It all started with a tall, dark and handsome man at the bar, perfectly flirtatious and wickedly charming. But that man was not the man Astrid ended up in bed with that night. If only Astrid had a few more cocktails that night, she could have chalked it up to a drunken mistake with her over-protective best friend. It wasn't the booze, unfortunately, but the way he'd held her when they danced and the way his lips had captured hers and sent shivers down her spine. It wasn't that Astrid didn't believe in love, she'd just never felt it and kept her heart under lock and key until the right man came along she could trust. She trusted this man every single day of her life, but he was never meant to be this for her. He was never meant to explore every inch of her body or whisper words of seduction in her ear. Jonah Dawson was the last man she was allowed to fall into bed with or fall in love with. Not because he was her best friend, but because he was also her father's. And her godfather. 18+ Strong sexual content and language

|| Featured FREE story with exclusive paid chapters - previously a paid story || When Haley discovers the truth behind Xavier, whose silence holds a deeper meaning, she sets her mind on making his life better one small step at a time. ***** Haley Rosamond is happy with her simple life, content under the wing of her father. Well-protected, she has no idea of the darkness surrounding Xavier Hunt, with his all-black attire and infrequent presence in school-accompanied by his bruises and scars. That is, until Haley catches a glimpse of Xavier's reality and is made to question everything she knows about family and life in general. The truth, she realizes, couldn't be more different from everything she has heard. Supported by her father, Haley sets her mind on helping Xavier any way she can, and what begins with tutoring sessions, free food, and random acts of kindness blooms into friendship and something a little more. But when Haley's admission into her dream college and another tragedy in Xavier's life threaten to undo everything she has worked for, Haley needs to decide if she'll stick by Xavier or simply be another person in his life that disappears. [[word count: 80,000-90,000 words]] Cover designed by Holly Thurston