Princess Yasmin's hand caught my chin. Then- Her lips crashed onto mine. My eyes snapped open. The cold sweetness of the nectar mingled with warmth - hers, mine, impossible to tell anymore. Her mouth coaxed mine open further, taking back what I had stolen. Slowly. Thoroughly. Not a rush. A reclamation. Her lips moved with such control it made my knees weaken. It wasn't just a kiss - it was a statement. You don't win against me. My body tensed, trapped between wall and woman - royalty and rebellion. Her fingers slowly slid from my jaw then to my throat, brushing the skin there like she owned it. Her other hand planted firmly beside my head, holding me there, commanding. I didn't resist. I couldn't. Every movement of her lips was deliberate - drawing out the flavor, the heat, the punishment. She didn't let a single drop escape. I melted into her kiss. Or maybe I burned. Her tongue flicked the roof of my mouth. She tasted the last hint of sweetness and didn't stop. I let out a muffled sound - somewhere between a gasp and a groan. She finally pulled back, barely an inch, breath grazing my lips. Her chest rose and fell against mine, both of us unsteady, caught in the aftermath. "You think you're clever," she whispered, her voice husky, her eyes darkened in a way I'd never seen before. I blinked, still stunned, lips parted. "You're not," she said, lips brushing mine again - featherlight. Then she stepped away. Just like that. Back straight, chin high - as if nothing had just happened. "Next time," she said, voice cold again, "touch my dessert, and I won't stop at your lips." Story Description: The Shadow Reaper - born of vengeance, trained to kill, untouched by mercy. Until she meets Princess Yasmin - beautiful, calculating, and dangerously in control. A cold-blooded assassin and a calculating princess collide in a battle of power, desire, and control-where every kiss is a challenge and surrender is the deadliest sin.

A stranger to her own existence, Kayla moves to a small town with the hope of finding comfort in a fresh start. But as she steps inside the unfamiliar classroom on the first day, standing in front of the class is a mysteriously familiar face, one that rouses memories of a time she believed had gone by. With past baggage catching up in the most intrusive ways, she stumbles upon unexpected comfort of friendship, unconditional love of found family, and a beautiful yet complicated bond between two hesitant souls. "This book was like a warm hug, and I might believe in love again." "I would give everything, especially my soul, to have the opportunity to read this book for the first time again." ────── CW: Substance abuse, harsh language, sexual content, mention of self-harm and suicide. ────── Started in January 2018. Re-published in November 2022. First draft finished in April 2023. ────── Copyright 2018 © Renee Steinberg All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced, copied, translated, or republished in any form without the author's permission, except for brief quotations or reviews with proper credit.