Stealing Glances

On The Low: His entire life, Cyrus has played it safe—studying for good grades, spending weekends quietly, asking no questions. Raised in a strict, conservative household, he never really had room to find himself. All that changes, however, when he finds himself crashing at a party he wasn't invited to. It is there that he meets Derick. Derick is the type who takes up all the space in the room, not that he tries. Older, rough, and with the reputation for keeping people at arms length, he is the polar opposite of Cyrus. Yet, in the midst of raucous music, cheap alcohol, and bad decisions, something happens between them. It starts innocently enough—glances, small talk, the ride home—but it intensifies. They start to meet in secret, and the curiosity soon intensifies into something greater. Derick catches glimpses of Cyrus that no other person catches. And Cyrus feels alive in ways he never has at any other point in his life. Yet, in their world, there is nothing that makes it easy. The secrecy comes at a cost, with Derick's fear of being discovered and Cyrus's bags causing rumors to go around. Things become tense at home and at school. Regardless of the best efforts at keeping things under the carpet, the truth ends up getting discovered.

At the engagement party, the champagne tower is only half-built when Marcus Harrison answers a phone call. He glances at me and says, "I have to go. Lily collapsed at the airport." I say, "If you leave, we're done." He leaves anyway, in front of 200 guests. He carries Lily Bardot in his arms, wearing the coat I gave him, as he drives away in my car. The next day, he sends me an email that reads, "Lily will be moving into my apartment. She needs me, and I hope you can understand. Once Lily gets better, we'll get married. Please trust me." I stare at the screen and suddenly laugh. So what he wants isn't someone who loves him. It's someone who needs him. And I'm too independent, so I don't make the cut. That evening, I scroll through my contacts and find a number I've never given a second glance to. It belongs to someone who's been waiting for me for 23 years. I dial it. "Tomorrow night, 7:00 pm. Meet me at the restaurant by the sea."

After Hours A Small-Town Forbidden Romance Alli never meant to fall for him. Eighteen, freshly graduated, and slinging drinks at the town’s no-frills dive bar, she was just looking for a paycheck and a way out of her quiet life. But then Johnny started showing up—twenty-five, devastatingly handsome, and haunted by more than just his late-night whiskey. Everyone knows Johnny. The town's favorite bad decision. A brooding mechanic with blue eyes that burn and a reputation tangled up with Layla, the town’s resident scandal—and someone else's wife. But when Alli catches Johnny’s gaze from across the bar, something ignites. Something forbidden. Something explosive. What starts as subtle glances and lingering stares turns into late-night texts, a kiss that ruins them both, and a fire that neither of them can put out. Just when Alli begins to believe there might be more between them, Layla drops a bomb: she’s pregnant. Now, Alli must face the truth—was she just a distraction? Or is Johnny just as trapped in his past as she fears? In a town where everyone talks and secrets are currency, love after hours might be the most dangerous thing of all.

Everyone in town knows Jeffrey Williams—the hometown star who went from small productions to Broadway and television fame. But after years in the spotlight, Jeff has returned home, craving the quiet of familiar streets and the comfort of community theater. Daniel Lewis, the assistant stage manager, never expected his latest show to come with a front-row seat to his longtime crush. Shy, meticulous, and still nursing the wounds of a past relationship, Daniel wants nothing more than to keep his head down and do his job. But when Jeff’s piercing blue eyes land on him, the stage lights aren’t the only thing leaving him breathless. As rehearsals stretch into late nights and the line between performance and reality begins to blur, Jeff and Daniel find themselves drawn into a connection neither of them anticipated. But with gossip swirling backstage, old insecurities rising, and Jeff facing new offers that could pull him away again, both men must decide— is this just a fleeting spotlight romance, or the start of something real when the curtain falls? A heartfelt, slow-burn M/M romance filled with stage banter, stolen glances, and the magic of love found in unexpected places.

“You weren’t supposed to fall for me.” A bitter laugh escapes me before I can stop it. “Then what exactly did you think this was going to be?” Alexander stays silent. “This vacation,” I continue, my voice rising. “The way you touch me. The way you look at me when you think I’m not watching. Sleeping in the same bed every night and holding me. What was I supposed to feel?” **************** Ethan Cole has nothing left but debt, a sick sister to protect, and pride he was ready to lose. So when Billionaire Alex Veyron offers him a simple arrangement, he signs. The contract comes with money, protection, no deadline, but has only one rule….. Do not fall in love. It should have stayed professional. Instead, stolen glances turn into heated nights. Power games turn into obsessions, and the man Ethan was supposed to use becomes the only one willing to burn the world for him. When secrets from the past refuse to stay buried, Powerful enemies circle and Family ties twist tighter than either of them expected, love might be their only way out. But in a world ruled by money and control Breaking the one rule might cost them everything.….

At my best friend's wedding, a girl lunged forward and caught the bouquet—only for it to slip from her hands and land squarely in my arms. My best friend, Lauren Walker, beamed at me. "Madison, looks like you're the next bride." The guests exchanged knowing glances and turned toward my boyfriend of eight years—Mason Ryder, the CEO of the Ryder Group. But he calmly plucked the bouquet from my hands and casually passed it to the girl standing beside me—his secretary, Natalie Carter. "She caught it first." He ruffled my hair, his voice gentle. "Be good. Give it back to Natalie for now. We'll wait for the next time." The spotlight—and the guests' attention—shifted with the bouquet, settling on Natalie. I looked at her startled yet shy expression, then rested a hand on my stomach and forced a bitter smile. Mason didn't know there wouldn't be a next time. Our eight-year promise had already come to an end, and we still hadn't taken the step into marriage. And I had already promised my parents, who were royalty, that next week, I would leave and return to Montelvia to inherit the family legacy.

"Why did you put me through that?" I asked, taking a moment to delve into his intense gaze. "Do you really despise me that much?" Dimitri hissed, his voice sharp like a knife. "Isabelle, be careful with what you say." "Why should I even try?" I shot back, matching his intensity. "That’s enough!" Dimitri growled, his voice low and menacing. Before I could respond, he roared, halting my words in their tracks. He seized my arms, pushing me against the wall. My heart raced, and the fire in his gaze intensified. This is unbearable! There’s no escaping destiny anymore. His lips crashed onto mine, stealing my breath and breaking through all my defenses. --- Isabella Rosa Santacruz is a witch on the run, her blood linked to a prophecy that positions her as the key to the universe. Throughout her life, she has evaded monsters and myths, always staying a step ahead—until now. Dimitri Axel Castellan, known as the Blood Alpha, is feared, ruthless, and weighed down by a cursed pack fated to perish on the eleventh blood moon. However, when he encounters Isabella—the one person he never expected—everything shifts. She becomes the air he can’t breathe without, even if loving her means sacrificing everything, including his own life. Will their connection protect them from the impending chaos, or will it pull them apart?

“The contract was only for a year, Mr Gray. I marry you for one year and you stay the fuck away from my properties,” her tone was high-pitched annoyance and anger. “You got it all wrong, sugar. The contract was to quench my thirst for you but all you did was fuel that desire. Now, I want to own you. Your body, heart and fucking soul,” that honeylike baritone was void of its usual teasing now. He meant every word of it. There was no escape for her. ********** As she lay on the operating table, bleeding to death from an abortion her husband, Regal had arranged, Claire saw her life flash before her eyes. Even in her dying state, he refused her a transfusion because donating blood would ‘hurt’ his unborn child. The words pierced through her heart. The man she'd given her world to chose her sister over her without blinking. But then life smiled at her and she was given a second chance to correct her mistakes. What happens when she gambles this chance by stealing from the famous trillionaire, Asher Gray? What will be her fate when he barges into her life and overturns her world with his wicked seduction? When life throws Regal at her feet, begging for a second chance, when old flames ignite, will she let go of the past and forgive or pursue the prospect of a beautiful new love?

"Real men don’t fall in love. Love is for the weak and foolish, and I, Don Alessandro, will never raise a fool as a son." Kai Alessandro learned those words the hard way. Groomed by his father to be the mafia leader, Kai’s life is built on power, fear, and control. Love? That’s a weakness he can’t af-ford. Amelia Carrington is all about survival. By day, she’s a college senior juggling classes. By night, she’s a hacker-for-hire and part-time stripper, desperate to pay her mother’s medical bills. Men? They’re just wallets waiting to be emptied. Their worlds collide when Amelia hacks into Kai’s account, stealing $5,000,000 to save her mother’s life. Kai hunts her down, and instead of exacting revenge, he gives her an offer: work for him to repay the debt or face a fate worse than death. The agreement was to keep things strictly professional; work only. But they eventually had a one-night stand which was supposed to be a mistake since they were both drunk, what was a mistake eventually turned into an regular affair, blurring the lines between their hatred and a passion neither of them could control. Romantic feelings begin to intertwine with their shared hatred, feelings that they both weren't ready to admit to. But what happens when Amelia eventually realizes that she was pregnant for kai Alessandro, one of the most dangerous gang leader in the world and a man who was supposed to be her enemy?

Nicole’s life changed drastically when she was reunited with the Riddle family. “Nothing is more important than my sister,” said her eldest brother, the domineering CEO.“You are still a student with no income. Take my credit card and spend however you like,” said her second brother, the financial expert.“I will allow no one to bully you at school,” her third brother, a top student, said.“Why did I compose this song? Because it would put a sweet smile on your face when you hear it,” her fourth brother, a talented musician, said.“You're so delicate. Let me do the dirty work for you if you want to beat someone up,” said her athletic fifth brother.Just when Nicole was barely accustomed to the pampering of her five brothers, she found herself having a fiancé, a nemesis from whom she had hacked a hundred million dollars.She needed to cancel the engagement, no matter what. But he pressed her against the door and said, “How can you run away just like that after stealing my money, you brat?”“Even if I don’t run, I don’t have the money to pay you back,” Nicole acted tough.“Oh, yeah? Then I will take you instead of money.” He then carried her on his back and took her away.