When I Close My Eyes

I never meant to kiss him. It was a stupid mistake—a reckless moment fueled by too much adrenaline and the thrill of a party I should never have been at. But when my lips brushed against his, the world stopped. His hands gripped my waist, his breath tangled with mine, and for a fleeting second, I forgot who he was. Liam Blackwood. My stepbrother. The guy who had tormented me since the day our parents married. The brooding, tattooed bad boy with a reputation that made girls weak in the knees. I should have pulled away. I should have screamed. Instead, I let him deepen the kiss, let his touch set my skin on fire. Now, we’re trapped in a dangerous game of stolen glances, whispered threats, and undeniable chemistry. Every moment alone is a ticking bomb. Every brush of his fingers makes me crave something I can’t have. He’s forbidden. Off-limits. But the way he looks at me? The way he makes me feel? It’s only a matter of time before we cross the line again. And this time, there will be no turning back.

At our college graduation, my fiance suddenly proposed to Lillie Stewart, my best friend, in front of everyone. I became a joke in front of everyone. Right after Lillie accepted my fiance’s proposal, Lloyd Becker, heir to the biggest mafia family on the West Coast, publicly said he loved me. Lloyd was known in the mafia world for being serious and never getting involved with women. So, when he showed an interest in an orphan like me, it made the news. We got married, and for five years, he was so sweet and treated me like a princess. But one day, I accidentally overheard him talking to his friend. “Lillie is already set to become the future lady of the Gacira family. Are you really going to keep the act up with Nelly?” “If I can’t have Lillie, it doesn’t matter who I marry. As long as I’m with Nelly, Lillie can live peacefully.” He even gave Lillie the symbol of the Becker family’s lady. He helped Lillie build her career while letting me fade into the background. After five years of marriage, I finally understood. On our fifth anniversary, I pretended to die in a shooting so he could be with the woman he truly loved. But instead of being happy, Lloyd completely broke down.

I received a call the day before my wedding. "Miss McPherson, someone has thrashed your venue." I rushed to the hotel in confusion only to meet a woman waving my wedding photo. "You homewrecking skank! You seduced my husband and spent his money on this wedding!" The crowd believed her and went wild. Even the hotel manager piled on me. "I knew something was fishy when the groom never showed up! You're not his real wife!" The crowd turned into a violent mob. In that chaos, I miscarried. At the height of my fury, I texted my secretary: [Cancel the wedding, and kick Matteo Brando out of my company!] How dare he keep a mistress with my fortune! How dare she challenge me! I will destroy them!

My dad called me right after I got paid. He said my little brother needed money for school, Grandma had medical bills, and there was still the rent, water, and electricity. Then, at the end of the call, he admitted he’d lost money gambling. I sat in the security booth, rubbing my bad leg, completely lost for what to do. A car horn blared, and I quickly raised the security bar. Just one look and you could tell how expensive the car was. It belonged to the boss, who had a thing for amputees. Damn it.

"Is there a reason why I shouldn't fuck your brains out right now?" he ask and I shudder. "Nnn... Nooo! I don't have a reason," I stutter. "Good! I am about to forget you are my princess and fuck you like a slut," he promises as he fucks me. "I am a slut, only for you," I murmur. ******* I have always had a crush on my dad's best friend but Jack never saw me as a woman and rather he always referred to me as a child and treated me just like one. Just that, something ws soff in the eau he looked at me and spoke to me from time to time. I could feel the need in his voice and fire in his eyes. So when my parents had to leave for some days and he was asked to take care of me I knew that was the only chance I will ever get at making my feelings known to him and to know whether or not what I saw was real ot if I wasn't Hallucinating. The first few nights were tough and he kept off saying I was off limits to him, but what if I am not and he is only trying to send me away bechause of the lady I saw him kissing the other night?

"Open your mouth," he whispered and I looked at him in confusion. "Open your mouth, Jackie." I swallowed and did as I was told. The heat between my legs heightened when he ran the wet candy over my bottom lip before stuffing it into my mouth. The sweetness expanded on my taste buds and my body heated up at the fact that the lollipop had been in his mouth. There was something erotic about it and it left me accepting the way my body reacted to it. I looked deeper into his eyes and sucked on the lollipop then moaned when he started to move it in and out of my mouth. I wasn't innocent and I knew just what he was doing. "Fuck it," Lucas said and took the lollipop out of his mouth the crashed his lips on mine. °°° Jackie Garner has always been away from the spotlight, not until bad boy, Lucas Hamilton walks into her life after meeting him half naked in the boys' locker room. Since then, Lucas Hamilton has not let her be and wants her at all cost. But when bad boys fall, expect heartbreaks, jealous ex lovers and backstabbers.

In our five years of marriage, I had given in to my husband, John, for a grand total of three times. The first time was during my pregnancy. He had taken his ex-girlfriend Stacy, who had once taken three bullets for him, back home and cared for her. When I became angry, he immediately sent her away once she recovered. The second time was after childbirth, when I was ready to return to work. To repay a favor, he gave the position I had worked years for to Stacy. He said it was so I could rest well. I looked at my son, who needed me, and I conceded. The third time was during our son’s birthday. In front of the entire company, he had announced that Stacy was his wife, all so she could establish herself in the company. I gave him two choices: divorce or send her away. Without hesitation, he chose the latter and immediately sent her abroad. The fourth time was when my father suddenly had a heart attack and urgently needed surgery. He disappeared again. I searched everywhere for him to cover the hospital expenses, and I finally discovered that he had gone to the airport to pick up a pregnant Stacy, who was returning to the country. Because of that, my father missed the best chance for treatment and died. I was done giving in. I disguised the divorce agreement as our son’s medical bill and tricked him into signing it. No compensation or apology would matter. I did not wish to have him near my son or myself again.

When I met Ethan Stone, his family had just gone bankrupt. He had fallen hard and was at his lowest point. I stayed with him for eight years and helped him rebuild everything. We were finally about to get married. On our engagement day, I was kidnapped by his greatest rival. When I came back safely, he held his secretary in his arms and looked at me with disgust. “Jane, you’re no longer pure.” I felt my heart sink. I let him go and chose to fall into the arms of his rival.

Every Thanksgiving, my husband, Salvatore, brings home a showgirl from one of his clubs. He makes me kneel and serve them drinks. A lesson, he calls it, in how to please a man. This was the eighth Thanksgiving, and this time, he brought back a girl poured into a tight leather dress. "She doesn't have any decent jewelry," Salvatore announced. "Give her your heirloom diamond ring. Your grandmother's pearl earrings, too. And take off that silk choker for her." He smirked. "And listen, she's young, doesn't know the rules. You'll have to show her the ropes. Especially how to handle a man in bed." Every member of the Genovese family was watching, waiting for my humiliation. I didn't disappoint. I opened my mouth and asked Salvatore for a divorce. Salvatore let out a sharp, ugly laugh, his eyes full of contempt. "Francesca, you pull this same shit every time," he jeered. "Your act is pathetic. Even more dramatic than your performance in bed." He leaned in. "You really want to divorce me? Fine. I'll give you five million in cash if you actually walk out that door." The living room erupted in laughter. They all said I was playing hard to get, that I didn't know my place. But they didn't know. This was the 88th time I had asked for a divorce, and it was the first time I truly meant it.

“What anniversary are you celebrating, huh? Five years of barrenness?” he queried, “It’s just another year to celebrate how unfortunate I am to be with you.” “We’ve come this far, love, I’m sure having a child won’t be a problem,” I manage to say with a smile. “Oh please, I don't fertilize barren land. There's no point wasting my seed on infertile soil.” *** Five years of marriage went down the drain in one day. Cara can overlook everything despite being betrayed by her husband and taken for a fool. What she can't endure is them being the reason she lost her baby and her womb. Cara divorced him and went back to reclaim her rightful place as the wealthiest billionaire heiress in the country. Now, she's sworn to make everyone who hurt her pay. Except for the fact that her ex-husband has realized what a terrible mistake he made and wants her back. Will Cara take him back or will she kick him to the curb along with the others who hurt her?