Before I could respond, his hand tightened slightly against my waist and suddenly his lips crashed against mine. The kiss stole the air from my lungs instantly. Fast. Desperate. Messy in the way fear sometimes becomes desperation. I froze completely, fingers instinctively gripping his shirt as his mouth moved against mine like he still hadn't recovered from the panic of almost losing me tonight. I should've pushed him away. I knew I should. And maybe I tried to. A little. "Richard-" But he followed immediately, one hand sliding behind my neck as he kissed me again, slower this time. Deeper. Somehow even more dangerous. A shaky breath escaped me before I could stop it as his thumb brushed lightly against my throat, his warmth surrounding me completely . And the worst part? I stopped resisting. Not because I fully understood what I was feeling. But because in that moment, I could feel everything inside that kiss. Fear. Relief. Obsession. The terrifying depth of what I meant to him. Richard finally pulled back just enough for our uneven breaths to mix together, his forehead nearly resting against mine. Then quietly- Dangerously soft- "Tell me to stop, babygirl." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Richard Donaldson hated books almost as much as he hated people-until he heard Olivia Collins playing the piano at a ballroom and accidentally found one of her novels. Somewhere between her words and melodies, the feared mafia boss fell in love with a girl he barely knew. But when he finally decided to find her, he discovered something terrifying: someone else had already been watching her first.

Betrayed by her family and betrothed to a prince, Arlen runs for her life-only to be found by the domineering Duke Liam Crawford, the man she should fear most. Cold, commanding, wealthy and irresistibly magnetic, he saves her with a single touch and claims her as his own. Every whispered command, every lingering caress, draws her deeper into a treacherous game with a man who sees her not as a wife, but as a prize to possess. In his arms, danger tastes like desire... but will she surrender or survive? ⓒ Serenascent / TENBOOK / FLORIEL *** Weekly updates on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Completed • First Draft - not edited. || "You gonna sit there all night?" Luka glances at me, smirking. I glare back. "I was enjoying the last few seconds of peace before having to spend an evening pretending to like you." "That's funny," he says, unbuckling his seatbelt. "Why?" I snap. "Because I was thinking the same thing." || The rules? Easy enough. 1. Pretend to be the perfect couple. 2. Keep it professional. 3. And whatever you do, don't. catch. feelings. Simple, right? Sofia Calloway never planned on going viral for throwing a drink in Luka Mikhaylov's face. But one video, one pissed-off hockey star, and one furious university later... she's suddenly stuck in a fake relationship with the guy she can't stand. He needs to clean up his image before the NHL draft. She needs the free tuition that comes with the deal. All they have to do is smile for the cameras, hold hands at the games, and act like they don't want to strangle each other. Then come the late-night arguments that last too long. The stolen glances that feel too dangerous. The moment where "pretend" starts looking way too real. Because when you break the rules, someone's bound to lose. And this time, it might be both of them.