They promised it was just fun. No strings. No feelings. So why does it feel like everything? At twenty-two, Sloane doesn't have room in her life for heartbreak. Between nursing school, long CNA shifts, and raising her daughter, she barely has time to breathe-let alone fall for someone. So when Braden, a friends boyfriends cocky, charming best friend, makes it clear he's only in it for fun, Sloane agrees. It's safe. Easy. Exactly what she needs. Until it isn't. Because somewhere between the stolen looks, mind-blowing sex and late-night banter, Sloane starts to want more. And without realizing it, so does Braden. But Braden has ghosts that won't stay buried. And when the girl he once claimed to love whispers a lie that cuts too deep, he doesn't just believe it-he uses it to break Sloane in the cruelest way. By the time the truth comes out, Sloane's heart is in ruins, and Braden's the one left bleeding. He never meant to fall for her. He never meant to lose her, either. Now he's ready to fight for the only woman he's ever really loved. But some promises can't be undone. And Sloane might be the one thing Braden can't win back.

I never believed in marriage. Not after growing up watching it tear my family apart. Wanting someone was easy. Loving someone was dangerous. But promising forever? That felt impossible. And then came Dean Ashford. He never asked for much; just me, just us, just a future he swore he'd protect with everything he had. And when he asked for that future-when he held out a ring with hands that were shaking-I did the one thing I never wanted to do. I walked away. He broke. I broke. And the next morning, when I finally found the courage to choose him-really choose him-I had no idea he'd spent the night destroying everything we ever were. I had no idea what I was walking into. I had no idea what he'd done. I thought the worst thing I'd ever feel was the fear of losing him. I was wrong. Because nothing prepares you for the moment the person you love looks at you with eyes full of secrets... Nothing prepares you for the truth that the one night you walked away was the one night he didn't. And now I have to decide if the love I built my world around can survive the one mistake that broke both of us.

cor·ner·stone /ˈkôrnərˌstōn/ noun an important quality or feature on which a particular thing depends or is based. Wendy has loved her husband Atlas since she was twelve years old.. He was her first kiss, her first love, her forever. Together, they built a perfect life - married after high school, raised two beautiful boys together, and were still blissfully in love. Until Atlas pulled away. Wendy did everything she could to keep their marriage from unraveling-juggling the house, the kids, and all the invisible labor no one thanks her for. But when Atlas fails to show up to their final resort therapy session, Wendy makes a different choice - she stops waiting for him. Determined to take her life back, Wendy gets a job, rediscovering her independence and finding unexpected freedom in a world where she no longer carries the weight for both of them. While she flourishes, Atlas unravels. He watches everything that matters slip through his fingers-his wife, his sons, the family he thought he was protecting by keeping his fear to himself. But to heal their fractured marriage, Atlas will have to face the real reason he pulled away... And what does it have to do with his brother's late wife, Carrie? A marriage-in-trouble second chance romance. No cheating, HEA always.

One lesson I learned very early in life was to be cheerful, to be agreeable, to do as I was told and ask for nothing, and to never ever complain. Smile Maddie. Be happy Maddie. Don't make trouble and maybe they'll love you. I grew into an adult who took care of others and never expected that those I loved would take care of me in return. I gave and never asked, never expected, never demanded. Smile Maddie. Be happy Maddie. Don't make trouble and you'll find someone that will love you. And then one day, a Dragon walked into my workplace and turned my world upside down with a single wink. Having grown up watching his father treat his men like they were disposable, just meat bags to be fed into the grinder, Dragon was determined to be different when he became president of the Dragon's Inferno MC. He cares about his people. He takes care of them. He was upfront with me, taking care of his MC and those he considered to be his would always be his priority. And I agreed to that, I joined him in that mission, throwing myself into becoming the perfect old lady of the prez. Smile Maddie. Act happy Maddie. Take care of them and maybe they'll love you. Smile Maddie. Be happy Maddie. Don't complain and maybe he'll love you. I told myself I was independent. I was strong. And I didn't need my Dragon to take care of me. And I almost believed it. Almost. But now I'm watching him with her. I'm watching him comfort her. I'm watching him listen to her, support her, reassure her. I'm watching him take time from his day to check in with her. I'm watching him worry about her. I'm watching them become closer right in front of my eyes. I'm seeing every thoughtful gesture he does for her. And me? I'm not happy. I'm not smiling. I'm done being agreeable. Fuck not causing trouble. I'm about to set my Dragon's world on fire. And then I'm walking away. She can have him. For the first time in my life, I'm choosing myself.

Revenge. I'm familiar with it. You have to be when you're the firstborn son of a notorious mafia leader. Death and vengeance have been the very foundations of my life. So who in their fucking mind would be stupid enough to cross me? My brother and I have been wrongfully convicted of a crime we didn't commit. We know who is behind this. We bid our time behind bars, planned and prepared for the day we got out. Now we're free and hungry for redemption. I know what must be done. I know whose blood will be spilled. But before I go after him, I'll go after his daughter. I never said I play fair. *Book one in the Marino Brothers Duet. Rated 18+ due to explicit language, sex, and violence.*

In a world where Gracie has never felt like she belongs, finding a home with Braxton and his family has been like finding an oasis. Until the past walks back through the door, reminding her that people can change their minds and history is impossible to compete with. When Gracie walks away, Braxton's got a choice. Fight for the new love he's found or take a chance on the old one that never had a chance to bloom.

Highest Ranks- 1# Mafia 1#hostage 1#happyending 1#complete 1#good girl 1#italian 2#happy ending 2#opposites 3#Mature 4#morallygrey Editing* Rosie didn't have anyone, only herself. Growing up in the foster system she learnt that love did not exist, she learnt to be on her own, she learnt that in this lifetime, she would not be introduced to a happy life. Rosie moved into the busy streets of Brooklyn once she turned 20. She was a quiet and shy person, she never knew the true meaning of love...until she met the eyes of a devil, a devil with a heart. When a stranger strolled into the closed cafe at midnight, Rosie felt a sudden wave of shock when she looked up to see the most alluring man she had ever laid eyes on, a man impossible to be only crafted by one god. Luca knew from the moment he saw her, his world would no longer just consist of being the Don of the Italian mafia, he knew the moment he saw those piercing blue eyes that his world would consist of nothing but love...

"Don't contact me if you're dying." When Keith Ingram utters those cruel words to his new wife, he doesn't know how much he'll come to regret them. For years, Ella Bryce has loved Keith from afar. When a contract marriage gives her one chance at happiness, she vows to make him see her-even though the scars of her past make her efforts fraught with pain. But just as her devotion begins breaking through his guarded heart, devastating lies shatter their fragile bond. Broken and discarded, Ella rebuilds her life from the ashes, determined to live on her own terms. She is no longer the unseen girl he left behind. Years later, Keith storms back into her life-colder, harder, and more ruthless than ever. He thinks he knows the truth about their past. He is wrong. Now, Keith must face the reality of what he destroyed. Fate has given him a second chance to see the woman he was blind to, but the road to redemption is paved with secrets. Will he make the same mistake twice... or can he win back the wife he so carelessly threw away? Trigger warning: Trigger warning: This story contains emotional abuse, gaslighting, and family abuse.

Zara Foster couldn't be happier. She's graduated from Law school, gotten her first job, bought her first apartment and the love of her life, her boyfriend Alexander has just proposed. Everything seems to be perfect when Alex's best friend Heather moves back into town. With her boundaries repeatedly ignored and her fiance's attention elsewhere Zara has to decide if her relationship is worth fighting for or if walking away with her head high and her dignity intact is the best thing for her future.

A delayed flight. A stranger at a hotel bar. A one night stand. Stranded in New York for an extra night than planned due to a delayed flight, I needed to find a way to keep myself occupied, and I soon found that something. It was easy enough when the handsome stranger introduced himself to me as Kade. It has been a while since I have had a hot one-night stand, and he reminds me how fun it can be. There are no questions, expectations or reasons to see one another again. What I don't expect is our night together to come around and bite me in the ass. When I arrive at a family dinner with my parents and two older sisters to celebrate my return home to Scotland, he is sitting right there with them. Not only is he my father's new business partner, but he is my sister's blind date set up by my parents. We pretend to be strangers because things would become complicated if we didn't. No one ever needs to know about what happened between us. My dad would freak out if he found out about us because he is overly protective of me as the youngest, and with the age gap between Kade and me, my father wouldn't approve. My relationship with my older sister is already strained; I don't need to make things worse between us. Even though he doesn't seem interested in her and he tries his best to show that it could still make all hell break lose. My sister hates losing. She always gets what she wants. I should stay away from him, but it is easier said than done with the tension and chemistry between us, and we struggle to fight against it. No matter what happens, it needs to be our secret to keep.