He needed a fiancée. She needed a miracle. A deal was made-strictly business, no emotions allowed. But as Taylor Knox steps into Nico Alaric's world of power, secrets, and unspoken rules, pretending becomes dangerous. The lines blur between duty and desire, and every look, every accidental touch, threatens to ruin them both. He's cold, commanding, impossible to read. She's stubborn, curious, and slowly peeling back every layer he swore he'd keep hidden. "I can't pretend anymore," he told her once, voice rough and eyes unreadable. "You've crawled under my skin, and I can't shake you off." she realizes the lie they built together might just be the most real thing either of them has ever had. In a love signed on paper but sealed in fire, who breaks first-the man uncapable to feel, or the woman who made him do it anyway?

In which I fall in love with my brother's best friend. ***** "Don't pretend like you don't feel anything." His voice is low, sending shivers down my spine. "What do you mean?" "You know damn well what I mean." "I don't know what you're talking about." I pretend to ignore him, flipping some pages in my book. "Come on. I have all these assignments waiting. Aren't you supposed to teach me tonight?" "It depends on what you want me to teach." He smirks, his voice sounding even more dangerous. ***** I thought that my brother was the most popular guy in school, but as soon as I step into my university life, I realize how wrong I was. Meet Vaughn Cooper, his best friend. The guy is the epitome of every girl's dream. Godlike handsome. The quarterback. He's got the looks, and he's got the brain. Come on, he's got the scholarship to one of the most prestigious universities in the country, while I have just barely passed the entrance examination after long years of struggle during high school. How could a guy who worked that hard and deserves nothing more but adoration be labeled as a bad boy? Yeah, the answer is simple. The moment we lock eyes, I realize something as I stare into those piercing, amber eyes. He's not every girl's dream. He's every girl's nightmare. In my case, MY nightmare. Calm down, heart. Our story hasn't even started. ***** THE SPENCERS SERIES BOOK #1 © 2020 Anya Jayvyn. All Rights Reserved. (Content warning: This book has descriptive sexual content, explicit language, and triggering themes)