Steal Like An Artist Austin Kleon

"What are you hiding, Mr. Blackwood?" Julian closed the gap in a heartbeat, leaving no space between them. She gasped, forced to tilt her head to meet his intense stare. "I. Have. Nothing. To hide," he said, voice cold, his gaze never wavering. The air crackled between them, charged and heavy. Anger lingered, but something else—something sharp and undeniable—hung there, too, just beneath the surface. Neither dared to acknowledge it. •°•°•°•°•°•°•° With her father’s health fading fast, struggling artist Leslie Harrison feels trapped, helpless to give him the care he needs. In a desperate twist, she finds herself caught in a marriage of convenience with billionaire Julian Blackwood, a man who thrives on control and keeps his heart locked tight. But Leslie sees through his icy demeanor, sensing there’s more beneath the surface. As emotions get tangled and secrets begin to slip, their bond is tested in ways neither expected. Can Leslie help Julian face the shadows of his past, or will they pull him under?

A year ago, my life was simple. I was just Ariel Anthony…a regular college student, cheerleader with decent grades, daughter of a struggling baker, and recently appointed step-sister to a guy I barely knew. Nothing special. Then came the storm. Not just the thunderstorm that trapped me in Professor Grayson's apartment that night, but the storm that followed. The one that's still raging around me, that I created. They don't warn you about men like Luther Grayson in freshman orientation. They don't tell you how a single glance from the right person can make you question everything you thought you knew about yourself. About what you want. About what you'd risk to get it. They also don't warn you about guys like Ethan Cross, with his perfect smile hiding something dark. The kind of guy who's used to getting what he wants and doesn't understand the meaning of the word "no." And no one, absolutely no one…prepares you for what it feels like when the person who's supposed to be your brother looks at you with something else in his eyes. Mom once said I had a gift for making complicated situations worse. If she only knew. My phone buzzed beside me, and I glanced down to see Luther's name on the screen. My heart still jumps every time, even when I'm aware of what could happen if people learned about the two of us. I should ignore it. I should block his number, focus on my classes, help Mom with the bakery, and pretend none of this ever happened. But I'm already reaching for the phone. That's the thing about crossing lines… once you step over them, it's almost impossible to step back. And I've crossed so many lines now, I can't even see where I started.

Crissy is a normal girl, but her life changes when she meets Austin. Austin is an Alpha but a human wouldn't know that. They meet in an unexpected way and Crissy doesn't know her life would change for the better and for the worse. Austin instantly knows when he meets Crissy, that she is pure. All that he knows after that is that he must have her and he will stop at nothing to make it so. Even if his clan won't accept her. Crissy is mesmerised by the man that nearly killed her with his car. Entranced by his presence. Until she finds out the truth about his existence. About who he really is. Crissy is afraid about what this means for them. For their future. She is also afraid that the truth about the Abarrant clan might hurt her little brother Thomas and everything they have together. But can she leave Austin? Let all their wonderful memories turn into sand? Her head says she should. And her heart refuses to.

What does the underboss of an infamous crime family have in common with a spirited primary school teacher? Absolutely nothing, except a marriage of convenience, of course. When Lionel Tyson defaults on a gambling debt and offers his most prized possession as collateral, Austin Hawthorne is underwhelmed. But in desperate need of a housekeeper and permanent child minder, he knows he’d be an idiot to look a gift horse in the mouth. So, against his better judgement, he accepts an offer he should absolutely refuse. Marybeth Tyson is horrified to learn that not only is her father wanted by loan sharks, but he has also sold her off to a mafia boss. Bound by duty and pushed by guilt, she agrees to give Austin Hawthorne one year of her life, despite common sense screaming at her to run the other way. After all, how hard can pretending to be madly in love with someone be? It’s all fun and games until play pretend becomes all too real, and an earth-shattering secret from Austin’s past comes to light, threatening to destroy his second chance at love with his dogged pursuit for answers. Betrayal, especially at the hands of his older brother Blake and long-time friend, Andrei Ivanov, is a bitter pill to swallow for Austin, and letting them off scot-free is not an option. Driven by his unquenchable thirst for revenge, Austin will stop at nothing to get to the truth, even if it means destroying decade-old friendships and fragile ties to The Corporation. 2022 Val Sims. All rights reserved. No part of this novel may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author and publishers.

My wife is the daughter of a top jewelry tycoon. She accused me of pushing her mother down the stairs to steal the family fortune and had me thrown in prison. While I was locked up, her people disfigured my face and crushed my hands—the same hands that once played the piano. After my release, I run from her like a madman. Just like she said I would, I give up and start mooching off a wealthy woman. But then, she clings to me and begs me not to leave.

Silas Vaughn hasn’t touched a man in five years…not since his husband, Emery, died in a mysterious car crash that was never solved. He buried his grief beneath ice, building his empire and locking his heart away. Until one night, at a charity gala, he sees him. Same dimples. Same smile. Same face. But the man isn’t Emery. His name is Julian Reed…a broke artist drowning in debt, hiding secrets he refuses to share. Fascinated and desperate, Silas makes him an outrageous offer: “Marry me for one year. I’ll erase your debts. You’ll never want for anything again.” Julian thinks he’s insane. But against all reason, he accepts. What begins as a cold bargain spirals into dangerous passion, pulling Julian into Silas’s world of obsession, grief, and forbidden desire. For the first time in years, Silas feels alive again. But Julian isn’t just Emery’s lookalike. He knows something about the night Emery died something that could destroy Silas forever.

"You were just a tool, Imogene." Her heart stopped. "And I was foolish enough to believe you cared." *** Imogene Scott had always known her place—by Damien Shaw’s side, even when his love was a distant dream. Marrying her only because of an unexpected pregnancy, Damien’s affection never blossomed. Instead, her devotion turned him from a mere sales manager into the billionaire CEO of IMU, one of Europe’s most powerful tech empires. But her sacrifices weren’t enough. After losing their baby, Damien’s coldness deepened, sealing their marriage with an unspoken “no meddling” rule. Imogene’s reward? Watching Damien parade countless mistresses, all while she buried her own dreams to fuel his. She believed, naively, that one day he’d see her worth. But when he fell in love with her stepsister and served her with divorce papers, Imogene’s world shattered. Realizing she was nothing more than a pawn in Damien’s game, she vanished—pregnant and determined to protect her unborn child. Three years later, Imogene returns, not as the broken woman who fled but as a renowned artist and mother to their two-year-old daughter. Now, Damien realizes what he’s lost and wants her back. But this time, Imogene is ready to fight, and she’s not making the same mistake twice.

TLS #1 Ethan Vecton Handsome, smart as hell, manly body and a playboy. He only look at beautiful and hot girls. He hates and always get cold to nerdy, stupid and ugly girl. Kimberly Medilton She's one of the Vallon's kids but she lives in Seattle with her grandparents. Her grandparents always teach her how to live ordinary before she will go to London for university. She's plain, not smart and dress up like she has no money. Her only beauty is her heart to be exact.

🔞 🔞🔞This book contains explicit sexual content and is intended for mature readers only. I traded my freedom for a last name. Now, I wear silence like perfume and lies like lipstick. To the world, I’m the elegant wife of Mattio — wealthy, powerful, untouchable. Behind closed doors, I’m his possession. A woman trapped in a gilded cage, drowning in a marriage built on control. Then came him. Maxwell. A stranger who touched me like I mattered — just once. A stolen night that made me feel alive again. But my brief escape shatters when I walk downstairs… and see him smiling in my living room. He’s not a stranger anymore. He’s Mattio’s long-lost stepbrother. Now I’m caught between the man who owns me… And the man who awakened everything I thought I’d lost. Secrets unravel. Desires ignite. And one wrong move could ruin us all. How do you forget the one man who made you feel human again—when he’s now part of your family?

"Lick me. Open me. Eat me. Just focus on me", --- Ava Wilson. "You fucked up, Austin," I screamed in anger, my eyes burning with fury as I witnessed my so-called husband, Austin, pleasuring his mate in the most degrading manner imaginable. The sight made my stomach churn. "I..." Austin tried to explain, but I cut him off with a mocking laugh. If he thought he could manipulate me again, he was sorely mistaken. "Don't speak! It's my turn to talk," I declared, my voice dripping with venom. "You will leave my pack with your Omega, the one you chose over me. And I couldn't be more pleased." I turned away, leaving my guards to deal with these two despicable individuals. I wouldn't make the same mistake twice. This bastard had already had his chance and dared to toy with me. Now it was my turn to take control, to exact my revenge, no matter what it took.