She has everything the world says she should want-money, freedom, a "healthy" relationship- but inside, she feels hollow. Somewhere between punches and pain, she wonders if she can ever find herself again.

She runs a luxury beauty lounge. He runs routes in the NFL. When soleia Carter and Jeremiah smith cross paths, neither is looking for love - but the chemistry? Instant. She's not impressed by status. He's tired of women chasing his name. But the more they collide, the harder it gets to stay in their own lanes. Because some games aren't played on the field... and hearts don't always follow the rules. 🥇#1 in athlete 🥇#1 in latto 🥇#1 in black fiction 🥇#1 in Atlanta 🥇#1 in entrepreneur 🥇#1 in Jeremiah smith 🥈#2 in romance fiction #4 in urban fiction

"𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭." 𝘏𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘦. "𝘐 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦. 𝘈𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭." 𝘐 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘳𝘶𝘣𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦.

Sayoir learned early that beauty could be armor and confidence could be currency. Raised on struggle but determined to escape it, she built herself into a woman who walked like she owned every space she stepped into. Head high. Spine straight. Heart guarded. Now she lives the life she once only dreamed about - designer heels, luxury rides, and her name whispered with envy. By day, she's the woman who refuses to be overlooked. By night, she dances at Velvet Dreams alongside her best friend, stacking money and respect in equal measure. Men crave her. Women watch her. But nobody really knows her. Not the pain she buried, not the promises she intends to keep. Then there's Kian . Quiet. Calculated. Dangerous in the way only a man who has seen too much can be. The streets speak his name like a warning, but his loyalty runs deeper than the scars he carries. He doesn't explain himself - he never needed to. His silence said enough. When Sayoir and Kian cross paths, something shifts. Not soft, not sweet - something real. The kind of real that exposes everything you swore you'd never feel again. She's the storm he never saw coming. He's the calm she never knew she needed. But love in the concrete doesn't come clean. Enemies watch. Jealousy grows. Secrets surface. And when the past they both fought to outrun comes knocking, they'll have to decide: Are they each other's escape... or destruction? In a world where loyalty is rare and survival isn't promised, Sayoir and Kian must learn what it truly means to stand on business - even when the heart is on the line.

𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮.

The duality of survival and softness , where light seeps through of midnight lives .

Urban Romance | Dallas, TX | Black Love Kai Karter wasn't looking for love - just peace. A 24-year-old single mom, esthetician, and LPN working her way through nursing school, she's finally building a quiet life in Dallas for her and her four-year-old daughter, Regin. After escaping the grip of her abusive, drug-dealing ex, she's focused on healing skin by day and studying late into the night. Soft, sweet, and self-made - but don't get it twisted. She's not the one to play with. Crew "Ace" Princeton has never believed in love. Kingpin of the South, owner of a buzzing barbershop and tattoo lounge, Crew only trusts his money, his Glock, and his day-one, Dice. Loyalty to the streets is the only code he lives by. Women are for pleasure, never peace - and his favorite side piece, Keisha , knows the drill. Emotions? Off-limits. But everything changes when a random grocery store run puts him face-to-face with Kai - and her wide-eyed little girl calling him "Mister with the tattoos ." He's never chased a woman. She's not impressed by his charm . When Crews mom books him an appointment where Kai works unknowingly , Crew walks into the spa for a "facial"... and walks out with something he never expected: interest. Real, inconvenient, soul-tugging interest. Now two guarded hearts from two different worlds are on a slow collision course. But the streets don't let go easy. And neither do exes who still want control. Can a woman who just wants peace love a man born in chaos? Or will their worlds burn before they ever blend?

She was the secret he couldn't have. He was the temptation she couldn't resist. Ewneta thought she could walk away from Dave East, the famous rapper who stole more than just her heart. But the past refuses to stay buried, she then cross paths with the past. Caught between desire, loyalty, and pride, Ewneta must navigate heartbreak, scandal, and the choices that could change her life forever. (Ewneta - pronounced U-net-a) I'm stuck IN BETWEEN. First published: 2020 Official Rewrite: September 2025