Playing Pretend

Her laughter cascaded through the air, a seductive melody that intertwined with her mischievous gaze. "You underestimate yourself, Nathan. Behind that haughty mask lies a man consumed by desires he can't control." His eyes smoldered with a mixture of longing and determination, stepping closer, he drew her into his embrace, their bodies pulsating with an electric current. His voice, a velvet caress, dripped with untamed sensuality. "You're playing with fire, Brixlee. But know this, I always emerge victorious." . . Nathan Grey is a powerful and wealthy businessman known for his commanding presence. When Brixlee, a humble country girl, embarrasses him at a fancy party, Nathan's wounded pride fuels a strong desire for revenge. Little does he know that seeking vengeance won't be straightforward. Determined to make Brixlee pay for her audacity, Nathan devises a clever plan. With the support of his friend Lucas, he proposes a bet that requires him to get close to the mysterious Brixlee. As the stakes rise, Nathan embarks on a journey filled with unexpected challenges and surprising discoveries. As the story unfolds, Nathan finds himself caught in a tangle of love and passion, where the rules of the game blur and desires become entwined. Balancing his quest for revenge with growing emotions he can't deny, he must confront a startling truth – sometimes, winning the game means losing what truly matters. In the midst of this dangerous game of love, where trust is fragile and hearts are vulnerable, Nathan and Brixlee must navigate a treacherous path. Will they surrender to the irresistible connection between them? Or will their hidden secrets and unfulfilled desires bring them crashing down, leaving them both vulnerable and broken? It is a captivating tale of passion, redemption, and the tumultuous dance between two souls who must confront their vulnerabilities to find happiness.

My husband's first love posted a video on her social media. In the video, the two of them were passing a playing card with their lips. When the card fell, their lips met in a kiss. They didn't stop—lost in the moment, they kissed passionately for an entire minute. Her caption read: [Still the same clumsy piggy! PS: Steve's skills are as good as ever!] I quietly liked the post and left a comment: [Congrats.] The next second, my husband called, yelling at me furiously, "No other woman is as dramatic as you! I was just playing a game with Lanie. Why are you acting crazy again?" It was then that I realized seven years of love meant nothing. It was time for me to leave.

"You have my daughter, La Gualias, I want Kira back,” Alan Whitaker demanded. “You have no rights on her, Dimitri La Gualias.” “I bought her, she is my property,” Dimitri replied. “I want my daughter, La Gualias,” Alan shouted. “And if I found out that you had defiled her!” “Well, I have already, multiple times,” Dimitri mocked. “La Gualias,” Alan screamed. “Well, she screams Dimitri when I fuck her!" Dimitri spoke shamelessly. “What do you intend to do with her?” Alan demanded. “Fuck her, use her, then maybe dump her in the jungles of Romania, what else do you think will happen? Why do you think I have a Whitaker in my home?” “So, you are using her?” Alan clarified. “Of course I am using her,” Dimitri looked stunned. “What else is she good for?” “I heard rumors that she is your mate,” Alan asked. “Well yeah! I had to pretend, what else!” Dimitri rolled his eyes. “She is very stubborn. She was a virgin who would not let me touch her until she had a promise of forever. And she threw herself at me once I did that, just like that… Are all girls in your bloodline so naïve and gullible?” ******* Dimitri, the most powerful alpha and mafia lord of the world, bought Kira at an auction. He is a ruthless man who likes to dominate. He is successful in everything he did, but he never knew that his one purchase will change the course of his life forever. But while Dimitri had power, Kira had a secret. She is the heiress to another powerful and rival clan, whose past, present, future are just as unpredictable as Dimitri's moods. What would happen when these two opposite personalities will clash? Delve in to their lives to get to know more...

A flash flood swept down from the mountains, causing me to become caught in a car crash. As five steel bars pierced through me, I could feel my blood pouring out in torrents as my life hung by a thread. My husband rushed to the scene. Instead of coming to me, he cradled his true love from the passenger seat and walked away. He didn't even glance in my direction. I was in and out of the ICU three times, clinging to life. Not once did he visit me. His attention was wholly fixed on the girl, who only had a mild concussion. After nearly ten years of deceiving myself, I couldn't keep playing the fool any longer. The day I was discharged, I asked my husband, Dominic Davis, for a divorce. I had survived by sheer luck, and I wasn't about to waste any more time with a husband who didn't love me.

"Can I kiss you?" All it took were these four simple words and Jamie threw all common sense to the wind. It was just a kiss. A kiss shared at a college party without thought. And this kiss just had to be the thing to turn Jamie's life upside down but maybe that flip was all his life ever needed. ~ Jamie Martin has always been tied to his mother's wishes without question. After his father walked out on them when Jamie and his sisters were very young, his mother became mentally unstable. He doesn't want his mother to harm herself but always playing the "good kid" has him feeling suffocated. Trying to keep college, friends and his good relationship with his family, he is torn between sticking to his mom's wishes as always or giving in to the freedom, love and comfort that is Higan Parker.

When Elizabeth takes a new job as a nanny, she assumes she's going to work for a wealthy couple who hired her. But instead of pulling up to their million-dollar estate, she finds herself on the front porch of a humble farmhouse, looking into the eyes of dark and brooding single dad, Jonathan. It's bad enough that Jon doesn't have a fortune to charm out of him, but he's also a police officer. After marrying his college girlfriend only to have her leave months after their baby was born, Jon has sworn off girls for life. All that matters now is taking care of his child. If anyone can break down the tough exterior of the former soldier, it's her. But just when she's close to getting exactly what she wants, she's faced with a whole new challenge. That is to pretend she does not love him.

Lizzy is trying to escape her past. Shielding herself from the dangers that may lead to her death one day. She has managed to keep a low profile and be safe for the last five years. But after a stupid video goes viral, she is not so sure anymore. Now, she is terrified all the time. Panics at the sight of men in dark suits and black cars. Even the thought of stepping out of her home fills her with dread. What would she do when a certain dangerous man from her past is done with the game of chase they have been playing? What if now he is desperate for a confrontation? And has a proposal that she might not refuse? How would she answer all the questions she left behind after escaping the world from which no one ever returned alive? The Perazzo Series: Book 2 [Standalone With Spoilers] NOTE: This book contains mystery and suspense elements, and not all the questions will be immediately answered.

Dylan Gold was only six years old when her mother died. Soon after, her father remarried a woman that despised her. At school, her step-siblings pretend not to know her. With her father constantly away for work, Dylan is left alone with people that don't like or care about her. Having no friends or real family around her, Dylan spends majority of her time reading and working at the local diner. Her life is completely turned around when transfer student and alleged 'bad boy' Callum Gage blows into town. Taken by her captivating beauty and timid nature, Callum is determined to know her.

My girlfriend, Elsa Smith, always avoided meeting my parents. Yet, she had no trouble turning around and playing the role of her ex-boyfriend Leo Quinn’s fiancée, happily meeting his relatives instead. And the meeting took place in the apartment I had prepared for us to live in after the wedding. What she did not realize was that I happened to be Leo’s distant cousin. She pretended not to know me and clung sweetly to Leo, saying, "This apartment was bought by my hubby, fully paid for." All the relatives were praising them as a loving couple. To keep me from exposing her, Elsa came over to warn me, "I’m just helping a friend deal with marriage pressure. If you mess this up, we’re done." So, I sincerely offered my congratulations. "Since Leo and I seem to have the same taste in houses and women, I’ve got some wedding supplies that I’m sure he’ll like. I’ll gift them to you both." That was when Elsa finally started to panic.

A weekend together on a luxurious boat… She is desperate and he is filthy rich. They don’t know each other but they need each other badly… for different reasons. Is this the beginning of a beautiful love story or a disaster waiting to happen? Sunny is a struggling actress trying desperately to keep her job in order to survive in New York and help her mother. This becomes impossible since the theater where she performs the role of Sally Bowles in the musical “Cabaret”, is about to get temporarily closed. After her last performance, Sunny encounters Magnus Karlsen, a billionaire. And he is the answer to all her prayers. Magnus Karlsen must find a fake fiancée for the weekend ASAP! And the fiery, sexy, talented Sunny Makkena, the actress he just watched in the weirdest, sleaziest, most amazing show he had ever seen, is the perfect candidate for this vital role. He absolutely needs Sunny’s presence by his side during a one-weekend cruise with his parents. So, Magnus makes her a proposal he knows she can’t refuse. But the weekend doesn’t go as planned, and not because she isn’t doing her job. Sunny Makkena plays the role of Magnus’s fiancée all too well. Almost perfectly. She is absolutely real in public and she’s even more real in bed. Too bad that it’s all just playing pretend.