Rosévale O. Gray

Lyla Anderson has her life perfectly planned: marry her long-term fiancé and escape the shadow of her cold, impossible boss, Alexander Sterling. But one sleepy mistake changes everything. A single mis-sent photo, her crimson lingerie selfie meant for her fiancé, Ryan Martinez, lands in the phone of the one man she cannot stand: Alexander, the Ice King of Sterling Innovations. He says nothing. He does nothing. He pretends it never happened. Until New Year’s Eve. At the company’s glittering office party, Lyla unwraps a Secret Santa gift… a red lace lingerie set identical to the one in the photo. Before she can breathe, Alexander pulls her close, his voice brushing her ear like a forbidden promise: “Bunny, put on my New Year’s gift.” That night destroys everything: her engagement, her reputation, and her sense of control. Drawn together by heartbreak, pushed apart by sabotage, Lyla and Alexander fall into a dangerous, intoxicating orbit. But their pasts aren’t done with them. Lyla’s cheating ex-fiancé, Ryan. Lyla's traitorous best friend, Hazel. Alexander’s vindictive ex, Isabella. A leaked photo. A scandal that shakes the company. A love powerful enough to melt the Ice King and destroy them both. When betrayal resurfaces, when jealousy turns deadly, when the past refuses to stay buried… Lyla must decide whether to run again or fight for the man whose love could rewrite her entire future.

Evelyn Cole is barely surviving in the storm of debts she's in. She works nonstop as a Janitor during the day and a stripper at night to support her family. Every paycheck goes toward debt, and the loan sharks are losing patience. Then two careless moment changes everything. A one night stand with a stranger and a splash of dirty mop water crosses the wrong path of the stranger she had a night with and who turns out to be the most ruthless mafia ever… Don Ares. Don Ares Blackmoore is not a man people cross and live to tell the tale. He is cold, powerful, and feared across the underworld, he rules from the shadows where mercy is weakness and desire is dangerous. When Evelyn stumbles into his world, she becomes a problem he should erase with no mercy. Instead, he watches her. Life doesn’t suddenly become easy. Evelyn still pays every debt with her own hands, her own sweat. But under the Don’s silent protection, she's free from threats, and for the first time, she’s allowed to breathe for herself. Don's Protection, however, comes with some tidings. She must stay within his reach, whether she likes it or not, and survive in a world where violence is always close. The more time she spends near Don Ares, the harder it becomes to ignore the tension, quiet looks, and dangerous threats from other mafia families, Blackmoore's rivals. She knows getting involved with him is a mistake. He knows wanting her is a weakness. As desire grows, Evelyn is entangled in the secrets and dangers of the Blackmoore's family. She must decide what she’s willing to risk to survive, and whether walking away from the Don after discovering there are secrets between her family and the Blackmoore's family, is even possible.