Without warning, I reached down and gave her ass a hard smack. "That's for spray painting my car," I said. Her breath hitched, and she bit her lip, trying to suppress a smile. "You're such a caveman." "Caveman? How about this?" I said, smacking her ass again, harder this time. She moaned, and I could feel her responding to me, her body betraying her defiance. 𝐄𝐒𝐌𝐄 I was raised to be perfect. The golden girl. The Kensington princess. Sheltered. Untouched. A good girl with a silver spoon and a diamond crown. But then there's 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐛 𝐅𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧. My stepbrother. My brother's enemy. A man carved from sin, wrapped in arrogance, and dipped in ink. He doesn't ask. He takes. He doesn't chase. He owns. And when he touches me? It's not gentle. It's filthy. It's wrong. I should run. I should hate him. But when he says my name, low and dark, I don't think about stopping. I think about how deep I can fall. Because Caleb isn't just my first sin. He's the one I'll never escape. 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐁 She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. And I was the bastard here to tarnish it. 𝐄𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐝𝐚 𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧. Mummy's little princess. The golden girl. The one thing in this world I was never supposed to touch. But I don't follow rules. I break them. And Esme? She was made to be ruined. Soft lips. Delicate curves. A body that begs for my hands. She's innocent, but not with me. I'm dragging her into the dark, making her dirty, making her mine. She thinks she can survive me. Thinks she can walk away untouched. But Esmeralda? She belongs to me. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮'𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧'𝙨 𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝘚𝘰𝘧𝘵 𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘙𝘢𝘸 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵.

Knox has spent years perfecting the art of not giving a damn. He has spent his whole life keeping people at arm's length, working late shifts, smoking through the exhaustion, and surviving each day with the numb detachment of someone who learned too young that caring only leads to pain. The art club he joins for extra credit is supposed to be just another chore. Instead, he founds a new obsession and four artist that, turns out, aren't as bad as he thought. Knox doesn't want redemption. He doesn't believe in healing arcs or clean endings. But as the weight of his past presses closer, and the present demands choices he can no longer postpone, he's forced to confront a question he has never allowed himself to ask: What happens when running is no longer enough?

"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

Ivy Reed, a twenty year old with a haunting past. Ace Romano, the soon-to-be Italian mafia boss and also Ivy's brother's best friend who instantly takes a liking in Ivy when he first sees her. What happens when Ivy finds herself falling for him? And he, for her? Read to find out~ (I know I suck at descriptions lmao) Your typical brother's best friend book. _________________ Ig : actb4thinking _________________ #7 in love on 08/02/23

Aris' entire life changes when he discovers he has a heart condition that could be fatal if he doesn't receive a transplant. Eager to speed up the process and attempt to go into private hospital care, he takes on all different jobs to put away every penny he has to save his life. When the chance to become a nanny to a sassy five year old girl arises, Aris knows he's out of his depth with lack of experience. But when he finds out the employer is willing to pay fifteen hundred a week, it's an offer he cannot turn down. Nick is a grumpy, single father who cannot juggle the work-life balance. Desperate to find someone to help look after his daughter, Elodie, to give him the chance to launch his new business app. All he wants is someone he can trust. As Aris walks into his life and straight into this job, Nick is adamant he won't last a day with his cheeky daughter who has no filter. But when an unlikely friendship grows and Aris works his way into Elodie's heart, Nick notices something is beginning to spark in his too-despite telling himself to keep their relationship professional. Lines begin to blur with family outings and endless late nights. Aris knows he needs a new heart but he didn't expect Nick to completely steal it instead. TROPES - single dad / nanny - grumpy / sunshine - Aris falls first, Nick falls fucking harder - forced proximity - chronic disease/illness rep - spicy scenes - dual POV

People say Matilda "Matty" Smith is immature. That's why, at 22, she runs a daycare-because she supposedly gets along best with toddlers. But Matty doesn't care. She loves her job, her kids, and her messy, joy-filled life. So what if she's never had a serious relationship? She's got time. Then he walks in. Tatum White wasn't looking for a second chance. Fleeing Clemenville with his young son after a tragic accident, he just needed somewhere quiet to start over. But Elias, his little boy, is still fragile-traumatized and clinging tightly to him. Leaving him with a bubbly, curly-haired stranger? Unthinkable. Until Elias takes to Matty like he's known her forever. And Tatum? He starts to see her the way no one else does-kind, capable, and full of light. The exact kind of unexpected warmth he didn't know he needed. He came to Meadow Hills to escape his past. He didn't expect to find his future in a daycare center

When Dana Rowland first meets Quinn Stevens, it's during the storm of a century, and his mysterious appearance makes it hard for her to know if he's friend or foe. Already scared and hurt from an accident that occurred on the run from an abusive home life; trusting a man, any man is inconceivable. Quinn's quiet and gentle manner and outrageous family slowly gain her trust and teach her that there is kindness and love in the world. But can Dana convince Quinn that her love for him is real and not just a case of misguided gratitude?

Fiona Stevens has taken over running the family's ranch. The burden of keeping the Stevens family legacy strong has fallen onto her shoulders. It's not what Fiona dreamed for herself, but then she only ever had one dream, and that was Henry Mercer. Henry Mercer has always seen Fiona as one of the Stevens' girls, beautiful but untouchable. When Fiona's father asks Henry to step in and help Fiona with the ranch, Henry has to say yes. The Stevens are like family, after all. When Henry arrives at the ranch, he is surprised to find that the beautiful girl has turned into a strong, capable woman. However, neither Henry nor Fiona expect their secrets to form an unbreakable bond leading to the love of a lifetime.

Carmen Morales has finally moved on from her troubled past and, to the outside world, she appears to have it all; success, wealth, and beauty. She's at the top of her career as a international supermodel. Unfortunately, success comes with a new set of problems in the form of menacing phone calls and letters, and they're something that she can no longer ignore. Will Pruitt has served his country, giving all that he could possibly give without losing his life in the process. His body has healed but his soul hasn't. At loose ends until he's able to return to active duty, he takes a job 'babysitting' a friend of a friend who is being threatened. The catch is that he has to keep a low profile, and anyone who knows Will knows that this is an impossibility when it comes to a beautiful woman, and Carmen is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. Will Carmen be able to withstand all of Will's undeniable charm and will Will be able to keep Carmen safe from the danger that is threatening her?

Adonis Celts, the notorious monster who'd been rotting in prison for the past decade. Getting an interview with him just weeks before his release would be the story of a lifetime, and well worth the risk. With his hands cuffed and guards right outside the door, nothing could go wrong. Right? • • • "I've already explained I'm not afraid of you Mr. Celts. But it seems like you want me to be?" I retort. He leans forward in the chair, his face just a foot or two away from mine. The light flickers above us and it seems like a sign for me to shut the hell up. "Mmhm right. Well, maybe you have more nerve than sense then hm? Or you just don't scare as easily as the others." His jaw ticks slightly "But I can think of far better ways to get your heart racing. So no honey, fear is the last thing I want from a woman like you."