Insert from story "You have kind eyes." He said, holding my gaze. "You look innocent." That was on purpose. "Are you ever going to tell me your name?" He asked as he started to clean my foot. "I already did. It's Heather." "Heather." He said, keeping his voice even. "Yes, Heather Dean." He just chuckled, like he didn't believe me. "Why do I get the impression that you think I'm lying?" I asked. "Because of how you respond every time I called you that." Oh...Crap, that wasn't good. "You haven't shared your name either." I pointed out. "I'm waiting." He answered simply. "For what?" "For you to tell me the truth." He looked back up at me. "It only seems fair right?" "It would only seem fair if I was lying." He looked at me for awhile before saying, "So, you're going to stick to that story, huh? All right. Well, when you're ready to be honest, I'll share my name." He had a point but....I still needed to be careful. Yes, he had been kind but that still wasn't reason enough for me to trust him just yet.

An impossible debt. A dangerous offer. A love that could ruin or redeem them. For her entire life, Amara Johnson has lived in a bubble. Sheltered and coddled by her loving but average family, her world is small, safe, and predictable. That all shatters when she follows her brother to Tokyo for a fresh start. But her brother's secret gambling habit plunges them into a nightmare. He didn't just borrow money-he borrowed from Kenzo Sato, the most feared and powerful Oyabun of the Yakuza in Japan. Now, to protect her brother's life, Amara must leave her quiet job at the bank and work off his massive debt in Kenzo's front: an exclusive, members-only cafe in the heart of Shinjuku. She's out of place, naive, and terrified. And she's utterly captivating to him. Kenzo Sato is a vision of controlled chaos-sharp suits over intricate tattoos, a piercing gaze that sees everything, and a billionaire empire built on power and respect. He is everything her sheltered life taught her to fear. To Amara, he's utterly terrifying. To Kenzo, she's an exotic breath of fresh air-a innocence he never knew he craved. He makes her a new offer: become his exclusively. His companion. His obsession. In return, her brother's debt vanishes and she will want for nothing. It's a gilded cage that promises to lift her from poverty and change her life forever. Caught between fear and a fierce, unexpected attraction, Amara must navigate a world of danger, luxury, and dark desire. Can her sheltered heart survive the ruthless world of the Yakuza? Or will the man who owns her debt also claim her heart?

He's the most feared man in Europe. She's the only one who makes him smile. And when a broken boy enters their lives, love becomes their greatest rebellion. Because in their world, family isn't just blood- it's everything. ____

𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔-𝒔𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅. I chose him. I was forced to. But I never expected Mateo Marcelli to be battling his demons. Known as the most ruthless consigliere, he seals every deal-whether his enemies agree or not. The world fears him. The underground bows to him. And now, I'm bound to him. His presence is demanding-dangerous, all-consuming. I should run, I should fear him before he consumes me too. But something about his glare when his eyes look at me, it sets me ablaze. Twisting fear into desire. My heart whispers a truth my mind refuses to accept: Mateo Marcelli will never hurt me. Even when he offers me an escape... 𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆.

+18 Igor patted his thigh-slow, deliberate. "Come here," he said, voice thick with amusement. "Sit on my lap. You look tense." Etta stood her ground, she didn't want him to win. His smirk deepened "You want to see what happens when I ask again?" **** When Etta agrees to a spontaneous trip to Russia with her best friend, she expects snow, sightseeing, and maybe a little adventure-not to be hunted down by a brooding, relentless police officer with icy dark grey eyes and a claim that burns. Igor doesn't ask. He takes. And from the moment he sees her... she's his. WARNING: This story contains dark themes, obsession, NASTY sexual scenes, Reader discretion is advised.

| 2025 Wattys Shortlist 🖊️🧡! In Cairnwall, 1972, unaware of the mobster who has been threading across the narrow line of near psychotic obsession for over a year, finally makes himself known to her. His unwavering attraction to her is forbidden, frowned upon by many, and they both know this. But he doesn't care. Before her, no one was able to crack through his mask, but she smashes through it without effort-without needing to say a word. She makes his heart-something he cast aside long ago-stumble and stammer with a simple smile. Her breath catches when he glances her way, her heart burning when he pulls away, but she would rather push him away, keep their coupling hidden away, locked behind closed doors, and deep within the depths of the shadows. She wants to protect herself from the scrutiny society will cast upon her for having the gall to be with him, but he wants to put her on his throne and make society kiss her feet. What will happen when two worlds that should not even glide past each other end up crashing?

Blind to his relentless gaze, Ciauna moves through her day, unaware of the noose tightening around her. It only took one glance-just one-for Obeye to decide she would be his. From that moment, he watched from the shadows, his patience unnervingly steady, biding his time and savoring the anticipation before he struck. By the time Ciauna feels the shift in the air, a chilling prickle at the back of her neck, it's far too late. He has her now, ensnared in his grip, forced to bend to his every dark whim-no escape, no turning back. But the worst part? A small, unyielding part of her doesn't want to resist him at all. ________________ As I reached the edge of his desk, his hands gripped my hips, the sudden contact making me gasp. His touch was firm, almost painful, as he spun me around to face the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the city. "Look out there," he said, his breath hot against my ear. "See all of that?" I nodded, my eyes blurring with unshed tears as I took in the twinkling lights of the cityscape. "That's your world," he whispered, his grip tightening. "And I control it. Now, bend over the desk."

"𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐈 𝐚𝐦?" "𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈'𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧." ... Antoinette Santil has spent the past nineteen years of her life concealed from the reality of the real world. Her day-to-day routine consisted of ballet practice, bookstore, and gardening. Even though the ballerina was aware of her monotonous lifestyle, she never had the urge to divulge the actuality of her life, That is, until she got wrapped up into Micheal Benedict's hurricane. His past three years were spent inside the New York federal prison and after being released the only thing Micheal Benedict wanted was to be alone. That was until he encountered the same doe-eyed girl that his entire family has forbidden him from even speaking to his entire life. Despite them being polar opposites and prohibited from being around each other, the two find themselves extremely intrigued by one another. But it doesn't take them long to find out exactly why their families didn't want them engaging with each other... But without rain, there's no flowers.

Kairo is scared his autism will stop him from finding love.

"Our love was a case we both lost." ... Naomi Carter, a fiercely intelligent lawyer with a near-perfect winning steak of 97% cases won. The only times she ever loses is to her husband. She's sharp, controlled, and commanding in the courtroom, but behind closed doors, she hides a woman who's never truly learned to love. Nathaniel Carter is a ruthless prosecutor, relentless in his pursuit of justice and impossible to read. Driven by a fierce need for control, he struggles to keep his own life from unraveling. He's the one man who knows his wife's weaknesses and exploits them with a quiet intensity, stirring both her frustration and desire. Their marriage is a constant battleground, scarred by a shared tragedy neither can overcome. Join these two broken souls as they fight to protect themselves while craving the one thing they fear most: each other. #2 in enemiestolovers #1 in bwwm #1 in eroticromance #1 in blackwoman #1 in enemies #1 in grief #1 in childloss #1 in pregnancy #1 in brokenmarriage #1 in loverstoenemies #2 in darkromance #1 in sexscenes #2 in mentalhealth #7 in romance