Synonym Burned

“Just give in, Catalina,” Theodore urged. No way was I going to. After the worst night of my life, the last thing I planned to do was accept his ridiculous proposal. I mean, who coaches a grown man on how to win his fiancée? “I’ll help you find your son,” he added as I walked away. I froze, his car stopping alongside me. “You need my help as much as I need yours. Don’t be stubborn.” Frustration burned through me. “Why would you want me? Didn’t you see what happened with my family? I’m the villain here!” Theodore stepped out, closing the distance. When his fingers brushed mine, I sucked in a sharp breath. He grinned. “Well, in my story, everyone gets a second chance.” His thumb traced my knuckles, eyes playful but intent. “Even the villain.” ------------------------------------------------------- Catalina Rodriguez has always been the black sheep of the wealthy Rodriguez family. Having lost her mother before she opened her eyes to the world, Catalina did her best to survive even if it meant making a deal with her cunning stepmother. But all that changed when she fell into a trap and almost got thrown from the house. Then she meets Theodore Knight, a very sexy man with blue eyes who needs her help. After saving Catalina from her father's wrath, Theodore is drawn to her wit, charm, and fierce intelligence, which leads him to offer her a proposal; help him win back his ex-girlfriend from his uncle, and in return, he would help her find the son she lost years ago. But one drunken night leads to an even bigger mess: they wake up married. Will Catalina and Theodore really be able to pull through a year pretending to be in love with no strings attached?

The moment I tasted blood in my mouth, I knew it wasn't mine. It was hers. Again. They said I was weak. An omega. A wife. A shadow. But I burned everything they gave me—and walked away. Now, years later, I am back. Not as his mate. Not as his Luna. But as someone stronger. Someone he can’t control. He looks at me with those green eyes like I’m still his. But he gave me away. To her. Sienna smiles like a queen. But behind those lips, I smell lies. And death. They want me close. They think I’ll break. But I didn’t rise from ashes to fall again. This time, I’m not running. I’m hunting. And they won’t see me coming.

"Did you really think you could run from me forever.....after the way I touched you that night?" he growled, his hands pinning her wrists above her head, eyes dark with intensity as they drank her in. "You were mine from the second I touched you....and no amount of time or distance will change that. And you need to understand the consequences of crossing path with me." Her breath hitched. She hated the way her body remembered him—how his voice alone could shatter her defenses. His touch burned through the fabric of time, pulling at memories she’d fought to bury. Every word he spoke sent a shiver down her spine, curling heat in places she’d sworn had long gone numb. But it wasn’t just desire. It was fear. Fear of what he made her feel. Fear of the truth she hadn’t told him. Fear that if she let him in again, she might never find the strength to walk away. As the past and old enemies resurface and buried secrets begin to unravel, Kimberly is forced to confront the past she tried so hard to forget. But with every truth revealed, the danger grows—and so does the temptation to fall again. Caught between betrayal, obsession, and a love that refuses to die, Kimberly must fight to protect the one thing she swore to keep safe. Because some sins don't stay buried. And some passions are impossible to escape.