Forbidden – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read

Forbidden – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.ilovenovels.com Sun, 12 Jul 2026 16:12:00 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.1 http://www.ilovenovels.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/favicon.png Forbidden – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.ilovenovels.com 32 32 Bronco (Cuddle a Cowboy #1) Read Online Mia Brody http://www.ilovenovels.com/bronco-cuddle-a-cowboy-1-read-online-mia-brody Sun, 12 Jul 2026 16:12:00 +0000 https://www.ilovenovels.com/bronco-cuddle-a-cowboy-1-read-online-mia-brody Genre: Alpha Male, Forbidden, Insta-Love, Virgin Authors: Mia Brody Series: Cuddle a Cowboy Series by Mia Brody
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Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 44134 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 221(@200wpm)___ 177(@250wpm)___ 147(@300wpm)

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I did a teeny, tiny bad thing for a very good reason.

Lauren

When I heard my aunt was about to lose her home, I couldn’t just sit by. I had to do something. So, I started a fundraiser inviting people to cuddle a cowboy and well, it kind of went viral.

Now, women are bidding on these big, bearded cowboys who are grumpy and scowling. But the grumpiest one is Bronco. He’s my brother’s best friend, and he’s furious with me for using his farm this way.

I should probably tell him that I got the winning bid on him.

Bronco

This cowboy wants to cuddle. Problem is, the only one I want to cuddle is my best friend’s little sister. She’s sunshine and sweetness and temptation rolled into one vintage vixen.

When I told her to use the farm as a fundraiser, I had no idea she’d be putting me on the auction block.

Now, it’s time for this cowboy to put his boot down and show Lauren that she’s the one who belongs in his arms.

If you love a gruff cowboy who will do anything to make his curvy woman smile, then climb onto Bronco’s horse. It’s going to be a wild ride, but you’ll ache in the best way.

This is a steamy cowboy rom com with plenty of on-page spice between a gruff cowboy and his curvy woman set in the welcoming, small town of Courage County. If that sounds like your kind of story, click to read now

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Chapter 1

Lauren

I read a statistic that said if you have one person you can call in the middle of the night who will drop everything to come help you, then you should count yourself lucky. Well, I guess I’m doubly lucky because my person also happens to be a cranky cowboy with a heart of pure gold.

“Hey, sweetheart.” The moment, I hear my brother’s best friend’s voice some of the tension bleeds from my shoulders. He is the cranky cowboy. He’s cranky with everyone. Except me.

I stare at my bedroom wall where the water spot grows bigger by the second, a distinct rushing sound behind it. I whisper into the phone, “I need you.”

“I’m on the way.”

It’s two in the morning. He doesn’t sound all that awake, but his tone is gentle. It could make a girl think she were special to him if she were foolish enough to believe in such things. “I’m sorry to wake you.”

“Wasn’t sleeping anyway,” he answers as if I can’t read the lie in his rumbly voice. Still, it makes me feel better that he’s trying to make me feel better. Bronco has been like this as long as I’ve known him, though I’ve only known him for a few years.

He and my brother, Vale, became best friends when they were serving in the Marines together. They were supposed to come home and start a ranch for veterans, a place where guys returning from combat could transition back to civilian life.

Except that only one of them came home.

Now, Bronco looks after me because I’m his responsibility. The little sister he inherited from Vale. Problem is, I’ve never once looked at Bronco and thought of him as a big brother. I’ve always thought of him as a man—a big, gruff man with eyes that are stormy blue and a bushy beard I want to touch.

I listen to the sound of his quiet breathing and the rustle of clothes as he pulls them on. Does Bronco sleep naked? Is that a normal thing to wonder about your brother’s best friend? Somehow, I don’t think it is.

I wish things were different between us. I wish he’d want me back. I wish he’d take me in his arms and kiss me until I can’t think anymore. But if I can’t have that, then I wish I didn’t think of him at all. I wish I could be content, happy even, with his begrudging friendship.

Instead, I’m stuck with a helpless crush that I’ve never been able to shake. I guess, it’s my fault really. When Vale told me about Staff Sergeant Hayes, a gruff loner with no family of his own, something in my heart hurt.

I hated the idea that there was a man out there, willing to give everything to protect his men and no one was looking out for him.

After that, when I sent care packages to Vale, I included little treats for Bronco. He never said thank you or acknowledged a thing I did. But I knew it mattered. I knew it in the way that only someone who’s been abandoned too could know it.

“Tell me something,” he says, and I hear the truck door slam. He’s on the way. Help is on the way. Tears prick at my eyes when the thought comes, and I have to blink them back. Bronco doesn’t know how bad things are here. No one does.

I haven’t told him because it’s not his mess. This is my mess. I made it. I have to figure out how to clean it up. Except that I’ve never been so scared in my life, and I’m terrified that the people I care most about are going to pay for it.

“Like w-what?” I ask, stalling for time.

“A favorite memory,” he answers easily. “What’s one of your favorite memories?”

It only takes me a moment to think of one. “There used to be a magnolia tree on the property. It was the first thing I noticed the day my mom aban—dropped me and Vale off here.”

I’m not sure how much of our past Vale told Bronco. I don’t guess it matters. A lot of kids are abandoned by their drug addicted mom. Most kids just aren’t abandoned by their mom at a retirement community.

My Aunt Elaine is the director of the Wildflower Retirement Community. She didn’t blink or hesitate when my mom left the two of us on her doorstep. She hugged both me and Vale, gave us her trademark sunny smile, and promised that things were going to be all right.

Because of her, I grew up in this retirement home. I spent my days running the halls and doing craft time with the seniors. It was like having a big extended family filled with dozens and dozens of grandparents. Most of them doted on us, and very few complained about the noise we made. Instead, we were embraced as part of the community.

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His Obsession – Sinful Mafia Daddies Read Online Natasha L. Black http://www.ilovenovels.com/his-obsession-sinful-mafia-daddies-read-online-natasha-l-black Sun, 12 Jul 2026 16:11:29 +0000 https://www.ilovenovels.com/his-obsession-sinful-mafia-daddies-read-online-natasha-l-black Genre: Alpha Male, Dark, Forbidden, Mafia Authors: Natasha L. Black Advertisement

Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 65112 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 326(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >67

I went to my brother's house expecting dinner.
Instead, his best friend looked at me like he wanted to ruin me.

Sebastian De Luca.
My brother's oldest friend.
Dark eyes. Controlled. And not the kind of man you say no to.

I should have kept my distance.
Instead, I let him pull me onto the dance floor of his nightclub.
Then into his bed, before I could remember why men like him are dangerous.

One night was supposed to get him out of my system.
Instead, two pink lines changed everything.

Then my violent ex found me.
And suddenly, nowhere felt safe anymore.

Sebastian moved me into his mansion that night.
Guards at every door. Eyes on every camera.
He didn't ask. He decided.

Now it's not just protection. It's possession.
And God help the man stupid enough to come for what's his.

This is a full-length, standalone age-gap mafia romance packed with danger, possessive heat, and a guaranteed HEA. No cliffhanger

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

1

VALENTINA

The bar line is backed up, the champagne needs more ice, and a girl with six million followers is about thirty seconds away from having a meltdown in the middle of the venue. As far as I’m concerned, the night is off to a perfect start.

I stand just outside the private elevator bank at the top of the hotel, phone in one hand, earpiece in, and my eyes sweeping the rooftop in quick, practiced passes. The venue is stunning, overlooking the ocean. One thing I’ll give LA is that the views blow Manhattan’s out of the water. The décor I’ve selected for tonight only adds to the ambience. Candlelight flickers across glass tables and white orchids hang over the main bar in soft, dramatic clusters. The skyline stretches beyond the low glass wall, glittering against a dark velvet sky.

“Valentina,” a voice calls.

I turn toward the service corridor just as one of the catering servers comes out carrying the wrong tray. He’s young, nervous, and moving too fast, which means he’s about to make a mistake.

I step into his path before he hits the floor. “Hold on.”

He stops so abruptly the tray rattles. “What?”

I glance down at the tuna cones on his platter. “These aren’t for the first pass. These go out after the founder speech.”

His face goes blank. “Chef told me these were up.”

“Chef is wrong,” I tell him, keeping my smile in place. “First pass is burrata crostini and truffle tartlets. Take these back and tell Mario I said if he pulls this again, I’m keying his car.”

The server blinks, then laughs nervously. “Okay.”

“You’re not in trouble. Just move.”

He nods and disappears back through the doors. I peer through the glass into the prep area and catch Mario’s eye immediately. He puts a hand over his heart like I’ve wounded him. I point two fingers at him. He grins.

I swear under my breath, then cut across the terrace to head off the next problem.

An influencer in silver sequins is leaning over the east bar, giving one of the bartenders hell because she wants into the roped-off lounge. The bartender looks about one second away from telling her off, which would inevitably end up all over TikTok.

I slide in beside her.

“You look stunning, Melissa,” I say warmly, like we’re old friends and she’s not currently terrorizing my staff. “I’m so glad you made it.”

She turns, ready to fight, then hesitates. People like being greeted by someone who looks like she’s in charge. I learned that a long time ago.

“Someone’s fucked up the VIP room,” she snaps.

“I’m so sorry you feel that way,” I tell her gently. “The front lounge is reserved for press during the first hour, and then we’ll be rotating guests through after remarks. You’re at the top of the list.”

Her mouth tightens. “I don’t wait in lines.”

“Neither do I.” I lean in like I’m about to do her a favor. “That’s why I’d hit the west photo wall right now, before the actresses get here. The lighting is better on that side, and once the bigger names start posting, the line is going to be impossible.”

That gets her attention. She glances toward the west side, already calculating her own face from every angle.

“Perfect,” she says, a gleam in her eye, and stalks toward the west wall.

A launch party like this is controlled chaos. The clients think they’re paying for beauty and exclusivity. What they’re actually paying for is the woman sprinting in heels behind the scenes so no one realizes the ice delivery was late, the logo plaque on the flower wall shifted half an inch, and one of the assistants nearly cried.

I catch a hostess near the private lounge and straighten the angle of her name badge without breaking stride.

“Relax your shoulders,” I murmur to her.

She straightens. “Sorry.”

“You’re fine,” I tell her kindly. “Just breathe. It’s a catering job, not World War III.”

Gia appears beside me like she was summoned by my stress level alone. She looks incredible in her bronze slip dress, with long dark hair swept over one shoulder, and sharp, smoky eyes that miss almost nothing. She works in branding and publicity, which means we cross paths constantly. Somewhere in the middle of that, she became my best friend.

“Mrs. Reynolds is panicking in the powder room because she thinks one side of her contour looks muddy,” she says.

Jacqueline Reynolds is the wife of Harold Reynolds, the founder of the company launching tonight. She’s the kind of woman who thinks this party is all about her, and she’ll milk every last second of it.

“I already sent up a makeup artist.” I sigh.

“Of course you did.” Gia laughs. “You don’t miss a thing.”

I grin and take a sip of water before scanning the room. The DJ is spinning bland, nondescript music that’ll serve as background for the evening. The bartender has a small crowd, but he moves like lightning, keeping the wait time low. Out of habit, I note where every security guard is stationed.

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >67

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North Country Read Online K.A. Tucker http://www.ilovenovels.com/north-country-read-online-k-a-tucker Sun, 12 Jul 2026 16:11:09 +0000 https://www.ilovenovels.com/north-country-read-online-k-a-tucker Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Forbidden, Suspense Authors: K.A. Tucker Advertisement

Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 136507 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 683(@200wpm)___ 546(@250wpm)___ 455(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >142

From the USA Today and international bestselling author of the Simple Wild comes a sweeping second-chance, forbidden romance set against the rugged beauty of northern Canada.

Emery McAllister once dreamed of leaving Cold River with the boy next door, but one devastating night destroyed their future and left her heart carefully guarded. Twenty years later, she’s built a life of control: running the town’s police detachment, raising her daughter, and keeping a fragile peace with her ex-husband, the mayor.

She’s certain she has moved on until the day she has dreaded—and secretly hoped for—finally arrives.

Logan Landry is home.

After two decades behind bars for being in the wrong place at the wrong time—and the choices that haunted him ever since—Logan returns to his family’s bison ranch carrying the weight of everything he lost, but especially Emery. Friendship is all he dares hope for now, but seeing her ignites a fire he thought long extinguished.

When a teenage girl disappears and old wounds reopen, Logan becomes Cold River’s favorite suspect, despite his airtight alibi. As distrust closes in, Emery must choose between the life she’s built … and the love she can’t let go

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Playlist

Available on Spotify

Pg. 1: “Santa Monica” by Theory of a Deadman

Pg. 51: “4AM” by Our Lady Peace

Pg. 58: “Long Time Running” by The Tragically Hip

Pg. 100: “Quitter” by Cameron Whitcomb

Pg. 109: “Blown Wide Open” by Big Wreck

Pg. 129: “Wheat Kings” by the Tragically Hip

Pg. 134: “Let Me Down Slowly” by Alec Benjamin & Alessia Cara

Pg. 173: “Home” by Matthew Hall

Pg. 226: “Quitting You” by Arkells

Pg. 256: “You and Me” by Cameron Whitcomb

Pg. 277: “Silent Night” by Sarah McLachlin

Pg. 291: “Everything is Alright” by Glorious Sons

Pg. 295: “Holly Jolly Christmas” by Jeff Straker

Pg. 298: “The Breakdown” by The Trews

Pg. 305: “Next to You” by Charlotte Cardin

Pg. 331: “Sing Me a Song” by William Prince & Serena Ryder

Pg. 325: “Gordon in the Willows” by Patrick Watson & Charlotte Cardin

Pg. 357: “Weak in the Knees (Acoustic Version)” by Serena Ryder

Pg. 364: “New Plan” by The Glorious Sons

Pg. 377: “Feels Like Home” by Chantal Kreviazuk

Chapter 1

Emery

Twenty years ago, May

“Busted!” Logan’s chuckle carries over the music.

“Damn it.” My curse is punctuated with a creak as I try to slip up the stairs unnoticed. There’s no point in this charade anymore. I run the rest of the way, taking the steps two at a time, until I reach the loft above the Landrys’ garage that has become our sanctuary.

Logan is sprawled out in the middle of it on his back. The only thing between his solid six-foot-two frame and the plywood floor is an unzipped sleeping bag that never leaves this room. The window on the far side welcomes in afternoon sunlight, and the rays capture the dust in the air. A five-disc stereo system clunks and whirs as it shuffles noisily to another CD, its display lights flashing like an ’80s techno party.

“Took you long enough.” He sounds groggy. I’ll bet he drifted off.

“I had a long shift.” I drop to my knees behind his head and peer into golden-hazel eyes that are indeed bleary from sleep. My stomach flutters. It always does around him.

He inhales. “You smell like chlorine.”

“Yeah, I had to pull a kid out of the pool.” I lean down to plant an upside-down kiss on his mouth before whispering, “Happy birthday.”

His plump lips curve into a smile. “Thanks.”

“You’re officially an adult.” I don’t turn eighteen until September, when we’re in Toronto for university. We were both accepted into the University of Toronto’s downtown campus—me, for criminology, Logan for mechanical engineering.

“That’s right, I am.” In the next beat, he’s reaching over his head to grab my ribs. I squeal as he lifts and flips me around to land against him with little effort. Another quick move and he has me on my back, my arms pinned over my head with one hand, long since calloused from helping around his family’s bison ranch. “Are we still allowed to do this?” He punctuates the question by slipping his free hand under my shirt.

“Yes. As long as you’re not in a position of authority over me.”

Logan’s face dips toward my neck, his lips finding a sensitive spot below my earlobe. “Okay, Officer McAllister.”

“Wait! I want to give you your present.”

“Isn’t that what you’re doing?” He guides my shirt up.

The warm spring air grazes my bare skin, stirring a base need. “No!” I tug against my restraints, but I can’t break free. He’s too strong. “I’ve been sitting on this forever.”

His fingertip traces the seam of my lacy bra before relenting with a groan of frustration as he releases me.

From my pocket, I slide out the envelope.

Logan’s eyebrow arches with interest as he collects it and gives it a shake.

I bite my bottom lip to quell my excitement.

“You’re kidding me.” He holds up the receipt for the two VIP Edgefest concert tickets, his eyes wide with disbelief. “But how? I couldn’t get through!”

My laughter is giddy. “I hit redial, like, a million times, as soon as they went on sale⁠—”

He cuts off my words with a hard kiss before whispering, “This is fucking amazing. I wanted to go so bad.” I get another kiss and then, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” I beam, grazing my nose against his. “You have no idea how hard this was to keep secret. I almost ruined the surprise so many times.”

He rolls onto his back to study the wooden beams zigzagging across the rustic ceiling. “Now I have to decide who I’m taking.”

“Umm, shut up.” I climb on top of him, straddling his jean-clad hips. “You better be kidding.”

He laughs as he grips my slender waist within his strong hands. “Of course it’s you, Em.” He stares up at me with a mixture of awe and desire.

The moment grows heady as I feel him reacting to my body pressed against his. “Can’t you skip going out with Jay tonight? Hang out with me?” I punctuate that by rocking my hips.

“You know I can’t. He’s my brother. He’s been planning this for weeks.”

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Pretty Little Scars (Silver Springs #1) Read Online Kristen Proby http://www.ilovenovels.com/pretty-little-scars-silver-springs-1-read-online-kristen-proread-online Sun, 12 Jul 2026 16:11:02 +0000 https://www.ilovenovels.com/pretty-little-scars-silver-springs-1-read-online-kristen-proread-online Genre: Alpha Male, Angst, Contemporary, Forbidden, Suspense Authors: Kristen Proby Series: Silver Springs Series by Kristen Proby
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Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 100367 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >102

I absolutely should not be attracted to my boss.

I’m living on Tucker Hendrix’s ranch for the next year as a veterinary intern. But imagine my surprise when I walk onto the property on my first day and recognize the owner.
He’s the mysterious customer I used to flirt with at the diner all those years ago.
Now, the chemistry is hotter than ever, and all I can think about is his muscles and the fact that none of my scars bother him.
He’s seen everything that no one else has, and he’s not running away from me, or the fact that I’m a Lexington sister and we come from a monster.
In fact, for the first time in my life, a man is patient, gentle, and treats me like I’m the most important thing in his universe. Like he can’t live without me.
Like my scars aren’t the failure of a lifetime.
I’m starting to see a life for myself here with this man, on this gorgeous Montana ranch. His family has welcomed me into the fold as if it were a foregone conclusion.
But someone is hell bent on hurting me and making sure I don’t get the happy life I’ve worked so hard for.
Will they succeed? Or will Tucker and I come out the other side stronger than ever?

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

DARBY’S RECIPES

Darby’s Huckleberry Muffins

1 Cup White Sugar

3/4 Cup Butter

3/4 Cup Milk

1 Large Egg

1 t. Vanilla extract

1 3/4 Cups Sifted All-Purpose Flour

2 1/2 t. Baking Powder

1/2 t. Salt

1 Cup Huckleberries

1 T. All-Purpose Flour

Directions:

Step One

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease 15 muffin cups or line cups with paper liners.

Step Two

Beat sugar and butter with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in milk, egg, and vanilla until well blended. Combine 1 3/4 cups flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl; stir into batter until just moistened. Toss huckleberries and 1 tablespoon flour in same bowl to coat. Fold into batter.

Step Three

Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full.

Step Four

Bake in preheated oven until the tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 15 minutes.

Step Five

Feed them to Tucker, who will devour them, and then you.

Darby’s Arnica Salve

Ingredients

3/4 C Arnica Oil

1/4 C beeswax pellets

1/2 t. Vitamin E oil

20 drops peppermint essential oil, or oil of choice for fragrance

Instructions

1. Using a double boiler, add a couple cups of water into the pot, then place a heat-proof bowl over the top of the pot.

2. Turn the burner on and allow the water to come to a boil.

3. Meanwhile, measure out the ingredients. Once the water is boiling, add arnica oil and beeswax pellets to the bowl of your double-boiler and stir consistently until the beeswax is melted (about five minutes).

4. Once the beeswax has melted, remove the bowl from the heat and let it sit for a few minutes on the counter to cool slightly.

5. Combine the vitamin E oil and essential oils, then pour into the oil and beeswax mixture.

6. Stir to incorporate all oils then pour into clean, dry pourable measuring cup.

7. Carefully divide the oil equally between four 2-ounce tins. Don’t forget to label your tins!

8. Let cool completely and store in a cool, temperature controlled cupboard.

How to use Arnica Salve:

-Rub on any sore joints or muscles.

-Apply to bruises or bumps.

-Rub on the back of the neck and along the jawline for tension headaches.

PROLOGUE

TUCKER

Five Years Ago

Imake the thirty minute drive over to Bitterroot Valley every Tuesday so I can have lunch at Kay’s Diner. Do I love the food there? Not particularly. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fine. But the cheeseburger and fries aren’t what’s brought me in here for the past year without missing a Tuesday.

I used to come in once a month with my friend Brooks Blackwell after we took a ride on our Harleys around the valley. We still have a standing ride day, but once every thirty days isn’t nearly often enough for me to see her.

The brunette with the kicking curves and glacier-blue eyes.

The woman whose stingy smile is etched in my mind and the only thing I see when I close my eyes.

Have I asked her out? No. But I will.

Eventually.

I’m in no hurry regarding most things in my life. I like to take my time, think things through.

For now, I like to come in here for lunch on Tuesdays, sit in my usual booth in the corner, and flirt with the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life.

I set the laminated menu aside, knowing exactly what I’ll order. When she walks over to me and her blue eyes brighten at the sight of me, I can’t help but smile at her.

“Well, fancy meeting you here,” she says sarcastically. Her voice is pure fucking sin. A little raspy, and a lot sexy. She rests her hand on her hip and immediately fills my mug with coffee. Her dark hair is up in a high ponytail, her gorgeous face is clean of makeup, and her lips quirk, making me want to bite them. “You’re late.”

I lift an eyebrow and check the time. “It’s 1:05.”

“Late,” she says again.

“Did you miss me?” I ask her, leaning back in the seat, taking her in. Fuck, she’s beautiful. Her cheeks darken a little as she tucks a few stray whisps of hair behind her ear. I want to do that. I want to feel that silk in my fingertips. Her Kay’s Diner T-shirt molds over her body perfectly, but not provocatively. There’s a tattoo peeking out of the sleeve on her right biceps, and I want to know what it is.

“Thought maybe you fell off that death trap out there.” She gestures at my bike with her chin.

“You’re worried about me.” I rub my hand over the scruff on my chin and smile smugly. “That’s even better. You could go for a ride with me, and I’ll show you that there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

A shadow slips behind her eyes, but before I can say anything, she shakes her head.

“Hard pass. Your usual today?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She nods and walks away to put my order in, and while I sip my black coffee, I watch her flit around the restaurant, taking orders, delivering plates, and closing out checks. Kay’s is a typical 1950s-style diner with a black-and-white checked floor, red vinyl seats, and a jukebox in the corner playing an old Madonna tune from the ’80s. There’s a long bar with red-topped stools, and the milkshakes rival Sundae’s over in my hometown of Silver Springs, but I’ll never admit to that out loud.

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The Comeback King (Necessary Roughness #1) Read Online Riley Hart http://www.ilovenovels.com/the-comeback-king-necessary-roughness-1-read-online-riley-hart Sun, 12 Jul 2026 16:10:28 +0000 https://www.ilovenovels.com/the-comeback-king-necessary-roughness-1-read-online-riley-hart Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Forbidden, Sports Authors: Riley Hart Series: Necessary Roughness Series by Riley Hart
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Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 80774 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 404(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >84

Lucas
To my dad, Hunter King is a football prodigy destined for greatness.

The son he always wanted.

To me, Hunter King is the guy I’ve loved most of my life.

The guy who happens to be my dead brother’s boyfriend.

We were kids when Hunter came into our lives—the boy with the skill my brother didn’t have and the drive I lacked. The one who was always kind to me, who cared about my photography when, to my dad, it was a hobby, not worth anyone’s time.

Looking at the world through the lens of my camera is the only thing I’ve ever wanted.

Other than Hunter King.

Hunter
I would be nothing without the Blakes. Coach Blake nurtured my football talent from high school through college and now professionally. For all intents and purposes, he was my father. And when I started dating his son Ellis, it felt like I truly became part of the family.

But since Ellis died, nothing feels right anymore—not even the game I’ve always loved.

Until Lucas walks back into my life.

With each lingering touch, I feel sensation returning. Every kiss breathes air into my lungs. And for the first time in three years, it feels like my heart starts beating again.

But with every embrace, I’m betraying Ellis’s memory. The media, my team, Coach Blake will all condemn me. I’ll no longer be their Comeback King. I’ll be the man who is sleeping with his dead boyfriend’s brother.

Yet none of it is enough to make me stop.

The Comeback King is the first book in a new series. You can expect big feels and a secret relationship with pining and learning to love after loss

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

Hunter

Everyone at practice seems to know each other—or at least know someone else—except me. I feel them watching me, feel them wondering about the new kid who transferred freshman year to a private school he couldn’t afford without a scholarship, not on this side of town. None of them have said shit to me yet, probably because they know I don’t belong here, other than on the football field. I’m really good at football.

“Hey…you’re Hunter King, right?” A guy steps up beside me. He’s got a golden tan, light brown hair, and brown eyes. He smiles at me the way you do with a friend. A real smile. The guy feels like he’s bursting with sunshine, which is weird—like that boy-next-door shit, the perfect kid with straight A’s, tons of friends, and everything a person can dream of, but also like he doesn’t let it go to his head.

“Yep.” I cross my arms, watching the guys run drills. We’re practicing in shifts for now—it’s the first day of tryouts and the coaches need to see what we’re made of.

“I saw you earlier. You’re even faster than they said, but like, have good brute strength too. The all-around running back who can do anything.”

I chuckle, surprised that I do. It’s not the first time I’ve heard something like that, and it’s true, but often it annoys me. Usually, it feels like someone is saying it because they want something from me, because they don’t expect me to be as good as I am, or because they’re jealous. I don’t know this guy, but he doesn’t seem the type. There’s something genuine about him.

“Thanks. What position do you play?”

“The bench.” He laughs in a way I could never do if I’d said the same thing. “My dad wants me to be quarterback, but I’m not good enough to actually play.”

“I can practice with you sometime,” I find myself offering. I turn around and look behind me like I expect a second Hunter King to be standing there because those words sure as shit didn’t come out of my mouth. Only there’s no other Hunter there, and I did in fact say them.

“Really? That’d be cool. Thanks,” he says, just as he’s called out to the field. He jogs away, and I realize I didn’t even ask him his name.

He’s right, though. He’s not very good. He doesn’t have the athleticism of most of the guys out here, but it’s clear how much he wants it, how hard he tries.

I like him. He’s real in a world where most people aren’t. I want to help him get better. For some reason, I want this guy on the team with me. I want to be his friend. It’s weird as shit because I don’t typically think that way, don’t decide I want to be friends with someone, but I want it with him. Feels right.

When Coach calls me onto the field, I jog out, heart racing, excitement ready to explode out of me. This is what I’ve always wanted. Playing on such a good high school team, then going to college, before I’m drafted. Nothing will stop me from making my dreams come true.

And just like I wanted, I kill it in practice, showing them everything I can do.

“Hey,” I say to the kid who’s like sunshine in a bottle, once we’re in the locker room. “Wanna stay late and practice? I just have to get to the city bus by eight to get home on time.” Since I don’t live close, my mom and I are responsible for my transportation. Mom brings me to school in the morning, but she’s on evening shifts now, so I have to take the bus, then walk home, which she hates. It makes her feel guilty, when she has no reason to be. She works her ass off to make ends meet, but it’s hard to do alone. When my dad died, that changed everything for us, and she’s been playing catch-up ever since.

“Really?” he asks.

“You don’t have to, but if you want, I’m down.” All I ever want is to play football.

“Yeah. That’d be cool. My mom is already here to pick me up, though. Do you want to come to my house instead?”

There’s no doubt in my mind this kid has money, that we live in totally different worlds. I should tell him no, that I have to go home—also because my mama will not be happy with me going to some random person’s house. But I want to play football, so I shrug and say, “Sure, but as I said, I have to be at the bus station by eight.”

“You ride the bus home?” There’s no mocking in his tone, simply curiosity, but my back stiffens.

“Not all of us live like you.”

“No, I didn’t mean… Shit. I’m sorry. I sound like a douchebag.”

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >84

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The Widow’s Forbidden Heat (Forbidden Omegaverse #8) Read Online Evangeline Anderson http://www.ilovenovels.com/the-widows-forbidden-heat-forbidden-omegaverse-8-read-online-evangeline-anderson Sun, 12 Jul 2026 16:10:11 +0000 https://www.ilovenovels.com/the-widows-forbidden-heat-forbidden-omegaverse-8-read-online-evangeline-anderson Genre: Alpha Male, Fantasy/Sci-fi, Forbidden, Paranormal Authors: Evangeline Anderson Series: Forbidden Omegaverse Series by Evangeline Anderson
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Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 87502 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >91

She was forty, widowed, and done with love…until a younger Alpha made her burn.

I came to claim my inheritance…and found her instead.

For twenty years, Vivienne Jamison endured a loveless marriage to a cruel and heartless Alpha. I've seen the scars he left behind—the way she flinches instinctively, doubts her own beauty, and blames herself for things that were never her fault.

The Pack sees a barren widow whose best years are behind her—I see a strong, beautiful woman who deserves to be cherished.

From the moment I met her, I felt drawn to her in a way I've never experienced before. Every instinct inside me wants to protect her, care for her, and give her the happiness she's been denied for far too long.
Too bad Pack Law says she's forbidden to me.

My heart was in the grave…until he came.

After twenty years of being blamed for something that was never my fault, I thought my life was over. Then Corwyn arrived.

This new Alpha is everything my late husband wasn't—kind, protective, and impossible to resist. However, the BlackRidge Pack is governed by ancient laws and cruel traditions—they expect me to remain single and alone, honoring the memory of a man I never loved.

When I come into my first real Heat at 40, staying away from Cor becomes harder than either of us imagined. It doesn’t matter that he’s ten years younger than me—I want him and he wants me.

The Pack says we're forbidden. Our hearts disagree. But if we’re caught, we’ll pay the price.
For breaking the Unbreakable Laws carries only one punishment— death .

The Widow's Forbidden Heat is a steamy Omegaverse romance featuring a curvy older heroine, a devoted younger Alpha, fated mates, forbidden love, small-town secrets, protective hero vibes, emotional healing, and a guaranteed happily ever after

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

ONE

VIVIENNE

The man in the casket was my husband, but I felt nothing when I looked at him.

Carter Jamison had been a cold man, and I mean that literally. Every time he touched me his hands were like ice. Just thinking about it made me shiver.

But he was cold in other ways too—cold and aloof, never interested in anything I had to say. I had been sold to him when I was barely twenty—a virgin who had been sequestered for years to keep me that way—and he’d never shown me a single spark of warmth or affection.

I was so innocent on our wedding night, I had no idea what was coming. I was only told I must hold still and submit to my husband and do whatever he told me.

That might not have been a problem if my husband had been a kind man—one who cared about his wife’s pain or the terror I felt when I first saw the crooked shaft of his manhood with its ugly, bloated knot coming towards me.

Closing my eyes, I remembered the sharp feeling inside me—like someone stabbing with a knife—and the way my eyes had filled with tears. My eyes with the Royal Golden Rim—the thin ring of gold around each iris that proclaimed I had some Royal Were blood in me. They had marked me as special—as a woman who would bear the man who was lucky enough to mate with her many strong sons.

It was a promise I never fulfilled for Carter, despite the prophecy.

Not that he didn’t try to get me pregnant. Every month during my Heat Cycle—which was never very strong—he tried. After a time, I stopped dreading the encounters and got used to the grunting and thrusting on top of me. For all its ugliness, his shaft wasn’t very big. After those first few times, it didn’t hurt anymore. And a year or so after that, I barely noticed it in me. I was able to close my eyes and imagine myself someplace much more pleasant—the beach maybe, or the mountains.

I have always wanted to travel, but Carter preferred to stay put. He ruled the Blackridge Pack with an iron fist, and he didn’t like leaving his territory in case someone might get out of line. The few times he went to multi-Pack meetings in other states, he refused to take me.

“You’ll only get into trouble,” he’d grunt, when I begged to go with him so I could see someplace new. He called me ungrateful for pleading to go away. After all, hadn’t he given me a mansion to live in?

Wolverton Manor was a grand home, I had to admit. It has turrets and towers and battlements—just like a castle. It’s not a “McMansion” as Carter scornfully called the other grand houses in our small town. Parts of it were brought over from England—they used to be the walls of a monastery before Carter bought them and brought them here.

But the Manor was built long before I was born—back when he was still in his “exploring phase” as he put it, the few times he talked about his adventures in Europe and the Far East. By the time we wed, he was nearly sixty and had had his fill of traveling.

“I just want to stay home by my own fire,” he would growl, when I mentioned how nice it might be to go for a vacation somewhere. “Stop your prattling, girl! I don’t have time for your nonsense!”

Carter had never had time for my “nonsense” or any other part of me, except what was between my legs. As time went on, though, and he failed to get me pregnant, he grew bitter and angry.

He would complain about it often though and curse me for not giving him an heir. He said the soothsayer who had made the prophecy about the “girl with gold-ringed eyes who would bear many strong heirs to a male of the Jamison line” was nothing but a liar and a thief who had taken his money when he asked for a Truth Saying.

Of course, he sent me to a fertility clinic—though he refused to go himself. They poked and prodded and studied me and though they admitted that my Heat Cycle was extremely mild, there was nothing actually wrong with my womb. So there was nothing to be done but bring me home again and try some more.

They even gave me fertility drugs to take—not that they did any good. I just couldn’t seem to conceive, no matter how I tried. Eventually Carter cursed me and called me “barren.”

I didn’t dare to suggest that he get tested too—even though the forbidden internet searches I did explained that the failure to get pregnant might not be my fault. A man his age might have a low sperm count, after all, but Carter would hear none of that. He was an Alpha—who ever heard of an Alpha with a low sperm count?

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >91

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Office Hours – Dangerous Desires Read Online S.E. Law http://www.ilovenovels.com/office-hours-dangerous-desires-read-online-s-e-law Tue, 16 Jun 2026 12:50:57 +0000 https://www.ilovenovels.com/office-hours-dangerous-desires-read-online-s-e-law Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Erotic, Forbidden Authors: S.E. Law Advertisement

Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 104050 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 520(@200wpm)___ 416(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >110

He’s the dark, gorgeous temptation she should be running from.

Professor Liam Thomas is every girl’s dream in a bespoke suit—stern, dominant, and completely off-limits. He doesn't just teach; he commands the room with a precise, forbidding authority that makes every girl at Century College tremble.

Simone is a scholarship student one failing grade away from losing everything. Desperate and drowning, she makes a reckless a short skirt, a tight tee, and a private visit to Liam’s office.

She expected a lecture.

She didn't expect to be commanded to her knees.

Yet as the stacks of the library give way to the heat of his bedroom, the "tutoring" turns into a dark obsession. Liam isn't just grading Simone’s papers; he’s tracking her every move, her health, and her future.

The semester is ending, but her real education is just beginning because in Liam’s world … the only way to pass is to obey!

This steamy professor-student romance will make you squeal, sigh, and tear up with all the feels. This story is a follow-up to Cabin Fever, but like all of my books, can be read on its own. HEA guaranteed. 93k words

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

1

BAD GIRLS TAKE RISKS

SIMONE

I’m late to class—again—which means everyone’s already assembled when I slip in, and all heads are pointed at the front, watching Professor Thomas write MELVILLE in long, decisive strokes on the whiteboard. His broad back ripples beneath the blue button down, his ebony hair gleaming in the light. He caps the marker with a little pop, and I swear, the girl three rows down from me gasps audibly because Professor Thomas is that magnetic.

I drop into a seat in the back row, and immediately cross my legs. The pleated skirt creeps up; the hemline’s a little much, but I’m a scholarship kid and this is the best I could do at the Buffalo Exchange on 6th Street. The baby tee is tight enough to push my boobs up, which is exactly the point. Everyone here knows why you sign up for Thomas’s class, and it has nothing to do with 19th-century American literature.

It’s the professor himself—Liam Thomas, PhD, thirty-five, black hair swept back in waves, blue eyes like a North Sea murder mystery, and the kind of chest that makes you wonder if he played rugby professionally or if he just benches a lot of existential guilt. He paces, hands behind his back, reading off a thin stack of notecards while never really looking at them. I think: if I flunk this class, I lose my scholarship and get sent back to West Texas. But I also think: I want him to look at me the way he looks at that Melville book in his briefcase. Maybe it’s just a book, but I can feel the fire.

He sweeps the room with his eyes, speaking low and even, like the words are secret and he’s not sure who’s worthy of them. “Why is Moby Dick white?” he asks. Nobody says anything. The question hangs in the air, sticky and moist, the kind that makes people squirm in their seats. “McCall?” he asks with a pointed look my way.

I sit up straight, ponytail bouncing. “Um—” I realize I wasn’t listening, which is the story of my academic life. “Melville uses the color white as a symbol for ambiguity. Innocence, but also emptiness, blankness. It’s like a paradox. The whale is everything and nothing.”

Professor Thomas gives me a slow nod, just enough approval to keep me hooked. “Good. Melville’s ambiguity is part of the novel’s terror.” He walks down the aisle, voice growing softer as he nears the back row, where I sit alone. Everyone else is clustered up front. He stops right by my desk. I feel his presence like a hand around my throat, gentle but unyielding. “Do you agree, Miss McCall? Is terror a lack, or an abundance?”

My lips are dry. “Both, maybe.”

He stares at me for a second longer than necessary, and my cheeks catch fire. I swear he’s about to say something else, but then the girl in the front row—Victoria, or Veronica, or something with a V—leans over the table, her platinum extensions gleaming in the dusty sunlight, and raises her hand.

“Yes, Miss Vasquez?”

She blinks up at him, lashes like windshield wipers. “Isn’t Ahab’s obsession with the whale also a metaphor for sexual repression?”

The room titters. Thomas smiles—more with his eyes than his mouth—and perches on the edge of the desk, one arm braced on his knee. “That’s an interesting reading, Miss Vasquez. Melville’s language is famously charged, but whether it’s about sex is…debatable.”

Victoria/Veronica doesn’t blink; she’s in full attack mode. “But the language is so, like, penetrative. All the harpoons, the chase, the penetration of the whale’s body…”

He holds her gaze, then turns his face slowly back to me. “What do you think, McCall? Is the whale hunt about sex?”

My tongue tangles. For a second, the only thing I can think is: He’s talking to me. Only me. “I think it’s more about obsession. Like, the violence of wanting something you can never really have. The way it eats you up.”

Professor Thomas looks down at his notecards, but I catch the corner of his mouth curve upward. “Well put.”

I sink back in my seat, heart drilling. There’s a tremor in my hands as I doodle a sperm whale on the margin of my notes. The guy three rows in front of me, who smells faintly of bong water and deodorant even from afar, cranes his head and whispers, “You nailed it, Simone.”

I force a smile and twist my pencil between my fingers, resisting the urge to snap it in half. Why can’t I just pay attention for once? I should be absorbing every word, but all I can do is replay Professor Thomas’s voice in my head, the roughness in it, the way he savors certain syllables. I imagine him grading my essay, his big hands tearing the paper in two, and then my brain goes blank.

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >110

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Risk the Play (Nashville Rampage #6) Read Online Kaylee Ryan http://www.ilovenovels.com/risk-the-play-nashville-rampage-6-read-online-kaylee-ryan Wed, 20 May 2026 17:51:51 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/risk-the-play-nashville-rampage-6-read-online-kaylee-ryan Genre: Alpha Male, Forbidden, Sports Authors: Kaylee Ryan Series: Nashville Rampage Series by Kaylee Ryan
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Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83612 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >87

NYT and USA Today Bestselling author Kaylee Ryan brings you a new standalone series surrounding the Nashville Rampage football team. Risk the Play is a single mom, coach, best friend's dad, forbidden, secret-relationship, age-gap romance.

Will

Football was always simple—follow the playbook, make the sacrifice, win the game.

I lived by that rule for decades, and it cost me everything. My marriage. My daughter.

By ten, she believed I loved the game more than her. Now she’s back in my life—with a family of her own—I fight every day to show her I’ve changed.

Then I fumble it all by falling for her best friend.

Amanda is strong, stubborn, and raising her daughter alone after her husband’s betrayal.

One kiss becomes something neither of us can ignore.

She wants to keep it secret. I don’t.

Because this time, I’m willing to risk the play. I won’t lose my second chance at love.

Amanda

I always knew I wanted to be a mother. I just never planned on doing it alone.

But when my ex got his assistant pregnant, I stopped, waiting for the life I thought I’d have—and choose motherhood for myself.

Now I’m a single mom doing my best to build a quiet, steady life with no drama and no risks.

Until my best friend’s father becomes the one risk I can’t resist.

Coach Warner is disciplined, respected… and completely off limits.

Watching him fight for his daughter only makes falling for him more dangerous.

We tell ourselves it’s just once.

But one reckless kiss turns into a night we can’t take back—and a secret we definitely can’t afford to keep.

Because if we’re discovered, I could lose my best friend…

And he could lose his daughter all over again.

Falling for me was never part of his playbook

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

One

Will

* * *

The drive to my daughter’s house is short, but every mile still feels like a miracle I don’t quite deserve. For the first time in years, she’s letting me be part of her life again. When my granddaughter, Coral, was born, I knew I needed to be closer to them, to be heavily involved in her life, to watch her grow up. I was tired of living on the sidelines, watching life pass me by. So, I bought a house two streets over, close enough to be there in minutes if she needed me, far enough not to scare her away.

I carry more regret than I know what to do with when it comes to my daughter. I should have fought harder. I should have insisted on getting my scheduled time with her. I told myself I was giving her space, making her life easier, but the truth is, I let her slip through my fingers. Losing her like that carved something out of me, a wound so deep it never truly closed. Some nights, it still bleeds.

I buried myself in my career—something I always did—hence the reason my marriage to her mother fell apart. We were young, so young, just eighteen when we found out about Bellamy, and we fought like hell to make it work, but at the end of the day, we grew apart. I hid behind my job, and my ex, Candice, focused on Bellamy. They didn’t need me anymore—or at least that’s what I told myself.

I was wrong.

I regret letting them both slip through my fingers.

Candice is remarried, and I’m happy for her. I want that for her, and for our daughter. However, it still feels as though everyone around me is moving forward, and I’m still here, standing still. Watching as life and time pass me by.

I never imagined that the thing I couldn’t fix on my own would be healed by someone else. One of my players. A man I coached, trusted, and pushed to be better. I spent years trying to earn my way back into her heart, and all it took was her falling in love with my best tight end for my world to shift. It’s ironic, maybe even cruel, but I don’t question it. I’m just grateful to have my daughter back.

Because now, when I pull into her driveway, I’m not just a man filled with regret. I’m a father with a second chance, a grandfather ready to spoil his granddaughter. And this time, I won’t waste it.

The driveway is empty, but I expected it to be. I’m early for my granddaughter’s second birthday party. There was another birthday party two weeks ago, one that I didn’t attend. My quarterback, Knox Beckett, his son, Alexander, turned one. However, I did buy him a gift. In fact, I brought one for all the kids, even baby Ella. She’s only a couple of months old and wouldn’t know she was left out, but the grandpa in me couldn’t do that.

Ella is Landry Reynolds’s daughter, my star wide receiver. She was born a couple of months ago, right in the heat of the end of the season. But Landry and his wife, Rowan, handled it like champs, and I know his closest teammates and their wives, including my daughter and son-in-law, rallied around them.

They’ve created their own little family, and now, they all live in this very neighborhood. It’s storybook, but at the same time, I’d love to be a part of something like that. I get glimpses because I moved into the same community, but it’s not the same.

I’ve given my entire life to my career, and now, here I am, swimming in regret, and I’m lonely. I have no one to share my accomplishments with, and I’m the one to blame.

Anyway, I came early to see if I could help or watch Coral while my daughter and my tight end, her husband, finish last-minute things for the gathering.

It’s not the only reason why I’m here; I was lonely—living in that big house, staring at the walls. After my early morning workout, I did some work, looking at stats and numbers for the upcoming draft, but once that was done, I was restless, so here I am.

Climbing out of my SUV, I grab all the bags from the back seat and make my way to the front door. I don’t dare just walk in, as there are some things a father just doesn’t need to see. Instead, I raise my hand to knock, but the door is pulled open before I can.

“There’s Grandpa,” Reid says, bouncing a smiling Coral on his hip. “Wow,” he says, eyeing all the bags. “I’m going to need to buy a bigger house,” he jokes.

My granddaughter reaches for me, and my heart swells. Stepping out of the cold, I strip off my coat, kick off my shoes, and take her into my arms. “How’s my birthday girl?” I ask her, kissing her cheek. She grins and places her tiny hand against my cheek, and she might as well be thrusting it inside my chest and squeezing my heart. “And as if this seven-thousand-square-foot house isn’t big enough,” I reply.

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >87

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Falter – Guardian Protection Read Online Aly Martinez http://www.ilovenovels.com/falter-guardian-protection-read-online-aly-martinez Wed, 13 May 2026 18:54:15 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/falter-guardian-protection-read-online-aly-martinez Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Forbidden, Suspense Authors: Aly Martinez Advertisement

Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 110360 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 552(@200wpm)___ 441(@250wpm)___ 368(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >113

I once made the mistake of falling for a client, and it nearly cost me my career.
Jaded and disgraced, I used my attitude as armor so it could never happen again.

Until I was assigned to protect Lofton Beck.

Hollywood’s golden girl had a stalker on her tail—and two dead bodyguards.

She was a nightmare from the start. Didn’t follow orders. Had no concept of boundaries. Worst of all, she was so damn gorgeous I couldn’t build my walls strong enough to keep her out.

As the threats escalated, we were forced into hiding at her family’s farm. Keeping my distance became impossible with her sleeping in the room next door.

Somewhere between our early mornings together and the quiet moments when the world disappeared, it became clear her stalker wasn’t the most dangerous part of the assignment.

Protecting her was never the problem.
Falling for her could cost me everything

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

1

LOFTON

“Help me,” I whispered into the phone, pinning it between my shoulder and ear. Zoey’s pajama-clad legs dangled at my side as I held her with my palm sealed over her mouth. Her tears felt like acid to my soul as they dripped over my fingers.

I could barely hear the nine-one-one operator over my heart pounding. “Okay, ma’am. What’s your emergency?”

“Someone broke in and—” Another gunshot exploded outside the door. I wasn’t sure where it had come from or who had fired it, but the blood on the bottom of my bare feet didn’t leave me with much hope. Flinching at the sound, I momentarily lost my grasp on Zoey’s mouth.

“I want my mommy,” she cried.

“It’s okay. She’ll be here soon.” I lied, or at least I hoped I had. Brooke would have no doubt been a calm head in the midst of chaos, but with her out picking up dinner, it was safest for her to stay far, far away.

“Ma’am,” the dispatcher called, refocusing my attention. “What’s your address?”

“I, uh, I don’t know. It’s a rental, up on…on…um—” My brain went blank.

“Siena Place?”

“Yes! That’s it.”

“Okay, I’ve got help on the way. Is anyone injured?”

“My… my bodyguard. He was shot, I think…God, I don’t know. There was blood and…”

“Okay, and what about you? Are you injured?”

“No.” Spinning in a circle, I frantically searched the small bathroom.

No window.

No exit.

No escape.

My beloved privacy had never been more terrifying.

I set Zoey on her feet. Releasing her felt wrong on every level, but whoever had broken in wasn’t there for her. Opening the linen closet, I guided her toward it.

“Tofton, no,” she sobbed my nickname while fighting against me.

Desperate and quickly running out of options, I put the phone on the tile floor and squatted to her level. A steady stream of tears fell from her ocean blue eyes.

“Baby, come on,” I pleaded. “It’s okay. You know Marty and Derrick are out there. We’re safe. We just have to hide until the police get here.” It was a bald-faced lie. I’d stepped over Derrick’s lifeless body, and I had no clue where Marty was. I prayed like hell he wasn’t on the receiving end of that last gunshot.

I nudged her toward the closet. “They’re going to take care of us, but I need you to get in there. Cover up with as many towels as you can.” I offered her a smile that should have won me a second Oscar. “Pretend this is just a game of hide-and-seek? You go in the closet and hide until I find you.”

She shook her head, lip quivering. “I don’t want to pretend.”

God, did I understand that, but this was my life.

A life I’d chosen.

A life I’d sacrificed for.

A life most people would envy.

And now, I feared it was going to be a life my Zoey was going to die for.

I brushed a curl off her forehead and traced my thumb back and forth over her tear-soaked cheek. “Keep quiet, and don’t come out no matter what you hear, okay?” I kissed her forehead hard, letting it linger as it shredded me. “I promise. I’ll be right out here.”

She sniffled, her shoulders shaking with unshed sobs, but my girl was brave. Reluctantly, she ducked into the closet. I made quick work of burying her in towels and then quietly closed the door.

With her hidden, I put the phone back to my ear.

“Ma’am? Ma’am? Are you still there?” the dispatcher called.

“Yes,” I whispered. “Please hurry.”

“I have help on the way. Do you know who broke in?”

“No, I didn’t see anyone. I just heard the gunshots and took off.”

“Okay, stay on the phone with me. What’s your name?”

“Lofton Beck.”

There was a blistering pause on her end. Silence so thick it buzzed in my ears. Not even the clack of keys as I hoped she was dispatching the entire police department.

Then—

“Lofton Beck?” she questioned, her voice rising, laced with awe and disbelief.

My spine snapped straight. This was not the time for the celebrity spotlight to work its paralyzing magic. “Please, just send—” I was cut off by a sudden banging on the bathroom door.

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >113

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Safe Keeping (Triple Creek Ranch #2) Read Online Kristen Proby http://www.ilovenovels.com/safe-keeping-triple-creek-ranch-2-read-online-kristen-proread-online Wed, 13 May 2026 18:54:07 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/safe-keeping-triple-creek-ranch-2-read-online-kristen-proread-online Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Forbidden, Suspense Authors: Kristen Proby Series: Triple Creek Ranch Series by Kristen Proby
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Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 90315 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)

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New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kristen Proby returns to Triple Creek Ranch with a sizzling romance between a brooding ex–Secret Service agent and the president’s daughter he’s sworn to protect.

Five years ago, Secret Service Agent Gideon James took a bullet to protect me.

It haunts me every single day.

As the president’s daughter, my life has never truly been my own. But when a traitor in my security detail tries to kidnap me, Mom sends me to Montana—to the one man who’s never failed to keep me safe.

These days, Gideon runs an elite security training facility on his family ranch. He’s not exactly thrilled to see me, and his family trusts me even less. But during our intense self-defense sessions, something electric ignites between us. Those steel-gray eyes see past my title to who I really am. For the first time, I’m discovering my own strength—and a desire I can’t deny.

Just as I’m falling hard, betrayal strikes again, threatening everything Gideon and I have built. Now I must choose between protecting my heart and fighting for the man who’s always protected me—and the only place I’ve ever truly belonged

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Prologue

Gideon

Fifteen Years Old

“Gideon, I need to see you in my office.” Reggie’s standing just outside the bedroom I share with three other guys. He doesn’t look mad, but I’m always in trouble, so he’s probably just used to it by now, and it isn’t showing in his expression.

At least Reggie doesn’t knock us around.

“What did you do now?” Seth, a kid that’s on my last nerve, says with a smirk that I’d like to wipe off his face.

What a moron.

I ignore him and follow Reggie down the hall, past the dining and living rooms to his office, and when he closes the door behind us, unease settles in my gut.

I freaking hate it here at this boys’ home. We all call it hell house. Basically, no one wants a foster kid like me. No one wants to adopt me. So I’m here. I mean, it could be a lot worse, but it’s not great. The food sucks. I’m always cold. My eye aches thanks to the punch from that jerk, Ryker.

I hate that guy. We’re always coming to blows. If he would just keep his big mouth shut, I could ignore him, but he must be allergic to shutting the hell up.

“I probably did whatever you’re accusing me of,” I say, starting the conversation and doing my best to look bored. “So go ahead and just give me extra chores.”

Reggie’s quiet long enough to make me nervous, and I shift in my seat.

“We have a few things to discuss,” he finally says and drags his hand down his face. “First of all, your dad—”

“No.”

Reggie sighs. “I get it.”

“No, you don’t.”

No one will ever get it, and that’s the way it should be. I fucking hate that this is my life.

I hate my life.

“You’re right.” Reggie looks down at the paper on his desk. “I don’t. But I’m trying to empathize with you, Gideon. He’s written you letters every week.”

“Throw them away.”

His face is grim. “I do. But there are about to be some changes, and I need to know, before that happens, if you’d like me to take you to see him.”

The thought of coming face-to-face with my murderous bastard of a sperm donor makes my stomach twist.

“Fuck. No.”

Reggie nods. “Okay.”

My eyes narrow, and my hands fist on my lap. “You really won’t make me go?”

“I’m not in the habit of forcing teenage boys to visit their fathers in prison.”

“But the state—”

“They can’t make you go either. I’m asking because while you don’t want to read what your father has to say, I have to read it to make sure he’s not saying anything incriminating or abusive to you. I know you don’t like me very much, but I’m on your side, kiddo.”

I don’t reply to that. My hands ball into fists, and I wait for him to keep talking.

“He’s asked to see you.”

“No.”

He nods. “You’ve already said that. You don’t have to go. Now, you do need to pack your stuff up because you’re being moved to a house.”

My gaze whips up, and nerves immediately settle in my chest, making my throat close.

This could be worse than hell house.

“I’ll be driving you this afternoon.”

“Where?”

“It’s a ranch about three hours from here. The owners, Debbie and Ray, are really good people, and you’re going to spend the summer with them.”

I get to spend the summer on a ranch? It feels like I just won the lottery.

“Ryker is going with you.”

Nope. Didn’t win the fucking lottery.

“I’m not going.”

“Unfortunately, this isn’t something you have a choice in. You have thirty minutes to pack your bag.”

He stands, like that’s the end of the conversation.

“What if I refuse?”

Reggie sighs and shakes his head. “You don’t get to refuse, Gideon. You’re fifteen, and you go where the state says you go. But I can tell you that it’s better than here. If you give it a chance, you just might like it.”

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