Masuk~Emma~“Emma!” I turn to find my best friend at the back door, his snarl warning the other man away. “Come here. Now, honey.”I jump at the demand in his voice. He would never be so insistent… unless something is wrong. “O-okay.” I face the big, dark stranger again. “Excuse me.”For a second, he looks as if he might object. Something in me wants him to, but he merely steps back, his jaw set in a hard line.I edge away. As soon as I reach Sawyer’s side, my breathing eases and my nerves bleed away. And when he curls a protective arm around me, I feel safe and sheltered.But he doesn’t make me feel alive… not like the other man.“Are you all right?”pWhy is Sawyer acting as if the newcomer might unleash terrible savagery on me in the foyer? “Of course.”He acknowledges me with an impatient nod. “Time to eat. Why don’t you head on outside? I’ll meet you at the buffet table.”And leave so he can berate the man for doing nothing but staring a little more than is truly polite and st
~Emma~One year ago – Saturday, July 26The bass from the speakers vibrates up through the soles of my sandals before we even clear the side gate, and I squeeze Sawyer’s hand tighter than I mean to. “You’re crushing my fingers,” Sawyer says as we walk through the side gate, but he’s grinning when he says it, that easy grin I’ve known since I was in pigtails and he was the gangly teenager next door teaching me how to skip rocks on the pond behind the church.“Sorry.” I loosen my grip but don’t let go. “There are a lot of people.”“There are a lot of men,” he corrects, nudging me with his shoulder as we step onto the patio. “You’re the only skirt at this party, Em. Get ready for some stares.”He’s not wrong. I feel it the second we’re through the gate, that prickle across my skin like sunburn, a dozen pairs of eyes swinging our way and staying there a beat too long. I’ve never been the center of that kind of attention before, not really, not back home where everyone’s known me si
~Lila~I lean back against the cushions of our lounge chair, letting out a contented sigh as I rest my hand on the high, round curve of my belly. Beneath my palm, a light flutter makes me smile. Our little girl is restless today.A few yards away, the rhythmic thud-thud of a mallet echoes through the backyard.I shift, my eyes tracking Ryder as he kneels on the grass, completely absorbed in his task. He’s shirtless, his skin glistening with a light sheen of sweat that makes the hard, carved lines of his shoulders and back gleam in the sunlight. Every time he lifts his arms to align the wooden slats of the crib, the muscles of his back flex and roll, a powerful reminder of the warrior he is – and the fierce protector he’s always been.From my chest down to my collarbone, I’m wearing the delicate silver chain of my day collar catches the light. It’s light, almost weightless, but its presence is an absolute anchor. Ryder also had the gold necklace remade after we got back to the Stat
Hey lovelies! First of all... thank you for diving into Book 1 with me! I hope Ryder and Lila left you sweaty, swoony, and a little bit obsessed. :) If you’re ready for more delicious trouble, Books 2 and 3 are coming in hot! We’re switching things up with a brand new couple who are about to set the pages on fire. Expect even steamier tension, darker twists, and a romance that’s equal parts filthy and heart-wrenching. (Fair warning: these two come with some serious trigger-worthy baggage: possessiveness, violence, moral gray areas, and enough angst to keep you up at night. If you like your dark romance pitch black, you’re in the right place.) Don’t worry though... you’ll still get to see some familiar faces. Lila and Ryder will pop up with fun cameos scattered throughout the story! Uploads start tomorrow, so get comfy and buckle up. I can’t wait to see you on the other side… if you survive the ride. ;) Let’s get wicked again, Aria. His Undercover Submissive Book Two (The
~Ryder~I’m pacing outside the quaint white gazebo at one of the parks in Tyler, Texas, as the small crowd chats, awaiting my brother and sister-in-law’s vow renewal. Harry and Kata have been married one year today. The sun is shining and the birds were singing and I am damn happy for them both.But misery tears at my insides. The ceremony starts in ten minutes, and Lila hasn’t yet appeared.Kata’s saucy blond friend, Hallie, winks at me. Whether flirting or trying to cheer me up, I don’t know and I don’t care. And yeah, I could probably be more gracious, but it is fucking hard when my heart is breaking. The rest of my life stretches out as bleakly as the twelve years before, with only one brief week of paradise between.And now, paradise is gone.I replay those events on Velvet Haven in my head, over and over. Lila had eventually trusted me, come to see that I was right about her stepfather. Hell, we saved one another’s lives that day. She trusted me with her safety, her body. E
~Lila~We’re outnumbered and outgunned and now Ryder is going to die for my mistake.I refuse to let that happen without a fight.“Now put it on the ground,” Kantor instructs.Locking gazes with Ryder, I try to communicate silently to be ready for anything. He tenses and lifts his chin like he understands.Suddenly, I go completely limp in Adam’s grasp.Unprepared to hold my dead weight, he stumbles forward and loses his grip on me. As I go down, I shove my elbow into his balls. Predictably, he grunts and doubles over. Then I reach into my pocket, grabbing the gun I stashed there, and point it straight at Adam with one hand. With the other, I surprise him by misting the pepper spray into his eyes. As he coughs and struggles, I kick his weapon out of his hand.Behind me I hear the blast of a gun, and whirl with a shriek to find plaster flying from the wall beside Ryder’s head. Kantor has grabbed the barrel of Ryder’s gun and shoved up, forcing Ryder’s finger away from the trigge
~Lila~“Walk to the bed. Stand beside it and wait for me,” Ryder orders.I walk over to the low platform bed, my bare feet silent against the concrete. Ryder prowls toward me, then sits on the silk sheet. “Come closer.”“Don’t I get a safe word first?”He tilts his head slightly, studying me
~Lila~The heavy oak door of Thorne’s office clicks shut behind me, but the sense of entrapment follows me right into the corridor.Before I can even take a full breath of the cooler hallway air, a broad, calloused palm presses firmly against the small of my back and the heat of Ryder’s hand burn
~Lila~ “Bud?” Ryder breathes. The name lands like a physical blow against my ribs. I jerk away from Ryder’s grip, my heart slamming against my ribs like it wants to break free. His hand falls away, but the heat of his fingers lingers on my scalp, sending unwelcome sparks down my spine. Zane
⚠️A Little Heads Up Before We Begin⚠️While this is a romance book, it also contains explicit Dom/sub dynamics including consensual spanking, power exchange, edging, restraints, and enough unresolved tension to short-circuit your e-reader.If any of that makes you uncomfortable, no hard feelings, b







