Jessica C. Dolan

"The kiss grew more passionate as he felt her warm supple body pressing against his chest. He couldn’t believe how soft she was. He was gentler this time, making love to her with a slow, languorous pace, pausing now and then to check the expression on her face. Kira was… transported. She no longer felt the fabric of the sheets underneath her. One moment, she was floating in the air, cuddled by cotton candy clouds. The next, she’d become one with a dinghy, bobbing up and down with the undulating waves. His scent enveloped her. He was on top of her, using his arms to support his weight and avoid crushing her. She snuggled up closer to him, safe and snug, cocooned in his warmth. Kira had always marvelled at Austyn’s stamina, but he outdid himself tonight. In the midst of overwhelming rapture, Kira still had the presence of mind to broach the subject she’d been meaning to bring up. ‘My dad’s medical bills…’ Austyn paused. He frowned as he looked into those beseeching eyes. ‘It’ll be taken care of by the end of business day tomorrow,’ he said with a bit of an edge in his voice. Kira breathed out. ****** She is a 21-year-old college student who dreams of becoming a journalist. He is the heir of the McCarthy family and president of a business empire. She is bright-eyed and vivacious, a glass-half-full kind of gal. When life throws her a curveball, she knocks it out of the park. He is the archetypal alpha male, aggressive and domineering. Endowed with both brains and brawn, he steamrolls over his enemies and rules his company with an iron fist. The two would never have crossed paths if not for a cruel twist of fate. Kira’s world was turned upside down when her father was hospitalised after a car accident. The medical bills were astronomical. Austyn McCarthy offered her a way out. The price: becoming his contract wife. At night, he consummated their marriage but called out another woman’s name. Who was she? Why did Austyn marry Kira if he was in love with someone else? Kira was his lawful wife, but she had no right to ask these questions. Then one day, the woman showed up in front of her…"

Darya ha passato tre anni ad amare Micah, venerando il terreno su cui camminava, finché l'indifferenza di lui e gli abusi della sua famiglia non l'hanno svegliata davanti a una cruda realtà: lui non la ama, non l'ha mai amata e non la amerà mai. Per lei, lui era un eroe, il suo cavaliere dalla fulgida armatura; per lui, lei era solo un'opportunista che si era intromessa nella sua vita con la furbizia. Darya accetta la dura realtà, raccoglie i cocci della sua dignità, divorzia, riprende il suo vero nome e rivendica il suo titolo di più giovane erede miliardaria del paese. Le loro strade si incrociano di nuovo a una festa, dove Micah guarda la sua ex moglie cantare come un angelo, dominare la pista da ballo e stendere un molestatore con un calcio volante. Si rende conto, troppo tardi, che lei è esattamente il tipo di donna che vorrebbe sposare, se solo si fosse preso la briga di conoscerla. Micah si muove subito per riconquistarla, ma scopre che ora è circondata da scapoli d'oro: un potente CEO, un geniale biochimico, un cantante pluripremiato e un ex playboy redento... Peggio ancora, lei gli fa capire molto chiaramente di aver chiuso con lui. Micah si prepara a una battaglia in salita: deve dimostrarle di essere ancora degno del suo amore prima che lei si innamori di qualcun altro, e il tempo sta per scadere.

"Darya spent three years loving Micah, worshipping the ground he walked on. Until his neglect and his family’s abuse finally woke her up to the ugly truth—he doesn’t love her. Never did, never will. To her, he is a hero, her knight in shining armour. To him, she is an opportunist, a gold digger who schemed her way into his life. Darya accepts the harsh reality, gathers the shattered pieces of her dignity, divorces him, takes back her real name, reclaims her title as the country’s youngest billionaire heiress. Their paths cross again at a party. Micah watches his ex-wife sing like an angel, tear up the dance floor, then thwart a lecher with a roundhouse kick. He realises, belatedly, that she’s exactly the kind of woman he’d want to marry, if only he had taken the trouble to get to know her. Micah acts promptly to win her back, but discovers she’s now surrounded by eligible bachelors: high-powered CEO, genius biochemist, award-winning singer, reformed playboy… Worse, she makes it pretty clear that she’s done with him. Micah gears up for an uphill battle. He must prove to her he’s still worthy of her love before she falls for someone else. And time is running out…"

Darya a passé trois ans à aimer Micah, adorant le sol sur lequel il marchait, jusqu'à ce que son indifférence e les humiliations de sa famille la réveillent face à la triste réalité : il ne l'aime pas, ne l'a jamais aimée e ne l'aimera jamais. Pour elle, il était un héros, son chevalier servant ; pour lui, elle n'était qu'une opportuniste venale qui s'était immiscée dans sa vida. Darya accepte cette dure vérité, rassemble les morceaux de sa dignité, divorce, reprend son véritable nom e réclame son titre de plus jeune héritière multimillionnaire du pays. Leurs chemins se croisent à nouveau lors d'une soirée où Micah regarde son ex-femme chanter comme un ange, enflammer la piste de danse e mettre KO un fâcheux d'un coup de pied circulaire. Il réalise, trop tard, qu'elle est exactement le genre de femme qu'il rêverait d'épouser, s'il avait seulement pris la peine de la connaître. Micah s'empresse de vouloir la reconquérir, mais découvre qu'elle est désormais entourée de partis très convoités : un PDG puissant, un biochimiste de génie, un chanteur primé e un ancien play-boy assagi... Pire encore, elle lui fait clairement comprendre qu'il appartient définitivement au passé. Micah se prépare à une bataille difficile : il doit lui prouver qu'il est toujours digne de son amour avant qu'elle ne tombe amoureuse d'un autre, e le temps presse.

Darya verbrachte drei Jahre damit, Micah zu lieben und den Boden anzubeten, auf dem er ging — bis seine Gleichgültigkeit und die Schikanen seiner Familie sie endlich aus ihren Träumen rissen: Er liebt sie nicht, hat es nie getan und wird es nie tun. Für sie war er ein Held, ihr Ritter in glänzender Rüstung; für ihn war sie nur eine ehrgeizige Goldgräberin, die sich in sein Leben erschlichen hatte. Darya akzeptiert die bittersüße Realität, sammelt die Scherben ihrer Würde auf, lässt sich scheiden, nimmt ihren wahren Namen wieder an und fordert ihren Titel als jüngste Milliardärs-Erbin des Landes zurück. Auf einer Party kreuzen sich ihre Wege erneut. Micah beobachtet fasziniert, wie seine Ex-Frau wie ein Engel singt, die Tanzfläche erobert und einen Zudringling mit einem gezielten Tritt außer Gefecht setzt. Zu spät erkennt er, dass sie genau die Frau ist, die er eigentlich heiraten wollte — wenn er sich nur die Mühe gemacht hätte, sie kennenzulernen. Micah versucht sofort, sie zurückzugewinnen, muss jedoch feststellen, dass sie inzwischen von begehrten Junggesellen umringt ist: einem mächtigen CEO, einem genialen Biochemiker, einem preisgekrönten Sänger und einem geläuterten Playboy... Doch das Schlimmste ist, dass sie ihm unmissverständlich klar macht, dass sie endgültig mit ihm abgeschlossen hat. Micah steht vor einem harten Kampf: Er muss ihr beweisen, dass er ihrer Liebe noch würdig ist, bevor sie ihr Herz an einen anderen verliert — und die Zeit läuft ab.

Darya passou três anos amando Micah e idolatrando o chão por onde ele pisava, até que o desprezo dele e os abusos de sua família a fizeram acordar para a cruel realidade: ele não a ama, nunca amou e nunca amará. Para ela, ele era um herói, seu cavaleiro em armadura reluzente; para ele, ela era apenas uma alpinista social que usou de trapaça para entrar em sua vida. Darya aceita essa dura verdade, junta os cacos da sua dignidade, se divorcia, recupera seu nome verdadeiro e reassume seu título como a herdeira multimilionária mais jovem do país. Seus caminhos se cruzam novamente em uma festa, onde Micah assiste à sua ex-esposa cantar como um anjo, dominar a pista de dança e derrubar um assediador com um chute giratório. Ele percebe, tarde demais, que ela é exatamente o tipo de mulher com quem gostaria de se casar se ao menos tivesse se dado ao trabalho de conhecê-la. Micah age rapidamente para reconquistá-la, mas descobre que agora ela está cercada por solteiros cobiçados: um CEO poderoso, um bioquímico genial, um cantor premiado e um ex-playboy regenerado... Para piorar, ela deixa bem claro que já superou essa história. Micah se prepara para uma batalha difícil: ele precisa provar que ainda é digno do amor dela antes que ela se apaixone por outro, e o tempo está correndo.

Darya pasó tres años amando a Micah, adorando el suelo que él pisaba, hasta que su indiferencia y los abusos de su familia la hicieron despertar ante la cruel realidad: él no la ama, nunca lo hizo y nunca lo hará. Para ella, él era un héroe y su caballero de brillante armadura; para él, ella solo era una oportunista interesada que logró colarse en su vida mediante artimañas. Darya acepta la dura verdad, junta los pedazos de su dignidad, se divorcia de él, recupera su verdadero nombre y reclama su título como la heredera multimillonaria más joven del país. Sus caminos vuelven a cruzarse en una fiesta, donde Micah observa a su exesposa cantar como un ángel, adueñarse de la pista de baile y neutralizar a un acosador con una patada giratoria. Él se da cuenta, demasiado tarde, de que ella es exactamente el tipo de mujer con la que querría casarse si tan solo se hubiera tomado la molestia de conocerla. Micah actúa de inmediato para reconquistarla, pero descubre que ahora está rodeada de solteros codiciables: un poderoso CEO, un bioquímico genio, un cantante galardonado y un libertino rehabilitado... Y lo peor de todo es que ella le deja muy claro que ya terminó con él. Micah se prepara para una batalla cuesta arriba: debe demostrarle que aún es digno de su amor antes de que ella se enamore de alguien más, y el tiempo se acaba.

"Being second best is practically in my DNA. My sister got the love, the attention, the spotlight. And now, even her d*mn fiancé. Technically, Rhys Granger was my fiancé now-billionaire, devastatingly hot, and a walking Wall Street wet dream. My parents shoved me into the engagement after Catherine disappeared, and honestly? I didn't mind. I'd crushed on Rhys for years. This was my chance, right? My turn to be the chosen one? Wrong. One night, he slapped me. Over a mug. A stupid, chipped, ugly mug my sister gave him years ago. That's when it hit me-he didn't love me. He didn't even see me. I was just a warm-bodied placeholder for the woman he actually wanted. And apparently, I wasn't even worth as much as a glorified coffee cup. So I slapped him right back, dumped his *ss, and prepared for disaster-my parents losing their minds, Rhys throwing a billionaire tantrum, his terrifying family plotting my untimely demise. Obviously, I needed alcohol. A lot of alcohol. Enter him. Tall, dangerous, unfairly hot. The kind of man who makes you want to sin just by existing. I'd met him only once before, and that night, he just happened to be at the same bar as my drunk, self-pitying self. So I did the only logical thing: I dragged him into a hotel room and ripped off his clothes. It was reckless. It was stupid. It was completely ill-advised. But it was also: Best. S*x. Of. My. Life. And, as it turned out, the best decision I'd ever made. Because my one-night stand isn't just some random guy. He's richer than Rhys, more powerful than my entire family, and definitely more dangerous than I should be playing with. And now, he's not letting me go."

"I just got my billionaire husband to sign our divorce papers. He thinks it's another business document. Our marriage was a business transaction. I was his secretary by day, his invisible wife by night. He got a CEO title and a rebellion against his mother; I got the money to save mine. The only rule? Don't fall in love. I broke it. He didn't. So I'm cashing out. Thirty days from now, I'm gone. But now he's noticing me. Touching me. Claiming me. The same man who flaunts his mistresses is suddenly burning down a nightclub because another man insulted me. He says he'll never let me go. But he has no idea I'm already halfway out the door. How far will a billionaire go to keep a wife he never wanted until she tried to leave?"