"Your gun, Christian," I whispered breathlessly, the reality of who he was momentarily flashing in my mind. Even in bed, he was a dangerous man. He didn't stop. I felt the vibration of a low, dark smile against my skin before he spoke, his voice grazing my ear. "Gun's under the pillow," he whispered. ౨ৎ Lelani, 20 never asked for chaos. She wanted a quiet life, a clean future, and a chance to finally breathe. Christian, 24 was the kind of man she promised herself she would never get close to dangerous, secretive, and tied to a world she has no business stepping into. But fate doesn't care about warnings. And he's not good at letting go. Something about her pulls him in. Something about him keeps her from walking away. All she knows is this: The boy she shouldn't want is the only one who touches her right.

"𝙄𝙣 𝙖 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙤𝙨, 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙢𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙚."

"Threw away your love letters, I thought it'd made me feel better..."

"If a tree falls in a forest and no one's around to hear it, does it make a sound?" "Yes." "How?" She asked as she looked at him. "No one heard it." "Does sound require a listener to exist?" -------- A story about love, loss, and finding your person.

He left a mark I never asked for. Now he wants to finish the piece. Amina Westbrook didn't choose motherhood. But when her younger sister dropped a baby and disappeared, Amina stepped up, raised that little girl as her own, and never looked back. Seven years later, the past comes tatted, cocky, and fine as hell-standing in the grocery store with the same hypnotic eyes her daughter sees in the mirror. Santiago Vega. Zuri's father. The man who left before he ever knew she existed. Now he wants in. He wants time. Forgiveness. A chance to be a father. And every time he shows up with that deep voice and soft smirk, Amina hates how badly she wants to let him. Santiago isn't just showing up for Zuri-he's showing up for her. Fixing things she didn't ask him to fix. Dropping money in her hand like it's his right. Touching her like he already knows how she breaks. Amina's been holding everything together for so long, she doesn't know how to let go. Doesn't know how to want someone who actually stays. But Santiago stays. Through the attitude. The boundaries. The sparks that keep catching fire. And when he finally gets his hands on her? There's nothing soft about it. Now she's spiraling in his sheets, clashing with him in front of her family, and falling harder than she ever meant to. Because Santiago doesn't just want to play daddy. He wants the whole damn family. And this time, he's not leaving until he has them. Ink Don't Lie is a gritty, emotionally charged, standalone romance about second chances, found family, and the kind of love that refuses to walk away.

Instead of responding, Mehki raised up a little bit and pulled his shirt up to reveal a tattoo in beautifully and graceful cursive right over his heart. Satori Kemoni Dolce metà "What does this mean?" Satori almost whispered, not being able to control herself as she reached out and brushed her fingertips over the ink embedded into his skin. "Sweet half, better half." Mehki responded immediately, his eyes never leaving hers as her gaze was fixed on his tattoo. "But we were broken up." Satori sat back on her knees as she continued brushing her fingers over the ink marking his skin, forgetting she was basically rubbing his chest right now. "I told you when we broke up that you my soulmate, my ride or die. That shit ain't change. I don't even look no other females way no more since I been with you. You the only woman for me, Kemoni. Whether you want me back or not." Mehki spoke and Satori pouted, feeling her eyes start to tear up. Rankings: #1 - blackcast (9/17/24) #3 - businessowner (9/17/24) #2 - businesscouple (9/17/24) #3 - standalone (10/20/24) #1 - blackcouple (12/5/24) #1 - blackauthot (2/12/25) #1 - blackpeople (2/12/25)

•Completed with incoming edits• "Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies." - Aristotle They say everything happens for a reason, and the universe makes no mistakes. This is a different take on a black love story because we are not a monolith. Warning: This story does include mature content including adult scenes and situations. Please be advised.

Celestia wants to leave her home and get as far away as possible from her alcoholic mother. When she stumbles into a drunk man and helps him home, what happens when he becomes her way out? #2 in Smile