The Kiss Of Deception

She was always the shadow. He was always chasing the light. Lavinia Hartwell had learned early that love was rarely for girls like her. She was the quiet one, the overlooked one—always second to her luminous best friend, Verity Langford. Even Henry Wynthorne, the boy whose compassion had unexpectedly caught her heart in high school, only had eyes for Verity. But years change people. Henry’s dreams of studying abroad collapsed with his father’s death. Verity left. Success became his only compass, and alcohol his only escape. And somehow, in the wreckage, there was Lavinia—never demanding, never judging, quietly holding him together in ways he never noticed… until she was gone. When an arranged engagement threatened to give her to him, Henry assumed she was being forced into it and set her free. Lavinia smiled, thanked him—and walked away, taking with her the steady presence he had taken for granted. Only then did Henry begin to notice the ache. The way her absence unsettled him. The way another man’s hand on her waist ignited a heat that was not anger, but something darker, sharper, and dangerously possessive. A single night blurred the lines forever—her lips on his, soft at first, then desperate, as though she’d loved him all her life. Desire flared, undeniable. But in the morning, she was gone again. Now, with Verity back and the past colliding with the present, Henry must face the truth: he no longer loves the woman he once chased. But has he realized too late who truly held his heart all along? Slow-burn, sensual, and laced with aching restraint, this is a story of unspoken devotion, of a man’s reluctant fall, and of the quiet girl who was never anyone’s first choice—until she became the only choice.

My husband's first love posted a video on her social media. In the video, the two of them were passing a playing card with their lips. When the card fell, their lips met in a kiss. They didn't stop—lost in the moment, they kissed passionately for an entire minute. Her caption read: [Still the same clumsy piggy! PS: Steve's skills are as good as ever!] I quietly liked the post and left a comment: [Congrats.] The next second, my husband called, yelling at me furiously, "No other woman is as dramatic as you! I was just playing a game with Lanie. Why are you acting crazy again?" It was then that I realized seven years of love meant nothing. It was time for me to leave.

“What are you doing?” Chad hissed, his tone low and sharp “Playing the part,” Jasmine whispered back, patting his chest as if calming a restless dog. “Relax, Mr. Blackstone. You hired me for this, remember?” Jasmine turned her attention to Ava, her smile turning just a shade sharper. “Hi, I’m Jasmine. Chad’s fiancée.” *** Chad Blackstone is a self-made billionaire with a cold demeanor, his heart frozen after a devastating betrayal by the one woman he trusted—Ava Reeds. When Ava unexpectedly reappears, determined to rekindle their relationship, Chad devises a bold plan to show her he’s moved on and that's where she comes in—Jasmine Withers. A fiery, no-nonsense woman who’s nothing like the superficial socialites Chad is used to. What begins as a calculated business arrangement quickly spirals into a whirlwind of scandal, rivalry, and unexpected passion. In a game of love, revenge, and redemption, who will come out on top—and who will end up heartbroken?

When I steal the cheer captain, Cora Knightley's, number one spot in our grade, her childhood sweetheart—an Alpha heir—confesses his love to me the next day. Flashing me a mesmerizing smile, Raymond Knox says, "Join my world and relish the ultimate freedom and recklessness, will you?" Of course, my answer is… yes. I agree, sealing his lips with a passionate kiss. My grades start dropping, until I eventually become one of his kind. At the same time, his body belongs to me. We can't keep our hands off each other. But despite the countless intimate moments we share, he never seems to enjoy kissing me—until the entrance exam for Lycanshire University is finally over. That's when he kisses me and seduces my wolf, luring me to go to Mangy Hollow Community College with him. So this has been his goal all along. But I'd known it since the start. Gently slapping my Lycanshire University admission letter against Raymond's face, I say, "Being with you this year has been fun. I'm very satisfied. "But my future matters more. Let's break up."

18+ Mature content; sex, strong language, violence and crime I was born a nymphomaniac, but that was only the first of my many life crises. In a quest for revenge against my childhood bullies, I got locked into an unhappy marriage, with an untamed brother-in-law. Rumors say he knows one thousand ways to disarm and pleasure a woman, and from the moment he laid eyes on me, I became his forbidden want. But scandals don’t stay buried, and my husband is the devil. The price of this betrayal is death. I must choose between my husband who owns my name, and his brother owns my body.

“Mine,” I heard him say, as his eyes turned a bright shade of red. Maybe I should've shouted for help. Or hit one of his men, who was holding me in place. Instead, my heart stirred at the sound of his voice. “I always get what I want.” He continued. “And I'm taking you with me.” He stared directly into my eyes, and my breath turned raspy. He looked scary, yet I wasn't afraid of him. I turned back towards the dark alley. If I didn't go with him, I'd be caught by those killers sent by my father. But this man didn't look human. I took a deep breath, and made my decision quickly. “Yes, I'm yours.” *** On her wedding day, Mirabella Aurel eloped, only to be captured by a strange man. Danger. That was what came to mind, once she locked gazes with Zeke Elliott. Plunged into a world of darkness, power, and abnormality, Mirabella discovers that she might have just jumped from frying pan to fire. In the midst of all, she finds herself falling for a vampire whom she never thought existed. And he might be the only one who can protect her, and help her enact revenge on her…father.

Jude Queens never believed in fairytales—until Malachi Flynn crashed into his world with a grin like summer and a spike that could stop time. Bound by their shared love for volleyball, their chemistry burned bright and fast, leaving everything else in the shadows. But just as Jude opened his heart, Malachi vanished without a word. Two years later, Malachi returns—older, familiar, and still devastatingly magnetic. The moment they lock eyes, the ache returns. So does the desire. But buried beneath Malachi’s smile are secrets that could shatter them both. Torn between anger and longing, Jude must decide: can he forgive the boy who left him in pieces, or is some pain too deep to heal? “Why Did You Leave Me When I Needed You Most?” is a sizzling, tender story of second chances, the scars we carry, and the hope that love—real, soul-deep love—can echo back stronger than before.

Eliot Hale had it all: grades, charm, and an enviable future. The whole campus admired his girlfriend. His life was picturesque...Until an anonymous message snatched it all away. One party. One betrayal. One moment that saw the shattering of his glass-laden golden world. Eliot, now the joke of the university, has been stripped of any last semblance of support, in whispers mocking him, asking his name, and wondering in his moment of awe, "Who do I trust when those I loved the most were the first to destroy me?" And just as Eliot spirals into isolated boredom, a stranger people would wish they had in their lives, begins texting him. What starts off as cautious curiosity soon evolves into an intimate, heartfelt bond- the anonymous presence sees into him, all the pain he hides beneath the surface; making him feel something for the very first time in his life. But upon finding out who actually was behind the screen… everything was changed forever. The boy who ruined him might be the only one who really understands him. The one he was raised to hate might be the one to really love him. And that forbidden love? That just might be the one thing that could save them both.

EZREN: Kiss or kill. Those were always the two options left.. until the past walks back into my life in the form of blue eyes, ginger curls, and a tattoo he swears I should remember. Knox Graye. A diagnosed psychopath. Says he was my brother’s boyfriend. That I left him to die and that I hold the only truth to his death. He is everywhere. Digging up my lies. Ruining what’s left of my life. Call me ‘Cherry’ like it means something. I swear I hate it. I hate him. I don’t know if he wants closure, revenge, or just someone to break. Either way, I’m his target and his third option. KNOX: Everyone thinks I’ve got a loose screw in the head but they're wrong. I lost the whole damn toolbox, buried six feet under with the only person I ever loved. I've spent six years grieving. Dying in pieces while he rots away in a grave but now? Now someone else walk around in his bones, smiling with his lips like he fuckin’ owns it. Like I wouldn’t recognize my own goddamn Cherry. Except now he calls himself Ezren. Cute. He thinks he has been hiding behind top grades and golden-boy charm, but I built his whole damn maze. And now that he's close? I’m done with subtlety. I want chaos in his veins, his secrets peeled off like skin. I want to crawl into the part of his head where he still hears his brother’s laugh and whisper: “You were always mine." He doesn’t know it yet, but I’m going to dismantle him. Brick by fucking brick. And when he finally breaks, I’ll be there to offer him a choice. “Kiss or kill, Cherry?”

The only thing Aslena will regret in her life is meeting Benny Adam Henderson, CEO of the Henderson Group—New York's largest real estate company. Their destiny does not stop until an accident that results in the death of both parents, and Benny is responsible for that incident. On the night of the Amazingly Glitz Night party, Aslena had her first kiss in 27 years—and she kissed Benny Adam Anderson! The two of them could never part. Aslena's father, who turns out to be the owner of a real estate company, leaves a contract promise with Benny's grandfather, containing: Aslena must redeem the business agreement between the two companies through marriage to Benny. In crude terms between the lines, Aslena had to take over the Anderson Group company. How will Aslena deal with business conflicts after decades of living in peace? What will Aslena and Benny choose after love begins after the appearance of life-threatening business enemies?