"I stood at the edge of my heart and watched him choose her. In the end, I was not the one he needed. I was simply the one he settled for." - Noelle ~~~~~~~ I thought I was the one he loved. But a few days before our wedding, I saw him in a way I never had before. His eyes softened as he spoke to her. His first love, and the very woman who had left him in pieces. Heartbreak was something I knew too well. And as I watched the love he still held for her in his eyes, I realized what I had to do. I couldn't marry a man who wasn't truly mine. With no means to cancel the wedding and lacking the courage to confront him, I made a desperate choice to leave. I painfully gave his first love my treasured engagement ring thinking it was for the best and the only way to free myself. But when he saw that ring on her finger, the fragile world I had tried to escape began to shatter. His obsession to find me and bring me back ignited a dangerous game of cat and mouse.
Chapter 1: Equal Fervor
Noelle's eyes fluttered open when the warm glow of the morning light spilled through the partially drawn curtains. The room felt warm, safe and comforting which she hadn't felt in weeks. As her senses slowly returned, she became aware of the quiet, steady rhythm of breathing beside her. And when she turned her head, her gaze landed on Adrian.
He slept on his side, facing her with his amber eyes hidden under his long lashes. In sleep, his face appeared softer, more masculine, without the sharp, confident charm that tended to enthrall the cameras. Her lips curled into a slight smile as warmth filled his chest. It had been too long since she'd caught him this way-calm, peaceful, and home.
Carefully, Noelle moved under the blankets, not wanting to wake him. The smooth cover fell from her shoulders, and she sat up, pushing her dark hair behind her ears. The slight pain in her limbs reminded her of how intimate Adrian had been when he came home last night. Embarrassment flushed up her cheeks as she looked down at Adrian, remembering the way he'd clung to her so tightly, so desperately, as if afraid she'd disappear if he released her.
He had come back from abroad after a month of working on his much-awaited project. And when he'd opened the door last night finally, fatigue carved out his chiseled features but it had soon given way to something more basic. Adrian missed her too intensely and his need for her was overwhelming. So on that very night, he didn't allow her to sleep.
Noelle chuckled softly at the memory. She gently bit on her lip and rose from the bed. The cold air that kissed her bare skin sent a shiver down her spine. She quickly bent to pick up her discarded black silk lingerie from the floor and slipped it on. The smooth fabric hugged her form as she adjusted the straps over her shoulders. Her reflection in the mirror caught her attention, and she smoothed her hair, attempting to tame the wild strands that stood as evidence of their night together.
She looked back at Adrian, who was blissfully still asleep with his arm flung across the bed she had vacated moments before. Her heart swelled at the sight of him and she couldn't help but smile. He looked so serene, so far removed from the man who was always in the public eye.
Noelle decided to prepare breakfast for him. It was the least she could do after the exhausting schedule he'd endured-and, of course, the way he'd made sure she felt just how much he'd missed her.
She moved quietly out of the bedroom. She proceeded to the kitchen, keeping her hair tied in a loose bun as she walked past the living room. All was quiet and still.
She then went to the fridge and looked in at its contents as she had a sudden idea. She would cook his favorite pancakes with fresh strawberries and crispy bacon on the side. As she pulled out the ingredients, her smile grew. Adrian needed a warm, home-made meal after the stressful month he'd been having. And really, she wanted to see that smile of his when he bit into it for the first time. It had been too long since she'd seen him happy and relaxed.
As she started whisking the batter, she couldn't help but let her mind wander. She remembered all those late-night texts that were never quite enough, all those video calls that finished too soon, all that longing she'd felt every time she saw his face plastered on billboards or magazine covers. And now that he was finally home, lying peacefully in their bed, it all seemed almost unreal.
Her cheeks flushed as she recalled the way he'd greeted her last night, the intensity in his gaze as he crossed the threshold and swept her into his arms. There had been no need for words, his actions had said everything.
Noelle chuckled to herself while pouring the batter into the pan.
When the pancakes started to sizzle and their golden tops slowly bubbling towards perfection, Noelle's eyes were glued on to regulating the heat so that they do not burn. She did not catch the light footsteps drawing near, or the soft breathing of the man standing behind her. It was only when two firm, warm hands encircled her waist that she startled with a jump causing her heart to miss a beat.
The grip was tight but soft, and so familiar. A smile pulled at her mouth even before she could turn her head.
"Whose woman is this?" Adrian's deep voice rumbled in her ear, in playful teasing and unmistakable possessiveness. The heat of his breath tickled her skin as he leaned in, pressing a slow, lingering kiss to the curve of her neck. A pleasant shiver coursed through her and her body reacted to his touch almost immediately.
Noelle smiled gently. "Yours, Mr. Blackwood," she said, leaning back into his arms with her full hand reaching up to lie across his.
The simplicity of those words set something in Adrian on fire and the restraint he had so diligently held in check since waking up, dissolved. His amber eyes darkened with desire as he turned off the stove with one hand. Before Noelle could even think about his next action, he quickly spun her around to face him.
Without hesitation, Adrian swept her up in one effortless movement, her legs encircling his waist as if nothing could be more natural. Noelle breathed in sharply, her arms going around his neck for balance, but the shock gave way to laughter in quick succession.
"You startled me," she managed to say, her words breaking off into a soft moan as Adrian's lips found hers.
With one arm holding her up and the other wrenching the spatula out of her hand, Adrian tossed it on the counter with a careless flourish. His lips took hers in a kiss that was far from tender. It was ravenous, wild, and seething with the raw intensity of a man starved of her for too long.
Noelle dissolved into him. Her hands threaded through his hair as she kissed him in return with the same passion. The aroma of pancakes and strawberries wafted around them, but it was the intoxicating scent of Adrian that overwhelmed her senses.
"Adrian," she whispered against his mouth when they finally parted for air. Her cheeks were flushed, and her dark eyes shone as she looked up at him. "The pancakes."
"They can wait," he whispered, his forehead against hers as a lopsided smile pulled at his lips. "I've missed you too much to worry about breakfast at the moment."
Noelle rolled her eyes but couldn't conceal the smile that crossed her face. "You're insatiable," she teased.
Adrian grinned, his palms gliding up to her waist as he drew her near. "Only with you," he breathed.
Noelle's breath stuck in her throat as Adrian's fingers pushed aside the flimsy fabric of her thong as the chill of the kitchen brushed over her exposed warmth. Her hips arched automatically towards him as his thick, hard length thrust into her with a slow, measured ease. The feeling was electric and a sharp gasp left her lips as she felt him fill her to the hilt, stretching her in the most decadent fashion. Her fingers grabbed a fistful of his hair, nails scraping against his scalp as she held on tight with her legs wrapping around his waist to pull him deeper.
Adrian growled, low in his throat. His hands stayed clamped on her hips with a possessive intensity as he started to thrust. Each one was slow and deep and the friction made waves of pleasure move through Noelle's body. Her head fell back and a soft moan escaped her lips as she felt him strike that spot inside of her that made her toes curl. The smell of pancakes and strawberries was in the air, but it was overwhelmed by the heavy scent of their sweat and desire. The room was filled with the ragged breathing of the two of them and the slick, wet sounds of their bodies coming together.
"Adrian," Noelle whimpered, her voice trembling with need as she rocked her hips against his, meeting each thrust with equal fervor. Her breasts pressed against his chest while the thin fabric of her lingerie did little to hide the hard peaks of her nipples as they rubbed against him. She could feel the heat building inside her, a coil tightening in her lower belly with every movement of his hips. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, leaving faint red marks as she held on with her body trembling to the intensity of the pleasure coursing through her.
Adrian's lips found hers once more, his kiss ravenous and insistent as he consumed her moans. His hands shifted from her hips to her ass, squeezing the tender flesh as he raised her a little, altering the angle of his thrusts. Noelle screamed out, her body curving as he struck that place once more, the pleasure so exquisite it was almost too much to bear. Her nails tore down his back, leaving delicate red streaks in their path as she held on tight, her body shuddering on the brink of release.
"Fuck, Noelle," Adrian snarled against her lips, his voice hoarse with need as he sensed the walls of her vagina contract around him. His strokes grew stronger, more insistent as the sound of flesh slapping against flesh echoed through the room. He sensed the contraction of her vagina around him, her breathing short, desperate gasps as she approached her orgasm. His own was building and the tension in his groin near to agony as he pounded into her unrelentingly.
Noelle's body stiffened, her spine curving as the coil within her snapped. Her orgasm overwhelmed her in waves of unadulterated bliss.
"Adrian!" She called out his name, her voice cracking as she came and her walls thudding around him in rhythmic contractions. Adrian moaned with his own release close on its heels as he buried himself deep within her, his hips jerking as he spilled himself into her with a low, satisfied groan.
They remained for a while like that. Their bodies stuck together, their breathing entwining as they descended from the rush of their mutual pleasure. Noelle's legs shook as she slowly untangled them from his waist, her body still sensitized from the aftershocks of her climax. Adrian's forehead was pressed against hers, his breathing still unsteady as he softly kissed her mouth, his hands drifting to hold her face.
"Breakfast can definitely wait," Noelle whispered with a gentle, pleased smile creeping onto her face as she gazed up at him. Adrian laughed. His hands at her waist tugged her towards him, his lips touching hers in a gentle kiss.
"I finally know my place, Your Majesty. And that is not in your arms." - Isabel Archer "You shall not leave my side, Isabel. You are bound to me, body and soul." - King Lucian Devereux ~ Isabel is a commoner who has become a maidservant at the palace. Despite her status, the king, Lucian Devereux, falls in love with her, and she becomes his secret lover. But as their relationship flourishes, a rumor begins to spread that the king will marry a princess from another kingdom. As Isabel confronts Lucian directly, he confirms the gossip. She pleads with him not to marry the princess, but he rejects her plea, explaining that the marriage is for the kingdom's benefit. Heartbroken, Isabel who was only a mere servant, watches the man she loves marry another woman. When the new queen becomes pregnant with the king's child, the pain becomes unbearable. Isabel decides to leave the palace for good, hoping to forget the pain. But can she truly escape the grasp of the powerful and possessive king who notices her absence and begins to search for her?
"I'm a man and I want a child. If you can't give me that, then shut your mouth and just let me be." -Zachary Salazar "I need an heir, so if you're carrying my child, of course I'll take responsibility. But only if..." - Maximilian Klein ~ Evangeline who was diagnosed with infertility after marrying Zachary Salazar, discovers her husband's infidelity with her best friend, and is now expecting. And when she finally filed for divorce, it did not go as planned. Her husband refuses to let her go. But her problem does not end there as she ends up pregnant from a one night stand, and later on she discovers, that even her own brother was frightfully obsessed with her. How will she deal will all this chaos lurking in her life?
She thought she was the love of his life, and he became the love of her life that fateful day she had seen him at the pack's party. Selene Grace was only a replica of Alpha Leo's real mate, and when he spotted her, Leo immediately claimed her as his Luna in order to suppress the rumors of him being mateless. Being unable to conceive turns Selene's marriage into a nightmare, and as if that wasn't enough, Alpha Leo finally reunites with his long time lover and mate, rejecting a pregnant Selene as a result. 5 years later, Selene, a now successful doctor, receives an invitation to the moon shadow pack in order to rid the pack of a deadly disease which has struck it. Will Selene return back to the pack which had caused her so much pain, and what would she do when she realizes that she is mated to the Alpha who had betrayed her in the past?
The day Lilah found out that she was pregnant, she caught her fiancé cheating on her. Her remorseless fiancé and his mistress almost killed her. Lilah fled for her dear life. When she returned to her hometown five years later, she happened to save a little boy's life. The boy's father turned out to be the world's richest man. Everything changed for Lilah from that moment. The man didn't let her experience any inconvenience. When her ex-fiancé bullied her, he crushed the scumbag's family and also rented out an entire island just to give Lilah a break from all the drama. He also taught Lilah's hateful father a lesson. He crushed all her enemies before she even asked. When Lilah's vile sister threw herself at him, he showed her a marriage certificate and said, "I'm happily married and my wife is much more beautiful than you are!" Lilah was shocked. "When did we ever get married? Last I checked, I was still single." With a wicked smile, he said, "Honey, we've been married for five years. Isn't it about time we had another child together?" Lilah's jaw dropped to the floor. What the hell was he talking about?
I'm a Luna. After three years of marriage to Alpha Nathaniel Blackwood, I'm finally pregnant with his pup. But he's unclaimed me for his first love. I'm leaving the pack with this secret, praying he never finds out. Nathaniel Blackwood is a handsome, powerful Alpha. In a world where humans and werewolves coexist, he has it all: a billion-dollar empire, untold power, a massive pack, and, most importantly, the perfect Luna. But the return of his first love shattered our marriage. When he finds out the secret I've been hiding, will he regret rejecting me? Will I ever be able to forgive him? Dive into this gripping serialized novel to find out more-Enjoy the ride!
"You're a creepy bastard." His eyes smolder me and his answering grin is nothing short of beautiful. Deadly. "Yet you hunger for me. Tell me, this appetite of yours, does it always tend toward 'creepy bastards'?" **** Widower and ex-boss to the Mafia, Zefiro Della Rocca, has an unhealthy fixation on the woman nextdoor. It began as a coincidence, growing into mere curiosity, and soon, it was an itch he couldn't ignore, like a quick fix of crack for an addict. He didn't know her name, but he knew every inch of her skin, how it flushed when she climaxed, her favourite novel and that every night she contemplated suicide. He didn't want to care, despising his rapt fascination of the woman. She was in love with her abusive husband. She was married, bound by a contract to the Bratva's hitman. She was off-limits. But when Zefiro wanted something, it was with an intensity that bordered on madness. He obsessed, possessed, owned. There'd be bloodshed if he touched her, but the sight of blood always did fascinate him. * When Susanna flees from her husband, she stumbles right into the arms of her devilishly handsome neighbour with a brooding glare. He couldn't stand her, but she needed him, if she was ever going to escape her husband who now wanted her dead. Better the devil you know than the angel you don't. She should have recalled that before hopping into Zefiro's car and letting him whisk her away to Italy. Maybe then, she wouldn't have started an affair with him. He was the only man who touched her right, and the crazy man took no small pains in ensuring he would be the last.
Everyone was shocked to the bones when the news of Rupert Benton's engagement broke out. It was surprising because the lucky girl was said to be a plain Jane, who grew up in the countryside and had nothing to her name. One evening, she showed up at a banquet, stunning everyone present. "Wow, she's so beautiful!" All the men drooled, and the women got so jealous. What they didn't know was that this so-called country girl was actually an heiress to a billion-dollar empire. It wasn't long before her secrets came to light one after the other. The elites couldn't stop talking about her. "Holy smokes! So, her father is the richest man in the world?" "She's also that excellent, but mysterious designer who many people adore! Who would have guessed?" Nonetheless, people thought that Rupert didn't love her. But they were in for another surprise. Rupert released a statement, silencing all the naysayers. "I'm very much in love with my beautiful fiancee. We will be getting married soon." Two questions were on everyone's minds: "Why did she hide her identity? And why was Rupert in love with her all of a sudden?"
"You were about to cum in me." I said and sat up. That's when I felt a stinging pain across my ear as my hand caressed my face, then the realization hit me- he had slapped me, Lee had just slapped me. #Sex. Lies. Money. Power. *** Jessie, after finding out her fiance had married another woman, decides to have a one-night stand with his uncle, only to find herself married to him. But despite being married to his uncle, she was still attracted to him, so she started secretly seeing him. Well, the uncle wasn't willing to give her up now, not after he vowed to always be by her side; now she had two men fighting for her. And the woman her ex-fiance married wasn't just going to give up on him. Will Jessie realize old flames can never be and live a peaceful life with her new billionaire husband, or will Jade succeed in winning her back?