busy comforting Tyler, who had gone pale and fallen into her arms. She said, "If they got food poisoning, send them to the hospital. But make sure they sign a liability waiver before they leave." She glanced at me casually, her tone suggesting the poisoned elderly couple had nothing to do with her. "Your parents are from the countryside, so they're probably not used to city food. Don't try to pin this on the restaurant or Tyler!" It hit me that she still had not realized the people who had collapsed at the table were her own parents. I looked at her helplessly and confirmed, "Are you sure you want to clear 'Tyler' of all responsibility?"