"Morning, Mr. Serious," I say now, setting his usual cup on the table. I add two sugar packets because I can't help myself. He never uses them. He never even looks at them. But I like the idea of them sitting there, taunting him with sweetness. His eyes flick up to mine - stormy gray, the kind that make you feel like you're under interrogation for a crime you don't remember committing. "You should stop doing that." His voice is low, accented, like gravel dragged across velvet. Russian maybe? Or Italian. Or both. Either way, it does unholy things to my stomach. "Doing what?" I ask innocently, sliding the sugar closer to his hand. "That." His gaze drops to the packets. "I don't take sugar." I grin, all sunshine and sass. "You don't know that. Maybe one day you'll wake up and realize life's better with a little sweetness." ●・○・●・○・● Rafael Volkov doesn't do small talk. Or smiles. Or sugar in his coffee. As the mafia's underboss, he's built a reputation on silence, sharp suits, and an expression that could curdle milk. So of course, Lila Parker makes it her mission to crack him. The sunny diner waitress insists on slipping him extra sugar packets, calling him "Mr. Serious" behind the counter, and treating him like a normal guy instead of a walking red flag. He tells her to stop. She doesn't. He growls. She grins. And suddenly, his late-night coffee runs feel less like routine and more like... something he shouldn't want. The problem? In his world, affection is dangerous. Smiles get noticed. Weaknesses get used. And if Lila isn't careful, her little act of kindness might just paint a target on her back. Rafael swore he didn't have a sweet tooth. Turns out he was wrong. ●・○・●・○・● Word Count: 37,478

"I'll shower you with all my love!" Evangeline Winters is a 20-year-old in her second year of Engineering at UCLA. Her love for computers, books, cooking, her small group of friends and her family is above anything. She believes in all the good in the world and loves oh so hard. A shy 5'2 girl wanting to make her family proud and maybe have someone by her side at the end. Reed Taylor a 22 year old Basketball player in the Bruins and a Mechanical Engineering student at UCLA. He's not your usual sports guy actually he's far from it, he hates attention and all the girls that throw themselves at him - well that's because he is an Italian god in his looks. For him love was lost at a young age and eventually became non-existent. Keeping to himself and a handful of friends he thinks he will be alone with his empty shell - himself. What if a curvy Computer Science Engineer can give him love, care and warmth he deserves and makes him happy. But all he has to offer, is a heart of gold. And maybe, that's enough for her. ✨ Join their journey and their blooming love story! ❤

Arabella never meant to get close to someone like him. Warren is reckless, unreadable, and surrounded by rumors that make people run. But the more she's warned to stay away, the more she wants to know why he hides behind those walls...and why he can't seem to stay away from her either. ────୨ৎ──── Warren Reid is a name everyone in town knows, and not for good reasons. He left a student unconscious before disappearing into juvie, and now that he's back, the rumors are worse than ever. With a past that whispers warnings and a reputation that silences rooms, Warren is used to being feared, not understood. He trusts no one, lets no one in, and only keeps two people close. Emotions are weaknesses in his world, and vulnerability has never been an option. Until her. Arabella Winters is the picture of perfection and the last girl anyone would expect to cross paths with someone like Warren. Smart, sweet, and sheltered, she follows every rule her parents set, never once stepping out of line. She's the kind of girl who still believes in good graces, bedtime curfews, and fairy tale endings. But one knock on Warren's door throws her into his world, and nothing is the same after that. Everyone says he's trouble, but Arabella doesn't see the monster they all fear. She sees someone broken, someone hiding wounds no one else bothers to look for. What starts as innocent curiosity soon becomes an intense pull neither of them can resist. She's drawn to the shadows he hides in, and he can't stay away from the light she doesn't even know she carries. Now Arabella has to ask herself: is she helping Warren escape the darkness...or is she just letting it swallow her too?

Emily is living a lie. She tells her best friend, Destiny, she's only staying in her London estate until her apartment renovations are finished. In reality, she's a woman on the run, hiding from a past that nearly destroyed her. But the "safety" of the estate is an illusion. While exploring the grounds, Emily stumbles upon a brutal secret: an abandoned underground mansion serving as a base for a ruthless gang. At the center of it all is Charles , Destiny's cousin-a man as lethal as he is magnetic. Emily thinks she is hiding in a quiet mansion, but she has actually dropped herself right into the middle of a very dangerous family dynamic.

growing up on a ranch Flora learned how to fear men, and care for the cattle. after running away from her abusive father she finds herself working at a lucrative ranch, helping with anything and everything she tries to lay low and blend in. the only person she can't seem to figure out is the head ranchhand. he's cut off, he's cold, he can be cruel and she sees horrible things inflicted with his own bare hands, but something about him draws her in. Rex isn't in the mood for a woman to be underfoot at the ranch he protects at all cost. All he wants is to do his job and care for his horse, but when trouble follows Flora to his doorstep he realizes he can't lie low anymore and the monster he's tried to hide inside himself is going to need unleashed.

Sugar's addicting. So is she. Graham Davis has two addictions: Hockey-and Gracie Daniels. (Not that he knows it yet.) At St. Brown University, Gracie Daniels is the golden girl. Blonde ponytail, perfect smile, always saying yes. So when she's asked to manage PR for the hockey team, she agrees-hoping to help thaw their notoriously icy captain. But Graham Davis doesn't melt. He's distant, guarded, and doesn't need help from a pink-sweater-wearing perfectionist... until he starts noticing things he shouldn't. Skipped meals. Covered bruises. Flinches too small to be accidental. Gracie is sweet, bright, and hiding more than anyone knows. And Graham can't stop looking.

What happens when an arrogant hockey star falls for an honor student that only wants to stay away from trouble? On the ice, Caleb Dawson is unstoppable, but his talent alone might not be enough to win Jennifer's heart, especially when his bad boy reputation is exactly what she's not looking for... ***** Jennifer Beckett is academically gifted, but while she may seem flawless in the classroom, she spends her life hiding her insecurities. Boy trouble is the last thing she would want to get involved in, so when she collides with Caleb Dawson, the cocky and self-centered hockey player that everyone worships, Jennifer can't get away fast enough. The problem is, the two of them keep gravitating toward each other. Does Caleb have what it takes to be in a relationship, despite his arrogance from being one of the best teenage hockey players in America? And can Jennifer see past her own issues to give him - and herself - a chance? [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]] Cover designed by Ray Gardener

FREE STORY WITH EXCLUSIVE CONTENT. This is *not* a Paid Story. Eighteen-year-old hockey prodigy Elliot Wexler has three goals for senior year. One: somehow graduate with a 3.5 GPA. Two: hide his bipolar disorder from his peers. And three: make it into the NHL with no scandals. Piece of cake. What he doesn't expect is to find Lucy, a homeless girl, hiding from the winter frost in his dad's shed. Elliot's busy, complicated life doesn't permit room for error, and falling in love with a girl from a totally different world sounds like the opposite of a good idea. But Elliot can't help but be drawn to Lucy and her elusive ways--even when she seems to vanish from his life non-stop, each time leaving him with a bigger hole in his heart. But Elliot is determined to break down Lucy's barriers. And when he does, he discovers that her life is more complicated--and dangerous--than he could have imagined. With drafting season approaching, and Elliot's fragile mental health deteriorating, he's forced to face a difficult question: Is first love supposed to hurt so much? *** PLEASE DO NOT ADD THIS STORY TO GOODREADS.

When Serena enters a new workplace, she has one rule; stay focused- no matter what. It soon turns out to be easier said than done when she meets her new boss. Valentino is strict, the epitome of difficult and much to her dismay; unbelievably fucking hot. She's determined to ignore the attraction she feels to him for the sake of keeping her job. But what Serena doesn't know is that Valentino can't get her out of his his head. He thinks about her everywhere. He feels captivated by her. He wants her. And he hates every moment of it.

after a prank gone terribly wrong, hayden jones is sent across country to caldwell academy, a school for the bitchy, the dangerous and the rebellious. and if that wasn't bad enough, it becomes much worse when hayden is accidentally put in the male dormitory, landing her in a room with the school's notorious heartbreaker, chase everett. [not edited...like at all]