"Guys like you don't go for girls like me..." "Good thing I'm not like most guys then, huh?"

Echoes of Control is a modern love story about connection, chemistry, and choosing softness in a world that demands hard edges. Jace Langston is a focused, driven business owner used to being in control; of his company, his time, and his emotions. But when Cimani Rose walks into his life, everything shifts. She's sharp, composed, and quietly captivating, exactly the kind of woman he never saw coming. Echoes of Control is a tender, slow-moving romance between two people who weren't searching for love; but find it anyway.

"You could never love all of me, and I'm sure of that." _____________________________________ In a world of a preference of doing everything but the right thing and being everything that she's not, 26 year old Victoria Marshall is just trying to remain on the right path and be confident in herself. She defies society's expectations by being a full figured, dark skinned woman. When she meets 27 year old Kareem Thompson, the man who had his own issues too, he wants to show her that he is man enough to handle all of her and her enticing curves and sassy attitude. How will Victoria respond? Will she allow herself to believe that he loves her, or will she continue to think that she is better off without someone to love her and push him away? *I own none of the photos used in this book.

"𝘾'𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨" 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘸𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘬 "𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙤 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙮 𝙢𝙖𝙢𝙖"

"Woah, slow down. What?" I heard him say and I furrowed my eyebrows, looking up. "Ma.." He trailed off and I already knew it was his mother. "That has nothing to do with you." He said and I sat up because I could hear him getting angry. "What's wrong?" I asked him and he put his phone on speaker. "I can't believe you got that little.." She trailed off, too angry to even get her words out. "..whore pregnant, Sage." "And then the little slut gets an abortion, I hope she knows that she will rot in hell." She said and my heart dropped. He hung up the phone on her before she could say anything else. "Baby." He looked at me as I bit my lip, standing to my feet. "Olive." He stood to his feet as well. I quickly walked to the bathroom and closed the door behind me before Sage could catch me. I broke down crying as he stood on the other side of the door. "Babygirl, I love you." "I love you too." I told him, breathing heavily. "Don't cry, love. Nothing she says matters, she's just mad because I love you so much and there's nothing she can say to change that." "Open the door for me please?" I wiped my face before I slowly opened the door for him. "I'm done with her." He said, shaking his head. He pulled me to him, wrapping his arms around my waist as he shoved his head into my neck. "Until she can learn to respect you as my lady, she's out of our life."

There's so many positive 4 letter words: Love Like Hope Care Life Then there's negative: Hate Evil Dead For once in her life Desdemona wanted to hear negative. The word in itself: Negative. Instead she heard positive. Her whole world came tumbling down when she found out she was positive for HIV/AIDS. She just wants to experience that four letter word, that thing called: L O V E

"How are you supposed to keep your man with your hair in that mess, Tamia?" "And has your hair been looking like that all week?" She went on talking about my hair now, considering it was blown-out instead of well kept, hot combed and straightened the way that she liked. "No, mama." I dragged, annoyed completely now with all of my peace gone in this moment. "I just got out of the shower and I just finished washing and blow-drying my hair." "I'm going to hot comb it and then flat iron it when I'm finished doing my skincare." "Yasin's not going to be home until tomorrow probably anyway." I threw in there but of course she wouldn't chastise him about why and where.

He licks his lips, staring at me in the mirror. "You cut my shit right I'll pay you two bands, if not den I'm not payin." " Three bands, for doubting me and for being an ass. If I fuck up, I'll pay you for wasting your time." I added, putting my own spin on the deal. He shook his head, lifting his head lazily, " Nah, that's not how this works sweetheart. I made you a deal, and I don't negotiate eitha." I chuckled, grabbing my hair tie and putting my locs in a ponytail. " Then I guess you better find another shop to do your hair," He sighed, " You real stubborn, you know that?" I crossed my arms, " No, I just put money where my mouth is. Maybe you should do the same,"

"So when you gon' stop playing and let me hit that shit, Zuria?" Mitch asked while he smoked a blunt in my mother's living room and we both sat on the floor. "Let you hit this?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as I watched him blow smoke into the air. "Yeah." He smirked, cockily. "How about when you learn how to talk to your girlfriend?" I took the blunt out of this hands and smashed it on the ashtray that was on the coffee table. "Whatchu do that for?" He bit his bottom lip, leaning into me. "Hm?" He went on, softly biting my neck. "I've told you, you can't smoke in here, Mitchell." "You're really not even supposed to be here." I said to him, considering my mother did not condone boys in her house but here he was. He'd completely ignored me though as he mushed his head into my neck, leaving small kisses. "Stop." I whined playfully as he pushed himself up onto me and kissed my lips, pushing me backwards with our lips still attached. "Mitch." I spoke nervously as he climbed on top of me while I now laid my back onto the carpet. "Let me hit that shit, ma." He spoke softly into my ear as he continued leaving kisses on my neck. "Mitch, we cant. My mom will be home from work soon." I expressed to him but he ran his hands up my school skirt anyway. "Stop bitchin'." "Let me finally pop that cherry, Z." He spoke, putting his lips on mine as he slowly moved my underwear aside and rubbed his fingers against my Girl. "Mm." I moaned, unfamiliar with this feeling but it felt great. And though I knew my mother would be here soon, I no longer wanted to stop. He continued rubbing it as I laid there, looking up into his eyes. As I did, he smirked down at me and I smiled small, rubbing a hand down his cheek. I was so in love with this boy.

kis·met /ˈkizmit,ˈkizˌmet/ noun destiny; fate. how do you know when you've met your soulmate?