Slow Burner

“Wait.” His voice was soft as he stepped closer. “Who are you?” I turned back to him, my smile never wavering while I tried to slow my heart rate racing. “Oh, it's Emilia Cattaneo from Verona.” I lied. He stared at me, his gaze unwavering. “Funny because last week… you said your name was Juliette” My blood froze. He remembered? No way. My mouth opened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. You must have mistaken me for someone else.” His smile vanished and I could make out the tick in his jaw. “Don’t lie to me in my house.” ****** He was never meant to fall for her. She was never meant to betray him. Isabella De Luca enters the world of the Romano mafia empire with one mission: destroy it from the inside. Armed with secrets and trained for deception, she becomes the perfect candidate for the mafia king’s bride — beautiful, bold, and completely fake. But Matteo Romano is not just a cold-blooded heir. He’s cunning, ruthless, and dangerously magnetic. The deeper Isabella sinks into his world, the harder it becomes to tell where the mission ends and where desire begins. When betrayal collides with bloodlines and a buried truth resurfaces, everything unravels. A deadly empire. A forbidden pregnancy. A woman torn between revenge and love. And a king who must choose between power… and the one person who was never supposed to matter. In this world, loyalty is currency. And trust? The deadliest weapon of all.

What will you do if you suddenly find out that you are betrothed with the king of the alpha gang when you are just a mere human? And it was prophesied long ago when you were not even born.... The two rival alpha kings of two different clans are prophesied to be the mate of the mere human, Ruth who will bear a child with one of them. The child - half human, half wolf will be the king of kings of all era. The two alpha kings - Alexander and Thomas - both want to behold and possess the power whom no one ever had. But was that truly a prophecy for which they were ready to sacrifice everything? Or just merely an old saying? And what about Ruth and Adam who are madly in love with one another in the mortal human world? " Leave me alone! " Ruth screamed with rage and fury. " Why have you taken me here? " Her big beautiful eyes shone with fear when she saw the dark silhouette behind her came to light infront of her. " You...." Looking at the dark shadow, she froze at her spot. " Yes,me. And here you are, my would be bride who will bear my child in her womb. " Crazy laughter broke out the whole castle. " No! Let go of me! Adam! " Ruth screamed when she saw the dark shadow coming directly towards her slow by slow. She tried to get up but could not as she was tied up with the pillar. " Adam! " Her voice went meek as she was fainting gradually, looking at the shadow coming close to her little by little....

“We shouldn't do this,” I gasp as his hand slips beneath my dress, his hot breath brushing my ear. “You can say that all you want, but you're already dripping for me.” His grip on my thighs tightens. “So let me ruin you—slow, deep, and on every surface in this room.” A moan escapes me—and then he lifts me. _________ Nova Kingsley is a 24-year-old she-wolf with a legacy soaked in blood and secrets. She made peace with control. Power kept her safe. Duty kept her distant. Love? That was a luxury for wolves who didn't carry kingdoms on their shoulders. Then came the Weston brothers. Nate is kind, loyal, and the younger brother offering the future she needs. But Alex? The Alpha-heir is untamed, dangerously intense, and utterly forbidden. His gaze unravels her. His touch threatens to consume her. And when they collide, the world shifts. Stars tremble. The gods remember. Bound by a divine blessing and trapped in an ancient prophecy, Nova and Alex are more than star-crossed—they’re caught in the middle of a war between goddesses, where fate is weaponized and love is a battlefield. As a deadly threat rises from the shadows and war brews on all sides, Nova must choose between the mate she can have… and the one her soul was created for. Because some bonds are sacred. Others are damned. And this one? It's both. _________ Content Warning: This dark romance contains themes that may be triggering to some readers, including graphic violence, death, emotional trauma, forbidden love, sexual content (18+), supernatural elements, and family betrayal.

"I like her," I said as I sat across from my mother unable to keep the frustration from boiling over. "Like who?" "Callie," I admitted, my chest tightening as I said her name. Her expression froze for a moment before she set the papers aside and leaned forward. "You’re joking, right? Callie is your brother’s girlfriend." "I don’t care," I snapped. "I can’t stand seeing him with her. She should be mine, and I’m not going to just sit back and watch them together." "Well, well. This is interesting." She sat back, steepling her fingers. "You really want her all to yourself?" "More than anything," I confessed. A slow smile crept across her face, and it sent a chill down my spine. "Don’t worry. I have a plan.” Whatever she had in mind, I knew it wouldn’t be simple. But if it meant having Callie… I was willing to do whatever it took. **************** Callie was given a choice by her new boss: either lose her job or act as his escort for his family’s Christmas and New Year celebrations, pretending to be his girlfriend. Left with no other option, she reluctantly agrees to be his escort but what she doesn’t realize is that she’s walking straight into a trap. Dive into a story of love, betrayal, romance, suspense, and a Christmas miracle. Second Chances Under the Tree is a gripping and intriguing read that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

It's my first day undercover at my future husband's dessert shop, and chaos walks in with fake lashes and two-inch nails. "I want an ice cream. Heated." I paused. "Just checking... You want your ice cream hot?" She gave me a look like I'd failed kindergarten. "Yes. Hot ice cream. Are you slow?" Deep breath. Zen mode. Customer-first service smile. "I'm sorry, ma'am. Ice cream has to stay frozen, or it just turns into—well... milk. If you want something warm, we have hot tea or coffee." "I'm pregnant!" she screeched. "Pregnant women crave weird things! Plus, my doctor said I can't eat anything cold! Are you trying to kill my baby and me? Is that what this is?!" People started turning their heads. Fantastic. A whole audience. I kept my voice low. "Ma'am, I can refund you." She suddenly smacked the counter, knocking the scanner sideways. Her nails shot past my face like tiny knives. "What kind of attitude is that?! A pathetic cashier talking back to me? I'll call my husband and get you fired!" Then, she leaned in like she was about to reveal a royal bloodline. "Guess what? I'm the boss's wife." I blinked. If that was true, I really needed to stop thinking about helping my boyfriend to open 3,000 franchise stores.

Dying from wolfsbane, I came back six months into carrying his pup. I went straight to a witch, begged for a potion to slow down the pup's growth. Choked it down. Then every day, I padded my belly with rabbit fur and kept up the act. In my first life, Emily and I went into labor on the same day. She popped out a perfect silver-white pup. Me? A white wolf giving birth to some scrappy mutt. James—Alpha of Ebonfang Pack—looked me dead in the eye and swore I betrayed him. I begged him to test the pup's blood. He did. Results came back: father was from an enemy pack. He called me a traitor, said I slept with the enemy, cut the bond, and threw me out. Five years rogue gutted my wolf. Then he showed up again. Guilt all over his face. "Emily got played by a Darkclaw wolf. She's just an omega—she wouldn't have survived going rogue. I had to swap the pups. Didn't you get the supplies I sent? Whatever, it's over. I'll take care of you now." Emily shot me a look full of venom and passed me a teapot. Didn't even get a word out before the wolfsbane kicked in. I died choking, eyes wide, body frozen. But now? I'm back. I know everything. Let's see how they plan to win this time.

His hands slid up my thighs, in a slow and deliberate manner, and my breath hitched. “What if…” I gasped as his fingers tightened possessively. “What if my mother finds out?” He didn’t answer with words. Instead, he captured my lips in a searing kiss that swallowed my protests and set my entire body aflame. His mouth moved against mine with a hunger that said he didn’t care about consequences, didn’t care about anything except this….except us. When he finally pulled back, his eyes were dark with desire, his voice a low rumble against my skin. “Then let her.” ~~~ When fate deals the cruelest hand, desire doesn’t play fair Belle Westwood never expected her fresh start to come with a mate bond—especially not to the one man she absolutely cannot have. He’s powerful, commanding, and everything her wolf craves. He’s also her mother’s husband. One stolen kiss changes everything. Now, caught between duty and an attraction that threatens to consume them both, Belle must decide walk away from her fated mate, or risk destroying everyone she loves for a chance at the one thing she’s never had—true love. But when her past comes back to haunt her and enemies close in, Belle realizes that sometimes the most dangerous thing isn’t the secret you’re keeping… it’s the one you can’t resist.

His hand pressed against the wall beside my head, his breath hot against my ear. “You’re blushing again, professor,” Ace whispered, his voice low, sinful. I swallowed, trying to steady myself, but my body betrayed me, arching towards him, aching for more. “You’re too close,” I managed, my voice unsteady. He smirked, brushing his lips over my jaw, slow and deliberate. “Then tell me to stop.” I should have. God, I should have... Instead, I tangled my fingers in his hair and pulled him to me. His mouth crashed over mine, hungry and rough, and the world outside his disappeared. I thought living with him would be the worst decision of my life. Turns out, it might be the hottest. -- -- -- I needed a roommate. What I got was Ace, tattooed, arrogant, and infuriatingly gorgeous. He breezed into my apartment like he owned it, with that cocky smile and a body that makes focusing on my studies nearly impossible. The walls are thin. Too thin. Every night, I hear things I shouldn’t. And worse… I start fantasizing about things I shouldn't. I tell myself that he’s a distraction I can’t afford but when he offers to tutor me in things that have nothing to do with textbooks, I’m not sure I can resist. One touch. One kiss. One lesson I’ll never forget. Living with Ace was meant to be temporary. Falling for him? That was never part of the plan.

"W-wife?" “its okay to see me and treat me like trash,I’ve lived with that knowledge for years. Even if you hate my presence so much, why do you want to marry me off to some guy I didn’t know existed until this moment?’’ Camila couldn't fathom marrying at such a young age. "I can't believe you're going to make me marry someone like her," Leonardo muttered to his father, his voice dripping with contempt. "She's nothing more than a child. Just look at her, she looks like she’ll break any moment from now. And for God’s sake she looks naive" With Leonardo storming out in anger, the atmosphere grew tense. "Why do you and Mom hate me so much?" Camila cried out, her tears flowing freely. "You've locked me away in the back house for years, and now you're forcing me into marriage without my consent!" .................>>>>> Camilla's sole desire has always been to experience love and receive fair treatment from her family. However, her world takes a drastic turn when her family arranges a marriage with the seemingly uninterested and arrogantly indifferent Leonardo. Will they defy the odds and make their marriage work, or will they ultimately conclude that the endeavor isn't worth the struggle? Embark on a journey with Camilla and Leonardo . p.s one of this book's trope is slow burn romance

Calen was a benchwarmer on the university swim team, someone who never actually competed. The captain, Karl, was everything he wasn’t, a campus golden boy. Three records broken. A new girlfriend every other week. One night, Calen realized he’d left something behind and went back to the locker room. That was when he heard it. Ragged breathing. Strained, barely held back. And beneath it… the slow, awful sound of metal bending under pressure. He pushed the door open. Karl stood with his back to him. His bare muscles writhed beneath his skin, moving wrong, his spine standing out in sharp ridges. His fingers were dug deep into the steel locker, nails tearing through metal, leaving long, brutal gouges. The air was thick with the smell of blood… and something wild. Predatory. Karl snapped around. His eyes burned gold in the dark. Blood stained the corner of his mouth, and when he bared his teeth, the canines were far too long. Far too sharp. He ran. He barely took two steps before something crashed into him from behind, slamming him to the floor. Karl’s weight pinned him down, his body radiating heat… too hot, almost painful. A low voice brushed his ear. “You saw something you weren’t meant to see.” “I won’t say anything….” Karl lowered his head, his nose grazing his neck as he inhaled slowly, deeply. “…You smell fucking irresistible.”