Marina Ellington

My eyes traced the curve of Cedar's porcelain skin, and something primal ignited deep in my chest. Before I could stop myself, I was moving toward the bed—drawn by an instinct I didn't recognize.

She pressed herself against the wall, eyes wide with fear.

But when my fingers closed around her delicate ankle, all rational thought abandoned me. Her skin was impossibly soft beneath my calloused hands, and the way she trembled sent heat coursing through my veins.

"Mr. Sterling... please... let me go..." Her whispered plea cut through the haze like a blade.

Christ. What was I doing?

I released her as if burned, my jaw clenching as reality crashed back. I'd crossed a line I never cross—touched her without permission, without reason. The moment her restraints were gone, she clutched the sheets to her chest, those doe eyes watching my every move.

The air between us crackled with something dangerous. Something I couldn't afford to explore.

But as I turned to leave, one thought echoed in my mind: I wanted to touch her again.


I'm Cedar Wright, raised by adoptive parents who seemed to value me more for what I could do for them than for who I am. As I struggle to break free from their toxic hold, a six-year-old boy suddenly enters my life, calling me "Mommy." It's surreal—I'm still a virgin! Yet his presence brings warmth and hope to my otherwise mundane existence.

Soon, two more children come into my life, each wanting me to be their "Mommy" too. They're like little Cupids, bringing an unexpected romance into my life—one that involves their domineering father. I find myself drawn to him, despite my better judgment, but our relationship is fraught with uncertainty.

Just when I've completely fallen for him, he starts pulling away. Is it because his first love has resurfaced, or is his true nature finally emerging?

"I'm losing you," Rhett growled, his fingers digging possessively into my flesh. "What's so fascinating in that head of yours?"

I looked up at him, taking in the moonlight that carved shadows across his sculpted chest.

"Just imagining," I replied with deliberate provocation.

His eyebrow arched. "Imagining what exactly?"

I ran my fingertips down his chest, enjoying the way his muscles tensed under my touch. "Imagining a man more devoted and skilled than you."

His face darkened, jaw clenching. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

I realized I'd pushed too far and fell silent, giving him a crooked smile before leaning up to kiss him. He responded hungrily, his anger transforming into something more primal.

He lowered his head, mouth replacing fingers as he parted my thighs wider. His tongue traced deliberate patterns, alternating between broad strokes and precise flicks that made my hips buck involuntarily.


When I married the notorious Rhett Hayes, I thought I'd found my forever. Instead, I discovered I was just another conquest in his collection. For two years, I watched him charm other women while keeping me as his wife in name only, my heart breaking with each betrayal.

The day I finally placed divorce papers in his hands, something changed. His eyes—always cold and calculating—suddenly burned with an intensity I'd never seen. "You're the only one I've ever loved," he whispered, his voice raw. "Everything else was a necessary deception. There are people who would hurt you to get to me."

I didn't believe him—until the attack came. As bullets shattered our windows and masked figures stormed our home, I glimpsed the truth behind his lies. Now, trapped between deadly enemies and the man I'm no longer sure I know, I'm discovering that Rhett's dangerous world is far more complex than I imagined, and the depth of his love more profound than I dared hope.

At twelve, I lost my parents and was taken in by the Brooks—our families had a marriage pact. For a decade, everyone expected me to marry their son Conner, a future I'd accepted as duty.
Then Conner's tabloid scandal with another woman destroyed the engagement. Chaos hit our family businesses—until Dylan, Conner's uncle who barely spoke to me, offered: Marry me instead.
It was the only way to save everything. I said yes, no time to fear marrying a stranger.
What stunned me? The wild side of Uncle Dylan I never saw. It hit fast, hot—pulling me in until I was hopelessly falling.
And my best friend? She's about to find a chaotic, twisty romance of her own. Turns out, life's best gifts are the ones you never see coming—even if they start with a marriage of convenience.