Pretend Relationships

I have two rules for surviving college, Stay out of his way. Don't let him see you. But Massimo Bianchi doesn't follow rules-he makes them. The heir to the Bianchi Empire, a man with a dark past and a reputation that chills the blood, Massimo doesn't play nice. And for some reason, he's decided I'm his favorite game. He's ruthless, arrogant, and impossible to ignore, even if I try. I should stay away. I should hate him. But the more I try to escape him, the deeper he pulls me into his dangerous world. The more I hate him, the more he seduces me with his cold smile, his calculating gaze, and his twisted games. I'm not supposed to want him. I'm supposed to keep my distance, keep my secrets, keep my heart locked away. But when the devil himself comes knocking, there's no escape. Not from him. Not from the desire that burns through my every nerve. And the worst part? I think he knows it.

Vivienne Hartley had already lost her marriage, her trust, and her illusion of stability. All she had left was her career, the one place she could stand on her own feet. But fate wasn’t finished testing her. When Langford Global swallows her agency whole, she finds herself standing in front of Damon Langford, the one man she never hoped to see again. Ruthless, Cold, and Devastatingly powerful, Damon doesn’t forgive, and he certainly doesn’t forget. Years ago, he cut her down with nothing more than a smirk and a few cruel words that had almost ended her career. But Damon has a secret. His father’s will left him with everything except the one condition he cannot ignore. Unless he marries, he will never be able to access his inheritance. For a man who doesn’t believe in love, marriage was never supposed to matter, not until Vivienne came along. Her defiance stirs something inside him that he can’t control. To Damon, Vivienne isn’t just an employee, she’s the perfect solution. The key to his inheritance. Vivienne swore she’d never bow to him, that never let a man like Damon Langford hold her heart or her freedom. But Damon is a man who doesn’t believe in limits, and the closer she fights him, the deeper she falls into his game.

“I hate you!” I hiss, throwing punch after punch at his chest while we both move backward. My legs hit the bed and I realize that I have nowhere else to go. “I’m done with this pretend nonsense, do you hear me!?” Those azure eyes filled with lust, longing, and so much hatred never leave my face. He raises his hand and grabs me by the back of my neck. In one swift move, he pulls me toward his hard body and his lips brush against mine. “We’re done when I say we’re done, brat. And when are you gonna stop pretending that you’re not as involved in this like I am?” “What’re you talking about? I hate you, remember?” “Sure you do,” he whispers. His fingers trail down my neck and I shudder. “You hate me so much that your body responds to me whenever we’re close. Just like this. You hate me but you want me.” “No, I don’t.” To prove his point, he presses his lips against mine and I lose the fight. I always do. *** For Isadora Halvick, life has never been easy, as she’s been marked by scandal since birth for being the illegitimate daughter of a billionaire. Her half-brother, Justin, makes her life worse at every possible opportunity, and things become even more complicated now that they’re enrolled in the same university. But when Justin’s biggest rival on the ice, Knox Mohrelian, the captain of the Black Reapers of Hartwell U, suggests they “fake date” to get back at Justin, Isadora jumps at the offer, not knowing that their “relationship” will lead to a disastrous series of events that cause her first year to go awfully, and that she’ll lose so many parts of herself along the way that she’ll end up dropping out. A year later, she’s back, completely different from the rebellious girl she was in her first year, but one thing about Hartwell U? It never forgets. And so, Isadora is plunged right back into the world of scandals, secrets as black as sin, and a complicated relationship that traps her in the cycle of being unraveled and stitched together by the same twisted love. This time, the question is simple: How will it end? And if so, will she survive until then?

Successful CEO Kenneth Brey thought he had his life planned out nicely—until he hired supposedly straight Kelly North as this year’s holiday companion. For the past five years, CEO Kenneth Brey has advertised for a gay male holiday companion to join him on his single annual break. Although Kenneth claims to be neutral in his choice, he has certain non-negotiable requirements. Applicants must be between twenty-one and twenty-five, non-smoking, social drinkers, either versatile or passive, and be able to pull off the role of dutiful boyfriend in front of his clutch of gay friends. What does the candidate get out of the deal? An all-expenses-paid holiday and five grand in cash at the end, more if the candidate exceeds his expectations—a safe enough addendum, because for the past three years no one ever has. Kelly North sits in a quiet corner of the coffee shop, trying to finish an assignment. At twenty-nine, he is single once again. By now he should have settled down. But when his girlfriend of three years gives him an ultimatum—ring or road—he chooses the road. Worst of all, he has no qualms about doing so. As for his finances? Saddled with a string of outstanding student loans, he is struggling to finish his master’s while also supporting his brother through university. Losing his work at the estate agents’ could not have come at a worse time. Then he overhears the man at a nearby table recruiting for a job that pays a cool five grand. What does he have to lose? Author's note: this book is a collection of stories sharing the same central theme of fake gay relationships turning to real ones, so don't let the number of chapters in it scare you. The blurb here is the blurb of the first story which is Kelly and Kenneth's story, and other blurbs appear before their preceding story. The stories in the book are really amazing, and I look forward to having you on this amazing adventure.

“Do you feel that, Wren? That pull between us?” His eyes darken, flicking to my mouth. “It’s wrong. Your brother would sl*t my throat for even standing this close. But tell me, little bird—” his breath ghosts against my skin, “—are you trembling because you hate me… or because you’ve wanted this as much as I have?” >>> Wren thought she’d left the chaos of New Orleans behind; the club life, the blood-soaked loyalty, the men who lived and died by their kuttes. Seattle gave her everything she could ever want—freedom, love, a future. But one betrayal sends it all crashing down. Dragged back home by tragedy, Wren finds herself under the watchful eye of Ezra Jax, the vice president of the Raven Reapers MC, and her brother’s best friend. He’s infuriating, dangerous, and far too tempting. But the deeper she’s pulled into his world, the more she realizes that nothing about her past or Ezra, is what she thought. Yet in the chaos of gang wars, debts, and betrayals, he’s the one who never leaves her side. The more she fights him, the harder she falls. And the more he pushes her away, the more dangerous his pull becomes. Because in this world, love isn’t sweet. It’s brutal, bloody, and bound to break them both. When loyalty is everything and love can cost your life, will Wren risk her heart on the one man she was never meant to love?

"You belong to him tonight." My father says as he gestures to the man. My name is Emma, a pathetic she-wolf who is sold by my father after enduring years of abuse from him. That is until Alpha Ethan comes into my life and turns it upside down. He saves me from the hell and gives me a position in his Pack. But only under one condition, that I marry Ethan and become his chosen Luna for at least one year. I have no choice but to agree with the contract marriage if I want to survive. After that year is up I find myself pregnant, and what is waiting for me is the rejection ceremony. Pregnant and rejected with nowhere to go, will I fall into another hell? Should I tell Ethan the truth that I’m pregnant or should I stay hidden from him for the rest of my life?

"I limit our relationship to one-night passion. I have no need to bring you into my life." --- In an attempt to forget her lost love, Serena makes a passionate one-night stand with a stranger in Monaco. One night, one decision, one agreement, and one haunting memory. But as fate would have it, destiny has its own plans. The man who shared that passionate night turns out to be the CEO of her new workplace. Can Serena resist when passion and love conspire? Wait until she gets caught up in this unexpected tale of passion and intrigue. Serena and the CEO's lives will never be the same.

"Sign it." Kaia’s heart pounded as she looked up at Kai Sorrento, his cold eyes betraying no emotion. The tension in the air thickened. She pleaded silently with him, but he wasn’t having it. “Do it quickly. We’ve got less than five minutes before we walk down the aisle,” Kai said, glancing at his watch. His words cut through the silence like a blade. With trembling hands, Kaia picked up the pen and stared at the paper before her—a divorce settlement. She hadn’t even married him yet, and he was already planning their divorce? “What—?” Kai interrupted her, his voice sharp. “You don’t want this wedding either. Sign the papers, and in one year, you’ll be free with a hundred million.” This wasn’t the wedding she’d imagined. With a sinking heart, she signed. Divorced before she even walked down the aisle. ****** Three months ago, Kaia Everhart saved an elderly man from a heart attack. Grateful, he gifted her a priceless family heirloom—a necklace she would soon come to regret receiving. When the man suddenly passes away, Kaia finds herself in a tangled mess, unable to prove the necklace was a gift. And now, her only way out is to marry the insufferable Kai Sorrento—the son of the man who gave her that necklace. ------

Known for her boldness and quick comebacks, Amelia Harper has never been one to back down from a challenge. Amelia doesn’t do arrogant CEOs, and she definitely doesn’t fake relationships. She clashes with the cold and apparently arrogant CEO, Adrian Langford. But when a high-stakes deal forces them into a fake relationship, the rules are clear: It’s strictly business. Strictly temporary and controlled. But eventually, the chemistry between them stops following the rules. And suddenly, their perfectly planned arrangement… isn’t so perfect anymore.

Powerful. Steadfast. New York’s most eligible bachelor. Rafael Sebastian had been labeled every good and wicked thing in the corporate world. At the stage of my heartbreak from my crumbling marriage, I literally ran into him as a s*xy stranger that hit my hot buttons at first sight. He left me breathless with a single word and an irresistible smile. But there’s more to Rafael than meets the eye. He was an enigmatic force with more secrets than answers. So when we got caught in a media scandal that’s unintentionally my fault, the huge business deal he was trying to close almost plummeted to the brink of failure. To escape the rumors that trapped us, he had a proposition—a tempting solution that could save my pride and his tarnished reputation. But could I really live a life painted with lies? I know this was a bad idea, but that was something I’d just think about later...