3784 Book(s) Related to anatomy of a love story

Faye Martinez, the beloved sister of Alpha, the most revered princess of The New Arctic Pack, was adored by everyone. But her fate took a turn when Alpha Timerante from The Dark Pack proposed to her.It was a marriage scheme. After they got married, Faye didn't receive any love or care from her husband Timerante. On the contrary, he repeatedly hurt Faye for his lover!Unable to bear it any longer, Faye made a solemn vow to the Moon Goddess. "I, Faye Martinez, reject you, Alpha Timerante Thompson, as my mate! Forever!"

His green eyes lengthened as he pulled me close, "Where else did he touch you?" His voice hardened and I shivered.
“Stop, He..”
He pressed his lips against mine before I could finish my statement.
“You're soaking wet for me baby. Do you feel this way about him too? Does his touch make you this wet?" He growled I could feel the anger in his voice.
“Listen to me little mouse.” His voice was cold, his green eyes pierced into mine with an intensity that made me shudder.
“You are mine alone.” He nipped on my earlobe, his breath hot against my skin. “You don't let anyone else touch you okay?”
We shouldn't be doing this. He didn't love me and I was just one of many girls caught in his web. Worse still, he was my Stepbrother.


Love is anything but expected...

Ryan Jenkins is the school's ultimate heartthrob and captain of the basketball team with a charm that leaves girls swooning. Haunted by a tragedy from his past, he views love as a game- one where hearts are mere toys to be tossed with. He’s spent his life steering clear of anything resembling love. But when his father remarries, he's suddenly faced with a new challenge—his stepsister. Being in close proximity to her ignites something he’s never felt, a dangerous spark that threatens to consume the world he’s built.

Violet Blake is your typical good girl—a straight-A student, a shy bookworm, and utterly inexperienced when it comes to love. Moving in with her mom and new stepfamily was supposed to be a fresh start. She never expected her stepbrother to be Ryan Jenkins, the most popular and alluring guy at school. With every interaction, Ryan keeps her on edge, leaving her struggling to protect her heart. The more she tries to stay away, the deeper she falls for the one person she knows she shouldn't desire...

"You're nothing but a replacement."

My husband said it with his eyes every time he looked through me to see her face. His mistress said it with that slow, satisfied smile. My own brother—the one I would have died for—proved it the night I saw him looking at her like she hung the moon.

I married a man who never once saw me.

I worked myself hollow for a family that used me like a tool and called it marriage. I gave up my career, my research, my dignity. I even gave up the right to be sick—because I have stage-four cancer and I haven't told a single soul.

I'm dying. And nobody knows.

But here's what they didn't count on: I'm not gone yet.

Before I go, I'm taking everything back.

Some women burn quietly until there's nothing left.

I'm done burning quietly.

I stared at the vampire on the catwalk. At Victor Krauss. At the thing that had just torn four of my packmates into abstract art.
At my wolf's idea of a fucking fated mate.
"Oh," I said. "Oh, fuck no."
Victor's smile widened.
"Hello to you too, little wolf."


Maya was the strongest warrior of the wolves, feared by her enemies and respected by her own kind.
Victor was a vampire who took pleasure in slaughtering both humans and werewolves, a monster whispered about in every pack.
Wolves and vampires had been mortal enemies since ancient times.
Whenever they met, there was only one rule: kill, or be killed.
Yet the first time Maya saw Victor, something was wrong.
Her usually calm wolf, Raven, suddenly grew restless, and in that heavy, wordless pull Maya understood the truth—Victor, the vampire she was born to kill, was her FATED MATE.

I'm Tori, a so-called "murderer" who has just walked out of prison.
Four years ago, Fiona's meticulously planned conspiracy turned me from an ordinary omega into a prisoner carrying the weight of a murder charge.
Four years later, I return to a world that has changed beyond recognition.
My best friend Fiona, who is also my stepsister, has become the perfect daughter in my mother's eyes. And my ex-boyfriend, Ethan, is about to hold a high-profile mating ceremony with her.
The love, family bonds, and reputation that I once cherished have all been taken by Fiona.
Just when I had reached my breaking point, questioning the very purpose of my existence, the legendary Alpha Lucas of Moonhaven suddenly appeared in my life.
He is powerful and enigmatic, a figure that all werewolves hold in awe.
Yet, he shows an extraordinary persistence and tenderness towards me.
Is Lucas's appearance a gift from fate, or the start of another conspiracy?

Sophie Patterson. Don't you dare walk away from me." Logan's menacing stare bore at me. I suddenly didn't feel drunk anymore.

I sobered up quickly. "What, Logan? You're gonna tell me that you suddenly love me again? That you're here to sweep me off my feet? Please! I didn't need you all this time, and I don't need you now." He clenched his jaw, fisting his hands.

"Enough. Stop being so damn stubborn. You know I do. I love you. I never stopped loving you, Sophie. It was always you."

I left my hometown hoping to never see him again. I left with his baby still inside of me. Seven years after, and here I am again. Standing before him and a six-year-old wanting to know who his dad is, and asking me to marry him because everyone in his class but him and his best friend don't have a daddy. What am I supposed to do with all these feelings that are resurfacing? I'm realizing every day that I never got over him. I merely suppressed my feelings, and him telling me this now- in my face, just made things more complicated. This is book 2 of Loathing Logan.

Faith only wanted a quiet life in Zambales—teaching, caring for her child Jairee, and burying the pain of her past. But when Austin, her first love, suddenly returns, her world is turned upside down. A desperate agreement forces her into a cold marriage where silence and distance cut deeper than any wound.

Complicated family secrets begin to unravel: a manipulative mother-in-law, a hidden twin brother, lost loves, betrayals, and revelations that threaten to destroy everything Faith holds dear. With Jairee’s life at the center of a dangerous web of lies and vengeance, Faith must summon the strength to fight for her child, her love, and her dignity.

But in a world where every truth hides another deception, can Faith and Austin ever truly find peace—and a love strong enough to survive the past?

Sophie McDermott's life in fast-paced San Francisco was already complicated as a single mother balancing the demands of work and raising her son, Dawson. Just when she believed her life couldn't get any more hectic, fate intervenes. Being employed by Polo Enterprise should be a dream come true, but Sophie is about to come face to face with the last person she ever expected- Alex Hernandez, her first and only love whom she has spent years trying to forget.

What will happen when these two get to work closely? Will he get a chance to find out Dawson is his son and will they find a way to overcome the damages of the past and finally claim the happiness they have always yearned for? Or will shadows of deceit and jealousy tear them apart once more?

“You're awake and safe." He said close to my ears, his viice eo deep it vibrated through my entire body.
Sparks and electricity jolts ignited from everywhere we touched which was practically all over my body as my entire form was pressed into his.
I was very still in his arms, my body so tense as confusion wrecked over me. The kind of things I felt earlier from Dylan appeared again, only that it was more intense this time.
Ariella thought her life would fall into despair after being rejected by her fated mate Dylan, but fate led her to meet her second chance mate, and everything became different.
She was afraid and wanted to reject the man in front of her - Ares, who was the king of this country and the leader with bloody hands, but gradually fell into his possessive love.
So, can she successfully overcome all obstacles and become a qualified queen?

“He was my fiancé’s uncle…
the Alpha King feared across the continent.

I was supposed to marry his nephew, seal an alliance between our clans, and live a perfect life.
Instead, I found betrayal waiting for me at the altar—a sex tape, a lie, and two wolves who broke my heart.

When I ran, it was his car that stopped beside me.
“Get in,” he said.

Now I’m caught between the man who ruined me and the one who could destroy me.
He’s older, colder, and far more dangerous…
but every time he looks at me, my wolf kneels.

They say the Alpha King doesn’t love.
They’re wrong…he just hasn’t loved me yet.

Men? In Camila's world, they're just props. Supermodel by day, hunter by night, she slips between a ruthless CEO, a clean-cut college boy, and her childhood sweetheart. All of it for one thing: the truth about what really happened to her sister.
——
"You switch between men—you're really good at this game."
"If you can't handle it, you can always bow out."
"In your dreams." He leans in, forehead to hers, breath hot at her ear. "I'm not letting go. Not handing you over to anyone."

Five years ago, Haunted by the tragedy, Anise embarked on a journey to unravel the mystery behind her mother’s untimely death. Little did she know that this quest for justice would intertwine with the complexities of her own heart, and the magnetic pull she felt towards the handsome Detective Jake.

Detective Jake had known it was unprofessional to form that sort of relationship with the victim of the case he had been assigned to work on. But somehow, he found himself ready to lose it all, just to be with her.
It is not only shocking, but heartbreaking when Anise ups and leaves without a trace, after the conclusion of the investigation.

Now, Anise has returned after five years, with a child he never even knew he had. Jake would go to any length to gain custody of his child, while Anise would go to any length to win Jake’s love back. The question is…
Can they love again?

His large hands wrapped around her thighs and she squealed when he parted them, opening her for him.

“Eksel,” She whispered, trying to cover herself with her hand.

“Stop.” Eksel’s nostrils flared as he focused on the dark pink flesh between her legs.

Elva bit down in her lips, forcing herself to let him see. To let him satiate the hunger that soured her stomach.

His gentle eyes flickered up to her face. “Do you know how perfect you are?”


Left with little choice, Earl Arrion agrees to marry his daughter to Jarl Agnar in order to stop the attacks on his village.

On the day she is meant to meet her future husband, Elva is faced with his brother, Eksel. What happens when Elva unknowingly falls for the wrong brother?

Eksel knows that Elva is not for him, that she is out of his reach, but that does little to stop him from falling for her as well.

Harry Rey is a hardhearted, unpitying and cruel personality when it's about his family. He fully enjoys his life. On his business trip, he sees the dazzlingly beautiful girl when his brother pulls over the car at a red light signal. Unfortunately, Both brothers have the same feelings for her. Harry never felt love before. Her one look was enough to give him a kick.
On other hand, Jackson Rey is less cruel and handsome than his brother. He is the future mafia boss. He didn't want his brother to lay his eyes on her as Harry dates a new girl every day.
Love is an adorable, slim girl. Who is a tutor and loves her family. After her father's death, she fulfilled all the responsibilities. Her life turns east to West when she witnesses a scandal.

To know who will marry her? Continue reading......

The life of “Ramin” was torn apart like a house in a storm.
What was once sweet love turned bitter, poisoned by betrayal, as his lover secretly had an affair with his closest friend.
To make matters worse, a tragic accident took his left leg, leaving both his body and heart scarred.
Seeking refuge and renewal, Ramin sets off for Chiang Mai, a land of misty peaks and quiet valleys.
There, fate leads him to “Phayu,” a single father and owner of the once-renowned Ratchawakitsakul Tea Farm, and to “Wayu,” Phayu’s infant son, only two months old.
Moved by the father and child’s quiet resilience, Ramin offers his help.
Together, they breathe new life into the abandoned tea estate, reviving it with laughter, community, and purpose.
Amid the scent of fresh tea leaves, Ramin finds a happiness he never expected, and a peace he thought he’d lost forever.
As their bond deepens day by day, a new question arises:
Will the quiet affection blooming in both their hearts grow into love?
Only Ramin and Phayu hold the answer...

Five years ago, Lucia Delgado told her idol exactly how much she admired him, but Jeremiah Scherbatsky, the tennis champion she'd worshipped for years, looked straight through her and walked away.

She was humiliated and she never forgot that day.

Now Lucia is one of the country's best professional players, and she's going to the Olympics. Then the committee adds one more thing to her preparation: a new coach.

Jeremiah Scherbatsky.

He expects discipline, perfection, and results, while she intends to make his job as difficult as humanly possible.

She'll question every decision, challenge every method, and ignore every instruction she thinks is wrong. And he'll never know she's the starstruck girl he once walked past.

But somewhere between brutal training sessions, heated arguments, and stolen glances, the line between hatred and attraction begins to disappear.

With the Olympics closing in, Lucia must decide what matters more: winning the biggest competition of her life, or risking everything for the man who was never supposed to become her greatest weakness.

The woman was lying on the bed. The soft moonlight from the window was shining on her pale face. What a sexy scene!

Christopher Loomis looked at the numb woman who was pressed down by him. He said with a mocking smile, "Isn't this what you want?"

Leslie Ward's face looked much paler than before. Her chin was suddenly pinched tightly by the man before she could say anything. This pain made her cry out.

"Have you forgotten what day it is today?" Christopher said with mockery. At the same time, the pressure on his hand got stronger again.

Her pupils contracted instantly while something was striking on her mind. Then her whole body kept trembling.

"Even the day of remembrance of your sister can be forgotten, you are really a ruthless woman, ah."Christopher said while his body was still moving through her body. It would be nice if Evelyn had not been killed by this woman.

Leslie was accustomed to hearing Christopher's taunts, but her heart still can't help but throb.

She had been married with Christopher for three years. But she loved him for more than three years. Why Christopher overlooked her, only sneered at her these years? He only loved Evelyn. Even giving her love with both hands initiatively, she would not get any concern from him.

Christopher’s voice rang in her ears again, "You went to great lengths to be married with me, even put your own sister's life on the line. Now everything is as you wish, what are you not satisfied with?"

She closed her mouth tightly without any word. She was afraid that if she opened her mouth, she would no longer be able to hold back her emotions that were about to erupt.

But her silence at this time seemed to be a provocation to Christopher. His movement became more violent and faster. Leslie finally cannot help but groan painfully.

Half an hour later, Christopher pulled out from her body and went into the bathroom. Leslie endured the pain in her body and wrapped herself up tightly with the quilt.

Christopher came out of the bathroom and saw the way she was. His heart was ignited with anger again. He said, "Leslie, don't you just want me to fuck you? Now your reaction is for what? The bitch still wants to declare herself a virgin?"

Leslie gritted her teeth. In the past, Christopher made love with her with saying nothing. Just to satisfy physical needs, and the woman can be her or someone else.

He ridiculed her like this. Only on the day of Evelyn's remembrance every year, he hated her even more.

"I'm sorry."

Christopher frowned unconsciously when he heard her tiny voice. He walked towards Leslie and lifted her quilt.

Leslie looked flustered and curled herself up into a ball. But Christopher was not ready to let her off the hook, "You make me feel sick now."

Tears could not be controlled in her eyes. Christopher did not see her abnormality because of her messy hair.

In his memory, Leslie never cried.

"Christopher Loomis, what do you want me to do?" Her voice was a little hoarse, but it did a good job in hiding her trembling voice.

Christopher looked at the wretched her from a high position, "Clean the picture frame."

That was Evelyn's photo, which Christopher regarded as a treasure.

She got up slowly and moved her feet step by step towards the photo. She found a stain on the glass of the frame. It may be rubbed on accidentally. Did Christopher’s anger just for this?

She looked upward subconsciously, but hit Christopher’s obscure eyes. "On the first day you lived in this house, I said that you needed to do nothing but wiping the picture every day. It must be stainless."

Leslie's hands with the frame shocked and almost dropped the frame. Christopher's heart was filled with anger suddenly. There was a tinge of shade in his voice, "If the frame in your hands is broken, then you will take your life to pay for it!"

"My life in your mind is not as important as a picture frame?" Leslie asked with a shudder. It seemed like her heart was torn into pieces, painful even unable to breathe.

"Leslie, you are worthless in my mind." The unforgiving words made Leslie collapse completely. Tears kept flowing down from her face. She turned up her voice suddenly, looking straight at Christopher and said "For these years, you put all your heart in this photo, not willing to share your heart even a little bit with me?"

This was the first time he saw Leslie's tears. He was astonished just for a second. He took two steps forward to look at Leslie with his brooding eyes. Then he still said mercilessly, "Leslie, I did not love you before, and would not love you in the future."

Five yeas ago, we were hosting a family dinner when I walked into the study and found my father with his mistress.

He looked at me, voice flat and cold: "Alice Russo, you don't tell your mother about this. Trust me, you can't handle the fallout."

I didn't listen. Ran straight to my mother in tears and told her everything.

That night, Mother had her people remove the woman from the property.

The next morning, the woman's daughter Anya ran my mother down with her car at the docks.

That's when I realized, I was completely alone. Because my dad is taking his bastard daughter's side.

I called Victor Castro, my husband, 99 times. He never answered once.

I had a breakdown at the family tribunal. They physically removed me and had me committed to a psychiatric facility in Sicily, the worst kind of place you can imagine.

Five years later, Victor finally spoke to me.

The transport stopped outside the facility that day. Sunlight hit my eyes.

Two guards helped me to the car. My father stood there with a line of his men behind him.

In the crowd, I recognized Peter Thompson, one of my mother's most loyal people.

He gave me the smallest nod. Something flickered in his eyes.

I kept my expression neutral and got in the car.

The door closed. Victor sat across from me.

He lit a cigar and said it without any preamble:

"The day Anya ran your mother down at the docks? I paid for her legal team. I provided the witnesses. I signed the autopsy report myself."

Right after the London Fashion Week, my husband unprecedentedly gave me a vacation, arranging a ten-day trip to New York.
I thought he finally learned to be considerate, until I overheard his conversation with our son.
"Dad, if you are marrying Aunt Barbara, what about Mom?" our son asked innocently.
"It's merely a ceremonial engagement," my husband chuckled. "Be a good boy, Oliver. Keep this a secret from Mom, and I'll buy you that limited-edition model airplane."
My mind went blank. I stood frozen for a long while before stepping out onto the terrace to catch the chilling wind.
If he wants to rewrite his past with his first love.
Then I will reclaim the design dream I threw away for him.
Once I leave for New York, I am never coming back.

"No. It's too stiff." Ronan Black, my boyfriend of three years, frowned in frustration and tossed down his paintbrush. "There's not a single sketch with any soul in it."
A classmate beside him looked confused. "How is that possible? Your paintings with Isolde as the model always had such beautiful lighting."
The words stabbed straight through my heart, but I stood there frozen, saying nothing.
Ronan wiped his hands and looked at me with undisguised disgust.
"Forget it. I'm not painting anymore. You just don't have any artistic sense. No matter what you paint, it always looks cheap and mediocre."
With that, he turned toward the wealthy girl who had just walked into the studio.
Without the slightest hesitation, he took out the set of rare paints I'd spent three months waiting tables to buy.
He picked up his palette knife, and his eyes instantly became focused and almost feverish.
"Turn your face just a little. Yes, right there. Perfect…"
I stood quietly in the corner, watching the effortless chemistry between the two of them.
Suddenly, I remembered something from years ago.
I had once asked Ronan the same question.
"Why do certain parts of your paintings always seem to glow?"
Back then, he had smiled as he washed the paint residue from my fingertips.
"Because a painting comes from the heart. When you love someone, every stroke you make becomes beautiful."
Now, I finally understood. He didn't love me anymore.
We had once agreed that I would go with him to an ordinary state university in Boston.
But now, it was time to pick up my own brush and chase the future I wanted.

Five years together in that basement, and she thought she was his only light.

When she was eight months pregnant, he ran a red light to rush to his first love's side—and nearly killed her in the crash.

"Your sister hurt her leg. I'm marrying her next week so she can have some peace of mind."

A childhood betrothal. Five years of standing by each other through the worst. And none of it could outweigh a single tear from his first love.

He wanted her to be the bridesmaid—to hand him over to another woman with her own two hands.

"Don't worry, it's just a ceremony," he said.

But when she lay in a hospital bed barely clinging to life, all he could see was the scrape on his first love's leg.

The moment she booked the plane ticket, she rested a hand on her belly and whispered, "Let's go, little one."

On the day of the wedding, when he finds the bridesmaid's seat empty—what expression will cross his face?

Some people, once lost, are lost for a lifetime.

Because of his grandfather's dying wish, Supreme Court Chief Justice Garrick Vance—the most powerful beast-shifter in the city—was forced to marry me, a human court clerk who had secretly loved him for years.

For six years we pretended to be strangers at work while he remained ice-cold toward me and our daughter Wren at home. When his celebrity ex-girlfriend Seraphina returned from overseas, I watched him come alive for another woman—attending her parties, rushing to her side at midnight.

Meanwhile, our five-year-old daughter waited every night for a father who never came home.

The day Wren nearly died from his careless gift, I finally signed the mate bond dissolution papers.

This time, he's lost us forever.

When Edie Marshall meets a mysterious - and drop-dead gorgeous - man in the woods just outside her small town, she has no idea who he is or where he’s come from.

She has no idea why she has such an instant, intense connection with this dangerous-looking man, with his arms full of tattoos and his deep, velvety voice.

She has no idea why she trusts him enough to tell him things she’s never told anyone else.

And she definitely has no idea that their brief, passionate encounter will lead to her getting pregnant.

It’s only then that she learns her “mystery man” from the woods is actually Rafe Fontaine - celebrity, Hollywood royalty, and notorious womanizer.

Can she trust her heart - and her baby - to Hollywood’s wildest bad boy?

Due to explicit scenes, this steamy romance is rated 18+.

The Mystery of You is created by Ember Casey, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

Maggie Blankenship is a hot mess - broke, unemployed, and down on her luck.

So when she’s offered the chance to be in a movie, she wonders if her luck is changing. At the very least, she sees it as an opportunity to inject some excitement into her oh-so-dull life, if only for a day.

She has no idea how much her life is about to change.

It turns out that the movie is being directed by Orlando Fontaine - the intense and mysterious youngest brother of the famous Fontaine family. Sparks (and underwear) fly between the pair of them from the start, but Orlando has a strict no-fraternizing policy on his sets.

He wants her, but he won’t touch her.

She wants him, but she can’t have him.

Can the two of them resist temptation?

Due to explicit scenes, this romantic comedy is rated 18+.

The Thrill of Temptation is created by Ember Casey, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

I don’t remember who I am. Not where I came from. Not who I can trust.
All I know is that I woke up at a party, surrounded by strangers—until Killian, Khai, Elijah, and Asher, four hot dragons, stepped in to help me. There’s something about them that makes me feel safe around them. And when they tell I'm their fated mate, I finally feel like I can breathe again.
But it’s not that simple.
They tell me one thing, but I can feel it—they’re holding back. They promised me no lies, but when I found out one of them is engaged, I ran. I panicked. And it turned out to be my biggest mistake.
Because I fell into the hands of some very dangerous people.
Now, all I can do is hope they come for me.
And if they don’t… I’ll have to fight my way out.
And that won’t be easy, especially when I’m trapped on a ship surrounded by a magical mist.


“See what you are doing to me, Muffin?” I nod, my eyes fixed on the tip of his dick. I want to taste him. “Do you want to help me feel good?”
I swallow hard. “I don’t think that will fit inside me,” I squeak.
The corners of his mouth twitch. “You will take every inch of my cock, because you are my sweet girl and you want to please me.”
My clit throbs again.
Khai inhales deeply. “Fuck, Muffin. You’re wet again.”

Lord of the Puck-
She blamed me for the death of my brother and for ten years she had built her whole platform on that lie.
I was the stalker who had killed her twin, my best friend. It was a falsehood that had followed me throughout my career.
A never ending black cloud.
And now she was here, in my family home and I was about to fall into the mould she had made for me. I was about to become her worst nightmare because it was time Bree knew the truth about that night.

QUEEN OF ICE

Finding out the truth, took everything from me. Liam Calloway opened my eyes and ripped my whole world away, leaving me in tatters.
He says he loves me, I say he doesn’t know the meaning of the word but does it really matter? Because new truths are coming to light and when they do I might just be done for.

To honor a vow to "protect her for a lifetime," I used my flesh and blood to shield her from a fatal impact in a deadly car crash. My heart was severely shattered, leaving me barely clinging to life with a pacemaker.

Concealing my identity for five years, I single-handedly dragged her from bankruptcy and crowned her the new royalty of Wall Street.

Yet, on the eve of her IPO, just to curry favor with a powerful tycoon, she knocked away my life-saving medicine, forced me to kneel and shine shoes in public, and finally kicked my gravely ill body out into a sub-zero Brooklyn blizzard.

My dying pleas for help only earned her impatient mockery: "Save your playing dead tricks for the ghosts."

When my pacemaker completely shattered in the howling snow, that submissive Arthur died.

Armed gunships descended, and a military-grade tactical heart violently rebooted my pulse! When I opened my eyes again, I was the Supreme Commander who cast terror over the global underground.

When I crushed her capital empire with a single hand and the truth was finally revealed, she knelt in the muddy rain, frantically slapping her own face, sobbing and screaming to give her life back to me.

I flicked the ash from my cigar, my gaze as cold as looking at trash: "My wife died in the blizzard. You are just a stranger who crawled up by stepping on half my life."

They call me the "Savior," building altars for me amidst the ruins.
But they don't know that when I climbed out of the abyss, I had no intention of saving this species whatsoever.
I am not here to rebuild civilization; I am simply calculating exactly how many souls I must reclaim to fully awaken my Ark.

“Sophie Love's ability to impart magic to her readers is exquisitely wrought in powerfully evocative phrases and descriptions….This is the perfect romance or beach read, with a difference: its enthusiasm and beautiful descriptions offer an unexpected attention to the complexity of not just evolving love, but evolving psyches. It's a delightful recommendation for romance readers looking for a touch more complexity from their romance reads.”--Midwest Book Review (Diane Donovan re For Now and Forever) FOREVER AND A DAY is book #5 in the bestselling romance series The Inn at Sunset Harbor, which begins with book #1, For Now and Forever—a free download!35 year old Emily Mitchell has fled her job, apartment and ex-boyfriend in New York City for her father's historic, abandoned home on the coast of Maine, needing a change in her life and determined to make it work as a B&B. She had never expected, though, that her relationship with its caretaker, Daniel, would turn her life on its head.In FOREVER AND A DAY, Emily is stunned to finally, after 20 years, meet her missing father—just a week before her wedding. Their reunion changes both of their lives, and unlocks the key to the house’s many secrets, and to Emily’s missing memories.Spring has finally arrived at Sunset Harbor, and with just a week to go until the big wedding date, the wedding preparations are busier than ever, including Daniel’s surprise talk of a honeymoon. Will Emily and Daniel have their dream wedding? Or will someone appear to tear it apart?Meanwhile, Chantelle’s custody battle comes to a pitch, and as Memorial Day looms, they must figure out what to do with Trevor’s house. Yet amidst all of this, another issue weighs most heavily on Emily’s mind: will she herself ever be pregnant?FOREVER AND A DAY is book #5 in a dazzling new romance series that will make you laugh, cry, keep you turning pages late into the night—and make you fall in love with romance all over again.Book #6 will be available soon.“A very well written novel, describing the struggle of a woman (Emily) to find her true identity. The author did an amazing job with the creation of the characters and her description of the environment. The romance is there, but not overdosed. Kudos to the author for this amazing start of a series that promises to be very entertaining.”--Books and Movies Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re For Now and Forever)

Lineah's a good niece and hardworking person. Since she was a child she knew, something is missing and her heart felt empty.

She shut herself from intimate relationship, she never had one but it will all change when she found out she's not blood related to his known aunt.

In her journey of searching her identity and real parents she found herself caught up in a steamy romance with the two brothers who promised to help her in exchange of hot nights.

The only sure thing in revenge is the beginning, the ending is uncertain. The truth can surprise you in ways you could never have imagined.

A sequel to His Booty Call.

Three years ago, the man I deeply loved, Nathan Miller, died in a car accident.

Since then, I felt like everything in my life had lost its meaning, except for the role of a substitute, which gave me a reason to live.

Ryan was a financial tycoon, and he deeply loved his ex-girlfriend.

I once peeked at the photo of his ex. She looked like an angel, with an unparalleled charm. Ryan started to chase me when he first saw me. Because I bore sixty percent resemblance to his ex.

“Has all the ingredients for an instant success: plots, counterplots, mystery, valiant knights, and blossoming relationships replete with broken hearts, deception and betrayal. It will keep you entertained for hours, and will satisfy all ages. Recommended for the permanent library of all fantasy readers.” --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re The Sorcerer’s Ring)“The beginnings of something remarkable are there.” --San Francisco Book Review (re A Quest of Heroes)From #1 bestseller Morgan Rice, author of A Quest of Heroes (over 1,300 five star reviews) comes a startlingly new fantasy series. In BORN OF DRAGONS (Age of the Sorcerers—Book Three) Lenore is safely returned to the North—but not without a price. Her bother Rodry is dead and her father, King Godwin, lies in a coma. With the rulership of the North in question, her treacherous brother Vars may just find an opening to rule.But Vars is a coward, and King Ravin, smarting from defeat, mobilizes the entire South to invade. The northern capital, never defeated, lies protected by tides and canals—but Ravin can happily lose scores of men.The most epic battle, it seems, is yet to come.Devin must quest to learn his true identity and forge the Unfinished Sword—yet he is distracted, realizing he has fallen in love with Lenore. Lenore, though, is stuck in a hateful marriage, one which may endanger her very life.Renard, with his brazen act of theft, is on the run from the Hooded Folk, all of them anxious to retrieve the amulet that can control dragons.And Nerra wakes to find herself transformed into something else—something beautiful, monstrous, powerful and unknowable. Will she be the one to lead the dragon race?AGE OF THE SORCERERS weaves an epic sage of love, of passion, of sibling rivalry; of rogues and hidden treasure; of monks and warriors; of honor and glory, and of betrayal, fate and destiny. It is a tale you will not put down until the early hours, one that will transport you to another world and have you fall in in love with characters you will never forget. It appeals to all ages and genders. Book #4 will be available soon.“A spirited fantasy ….Only the beginning of what promises to be an epic young adult series.” --Midwest Book Review (re A Quest of Heroes)“Action-packed …. Rice's writing is solid and the premise intriguing.” --Publishers Weekly (re A Quest of Heroes)

“Has all the ingredients for an instant success: plots, counterplots, mystery, valiant knights, and blossoming relationships replete with broken hearts, deception and betrayal. It will keep you entertained for hours, and will satisfy all ages. Recommended for the permanent library of all fantasy readers.” --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re The Sorcerer’s Ring)“The beginnings of something remarkable are there.” --San Francisco Book Review (re A Quest of Heroes)From #1 bestseller Morgan Rice, author of A Quest of Heroes (over 1,300 five star reviews) comes a startlingly new fantasy series. In THRONE OF DRAGONS (Age of the Sorcerers—Book Two) King Godwin mobilizes his army to cross the great bridge and invade the South to rescue his 17 year old daughter, Lenore. But Lenore is imprisoned deep in the South, under the watchful and hateful eye of King Ravin, and she may have to learn to escape herself first if she has any chance of escape.Her brother Rodry, though, is way ahead of the King’s men, deep in hostile territory, alone on a mission to save his sister—while her other brother, Vars, offers a lesson in cowardice and betrayal.Devin follows Gray, eager to learn more about how to harness his powers and about who he is.Greave travels to remote regions to find the house of scholars and to try to save his sister, Nerra.But Nerra, sickened by the scale sickness, is dying on a remote isle once touched by dragons. And her only chance of survival may just compel her to risk it all.And all of this will culminate in an epic battle that may just determine the fate of the two kingdoms.AGE OF THE SORCERERS weaves an epic sage of love, of passion, of sibling rivalry; of rogues and hidden treasure; of monks and warriors; of honor and glory, and of betrayal, fate and destiny. It is a tale you will not put down until the early hours, one that will transport you to another world and have you fall in in love with characters you will never forget. It appeals to all ages and genders. Book #3 (BORN OF DRAGONS) is now available for pre-order.“A spirited fantasy ….Only the beginning of what promises to be an epic young adult series.” --Midwest Book Review (re A Quest of Heroes)“Action-packed …. Rice's writing is solid and the premise intriguing.” --Publishers Weekly (re A Quest of Heroes)

She has lived hundreds of lives and each one ended horribly.
He, once her companion, cannot forget her beyond time.
She, kidnapped into a world unknown to her, tries everything to get back home. But what are these dreams?

[…] Stones are thrown at dirty mutts… Rats are burned… […]

Immerse yourself in the world of Athaerion.

My target should be terrified of me.
Instead, he's smirking like he already knows I'll never pull the trigger.
My heart races in my chest. This isn't me.
I am born to kill. I am born to take orders.
Yet those eyes, they're killing me.

She was born into power.
Now she chooses revenge.

Valentina Santangelo doesn’t belong in the shadows.
She was raised in them.

Daughter of a legacy built on blood, secrets, and ruthless control, Valentina has spent her life watching empires rise… and enemies fall. She knows the rules of this world. She knows how to survive it.

What she didn’t expect…
was to become its most dangerous player.

When betrayal rips through her family and threatens everything her father built, Valentina is done standing on the side-lines. She steps into the game—cold, calculated, and ready to make them pay.

But revenge has a price.

And the man standing in her way?
He’s not just her enemy…
He’s the one man who sees through every wall she’s built.

Dark. Dangerous. Impossible to resist.

As loyalty turns to obsession and desire collides with vengeance, Valentina must decide how far she’s willing to go—
and whether love is worth the risk of losing everything.

Because in her world…
you don’t fall in love.

You survive it.

“Has all the ingredients for an instant success: plots, counterplots, mystery, valiant knights, and blossoming relationships replete with broken hearts, deception and betrayal. It will keep you entertained for hours, and will satisfy all ages. Recommended for the permanent library of all fantasy readers.” --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re The Sorcerer’s Ring)“The beginnings of something remarkable are there.” --San Francisco Book Review (re A Quest of Heroes)From #1 bestseller Morgan Rice, author of A Quest of Heroes (over 1,300 five star reviews) comes the debut of a startlingly new fantasy series. REALM OF DRAGONS (Age of the Sorcerers—Book One) tells the story of the epic coming of age of one very special 16 year old boy, a blacksmith’s son from a poor family who is offered no chance of proving his fighting skills and breaking into the ranks of the nobles. Yet he holds a power he cannot deny, and a fate he must follow.It tells the story of a 17 year old princess on the eve of her wedding, destined for greatness—and of her younger sister, rejected by her family and dying of plague.It tells the tale of their three brothers, three princes who could not be more different from each other—all of them vying for power.It tells the story of a kingdom on the verge of change, of invasion, the story of the dying dragon race, falling daily from the sky.It tells the tale of two rival kingdoms, of the rapids dividing them, of a landscape dotted with dormant volcanoes, and of a capital accessible only with the tides. It is a story of love, passion, of hate and sibling rivalry; of rogues and hidden treasure; of monks and secret warriors; of honor and glory, and of betrayal and deception.It is the story of Dragonfell, a story of honor and valor, of sorcerers, magic, fate and destiny. It is a tale you will not put down until the early hours, one that will transport you to another world and have you fall in in love with characters you will never forget. It appeals to all ages and genders. Books two and three (THRONE OF DRAGONS and BORN OF DRAGONS) are now available for pre-order.“A spirited fantasy ….Only the beginning of what promises to be an epic young adult series.” --Midwest Book Review (re A Quest of Heroes)“Action-packed …. Rice's writing is solid and the premise intriguing.” --Publishers Weekly (re A Quest of Heroes)

He thinks I'm a stuck-up, prudish bitch and I think he is an arrogant, stubborn man whore. I don't like him and he certainly doesn't have many nice things to say about me but I need to make this work. After it's all done I can cut ties with him and never have to see him again.

I never thought I would have to give up my dreams to make up for my father's mistakes but here I am working three jobs to get my family out of the hole he dug and now he fucks up royally one final time. Because of his mess, I am given an ultimatum to watch my grandmother's home be sold out from under her or help Ryder Masters, the NBA's wild child, clean up his act by pretending to be his girlfriend for the next twelve years months so he can secure his new contract.

The question is can we both get over our dislike for each other to make everyone believe that we are a real couple? Or will everyone see through the images we project and see this for what it really was?

Eight years in the military, William Brown was unstoppable on the battlefield.

Suddenly, a call from an unknown number. A tender voice calling "Daddy."

William learned that his woman was being forced into marriage, and his children were about to have their blood drained and organs harvested!

Furious beyond measure, William boarded a fighter jet and returned home!

Tremble, you mafia scum—anyone who humiliates my family will die!

"I am so tired of pretending, where is my happy ending "

Jessa's mother was jilted by her father before the twins were born, leaving only the house where they once lived. It was a tough and unpredictable roller coaster that was sure to leave one scared for life.

Well that's until a cause was proclaimed on the family that stole her twins from her on the day of their birth.
Will the causes be fulfilled at the appointed time?

Will the twins eventually locate their mother?

Will she be sane enough to look after her twins?

Will everything returns to normal?

What happens when the twins' father returns? With questions like this left unanswered you know you don't want to be Left hanging, find out on A twin with a difference.

“The perfect romance or beach read, with a difference: its enthusiasm and beautiful descriptions offer an unexpected attention to the complexity of not just evolving love, but evolving psyches. It's a delightful recommendation for romance readers looking for a touch more complexity from their romance reads.”--Midwest Book Review (For Now and Forever)THE GHOSTLY GROUNDS: SCANDAL AND SUPPER is Book #5 in a charming new cozy mystery series by bestselling author Sophie Love, author of The Inn at Sunset Harbor series, a #1 Bestseller with over 200 five-star reviews!Marie Fortune, 39, a successful dog groomer in Boston, leaves the stressful life behind and heads to a small town in coastal Maine to create a new life. She remains intent on renovating the old, historic house her great-aunt left her and giving it a new life as a B&B. Yet there was one thing she couldn’t plan for: the house is haunted. Two things, actually: her great-aunt also left her a dog—and he is far from a typical dog.When Marie is hired to cleanse a unique and massive hotel in a nearby town, the scope of it is beyond anything she has encountered before. Just as she wonders if she has finally met her match, she learns that her local Mayor is trying to re-zone the downtown—and to shut down her B&B while he’s at it. Having a murder in the mix—for which she is pinned—hardly helps matters, either. In a multi-front war for her survival, can Marie manage to purge the ghosts, stay out of jail, and keep her livelihood?A page-turning cozy, packed with mystery, love, hauntings, travel, pets and food—anchored around a small town and a B&B in need of renovation that will capture your heart—THE GHOSTLY GROUNDS is an un-putdownable cozy series that will keep you turning pages (and laughing out loud) late into the night.“The romance is there, but not overdosed. Kudos to the author for this amazing start of a series that promises to be very entertaining.”--Books and Movies Reviews (For Now and Forever)

“The perfect romance or beach read, with a difference: its enthusiasm and beautiful descriptions offer an unexpected attention to the complexity of not just evolving love, but evolving psyches. It's a delightful recommendation for romance readers looking for a touch more complexity from their romance reads.”--Midwest Book Review (For Now and Forever)THE GHOSTLY GROUNDS: DEATH AND BRUNCH is Book #2 in a charming new cozy mystery series by bestselling author Sophie Love, author of The Inn at Sunset Harbor series, a #1 Bestseller with over 200 five-star reviews! Marie Fortune, 39, a successful dog groomer in Boston, leaves the stressful life behind and heads to a small town in coastal Maine to create a new life. She remains intent on renovating the old, historic house her great-aunt left her and giving it a new life as a B&B. Yet there was one thing she couldn’t plan for: the house is haunted. Two things, actually: her great-aunt also left her a dog—and he is far from a typical dog.Other B&B owners have heard of Marie’s ability to expel ghosts, and she finds herself, to her own surprise, in demand for her “services” from neighboring towns. It seems there are many B&Bs that need to have their ghosts cleansed. With her B&B failing, Marie, her trusted dog as her sidekick, has nothing to lose.But when she arrives to her first client—and someone unexpectedly dies—Marie realizes she may be in for more than she bargained for. Once again, she may have to solve the crime to save her own future.A page-turning cozy, packed with mystery, love, hauntings, travel, pets and food—anchored around a small town and a B&B in need of renovation that will capture your heart—THE GHOSTLY GROUNDS: DEATH AND BRUNCH is an un-putdownable cozy that will keep you turning pages (and laughing out loud) late into the night.“The romance is there, but not overdosed. Kudos to the author for this amazing start of a series that promises to be very entertaining.”--Books and Movies Reviews (For Now and Forever)Book #3 in the series—MALICE AND LUNCH—is now also available!

“The perfect romance or beach read, with a difference: its enthusiasm and beautiful descriptions offer an unexpected attention to the complexity of not just evolving love, but evolving psyches. It's a delightful recommendation for romance readers looking for a touch more complexity from their romance reads.”--Midwest Book Review (For Now and Forever)THE GHOSTLY GROUNDS: MALICE AND LUNCH is Book #3 in a charming new cozy mystery series by bestselling author Sophie Love, author of The Inn at Sunset Harbor series, a #1 Bestseller with over 200 five-star reviews!Marie Fortune, 39, a successful dog groomer in Boston, leaves the stressful life behind and heads to a small town in coastal Maine to create a new life. She remains intent on renovating the old, historic house her great-aunt left her and giving it a new life as a B&B. Yet there was one thing she couldn’t plan for: the house is haunted. Two things, actually: her great-aunt also left her a dog—and he is far from a typical dog.When Marie, her reputation for ghost-cleansing growing, is summoned to exorcise an old manor house, she finds more than she bargained for: an unexpected death occurs.Worse, her trusted dog gets so sick, he is sent to the vet indefinitely.Marie, on her own, must solve the murder and expel the ghosts all by herself.Is she up to the task?A page-turning cozy, packed with mystery, love, hauntings, travel, pets and food—anchored around a small town and a B&B in need of renovation that will capture your heart—THE GHOSTLY GROUNDS: MALICE AND LUNCH is an un-putdownable cozy that will keep you turning pages (and laughing out loud) late into the night.“The romance is there, but not overdosed. Kudos to the author for this amazing start of a series that promises to be very entertaining.”--Books and Movies Reviews (For Now and Forever)

“The perfect romance or beach read, with a difference: its enthusiasm and beautiful descriptions offer an unexpected attention to the complexity of not just evolving love, but evolving psyches. It's a delightful recommendation for romance readers looking for a touch more complexity from their romance reads.”--Midwest Book Review (For Now and Forever)THE GHOSTLY GROUNDS: MURDER AND BREAKFAST is the debut novel in a charming new cozy mystery series by bestselling author Sophie Love, author of The Inn at Sunset Harbor series, a #1 Bestseller with over 200 five-star reviews.Marie Fortune, 39, a successful dog groomer in Boston, has had enough of catering to the wealthy and their pampered dogs. Realizing it is time to make a change, she quits and heads to a small coastal town in Maine where she remembers fond summers as a kid. Marie expects to go for a brief getaway—and is shocked to learn that her great-aunt left her an inheritance: a dilapidated, historic house high up on a hill overlooking the harbor. Marie feels an instant connection. Although the locals tell her it would be folly, Marie decides to renovate and give it a second life as a B&B.But there is one thing she couldn’t have planned for: the house is haunted.Two things, actually: her great-aunt also left her a dog—and he is far from a typical dog.When an unexpected death occurs soon thereafter, solving the crime will be more than just a matter of curiosity for Marie—her very future may depend on it.A page-turning cozy, packed with mystery, love, hauntings, travel, pets and food—anchored around a small town and a B&B in need of renovation that will capture your heart—THE GHOSTLY GROUNDS is an un-putdownable cozy that will keep you turning pages (and laughing out loud) late into the night.“The romance is there, but not overdosed. Kudos to the author for this amazing start of a series that promises to be very entertaining.”--Books and Movies Reviews (For Now and Forever)Books #2 and #3 in the series—DEATH AND BRUNCH and MALICE AND LUNCH—are now also available!

"Wait, she's YOUR mate?" Mark asked, "That's...wow... I did not see that coming..."
"WHO did that to her?!" Andres asked again, still staring at the girl.
Her injuries were darkening with the passing of each minute.
Her skin even seemed paler in comparison to the deep browns and purples.

"I called the doctor over. You think it's internal bleeding?"
Stace addressed Alex but looked back to Lita, "She was fine, I mean flustered and bruised but fine, ya know. And then boom, she was passing out. Nothing we did would wake her up..."

"WILL SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHO DID THIS TO HER?!"
Cole's eyes shifted deep red, "It's not your fucking concern! Is she YOUR mate now?!"
"See that's what I mean, if she'd had THAT man protecting her, maybe this wouldn't have happened," Stace yelled, tossing her arms into the air.
"Stacey Ramos, you will address your Alpha with his due respect, are we clear?"
Alex growled, icy blue eyes glaring at her.
She nodded quietly.
Andres also lowered his head slightly, showing submission, "Of course she's not my mate Alpha, however..."
"However, what, Delta?!"

"At the moment, you haven't rejected her. That would make her our Luna..."

After her brother's sudden death, Lita picks up her life and moves to Stanford, CA, the last place he lived. She's desperate to cut ties with her toxic family and her toxic ex, who happens to follow her straight to Cali. Consumed with guilt and losing her battle with depression, Lita decides to join the same fight club her brother belonged to. She's looking for an escape but what she finds instead is life-changing when men start turning into wolves. (Mature content & erotica) Follow the writer on Instagram @the_unlikelyoptimist

I am Loraine Windrug, the most eligible bachelorette on this continent, every man competes for exclusive rights to me. My bank account is loaded, I even own more cars than I can drive, my multimillion-dollar mansion has every convenience imaginable.
Men long for me, either for their guaranteed business success after a date with me or as hunters because of my reputation as an elusive billionaire. Love is written all over me, everything I touch turns to gold. But I only date a handful of hotly singles with whom I share a secret friends-with-benefits relationship, satisfying my freaky side with wild, kinky sex. But I never trade my virginity.
And then comes that inescapable moment when I fall hard on that one man who is far beyond my reach. Dordrich Fellogan; is a billionaire media mogul, but sadly enough, married and with children.
Yet I pursue him, had him deep inside me, but couldn’t keep him. For his love is not mine. After a jealous ex-lover hints his wife, she catches us red-handed in the act, started an embarrassing scene which was uploaded on social media.
Then I flee from his life.
Five years later, when he is left a broken, bankrupt man, I return. I face him as a business partner. I own almost all the shares of his company. His wife abandoned him at the lowest point of his life, his future is now in my hands. I reinstate his media chain, drive him crazy with lust, but keep him out of my bed. When Elena wants him back, he’s to decide between Elena and me. But I am true love, desirable, unforgettable and more. The triumph card is with me…

Because of the strong desire to give her mother the best treatment after her stroke, Samantha was forced to accept the offer to dance for a client, Mr. MC. She is the private sexy dancer of a wealthy man.

She hasn't seen his face, not even once, because he always wears a masquerade mask when she dances in front of him. She needs to give him a good show to warm his night just by dancing.

Just watch, no touch, that's it!

Does she have the right to fight how he feels about him if their agreement ends when the woman he was supposed to marry returns?

This platonic asexual love lasted six years. She finally found out it was a huge mistake. It turned out her husband loved her mother! Seeing two intertwined on her bed, she realized he, the dear husband, did have feelings about women. He just was not thirsty for her!!!
She decided to suicide on a bridge at midnight. Unexpectedly a handsome young man appeared. She gave this stranger her first time without any thoughts. After this one-night stand, he never disappeared in her world, turning up at her aunt's engagement banquet, as her uncle-in-law...OMG...

"Let's play a game."
"What game?"
"One that involves you not screaming."

★★★★★
I'd been the perfect girlfriend to my star hockey player for two years.
Stood in the rain at his practices. Drove hours just to watch him warm benches. Wore his jersey like it meant something.
And he repaid me by fucking his way through half of Chicago—including the sister of the one man he's been obsessed with for years.

Zane Mercer.

The NHL's most dangerous player. My stepfather's worst enemy. And the man who looked at me like I was something worth destroying the world for.

One impossible offer.
One desperate bet.
One night that changed everything.

Zane doesn't do fake. He doesn't do half measures.
When he tells me I'm his for two months, he means it. In every way that matters.
But Zane has secrets buried so deep they connect to my family's past in ways I never imagined. Dark secrets. Deadly ones.

What starts as a transaction turns into obsession.
What starts as revenge turns into something I can't walk away from.
And what starts as a lie might be the only truth that matters.
They say some men are too dangerous to love.
They're right.
But I was never good at following warnings.


This book contains explicit sexual content, dominant/possessive behavior, morally gray characters, family conflict, and themes that may be triggering. Intended for mature readers 18+.
This isn’t your normal hockey romance. It’s dark, raw, and unrelenting—where obsession, desire, and power collide, and nothing is off-limits.

Three years into our loveless marriage:

"Julian... what would you do if I got pregnant?" I asked, clinging to a foolish hope.

He thrust hard, his release hot between my thighs.

"You? Bear my heir?" His laugh was ice-cold. "A maid's daughter could never be worthy of Sterling blood."


I'm Elena—the maid's daughter who dared to love Julian Sterling.

He's the ruthless heir who married me for revenge.

"You're nothing but a gold-digging whore,"* he whispered. *"Did you really think I'd ever love someone like you?”

He used me. Broke me. Made me beg for scraps while he paraded his first love through our home.

That night, I stood on the bridge, staring at the dark water below.

I'd lost everything. My mother. My dignity. My will to fight.


Five years later, in a crowded shopping mall:

My daughter tugs at a stranger's sleeve.

"Mister, will you help me find my mommy? I got lost."

The man freezes, staring down at her.

"What's your name, sweetheart?" His voice sounds broken.

"Lila! What's yours, uncle?"

"Julian."

Minutes later, he's walking toward me with my daughter's hand in his, his face drained of all color.

"Elena."

My name on his lips sounds like agony.

Before I can respond, he's crossed the distance between us. His arms wrap around me with desperate strength.

"God, you're alive. I thought—" His voice cracks. "I'm so sorry—"

He leans down, his lips seeking mine.

My hand moves on instinct.

The slap echoes through the mall.

"Excuse me?" I step back, ice-cold, pulling Lila behind me. "Please control yourself, sir. Do we even know each other?"