Without Romance Novels & Stories

Every morning, Irene always smiles at the photo frame before getting out of bed to take a shower. Irene had little interaction with Noah during her training until she won the Olympics because Noah was cold and rarely spoke. Even after three months together, Irene never heard Noah greet her. Even though they have passed each other by accident, Noah never smiled at Irene. Irene occasionally complained about her fate. Why does she like men who appear disinterested in her, out of all the men who like her? Irene took a deep breath while still staring at the photo on the laptop screen. "Even his heart has frozen until this day," Irene explained.

The car was silent for almost a minute before Anthony started to speak. “The fourth rule shall be; us displaying public affection but being ourselves in private.” “PDAs? Like what?” “Hugging, holding hands, and kissing.” I almost choked on my spit at the last thing he said. He wanted to actually do romantic things in public, with me. “K-kissing?” Anthony nodded with a look as if I was supposed to know about the rule. “We will need to do those things in public to deceive people. People on social media are smart, babe. They can sense bullshit from just posting one word. I said this before, Sandy. So, yes. The fourth rule will be; romance in public, friendship in private.”

Or that they at least, got the wrong impression of her. “They think I don’t like romance?” She asked like there was someone else in the room with her. “Well, I bet they’ve never even messed around with any guy before. They’ve probably never even gotten kissed by a hot guy before and I’m the unromantic one?” “Otherwise they wouldn’t shut up about it. I would have heard stories about it”. “I’ll show them both that I’m not what they think of me”. “I’ll find a hot guy, make out with him and have sex with him”.

Mark. He grinned as he made himself comfortable next to me, his hand casually placed on my shoulder. "I could have never guess you write forbidden romance," he admitted hoarsely. "Let alone forbidden...erotica." "Why? You think love alone completes a romance story?" I folded my arms over my chest. He shrugged. "Isn't the essence of romance all about love?" I shook my head. "Love makes people dumb. I think I'II just stick to sex over love in romance, it's less complicated."

She practically fell into the first available empty seat she could find, three rows from the front, dropping her satchel to the floor with a thud. The air in the room had changed. It was charged, anticipatory. All eyes were fixed on him as he placed his coffee and bag on the lectern at the front. He didn’t need to call for silence. His presence commanded it. Scarlett’s fingers trembled as she opened her notebook. She dared not to look up. She bit her lip, trying to steady her thoughts. She had survived. Dr. Clarke began to speak, his voice filling the hall. “Today our topic is ‘Forbidden Romance’.”

I’m not sure if they were included. No. No sexy time. You will not think about it. No sex. No thoughts of romance and rose petals. Romance is officially dead. I guess I’ve started associating romance solely with love and being in love, not this temp stuff where you have nice gestures but without the “I love yous.” I mean, that’s what it is, right? It’s supposed to mean something. Not just something to manipulate. Not something to use and discard. Stop that! I hiss at myself. I can't think of what to say now, distracted by the scratchiness of Blake’s stubble on my cheek and by the scent of his delicious cologne. Maybe I shouldn’t say anything. I’m bound to make this awkward.

After the meeting, Damien approached her near the elevator. "You're welcome," he said in a straightforward manner. "You got me into that room," she said, trying to mask her surprise. "I simply opened the door. You kept it open," he replied. There was a pause in the conversation. "You're being unusually kind for someone who kissed me in public and then disappeared," she said, a mix of hurt and curiosity shading her words. His expression remained unchanged. "We shared a contract, not a romance." Her chest tightened at his words. "Right. Of course," she said, her voice barely hiding the sting of his words.

I had memorized them by now. It was the same cold, calculated list of dos and don’ts. No intimacy, no romance, no expectations. Just a shared space and shared responsibilities. We’d live together, sleep in the same bed, but that was it. No touching. No crossing the line. Just a loveless contract marriage that made it painfully clear how far removed we were from anything resembling real affection. It was ridiculous, honestly. Cliché in the worst way, like something ripped out of one of those dramas where two broken people agree to fake something until they’re whole again. But this wasn’t a drama. This was my life.

But that was all this could be—a really lovely fantasy. No, she would not allow herself to fall in love with a man who would leave her and return to the dozens of women he probably saw regularly. Who are willing to do all sorts of things for him without the benefits of marriage. Rome closed the distance between them again. "Bree, sweetheart?" He sits up straight getting closer, "What's wrong, am I hurting you?" "Oh no, that's not it. But what are we doing, Rome?"

Expect characters who explore their desires, make questionable decisions, cross complicated emotional boundaries, and find themselves caught in situations that are anything but ordinary. Romance may appear in some stories, but it is not the primary focus of this collection. The main attraction is the heat, the sexual tension, the fantasies, the encounters, and the adult situations that drive each narrative. Some stories may contain emotional connections, unexpected attachments, or complicated feelings, but don't come expecting every encounter to lead to true love or a perfect relationship. **PLEASE UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE SIGNING UP FOR.**