I had changed. Three years had passed, and I was different now. But then I met her. And suddenly, I was terrified-terrified that if I let myself fall for her, I'd become the monster I once was. The only thing that truly scared me... Was the man I used to be. - Zayn Banks Sequel to Ethereally.

The bell above the entrance door rung, indicating someone had walked in. "We're closed," I called as I swung my head around to face the door. I froze when I saw a tall tan handsome man dressed in an all-black suit standing by the entrance, power and dominance radiating off of him. I closed my mouth quickly when I realised I was staring with my mouth agape. "I was just wondering where Mr Santiago is?" He asked, an Italian accent lacing his voice. I stared at him for a few a seconds needing time to process that this Italian god was actually standing in front of me, before getting a hold of myself and answering him. ~~~~~ #1 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 #20 𝐦𝐚𝐟𝐢𝐚 #2 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧 #8 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐩𝐚𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 #3 𝐠𝐮𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 #12 𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐲𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 #10 𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐠𝐮𝐲𝐬 #137 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐭 #44 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 #2 gangs

He hates everyone. I just happen to be the exception... and the problem. He's the cold, untouchable boy everyone fears - and I'm the only one he ever talks to. No one knows why. They whisper about it in the hallways, staring when he walks by and doesn't bother looking at anyone-except me. He hates everyone. Teachers, classmates, the cafeteria lady-everyone. Except me. Some say I'm brave for not being scared of him. Others think I'm crazy. Honestly? They're both probably right. Maybe he talks to me because I once told him his death stare needed work. Or maybe it's because I'm the only one who argues back when he's being impossible. Now everyone's asking the same question: Why does the monster only listen to the girl who teases him? And if I'm being honest... I'm not sure if I've tamed him- or if I've just become his favorite person to ruin the world for. Tropes: grumpy x sunshine · sarcastic banter · protective love · misunderstood bad boy © COPYRIGHT NOTICE © 2025 Aria Rae. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be copied, shared, or translated without the author's written permission. This story is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real people, events, or situations is purely coincidental.

Alessandro 'Sandro' Bellini's world is one of ruthless control, and his most loyal weapon is his Cane Corso, Cerberus. Across the city, Juniper 'June' Scott's world is a sunlit bakery, where she remains blissfully unaware of the shadows that govern her city. When Cerberus escapes, Sandro is prepared for war. He isn't prepared to find his beast being fed scones by a cheerful baker who has audaciously renamed the killer 'Muffin.' This singular act of canine betrayal forces the cold-blooded underboss into June's warm orbit. Each reluctant visit to retrieve his dog pulls him deeper under her spell, an addiction he can't fight. In a life of calculated sins, Sandro is about to discover his darkest vice isn't a choice, but a dangerous craving for the one woman he should be protecting her from: himself. ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘ Word Count: 55,331

"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 was drowning in her kiss. The intensity of it filled me with sensations I'd never felt before. I taste her and I realize I've been starving. I have loved before, but never quite like this. I have kissed before, but never did it consume me like this. It lasts for a second, maybe a minute or maybe even an hour, I'm not sure. I'm drowning and drowning and sinking to the bottom of the ocean in her kiss, in her soft embrace. I never thought I could feel wanted like this before and it's intoxicating and it's swallowing me whole. It started off passionate, but we got desperate. The kiss got deeper as we got hungrier, it feels like even my hands can't bring her close enough to me. - LEIGHTON VALAK .. and in which, emotionally unavailable Alea John gets paired up with the rich golden boy on campus, Leighton Valak for a tutoring opportunity- what could go wrong? Or, in simpler words.. An unloveable boy and a girl who cannot love. highest rankings #1 - sadromance #1 - bwwm #1 - banter #1 - badboygoodgirl #2 - bwwm #2 - drama #2 - maybesmut #3 - maybesmut #6 - opposites #10 - enemiestolovers #23 - banter

Book one. "One rule, broken" Lily Carter has spent her whole life being the good girl. Quiet, thoughtful, and forever known as Hudson's twin sister. Hudson Carter is the star of Westbrook High's football team, and his world revolves around the game... and Austin Moore, his best friend who is also the captain of the football team. Austin is everything Lily knows she should avoid. He's the bad boy with a smirk that makes girls forget how to breathe and a reputation for breaking hearts. Lily is not someone Austin ever thought he'd fall for, as Hudson has always made one thing very clear: Lily is off-limits. While Hudson enjoys the crowds of people watching him and his team play football, and weekends partying with his friends, Lily prefers the quiet. But everything changes when she catches the attention of Austin. The more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to ignore the connection between them. Behind Austins cocky grin and reputation for using girls, Lily sees someone different. Someone real. And once she starts falling, there's no turning back. One rule, broken. Full of drama, heartache, and slow-burn romance, 'Off Limits' is all about forbidden love, family ties, close friendships and finding your own voice.

First book 🏒. Starting college was supposed to be Violet Vale's escape plan. New country. New city. New campus. And then there's Ethan Maddox-tattoos inked like warnings, that infuriating smirk, and a six-foot-five presence that fills every room like he owns it. Her brother's best friend. Her worst enemy. And now? Her accidental shadow at Northbridge University. Violet's spent years trading insults and eye-rolls with Ethan, ever since he became an honorary part of her family. But there's nothing brotherly about the way he looks at her now-or the way her pulse reacts when he calls her Vi like it's some kind of challenge. He's cocky. Infuriating. One year older. And the only person on campus who makes her feel anything at all. They're not friends. Definitely not something more. But the line between hate and something far messier is starting to blur. And when hearts get tangled... Someone's going to fall. Warning: May contain profanity and sexual content.

Armand Volkova is not a man who believes in fate. At twenty-five, the Russian-French mafia heir is already a name soaked in blood and whispered in fear. Tattooed, cold-eyed, and carved from stone, Armand moves through Manhattan like a wolf in a designer suit-dangerous, untouchable, and completely detached from the glittering world around him. That is, until she crashes into him-literally. Aimará Dunham is everything he's not. A Spanish-Ethiopian Olympic figure skater from London, she's all soft curls, warm brown eyes, and the kind of poise only the world's stage can give. Graceful, brilliant, and entirely unaware of the storm she just collided with. Living alone in Manhattan for college, she only wanted coffee that day... not a collision with the city's most dangerous man. For Armand, it's love at first sight. Obsession, even. A fixation he can't understand-but doesn't want to escape. He wants her. Needs her. Not just in his bed, but in his arms, in his life, in every bloodstained part of it. For Aimará, he's an enigma-hauntingly beautiful, but cold, strange, and far too intense. Their connection is undeniable, but hers is a slow burn... complicated by instincts that scream he's hiding something lethal. As secrets unravel and her perfect world begins to darken, Aimará finds herself pulled deeper into Armand's orbit. But when the truth surfaces-when she discovers who he truly is-will she run? Or will she stay with the devil who treats her like an angel?

A vixen's bold offer and a nerd's fascination Amara Alana wasn't just bold-she was a dreamer full of life. Fashion-forward, outgoing, and ambitious. She moved through the world like it already belonged to her, and for a long time, it had. But with her grades slipping and her nursing dreams suddenly fragile, nothing felt as manageable as it once had. Juda Harrison was a textbook nerd in every sense of the word. Reserved and quietly confident he was set apart by his extraordinary intelligence. He wasn't part of her world, not at all. But fascination had a way of bending rules. Her deal, her temptation, and his choice pulled him into it anyway. Because when he almost let her kiss him, he was finally ready to be taught it all. ━━━━⊱♛⊰━━━━ 𝐓 𝐇 𝐄 𝐓 𝐄 𝐌 𝐏 𝐓 𝐌 𝐄 𝐒 𝐄 𝐑 𝐈 𝐄 𝐒 ♛ 1 Teach Me, Tempt Me ❆ 2 Please Me, Tempt Me ☘︎ 3 Ruse Me, Tempt Me ━━━━⊱♛⊰━━━━ 𝐇 𝐈 𝐆 𝐇 𝐄 𝐒 𝐓 𝐑 𝐀 𝐍 𝐊 𝐈 𝐍 𝐆 𝐒 #1 goodboybadgirl #1 opposites attract #1 popular girl ━━━━⊱♛⊰━━━━ 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐃: 20/03/2025 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐃: 31/ 08/ 2025