I reached out, my fingers itching to touch her, but I settled for adjusting the collar of the dress. My knuckles brushed the warm skin of her neck and she let out a tiny, hitched breath. "We're not done, Calliope," I whispered. I forced myself to pull my hand away before I lost my grip on my self control. "This dress is for the office. Tonight is the Winter Gala. You'll be on my arm, and you need something that tells every man in that room exactly who you belong to." "You don't have to do that," she said, her eyes searching mine with a look of hesitation. "You've already done too much. I can find something in my closet for a party." I let out a dark, dry sound that wasn't quite a laugh. The thought of her walking into a room full of vipers wearing a bargain bin dress made my jaw ache. "No," I said, my voice dripping to a low possessive growl. "Today, you and I are going to find something for tonight. I'm picking this one myself. You're representing the De Luca name, and I won't have you in anything less than perfection." I looked down at her mouth, and for a split second, I considered ruining everything right here on the desk. I want to see that defiance melt into something else. "Get your coat," I commanded, my voice tight. "The car is waiting. And Calliope? If you keep wearing that perfume, I might have to add a clause to your contract about personal space." ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡ Nico De Luca doesn't believe in letting go. When Calliope fled, he didn't just find her; he dismantled her. He stripped away her world, her family, and her strength until the only thing left for her to cling to was him. Now, she is the silent force at his side, a woman who traded her innocence for a black veil and a throne built on secrets. He is the architect of her ruin, and she is the masterpiece he'll kill to protect. ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡ Word Count: 33,831

#40 in onmyblock - 8/18/25 #5 in lilspooky - 8/18/25 #33 in omb - 8/18/25 "Oscar!" Ceaser ran into his home. Oscar was sitting at the table drinking his coffee. "She's back." Oscar looked at him. He knew exactly who Ceaser was talking about but needed to be sure. "Who?" His eyes followed Ceaser's every move. "Xo. She's back." That's when Spooky knew, the queen of the Santos was back. Xiomara Alverez, his high school sweetheart was back. And she was coming for blood. Xiomara Alverez was the kind of girl people didn't forget. Growing up in Freeridge, where dreams often died young, she somehow managed to shine. Her dad and Spooky's dad practically built the Santos, so it was no surprise when Xo and Oscar became the unofficial king and queen of the gang. Xo wasn't just Oscar's girl, though-she was the heart of the Santos. Fierce, loyal, and always quick with a comeback, she was everyone's big sister, looking out for Ceser, Jamal, Ruby, and Monse like they were her own blood. But life in Freeridge wasn't a fairytale. Between the pressure of being Spooky's novia and the weight of her family's legacy, Xo felt trapped. She wanted more-more than the streets, more than the gang life. One day, she made the hardest decision of her life. She left. No goodbyes, no explanations. She just vanished, leaving behind broken hearts and unanswered questions. Now, she's back. And this time, she's not the same girl everyone remembers. She's carrying secrets, a darkness in her eyes that wasn't there before. People are whispering-why is she back? Is it revenge? Redemption? All they know is the Queen of the Santos has returned, and she's ready to take back what's hers.

New York city, In the sterile white walls of a hospital room, Victoria Blackwell's world collapsed with a photo of her husband of five years - Henry Blackwell with another woman. She was more shattered when her son - Jude Blackwell chose that woman as his new Mom. Heartbroken, Victoria decided to give up both the marriage and motherhood. She faked memory loss, demanded a divorce, and walked away - determined to rebuild her life from the ruins. After Victoria's departure, Henry was stunned. The woman who once loved him unconditionally had transformed into someone unrecognizable - confident, composed, and untouchable. Now, Henry is desperate to win her back. Jude clings to memories of his mother's warmth and begs for her return. They both want her back. But Victoria has learned one thing the hard way: sometimes love isn't enough-especially when it costs you yourself.

Twenty-nine-year-old Brianna Summers is not only a stunning, curvy beauty but also the best con artist around. That is, until she meets her match-her new husband, forty-year-old Simon Young. Simon is attractive, snarky, arrogant, and wealthy, but he's also just out of rehab. When Akopria's most eligible troubled bachelor offers Brie a lucrative business deal that benefits them both, she sees a way out. Brie can leave the con life behind as a millionaire, and Simon can regain his family's approval. All Brie has to do is stay married long enough to give Simon an heir. How hard can it be for a match made in hell? Trigger warnings : drug substance drug abuse drug over dose childhood trauma depresson Self inflecting harm loss coerced abortion racism body shaming

She was his coworker. She was his close friend. She was his cousin. These were all things I knew. There were just a few crucial components to their connection of which I had been unaware. She had been his crush. And now he was hers.

After getting attacked one summer night, 19-year-old Elle Russo doesn't want to be weak anymore. Deciding to get a self-defense teacher sounded easy until it ends up being the guy she hates most from her childhood. Elle is known for her sweetness, but he brings out her venom. Nico Cross is very quiet and to himself. The only time he speaks is to make sarcastic remarks or tell people to shut up. With a gaze that makes you shiver, most people choose to not speak a word to him. Hating each other and seeing each other everyday isn't a good mix. They push each others' buttons and hate nobody in the world more than they hate each other. But as time goes on, they both soon realize, Sometimes you hate something to keep yourself from loving it. ---------- "Why would I be scared of you?" I asked. "What are you gonna do, kill me?" He leaned forward, and I could feel his breathing against my skin. I whispered, "I think you want to kiss me."

Anneliese and Mason seem to have it all. Engaged and in love, they are living the dream, until suspicion begins to nag at Anna and pull on the threads of her happy life. What is Mason's secret and will it tear them apart? Insecurities, doubt and a growing awareness of her feelings lead Anna to question it all.

Could you run away from your destiny? Rick almost managed it. He could seem like the boy next door, but he had a big dark secret. He ran away from his country, Italy, to live a normal life and started from the scratch in New York where no one knew him. Now Rick lived the life he wished, but his life got more beautiful when he met a lovely girl, Vanessa Campbell. However, his happiness didn't last longer when he found out who her father was. The leader of the American mafia. Vanessa felt an instant connection with this mysterious Italian as soon as she met him. At first, he looked interested in her as well, but this mysterious handsome foreigner put a distance between them as soon as he found out who her father was. It wasn't a surprise for her because most people acted like this when they knew her father was a mafia leader. However, she didn't plan to give up on Rick. She would do everything to be with this gorgeous Italian despite the fact her father wanted her to marry the son of his business partner, the heir of another powerful mafia. Would Rick be able to leave his past behind and be happy with Vanessa? Or would this love be a threat to his peaceful life, throwing him back into his old life he wanted to escape desperately?

He swiped my sweat-soaked hair off my neck, resting his lips against my ear. His fiery breaths blew across my earlobe. My body shuddered once again, craving more of him. "You're not the first woman to think she could seduce me into bed because of who I am, what I write. And you won't be the last." He gave a small chuckle, pulling down my dress, so it covered me. "But," he said in a low growl, "so far...... you're my favorite." Breaths poured from my lips at those words. My heart fluttered inside my pounding chest. His favorite, my brain stuck to his words like glue. Clinging to the small hope we'd continue this somewhere else, more than once. We stayed in that position for a moment before his body heat disappeared from my back. He lit a cigarette in front of me, the flash of the lighter illuminating his flushed, sweat-soaked face. I leaned against the brick wall, finding comfort in the coolness against my heated skin. His eyes met mine again. I didn't think I could move from the spot, but he forced me to when he held up a red, lacy thong in between his fingers. My red lacy thong. Fucking panty thief! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Their worlds collided in a heated, passion-filled hook-up behind a bar, bringing their broken pieces together. And now? Mercy finds herself as C.J. Cole's intern. The very Mr. Cole who wrote the most romantic, erotic books she had ever laid eyes on. How could she manage to keep her panties on around him? Or control herself? Hint: she won't. Mature warning.