What happens when two people who exist in the gray spaces of control and chaos, find in each other the permission to feel without restraint? Freya has spent her life as a ghost in her own skin. Brilliant but reserved, introverted in a family that treats her quietness like a defect, she's learned to live small, to want nothing, to expect even less. She's never craved the messiness of deep connection, never understood the appeal of letting someone see the raw, unpolished truth beneath her carefully maintained surface. Enzo is a different kind of controlled intimidating, stern, a man who moves through the world with the kind of presence that makes others step aside. He lives in the gray spaces between right and wrong, and he's made peace with it. When they collide, something breaks open. The walls she's built crumble under his attention. The control he's maintained fractures in her presence. What begins as intellectual intimacy long conversations that peel back layers rather than clothes becomes something neither of them can contain. "I will feel this as deeply and express it as violently as I please." It's the philosophy that drives this entire story the idea that feeling deeply isn't weakness, that expressing it boldly isn't chaos, and that sometimes the most profound act of courage is letting someone witness you unravel. Welcome to their collision.

LOVE AT LAZY DUKES is live and ready to steal your heart (and maybe throw a punch or two first). She's a wild barrel racer with fire in her eyes. He's the grumpy cowboy who runs the local bar. Their history? Complicated. Their chemistry? Unavoidable. When Montana rolls back into town, the last thing she wants is trouble-especially not the kind that looks like Abe Duke. But sparks fly, tempers flare, and love might just be the biggest rodeo of them all. If you love small towns, slow burns, banter that bites, and cowboys who fall hard, this one's for you. She came back to town to race barrels-not fall into bed with the grumpy cowboy who broke her heart. Montana's wild, whip-smart, and impossible to ignore. Abe's broody, built like sin, and owns the one bar she swore she'd never step foot in again. Too bad sparks fly hotter than a summer bonfire the second they're in the same room. Enemies? Absolutely. Lovers? Eventually. Trouble? Oh, definitely. Dirty looks turn to dirty thoughts in this steamy small-town standoff. He's all grit. She's all fire. Together? They're combustible. Grab your boots and bring a fan-you're gonna need it.

A broken girl. A quiet town that keeps too many secrets. And a man she should've never wanted. Her stepfather. Older. Off-limits. But sometimes, the heart wants what it shouldn't ︎❦ Dixon Norcross shouldn't be the one I reach for. He shouldn't be the one who makes me feel safe. But he's nice, stable, and the only thing in the world that doesn't seem to be slipping through my fingers. And I realize I shouldn't look at him like this. I know he should not look back. But Dixon has a secret that is strong enough to shatter the fragile thing we've built. And I won't know if it's too late or if I should run when I eventually find out the truth.

(Book #2 of the Sinners Of Dark Series) She was known for her beauty in the dark underworld of of New York, a seemingly docile angel in the form of a nightmare. He was ruthless, cold and far worse than the men she knew in the Cosa Nostra-His reputation alone sent chills through the city crime circles. I once thought marrying a made man would be the worst fate, but being drawn to one was far more treacherous. It was a debt to be settled, a price to be repaid. Sold in exchange for my cousin. My body, mind, and soul given to the most terrifying man ever known. A marriage born from violence and betrayal. I had expected an fifty-year-old boss who wanted my so-called purity in payment for his service, planning to keep up the facade of a fake smile and tight dresses yet I wasn't prepared for the six-foot tall, dangerously handsome pakhan, a man known for killing men with his bare hands. I hated him. Not just because he was lethal, but because he made my heart race, his low, gravelly voice sinking into my bones, offering me everything I knew I couldn't accept. - preview - "He was quiet for a second, pinning me with his intense gaze. "Don't go looking for trouble you can't handle." "How do you know what I can handle?" I shot back. He raised a brow in question. His voice was soft almost deceiving when he spoke. "You can't handle me, lisichka." "I haven't tried." "You won't get the chance."

Forced into a marriage neither of them wanted, a fierce Greek mafia princess and a ruthless Sicilian underboss must navigate a storm of power, passion, and betrayal-only to discover that their greatest battle might be against their own hearts. *** They hated each other from the moment they met, but little did they know, they were destined to be together. Millicent Rhea Darmos: Princess of the Greek Mafia. At 25 years old, she's established herself as a self proclaimed boss bitch, running her own publishing company. But now it's time she fulfils her duty to her family's organisation. It's time she gets married. Costantino Salvatore Accardi: Underboss and Heir to the Sicilian Mafia. At 28 years old, he has no interest in settling down-he already has it all. He believes in family above all, so why bring in an outsider? Yet, after a strange string of events, the two of them find themselves thrust into married life. It's full of chaos, drama and all kinds of tension. The question is, how do they survive their marriage and the storm that follows? *** "I've never kissed anyone." My voice trembled with a tinge of vulnerability - something I hated. But Costa didn't seem to mind that I was nervous or anxious. "Good. You're mine." He spoke so seriously, without a flicker of doubt as he took my hand in his. "So you want it be special, principessa?" "Every girl's first kiss is special." I whispered, watching as he brought my hand up to his lips. "I only care about yours."

Wᴀʀɴɪɴɢ: ᴍᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ Rᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴅᴇᴅ ғᴏʀ 18+ ©Aʟʟ Rɪɢʜᴛs Rᴇsᴇʀᴠᴇᴅ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛɪғᴜʟ ᴄᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ʙʏ @__AK__WRITES

Gibbs falls for a young attorney. she falls for him. Hopefully some smut. This is Gibbs circa early 2000's like the beginning of the show (ish) we're talking season 3/4 hot age gap romance.