The Booktok Lean

She told one little lie… and it changed everything. When Alina catches her longtime boyfriend cheating with her own stepsister, no less—humiliation isn't even the half of it. In a desperate moment of pride and pain, she lies. Boldly. Recklessly. “I wasn’t that faithful either,” she says. “I’ve been seeing someone too… Aiden Blackwood.” It’s a name that stops everyone cold. Only problem? She doesn't know him. Not even a little. What was supposed to be a petty lie to save face spirals out of control when she's expected to prove her relationship with the elusive, powerful, and notoriously untouchable billionaire, Aiden Blackwood. Just when she’s about to be publicly shamed, the crowd parts, and the man himself shows up. With a smirk that melts every doubt, he wraps an arm around her waist, and lean in close; “Hey, wifey, did I keep you waiting too long?”

“We’re equals, remember? And you’re the king.” He pulled her onto his lap, his right hand gripping her thigh. Their faces were so close, Violet could see the flecks of gold lingering in his irises. “To me, you’re king, Violet Bellerose.” *** Violet Bellerose lives in a jealous, elven world where everyone from royals to bounty hunters are after her unique ability to amplify magic to incredible heights. When she saves the Storm King from an assassin, Violet earns a post at his side as bodyguard, unaware they have begun to unravel each other’s secrets. Forgotten lovers, turbulent powers, and a political marriage push and pull at king and bodyguard. Their bond must strengthen to withstand court rivalries and the enemies at their borders. With only each other to lean on, they face the Blood King together and labor through every obstacle to make it to their coronation. The Elf King and His Bodyguard is created by Hayden Marlowe, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

Without Kaelen's knowledge, I had his little plaything sent out of North America. That same night, he cast a blood-vine curse on my parents, banishing them to the wilds—a wasteland prowled by rogues. He was going to trade my parents' lives for the whereabouts of his plaything. Kaelen pushed a communication crystal in front of me. Inside it, my parents were ensnared by blood-red vines, the thorns digging deep into their flesh. Drops of dark crimson blood fell, one by one, onto the barren earth. A countdown timer pulsed in stark red digits on their chests. 23:59:59 23:59:58 He sat across from me, a black suit tailored to perfection molded to his lean, powerful frame. His long fingers tapped a light, steady rhythm on the solid wood table, as if he were waiting for a trivial business deal to close. "Estelle, you have twenty-four hours." His voice was low and calm, laced with a venomous tenderness. "Tell me, where did you send Cassandra?"

It honestly feels like I've been transported back to the Middle Ages. For the benefit of my pack, I just swore an oath to a man I've never met. The pack where I'm supposed to be the leader. The pack I'm not sure how to lead. I should learn fast, though. Because here he is, out of the blue, almost catching me by surprise. His green eyes, which shine like polished emeralds, make me stop in my tracks. His sharp jaw and short beard give him a dangerous look. His words of superiority, which were as smooth as velvet, hurt me deeply. So, this is my very hot husband who doesn't care about anything. I'm not even close to ready for this marriage. But he just walks into my space, all lean muscle and stalking grace. I have to use everything I have to get myself and the situation under control. What the heck did I sign up for?

*Excerpt from a small excerpt: Shophia Marin ran as fast as she could to escape the large mansion. Running a long distance, he probably couldn't catch up, she turned her head to see that the mansion was no longer there, so she took a break under the tree. System, is Ralius still chasing me? [ Host, stop chasing but... ] But what? [But when people ran out of here, it pissed him off... the host made him black... he was right behind the host] Huh!!! "Shophia Marin, I'm too far from the villa to run away to relax." - Ralius lifted Marin's chin and forced her to lean against the tree trunk to support her head with her hands, dark eyes looking at her. The black male villain is terrible, the system saves me. [Sorry host I can't help] "You are becoming more and more intelligent, next time I will monitor you." - Ralius carried Marin on his shoulder and returned to the mansion. "Forgive me, I don't want to be here." - Don't trust this useless system in the first place.

"You are not my mate," he tells me firmly, pushing me against the wall and holding my wrists over my head to stop me from struggling. "You're just an impostor, a liar!" A smirk appears on my lips. "Me? An impostor and a liar?" I lean forward, making sure that our lips are only inches apart. "I can prove it. Let me go and I'll show you who I am." He swallows hard, his gaze wandering from my eyes down to my lips, going farther down with renewed purpose. . . . * * * Meredith Lane is the most beautiful girl in the kingdom of Raven Solstice. With her angelic features, she could have been blessed by the gods themselves. But there's one catch. She's a mere human in the world of Lycans, and the daughter of a Duke's lowly maid. Inhibited by her status and forever hidden from the public, Meredith decides to break some rules and explore what the world has to offer. And it just so happened the universe granted her the attention of a Lycan Heir, Zeus Antonov. But what if someone is just out there lurking, waiting for the right chance to take Meredith's beauty, along with her royal mate?

Claire met Sebastian on her wedding day. He is the older brother of her husband-to-be. Fate took its time to play with her when she felt a very huge attraction to the man on the very same day she was bound to be someone else’s wife. From the intense look he gives her to the way his lips curved up into a smirk, she can’t help but feel foreign sensations running down her body. Sensations she’s not allowed to feel for someone who’s going to be a family soon. Sebastian knew he needs saving when he felt a very strong urge to pull the bride and lean her on the altar and take her there senselessly. With her strawberry blonde hair curled to the side of her shoulder exposing her delicately creamy-white skin, thoughts of running his tongue there invaded his mind. Damn him to hell for thinking thoughts like that to the woman his brother was about to marry. But the heavens must be in his favor when things around weren’t what he expected it to be. This time he was determined to steal her from his brother, and no one can stop him. Not even fate.

" sometimes the strongest hearts carry the heaviest scars." Two years after losing her parents, 21-year-old Jane is left raising her two little brothers on her own. Abandoned by her oldee sister and juggling two exhausting jobs, Jane barely has time to breathe_let alone chase her long-forgotten dream of studying law. Every day is a battle to survive: Working long hours, skipping meals, some strange dreams, and hiding her tears behind a fake smile. But even when she breaks down in the middle of the street or collapses from exhaustion, she always gets back up- for Elhoïme and Mathias, the only family she has left. Just when she thinks no one sees her pain, Brian, a kind coworker and a long time friend, start offering small gestures of help- cofee, silence, time, understanding. She pushes him away at first, afraid of needing anyone. But his quiet presence slowly starts to feel like hope. Can Jane allow herself to lean on someone else for once, without losing her strenght- or her heart?

Drunk and heartbroken, Juliette spends a night with a stranger, wanting nothing more than to forget about it. Four years later, while trying to get her business off the ground and take care of her ailing grandmother, Juliette faces a severe financial crisis. When yet another client refuses to continue with her company’s services and her grandmother falls gravely ill, she has no choice but to give in to her uncle’s demands. The only condition? She must marry the youngest son of the Garret family, a man rumored to be hideously ugly and impotent after a terrible accident years ago. For the sake of her business and her grandmother, Juliette agrees to marry James Garret, the so-called ugly and impotent billionaire. But after the wedding, she discovers the truth. His family has imposed a condition: unless he gets Juliette pregnant within the year, he will be cut out of the family will and stripped of his billionaire status. When Juliette meets James for the first time, she is shocked to find that he is neither ugly as the rumors claimed him to be nor impotent. Why else would he, on their wedding night, lean in close and whisper in her ear? “Let’s make some babies, sweet thing.”

“I would like to introduce you all to the person who will be overseeing this project, our new project manager, Jenna Anderson.” Being followed by the students and teachers clapping their hands, which was then followed by the click-clacking sound of high heels on wooden floors, and my eyes widened as my heart started the pound with surprise and anticipation at what my eyes were seeing next. Long, lean legs, a perfect ass wrapped up in a black pencil skirt. A blouse that hugged every perfect curve. Blonde hair that was right now up in a high ponytail instead of loose like it had been on New Year’s Eve. I couldn’t help but smile widely, believing that fate had intertwined our paths once again. The woman who had both haunted my dreams and intrigued me deeply was now in a project at my very own workplace. And even better, right now I also knew her name. Jenna Anderson. And now, I was happy to know that my parents did not raise a quitter in their firstborn son, because from the second I saw her, I knew that I would chase her, win her over, and make her mine, forever.