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Virgin – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.ilovenovels.com Thu, 23 Apr 2026 23:10:15 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 http://www.ilovenovels.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/favicon.png Virgin – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.ilovenovels.com 32 32 Punished by the Prison Warden Read Online Jenna Rose http://www.ilovenovels.com/punished-read-online-the-prison-warden-read-online-jenna-rose Thu, 23 Apr 2026 23:10:15 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/punished-read-online-the-prison-warden-read-online-jenna-rose Genre: Alpha Male, BDSM, Erotic, Forbidden, Novella, Taboo, Virgin Authors: the Prison Warden Read Online Jenna Rose Advertisement

Total pages in book: 20
Estimated words: 18916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 95(@200wpm)___ 76(@250wpm)___ 63(@300wpm)

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I’m the only woman in a prison full of men. And the warden has his eye on me.

I'm innocent, but no one believes me. Not the judge, not my mother, and definitely not Warden Killian Rew, the most terrifying, gorgeous man I've ever seen.

I’m just a number to him. 5075. He makes me call him sir and obey his every command. One second he’s warm, the next he’s ice cold, tearing my heart in two directions.

But when the other inmates come for me, he saves me. When I'm shaking and broken, he holds me together. And when his cold mask finally cracks, I see what’s underneath.

Obsession. Possession. I belong to him.
I should be afraid of this man. Instead, all I can say yes, sir.

A human-written, instalove romance featuring a dominant alpha warden, a sweet and innocent FMC, age-gap, forced proximity, no cheating, no cliffhangers, just pure escapism, steamy scenes, loving devotion and a guaranteed HEA!

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

1

ALICE

“Alice Clement, I find you guilty of theft, breaking and entering, and destruction of private property and sentence you to one year in prison!”

The judge’s gavel comes down hard, echoing through the courtroom, causing my stomach to sink like the Titanic. Somewhere behind me, I hear my mom’s desperate wail as the tears start to fall.

“I’m innocent! Momma, help me!” I cry out. But it’s too late. Big men in uniforms are already dragging me away, my wrists handcuffed like they’re worried I’m actually dangerous. Me. A five-foot-three girl, barely one hundred pounds. Who am I a danger to?

“You’re no daughter of mine,” my mom hisses, eyes bloodshot as she stands. “I broke my back raising you on my own, and this is how you repay me?”

“Mom, I swear—” But I don’t even have time to finish as I’m hauled out a side door and into a grim corridor. My legs turn to Jell-O, but it doesn’t matter. The guards hold me, dragging me on.

“Don’t try that with us, sweetie. You’re going to prison, and it can be the easy way or the hard way.”

The other man chuckles, his voice like sandpaper. “Sure wouldn’t mind if it was the hard way, am I right?”

This cracks them both up as my pulse goes wild and my heart rattles like a flag in a hurricane.

How did this happen? I’m the world’s best-behaved girl. I’m eighteen and have never been suspended, never had detention. I’ve never even been late to school. And yet suddenly, I’m a criminal.

It all started three weeks ago when Jamie, the lady who runs the nail salon where I work—well, worked—came rushing out of the back office, screaming at the staff that cash had been taken from her safe. I didn’t even know she had a safe, but she instantly accused me because I ‘looked guilty’ and was the new girl.

Nothing I said could convince her otherwise. She never liked me. Even tried to accuse me of being late when I was on time. Before I could even defend myself, she called the police and I was arrested and booked.

Mom and I couldn’t afford a lawyer, so one was appointed by the state—one who could not have cared less about me. I swear, six months in law school and I could have given myself a better defense.

Now here I am, on the verge of a full-blown panic attack, as two double doors open in front of me, revealing a white prison van.

“No, please!” I cry out, squirming against the impossibly tight grip of my captors. “I didn’t do anything!”

“Shut up,” one of them barks as I’m hurtled into the back of the van. My vision blurs and my head spins as I’m chained to the wall and the doors slam shut behind me.

The engine roars and the van leaps forward, sending my head slamming into the wall. I cry out in pain and pray for a miracle. But it doesn’t look like I’ll be getting one.

The ride to the prison feels fast, but I have no way of judging time back here. No phone, no watch, no human contact. Just me, a pair of handcuffs, and a chain.

Just as I’m starting to drift off, the doors open and the same two men snatch me up like a fresh new delivery and carry me out with the same lack of care. Somehow, I manage to look up and see a sign over the door that reads: Last Rites Penitentiary.

“You’ll love it here, sweetie,” one guard chuckles. “The only girl. You’ll have the pick of the litter.”

Adrenaline rakes through me. “W-what do you mean, only girl?”

The other guard smirks down at me, his lips dry and cracked. “Oh, they didn’t tell you? Until last month, this was an all-male facility.”

A sense of doom crashes into my stomach, weighing me down as I stare up at the stained brick walls, the fences ringed with razor wire, and the armed guards at regular intervals.

All this for petty theft? Petty theft I didn’t even commit?

“How many men?” I ask, my voice no more than a breath.

“Five thousand and seventy-four.”

I swallow hard, fighting the urge to vomit. A shiver courses through me as the gates open and I’m pulled inside. I want to kick and scream, fight for dear life against this terrible sentence being thrust upon me, but what good would it do?

All the energy has been drained from me, and I’m nothing compared to the men at my sides. They could lift me over their heads with one arm just for a laugh.

They think I’m some kind of floozy, when in reality, I’m closer to a nun than a regular girl my age. I’ve never had a boyfriend. Never even been on a date—Mom made sure of that. Then again, none of the boys at my high school were interested in me anyway.

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Meet Cute the Hitman Read Online Lucy Darling http://www.ilovenovels.com/meet-cute-the-hitman-read-online-lucy-darling Thu, 23 Apr 2026 23:10:06 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/meet-cute-the-hitman-read-online-lucy-darling Genre: Alpha Male, Insta-Love, Novella, Virgin Authors: Lucy Darling Advertisement

Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 52887 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 264(@200wpm)___ 212(@250wpm)___ 176(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >57

What happens when a recluse heiress hops into the wrong car that belongs to the hitman that's been searching for her? Glitter, tiaras and bullets fly.

Killian's whole hitman life is spun into chaos when a quirky, innocent heiress with a head full of rainbows and unicorns hops into his car, mistaking him for her driver. He was sent to find her, and she fell right into his lap wielding a lightsaber and wearing a crown of real jewels. She has a knack for doing that. New mission: keep the girl alive and kill anyone who tries to dampen the sunshine she gives the world. She is, after all, his Zolotse.

Teddy has luck on her side when all her planned sneaky adventures start to crumble away. The luck comes in the form of a sexy Russian tatted driver that is three times her size. He may appear intimidating, but he's the sweetest man she's ever met. When her flight gets cancelled, Killian is there to save the day! He has a knack for that. How lucky can one girl get? New mission: have the adventure of a lifetime with the most handsome man she has ever met. He is, after all, her sweetheart.

"Meet-Cute the Hitman" weaves humor and heart in a story where love and danger collide, leaving readers wondering if love can truly conquer all

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

Chapter One

TEDDY

Iimpatiently wait for my best friend to come online. Okay, she might be my only friend under the age of sixty, but that’s beside the point. This is the one time of day she can always be online. The man who keeps her trapped is going out for a few hours. He has the same routine every day. Where he goes, we don’t have a clue, but one day, I’ll figure it out. It is my new mission, my first really, but you gotta start somewhere.

I perk up when I see the little green light flick on, telling me that she's online. Quickly I put my headphones on and make sure that I’m connected. Roland sets a Shirley Temple down next to me with extra cherries. My absolute favorite, but he says I call everything my favorite.

What? Can't a girl love a lot of things?

"Do you need anything else?" he asks.

I hadn't even asked for the drink, but I swear Roland can read my mind at times. He's been in my life since before I could really remember, having worked for my grandmother for decades. I suppose now he works for me, but it's strange to think that. Also sad at times because it’s a reminder that I’m on my own now. Roland is the closest thing to family I have left.

"I'm good, but thank you," I tell him.

Roland gives a stiff nod before turning to leave. He lives on the estate, and we never have guests except for staff, but still he insists on wearing that butler suit outfit thingy. It appears too stuffy to me, but I’m not the one who has to wear it.

I should zip it on the topic. I'm not one to talk. I never go anywhere, but every day I get up and get ready like I'm going to a tea party. It’s a habit I formed with my grandma, and now I love it. Just like my Shirley Temple. I take a giant sip of it.

"I'm here." Lily's voice comes through the headphones. "He lingered today." I know the he she’s speaking of is her guardian, Tristan.

"What do you mean?" I ask in a low whisper. "Is he on to us?"

"I don't believe so. He mentioned a trip he has to go on for work."

"Really?" That might actually be rather helpful for us.

Tristan does travel often for work. At least that's what he tells Lily. She checked his calendar one day when she snuck into his office but didn't see any trips scheduled. We wanted to line up our secret plan with one of them, but nothing had been on the calendar in the following months. That was actually more abnormal than anything.

"He said it was last minute, and he'll give me more details later, but I think we're still good to go."

I puff out a breath. "Either way, I can hang around until we can strike."

"Strike?" Lily laughs. Strike her up an escape plan.

Lily can never go anywhere without a bodyguard. Tristan believes danger is around every corner. He takes her care to a whole other level. It’s truly insane.

Tristan had taken over as Lily’s guardian a few years back when her parents died. She came home for the funeral, having been away at school. Lily is always away, or she was when she was still in school.

It's how we met. Years ago, we both participated in a summer program and maintained constant contact. I hated the program. It was about etiquette. It was to train you for high society. My grandmother was more trying to get me out of the house. I'd been excited at first, but it ended up the same as school had, an awful experience that I never wanted to repeat.

I was always the target for bullying. School was miserable, and it also took almost an hour to get to, which is why Grandma had taken me out and hired tutors. When I'd gone to the summer program, it was more of the same until Lily stepped in. She wouldn't let anyone pick on me. Lily might be tiny, but she's got the mouth of a sailor and the audacity of a man. That’s what Grams would say when she’d hear her over my headphones.

This time it's my turn to save her from being locked away in the gilded tower Tristan has put her in. Sure, it's not a total jail, but there isn't much of an option for her, and honestly, Lily believes if she does push back, Tristan would put a lock on it. That's why it's better we just go ahead with our plan and then deal with the fallout. Then she will be back here with me.

Lily might live in the elite society world, but she doesn’t have access to money. That’s where I come in. Apparently, I’m loaded. When my grandma passed away a few months ago, I was left with everything. Though I’d give it all back to have her instead.

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Step-Kink (Wanting What’s Wrong #11) Read Online Dani Wyatt http://www.ilovenovels.com/step-kink-wanting-whats-wrong-11-read-online-dani-wyatt Thu, 23 Apr 2026 23:10:04 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/step-kink-wanting-whats-wrong-11-read-online-dani-wyatt Genre: Alpha Male, BDSM, Erotic, Forbidden, Taboo, Virgin Authors: Dani Wyatt Series: Wanting What's Wrong Series by Dani Wyatt
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Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 35304 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 177(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >38

He has the face of my father, but his hands are all his.
Rye McAllister is my dad's twin brother. He took me to my first thrift store, named a bonsai tree after me, and was always there at Sunday brunch.

Now Dad's in rehab, Mom’s a mess, I have the tryout of a lifetime coming up, and Rye's sleeping down the hall as my stand-in father figure.

And I am not okay.

When my friends drag me to a bachelorette weekend, I’m expecting chocolate dildos and too much tequila, not a private kink club for Truth or Dare night. And, because God hates me specifically, guess who’s there? Uncle Rye.

Things go from awkward to holy sh*t when he slaps a collar on my neck and takes all my dares for himself.
So, what do I do? I bolt. Because I’m the good girl that holds the family together by being, well… perfect.
The McAllister Clan is coming apart. But will love be enough to put the pieces back together?

Author's This filthy little bachelorette-gone-wrong features a 6'5" step-uncle with his twin brother's face and an obsession with a sweet, tiny dancer that is 100% off limits. Safe, no cheating, with a hero who tracks her iPhone like a love language. He looks like her dad, but being her Daddy is what he was born for

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

CHAPTER 1

Elodie

How am I going to spend two weeks in the same house with the man I can't stop thinking about? A man who, incidentally, looks exactly like my father?

It's just so wrong.

Here I am, scrolling through my phone, looking at pictures of my Uncle Rye, while my mother packs her bag to go visit my father across the country in rehab.

A little bead of sweat trickles down my chest, making me shiver as April sun streams through the kitchen window.

"Rye will be here tonight,” she says as she fidgets with the tag on her Coach bag making sure the logo is clearly visible. “Most people can't tell the difference between him and your father. He'll come and go, just like your dad does. He'll drive the minivan. Just don't let any of the neighbors get too nosy, and don't mention what's going on to anyone. Elodie, are you listening?"

Blood rushes to my face, and I turn my phone face down on the granite island.

“I’m listening,” I say, receiving a doubtful frown in response. “Uncle Rye will be pretending to be Dad. Got it.”

“Perhaps you should call him Dad at all times while he’s here. What do they call it, method acting?”

I nod ignoring the rush of dampness that seeps from my body thinking of sleeping a wall away from my uncle for two weeks. “Got it. I’ll call him Dad.”

I bet Dad fucks like a beast.

All that calm control has to have an outlet right? God, I wonder if he will be jerking off while he’s here? The vision has my feminine parts clenching. My nipples are achy and sensitive and my clit is ten kinds of demanding right now.

Rye could melt most frigid women’s resolve into a steaming puddle of wanton desire with those spooky greenish gold eyes of his and the way he moves through life with a confidence that makes you want to put him between you and all the terrible things in the world. I tell myself it’s just infatuation build on the quiet attention he’s given me since I was five years old.

But, every time I see him, it’s like the air disappears. I want to reach down and rub away the tension he creates between my legs.

I know nothing of men in that way really except what Anna and Jeremy my besties from grade school tell me. But there are things built into our DNA we cannot control. Desire and want. God, so much want.

My mother offers a thin smile and I return one in my practiced, polished perfect daughter manner.

Image is everything to my mother. She won Miss Michigan, after all, and her own mother was first runner-up in the Miss USA pageant, 1952, or whatever year it was.

“No fast food,” she says checking her lipstick in the glassy front of the wall oven. “I mean it, Elodie, don’t let Rye lead you astray. You’re doing so well on this diet, I don’t want to lose our progress. Remember that Sophia said their only doubt about you is that you’ve…filled out a bit more than is normally acceptable for a principal dancer.”

I click my molars together on another forced smile. “Got it. No fast food. I promise.”

She turns to open a cupboard and take yet another count of the diet shakes stacked in there, and I take the opportunity for another peek at my phone.

I tap on my photo files, then another tap to the hidden file I keep.

The latest snapshot of Uncle Rye pops up first from last month's performance of Swan Lake, where he brought me five dozen white roses. The picture is him standing next to me as I struggle to hold up what felt like fifty pounds of floral bliss.

“You have enough Opti-Cal to last two weeks. Weigh in when you first get up after you pee, then again right before bed. The app will log it and I’ll check it while I’m gone. Remember, accountability keeps us honest. God help me, if that man ruins all the work we’ve done—”

"Everything will be okay, Mom. Just take care of Dad."

Two years ago, I put on five pounds during spring break, and I’ve been paying for it ever since. Mom blames Uncle Rye because he insisted that I could share his Chinese take-out when he came to visit, just a few weeks before my sixteenth birthday. He ordered enough for six, and I pigged out but I also took on an extra two hour practice every day because there was no school, so I’m not sure if the five pounds was from the fried rice, or just a little water weight from an overload of msg and sodium.

I’m six pounds lighter than I was then and Mom is happier with things this way.

And honestly? When Mom’s happy, my life is a heck of a lot easier.

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Wicked Rider (Bad Boy High #2) Read Online Ella Goode http://www.ilovenovels.com/wicked-rider-bad-boy-high-2-read-online-ella-goode Thu, 23 Apr 2026 23:09:09 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/wicked-rider-bad-boy-high-2-read-online-ella-goode Genre: Alpha Male, Erotic, Virgin Authors: Ella Goode Series: Bad Boy High Series by Ella Goode
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Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 57888 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >60

Josie

The high school news beat is usually about cheating, both on tests and on people. Recently, all that’s changed. Missing boys, thrown basketball games, a body. I might be in over my head with a murder investigation but this new guy with shady connections wants to help. My dad wouldn’t like him. He doesn’t fit in with my future plans but I can’t stop thinking about him. And honestly, with Bam at my back, I feel like I can do anything.

Bam

I’ve got no family and no future. Joining a gang was a natural move for someone like me. I take each day on its own, happy I’m still alive. Meeting Josie tilts my world. I’m starting to think tomorrow might be just as important as today so long as Josie’s in it. She ventures into places I don’t think are safe, but her light’s so bright I can’t hold her back. All I know is that if she lets me, I’ll watch her back forever

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

Chapter One

BAM

Icatch my breath as Niki, my partner in crime, rolls over the inert body with his shoe.

“That’s Cole.”

Niki tilts his shaved head in my direction. “You know this guy?”

“I recognize him. He was in Josie’s book.”

“Josie who?”

My buddy isn’t slow. He just doesn’t have room in his head for anyone who is not his girlfriend, Andy, or his family. He’s especially not going to remember another girl, which is fine by me. Other people perceiving Josie is irritating. Not that she should be hidden indoors all the time, but it would be nice if other people—guys in particular—would keep their peepers to themselves.

“From Andy’s school. The junior reporter girl.”

“Don’t remember her or her book. She’s a writer?”

“She’s put together a notebook of stuff about different guys going missing. This is one of them.” I squat down next to Niki and pull the collar of the dead boy’s flannel shirt away from his neck to expose the bruise marks. Someone strangled him with their hands. “He played basketball. Went missing about four weeks ago.”

“Body’s pretty fresh for someone who has been missing a month.” Niki straightens and glances around the dilapidated warehouse. It’s mostly empty. Whatever machinery this place once held was scavenged for parts years ago. The floorboards are cracked, and vines and weeds are sprouting in the crevices. If the gerbil, the marks we have to collect payment from, hadn’t told us about the kid, he might have decomposed before anyone found him.

Niki and I are the muscle in community collective, as our fearless leader Carter calls it. The alliteration is catchy but dumb. We’re a gang, and Niki and I enforce the rules. Today, we were out collecting dues owed for services rendered. That’s another Carter phrase. Essentially, we’re bill collectors. When we arrived at the door of our debt owing gerbil, he offered to show us a dead body in lieu of the five big ones he owed Carter.

“Let me take a few photos and then we can jet.” I pull out my phone before my partner responds. He walks over to the entrance and speaks in a low voice to the gerbil who led us here.

“You let him off?” I ask.

Niki shrugs. “Information is currency too.”

“I would’ve done the same.”

“I know.”

And that’s why we’re partners and have been for three years now since we joined the Riders. Technically, I suppose it’s only been two years since we were tatted and pinned. The tattoo is the public sign of our allegiance to the gang. Pinning is the private ceremony where you fight the existing crew, and if you are still standing at the end, they pound a pin into your bleeding and bruised chest. Initiation into the Riders gang isn’t easy, but since most of us spend our time chasing people and fighting them when we catch them, it makes sense to test our endurance and strength.

A few weeks ago, I thought Niki might leave the Riders. He’d fallen for a girl and thought, at the time, that the Riders would be too dangerous for her, but in the end, he came to the conclusion that hhaving someone to help watch his back—someone like me—made everyone safer.

It’s not like I was going to fall to my knees if I had to break in a new partner, but it’s nice that he’s still around.

“Need me to read to Julie tonight?” I offer. He doesn’t get a lot of alone time with his girl, so sometimes I pitch in and read to his baby sister. It’s not like I’ve got anything going on, what with being on my own for as long as I can remember.

“Not unless you want to get murdered. Andy’s been reading a dragon story to Julie. Temmy something. Can’t remember the name exactly, but anyway, if you interfere with that, Julie will stab you with a fork.”

“Appreciate you looking out for me.”

He bumps my fist and peels off in the direction of his new place where he lives with his mom, his sister, and now Andy.

My choices are to go hang out at the laundromat, the place the Riders call home base, which these days is emptier than a tomb after Easter, or my apartment, which is also very empty.

I’m a guy, so I shouldn’t need company, but my feet don’t want to move in the direction of my place. Ten minutes later, I find myself outside of a small café near the school. Because I know things about people, because it’s my business to know where they live, where they hang out, the sight of a curly-haired head bent over a book isn’t a surprise.

I’m here, I tell myself, to give Josie an update because she deserves it, not because I’ve been thinking about her for days, not because I see her when I close my eyes at night, not because my apartment feels like a tomb that isn’t going to have any Easter surprise.

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Sweet Nothing (The Sugar Rush #2) Read Online C.M. Steele http://www.ilovenovels.com/sweet-nothing-the-sugar-rush-2-read-online-c-m-steele Fri, 03 Apr 2026 23:15:20 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/sweet-nothing-the-sugar-rush-2-read-online-c-m-steele Genre: Alpha Male, Insta-Love, Mafia, Virgin Authors: C.M. Steele Series: The Sugar Rush Series by C.M. Steele
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Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 25614 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 128(@200wpm)___ 102(@250wpm)___ 85(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >28

When their New Year’s Eve encounter ignites a passion neither expected, she runs from the fear of what it could mean. But he can’t let her go — not when every heartbeat pulls him closer.

Desire becomes obsession, and the chase is only just beginning

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

Chapter One

Elizabeth

The sun had set behind me two hours ago, which wasn’t new for me, but today was a holiday so I had a choice to make: go out, or go home, open a pint of ice cream, and remind myself that I was lame and alone.

I’d just sent off the last email when a shadow fell over my desk. “Any plans for this evening?” Mr. Keaton asked as he tapped on my open door, which was next door to his much larger office. We were the only two remaining in the building except for the security at the entrance.

I gave him a half-hearted smile. “Nothing in particular. You?” Although I was his assistant, we didn’t share much of our personal lives. He had a difficult family situation that got in the way of his business, and blissfully, we had avoided discussing mine from the moment I signed my employment contract.

He shook his head. “No, I’m going to go home and rest. I’m sure everything will be fine, but I want to be alert should anything happen overnight.” I closed down my email and then powered down my laptop. Standing, I grabbed my computer bag off my coat hook and slipped my laptop inside.

“Let me know if you need me.” I enjoyed my job, but not enough to work all night long like my boss. It was his baby, so he devoted his existence to it.

“You really should get out some.” My brow shot up and my lips pursed shut as I nearly choked on the audacity.

“Yeah. Is this where I take your advice because you’re not using it?” I questioned because there would be a tie for who the hermit was more. Although I still believed he beat me.

“Yes,” he said, bursting out laughing.

He walked back to his office while I finished getting myself ready to leave. It was freezing out, so I slipped on my warm wool coat and thick scarf. After I had gathered my things, I closed my office door and locked it. I stopped by his office to say goodnight.

He was packing his satchel with his laptop and then turned off his desk lamp when I said, “You know, I might take your advice and go out tonight. I only need to figure out where to go.”

“We have an invitation to the New Year’s Eve party at the Seneca.” It was a brand-new condo hotel worth more than most, and it was a crown jewel taking over a prime spot looking over Times Square and the ball. It would be perfect tonight.

“I do have the invite, but it’s under your name,” I reminded him.

“Yes, but it’s for my company, and you are my best employee. They’ll let you in. I’ll make sure of it.” He winked. He was so sure of everything, and I didn’t doubt he would make it happen.

“Fine. Maybe I’ll find my way down there.”

When I got home, Mr. Keaton shot me a message. Got you in under your name.

Thanks. Happy New Year.

Great. Now I had to make an appearance so I didn’t feel like an ass after he went through all that trouble. So, I showered and then styled my thick, wavy hair into luscious waves. I slipped on a black, silky slip dress and a large gray faux fur coat. I walked to the subway, but it was so crowded that it took me a long time to get inside.

Maybe I should have ordered a private car. The Forty-Second Street station was jammed as we got out. Still, I managed to make it to Times Square to witness the madness that was going on there. Large crowds gathered as expected, which helped on the cold night. They blocked the breeze from hitting me directly. We had two hours until the ball dropped and the old year rolled into a new one.

The hotel was a short distance from my location, according to my phone’s map. Having plenty of time, I made my way across the street to a club to get a quick peek and check out the atmosphere. Everyone was tossing them back. Shots and drinks were going around as if it were a free-for-all. Taking my purse, I moseyed up to the bar to get a drink before I made my way to the hotel.

“Can I get whatever fruity drink you got that’s fast?” I asked the bartender. There were several specials on the board, but the sign was blocked by partygoers. I needed some liquid courage before I strolled over to the extravagant party. Mr. Keaton gave me too much credit when it came to class and grace. I was way over my head when it came to most of his clients, so much so that I hid in my office during his meetings and never met most of them.

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If You Keep Me (Toronto Terror #6) Read Online Helena Hunting http://www.ilovenovels.com/if-you-keep-me-toronto-terror-6-read-online-helena-hunting Fri, 03 Apr 2026 23:14:59 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/if-you-keep-me-toronto-terror-6-read-online-helena-hunting Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Forbidden, Sports, Virgin Authors: Helena Hunting Series: Toronto Terror Series by Helena Hunting
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Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 152064 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 760(@200wpm)___ 608(@250wpm)___ 507(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >153

Things I should never, under any circumstances ever do: ask my secret crush, aka. the most notorious (reformed) playboy in pro hockey, to take my virginity.

Too bad, I did.

After a string of terrible dates, I did the unthinkable. I propositioned Flip Madden.

Of course, he said no.
It isn’t that he’s almost a decade older than me, or that I’m still in university.
It’s because I’m his coach’s oldest daughter.

Not to mention my dad would bludgeon him with his hockey stick if he found out.
Which he won’t, because it will never happen.
And now things are awkward because there’s no going back.

Except Flip is more protective than ever, and his eyes follow me around every room we’re in together. He brings flowers to my recitals and reads all the books I recommend.

Things I should never, under any circumstances ever do: hope Flip Madden might actually want me too

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

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Tallulah Vander Zee

• Terror Coach’s oldest daughter

• In final year of university

• Tight with the Babe Brigade

Nickname: Talls, Tally, Kitten

Parents: Eline and Berend

Siblings: Ties and Fenna

Phillip “Flip” Madden:

• Brother to Rix

• Terror forward

• Best friend to teammate Tristan and former neighbor to Dred

Parents: Howard and Muffy

Siblings: Beatrix (Rix) Stiles

TERROR TEAMMATES

Tristan Stiles

• Terror Teammate

• Husband to Rix

• Best friend to Flip

Quinn Romero

• Terror Teammate

• Previously attended the Hockey Academy together

Kellan Ryker

• Terror Teammate

• New Goalie, tight with Quinn

Ashish Palaniappa

• Terror Teammate

• Husband to Shilpa (team lawyer)

• Best friend to Dallas

Connor Grace

• Former archnemesis to Flip

• Terror enforcer

• Previously attended the Hockey Academy with Dallas, Tristan and Flip

Dallas Bright

• Terror Forward

• Best friend to Ash

• Engaged to Hemi

Hollis Hendrix

• Best friend to Roman Hammerstein - Former Terror Goalie

• Coaches at the Hockey Academy: Toronto Campus

• Fiancé to Peggy “Aurora” Hammer Hammerstein

Roman Hammerstein

• Former Terror Goalie

• Coach for the Hockey Academy: Toronto Campus

• Dad to Aurora/Peggy/Hammer

• Hollis’s best friend

• Husband to Lexi

TALLY’S TILTON UNIVERSITY CREW

Cammie Lovelock

Enid Posey

Fee Forrest-Hammer

Chase Lovett

Mac Meyers

Gage Steel

Brody Stiles

THE BADASS BABE BRIGADE: TALLY’S GIRL SQUAD

Wilhelmina Reddi-Grinst:

• PR for Terror

• Best friend to Shilpa

• Engaged to Dallas Bright

Nicknames: Hemi, Willy/Wills

Peggy Aurora “Hammer” Hammerstein

• Daughter to Roman Hammerstein

• Girlfriend of Hollis Hendrix

Nicknames:Peggy, Aurora, Hammer, Princess

Beatrix Madden

• Roommate to Hammer

• Sister of Flip Madden

• Married to Tristan Stiles

Nicknames: Rix, Beat, Bea

Essie Lovelock

• Rix’s best friend

• Lives in Toronto

• Dating Tristan’s brother, Nate Stiles

Sibling: Cammie (attends Tilton U-friend’s with Tally and Fee)

Alexandria Forrester

• Terror assistant coach

• Married to Roman

• Guardian to her two younger sisters Ophelia (Fee) and Calliope (Callie)

Nicknames: Lexi, angel

Shilpa Palaniappa

• Best friend to Hemi

• Terror Lawyer

• Married to Ashish Palaniappa

Nickname: Shilps

Copyright © 2026 Helena Hunting

All rights reserved

Published by Helena Hunting

Cover Design by Hang Le

Cover Illustration by @rosiesfables

Developmental Edit by Becca Mysoor Fairy Plotmother

Editing by Jessica Royer Ocken

And

Erica Russikoff of Erica Edits

Proofing by Julia Griffis

Sarah at All Encompassing Books

Amanda of Drafthouse Editorial Services

CHAPTER 1

TALLY

“Ijust want to have sex.”

The table goes silent for a moment, and all eyes shift to me.

I’m out for brunch with my Babe Brigade. These women are my friends, though they’re all a little older than me, and also almost all affiliated with the Terror, Toronto’s pro hockey team, of which my dad is the head coach.

Hemi’s eyes flare. “Uh-oh, what happened last night?” She’s the head of Terror PR and married to Dallas Bright, a forward on the team.

“The same old same old.” I’m the last virgin standing in my university friend group, and I don’t see that changing any time soon. “It’s so stupid. All these idiot boys just want to fuck the coach’s virgin daughter.”

A table of dad-aged guys close by looks our way. Hemi stares them down, and their breakfasts are suddenly super interesting.

“It must be frustrating.” Essie’s expression is all empathy.

Somehow a rumor proclaiming my unsullied status—to counteract the previous one where my ex called me a bad lay—has made its way through the douchebag population of my university. It’s become a fun game to play: Who can deflower the precious Terror virgin? Or at least that’s how it seems.

“Why can’t I find a nice boyfriend who wants to know me?”

Maybe my expectations are too high. Maybe I need to read less LoTR fanfic and omegaverse romance where the heroes are head-over-ass in love with their partner and exceptionally focused on providing unparalleled pleasure. Is that too much to ask?

Dred tents her fingers under her chin in contemplation. “Maybe hockey parties aren’t the ideal location to source such a man?” She’s married to Connor Grace, the Terror enforcer, who lives to make her happy.

I sigh. “You’re right. I know this. But my friends are all connected to the hockey world. There’s no escape. Last night some guy waited in line with me for the bathroom, and we got to chatting. He seemed so nice and legitimately interested, but when it was my turn, he asked if I was down to fuck. It’s horrifying how predictably horny university boys are.”

Rix and Essie make matching icked-out faces. “That’s awful.”

“Right?” I point my fork at my friends. “There are guys out there capable of a meaningful connection and know where to locate a fucking clitoris.”

“Women know where the clitoris is,” notes Rainbow, our server, as she tops up my coffee.

“I wish I was attracted to vaginas and not peens.” I sigh.

“Peens are fun.” Rix bounces a little in her seat.

I keep my cucumber comment to myself.

“So fun.” Essie looks all dreamy.

They each have a Stiles brother who is wholly dedicated to their happiness and their vagina. I hang out with the youngest Stiles brother, but we are one-hundred-percent platonic, and he’s woefully obsessed with my friend Enid.

Rainbow finishes filling the coffees, humming to herself, and then flounces to the next table.

My rant continues. “I spent all of first year holding out because I wanted it to be with the right person, but it’s three-point-five years later and I’m still searching for someone to give my V-Card to! But it’s about more than sex,” I admit. “Sure, I want my first time to be great, and not some lackluster wah-wah experience with a guy who’s afraid of intimacy and needs a map and written directions to find my hot button. But I want my person. Someone I can hang out and cuddle with.” I envy the women I’m with because they all have their person. Even some of my university friends have serious boyfriends. I want someone to love, who loves me back.

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Crowned by The King-Sized Alpha – Ravenous Royal Read Online Olivia T. Turner http://www.ilovenovels.com/crowned-read-online-the-king-sized-alpha-ravenous-royal-read-online-olivia-t-turner Fri, 03 Apr 2026 23:14:47 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/crowned-read-online-the-king-sized-alpha-ravenous-royal-read-online-olivia-t-turner Genre: Alpha Male, Fantasy/Sci-fi, Novella, Paranormal, Virgin Authors: Olivia T. Turner Advertisement

Total pages in book: 33
Estimated words: 32263 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 161(@200wpm)___ 129(@250wpm)___ 108(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >33

Life in the village is kind of boring.

But all of that changes when the wolves come.

These wolf shifters haven’t been in the human kingdom for centuries, but here they are, rounding up all the women.

The Wolf King is desperately searching for his mate.

He’s huge.

Dangerous.

Terrifyingly beautiful.

And out of everyone, King Alaric picks me.

He says I’m his one true fated mate.

That the moon and the gods and fate chose me to be by his side.

With a crown on my head.

This powerful, dominant king wants me to be his queen.

He demands it.

He wants heirs. Lots of them.

Enough princes and princesses to fill his castle.

I should say no.

I should fight him.

But my body says yes.

And my heart is already his.

Because once a Wolf King chooses you…

There is no escape.

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

Chapter One

King Alaric

There is no lonelier place than a throne during a mating ceremony. The crown has never felt heavier than it does tonight.

I sigh as I grip the armrests of my throne, watching all of the excited people gathered around for the Lunaris Vinculum, the sacred night of the binding.

I glance up at the full moon, silently cursing it under my breath. It feels merciless tonight as it casts the town square in rays of silver.

Every wolf in the kingdom can feel it. A full moon is an energizing event for a wolf shifter. It electrifies their bones and tingles their skin. It feeds their inner wolves and makes them feel unstoppable.

Normally.

I look inward, searching for my wolf. Still nothing.

This is becoming a problem.

All eyes snap to me as I rise from my throne in the courtyard and clear my throat.

A thousand people drop to their knees and bow their heads.

Complete silence.

“True mates,” I bellow. “Present yourselves.”

Excitement and merriment explode through the courtyard as everyone jumps to their feet, laughing, cheering, and parting the crowd to make way for the couples racing through. The wolves circling the outer edges of the crowd throw back their heads and howl.

I stand at the edge of the raised dais, my hands clasped behind my back, my golden crown digging into my temples as I watch with a lump in my throat.

The couples look so happy as they approach, holding hands, unable to look away from each other’s eyes. The air is thick with anticipation. With heat. With need.

They line up in front of the dais, looking up at me with bright eyes and restless energy.

About three dozen couples tonight. Some young—these are the lucky ones, who will spend their whole adult lives with their fated mate—and some older—these ones having waited years, even decades, for this night.

But they all look ecstatic. The wait is almost over.

In the wolf kingdoms, there is no claiming and no sex until the mark is placed.

It is the oldest law we have.

It’s sacred.

These eager lovers have waited a moon cycle for this. Some have just experienced thirty long nights of aching carnal hunger, which will finally be quenched tonight.

The excitement in their eyes is palpable. They’re buzzing with anticipation.

Sex hangs in the air like smoke. Like something sweet and dangerous and just out of reach. Wolves don’t hide desire well. I can smell it on them. Taste it.

After this ceremony, these fortunate couples will disappear for days.

Weeks, sometimes.

They’ll be locked together in an endless mating marathon.

Friends and family members will leave food and drink outside their door. It’s rare, but some rutting mates have died in the past, never emerging from their den, having starved or died of exhaustion or thirst. That’s how consuming the first mating process is for us wolves.

And that’s what these lucky couples will be experiencing tonight.

I breathe in slowly.

I envy them more than I should.

How many times have I stood here?

How many Lunaris nights have I presided over as king, watching others claim what I may never have?

Too many.

I can command anything into existence. Except that.

“Approach your king,” I bellow.

The first pair steps forward and walks onto the dais.

They kneel before me, heads bowed. They’re a young couple. Barely the age I was when father died, and I took the crown.

I thought my queen would arrive imminently.

Two decades later, and she’s still not here.

The thought makes my heart ache.

Focus. Do your job.

These shifters have waited their whole lives for this moment. I can’t make it about me and my despair.

“Rise,” I say in a deep, commanding voice.

The male’s hands tremble at his sides as he rises to his full height. He barely reaches my chin. I know how large and imposing I am. It helps as a king. It shouldn’t, but it does.

“Face your would-be mate.”

They turn and face each other. The fear evaporates. Love and lust take their place as the two stare at each other with sparkling eyes and silly grins. They hold hands. She tilts her head to the side, exposing her neck as she licks her lips. He lets out a low growl of primal anticipation.

The trust in her eyes is moving. She knows he will never leave her. There’s no doubt that he will be true.

It’s a certainty with mates. It’s a core trait of our species.

It’s our way of life.

I lift my hand, and the courtyard stills.

“Before the moon, the pack, and the crown,” I say, “you stand to bind yourselves.”

I look at the male first.

“Do you claim this woman as your mate,” I ask, “to guard her with your life, to honor her above all others, and to stand by her side for as long as your wolf draws breath?”

“I do,” he says without hesitation.

I turn my gaze to the female.

“Do you accept this man as your mate,” I ask, “to walk beside him in strength and in struggle, to share your lives, your bond, and your fate, and to choose each other for all your days?”

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The Downstairs Flirt (Love Place #2) Read Online Loni Ree http://www.ilovenovels.com/the-downstairs-flirt-love-place-2-read-online-loni-ree Fri, 03 Apr 2026 23:14:31 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/the-downstairs-flirt-love-place-2-read-online-loni-ree Genre: Alpha Male, Insta-Love, Novella, Virgin Authors: Loni Ree Series: Love Place Series by Loni Ree
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Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22634 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 113(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >24

Love is on the menu at #1 Love Place

Hazel

Visiting my grandmother, Nonnie Laine, at #1 Love Place is always a sweet escape. The bonus? Her neighbor, Mr. Perpetual Smirk, who always seems to appear whenever I least expect him, armed with a flirty line and dangerous good looks. Totally out of my league, but who am I to refuse a harmless flirt? So imagine my absolute shock when I walk into Nonnie’s for Sunday lunch to find him sitting at her dining table. Suddenly, his playful glances don't feel quite so innocent, and my heart definitely didn't get the memo about playing it cool.

Preston

For weeks, she’s been the mystery girl who got away—a flash of a smile, a quick laugh, and then poof, gone before I can even ask for her number. I promised myself the next time I saw her, I wouldn’t let her slip by. I was ready to chase her down the street if I had to.

Turns out, I didn’t have to run far. Nonnie invites me over for lunch, and just as I’m getting comfortable, in walks the girl of my dreams. Hazel. Finally, a name to match the daydream. Fate has clearly set the table, and I’m done playing games. The catch-me-if-you-can phase? Officially over. Now, the wooing begins—just as soon as she stops looking at me like I’m an alien invasion in her grandmother’s kitchen

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

CHAPTER ONE

HAZEL

After the longest day in the history of long days, I glance at the clock and breathe a sigh of relief. Two minutes left until I can escape for the day. Honestly, my job isn’t hard, and I actually love it. Most days. But today, I’m PMS’ing, and the Corner Mart was out of gummy Nerd clusters. No further explanation needed.

By three after five, the last stragglers make their way out the front door, and I lock up behind them, ready to head over to Nonnie Laine’s house for our usual Sushi Tuesday.

I make it outside, into the thick Texas heat, and instantly start sweating in unmentionable spaces. My thighs are sticking together, my curls are already escaping the bun like rats from a sinking ship, and I’m pretty sure my deodorant is having a hard time keeping up. But for some reason, I can’t stop grinning.

Tuesdays at Nonnie’s are my favorite. We inhale spicy tuna rolls and watch reality TV in an apartment that smells like vintage books and Chanel No. 5.

Walking the two blocks over is basically my cardio for the week, and by the time I get to The Happy Chopstick, my blouse is sticking to my back, and the escaped curls are staging a full-scale rebellion. The AC in there is set to penguin habitat and, oh my God, it’s heaven.

First thing that hits me: fried rice. Sharp and hot and salty, straight to the brain. My mood? Instantly better. My order’s already waiting on the counter, exactly where it always is, and I make a beeline for it. I flash a quick wave to Mr. Yamada, who’s on the phone but still manages a tired smile.

I hustle back the three blocks to #1 Love Place. Nonnie doesn’t have a car, so I always park in her assigned parking spot in the apartment garage. It’s close to work and our favorite sushi spot. It’s honestly the only way I can afford sushi twice a week because downtown parking in Worthington Hills is criminal.

I step into the busy lobby, balancing my tote, the takeout bag, and my phone, and promptly collide with a brick wall. Except it’s not a wall. It’s a man.

Correction: it’s the man I’ve been secretly lusting after for weeks. Tall and broad and so real he basically blocks out the sun. My face is like two inches from a perfect chest in a suit that probably cost more than my monthly rent. I look up, way up, and oh my God.

He’s so freaking unfairly handsome. His jaw is all angles and stubble, square and stubborn, the kind of jaw you see in cologne ads. His lips are full and smirking, and I could write an essay about his cheekbones alone. But it’s his eyes that kill me. Ice blue. Intense. They lock onto mine, and I swear I stop breathing.

Those eyes crinkle at the corners when he grins, like he’s in on some private joke. And suddenly, my pulse skyrockets. I’m honestly shocked my knees don’t buckle. We’re standing so close, I can smell his dark, expensive, and scandalous cologne.

He leans in, his hand still wrapped around my upper arm. Warm. Steady. Capable of lifting me with one pinky finger, probably.

“You okay?” His voice is unfair. It’s deep and smooth, total command in three syllables.

I try for an actual sound, but what comes out is closer to a frog in a blender. “Yeah. I’m just—I mean, you’re really tall.”

Nailed it, Hazel. Real smooth.

His smirk kicks up. “And you’re… adorable.”

I’m not sure if the word adorable is a compliment, but I’m taking it anyway.

My cheeks are on fire, and I literally forget how to move. We’re just standing there, blocking the lobby, my takeout dangling from one hand and his fingers still curled around my arm like I might bolt if he lets go.

Oh, God. Say something, I order my frozen brain, but nothing happens. Zilch. Nada.

He’s staring at me like I’m dessert. Like he could skip dinner and just eat me up in one bite. My heart is doing gymnastics, Olympic-level stuff, while my brain short-circuits. I blink. Once. Twice. My tongue is apparently glued to the roof of my mouth, which is awesome for me, because I have absolutely no idea how normal people talk to men who look like literal sin in a Tom Ford suit. If there’s a world record for awkward silence, we’re shattering it right here in the middle of the lobby.

He’s still watching me like he’s trying to figure something out. His grip is gentle but firm, and it takes a legitimate second for my brain to reboot.

Words. Right. Those would be good right now.

“I’m—I’m sorry,” I finally manage, waving my sad little sushi bag between us. “For, um, running into you. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

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Feast of the Fallen (Villains of Kassel #3) Read Online Lydia Michaels http://www.ilovenovels.com/feast-of-the-fallen-villains-of-kassel-3-read-online-lydia-michaels Fri, 03 Apr 2026 23:14:27 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/feast-of-the-fallen-villains-of-kassel-3-read-online-lydia-michaels Genre: Alpha Male, Dark, Virgin Authors: Lydia Michaels Series: Villains of Kassel Series by Lydia Michaels
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Total pages in book: 164
Estimated words: 156728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 784(@200wpm)___ 627(@250wpm)___ 522(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >164

“Bestselling author, Lydia Michaels, delivers a dark, billionaire romance with all of The Great Gatsby's champagne charm and The Hunger Games' high stakes, in this deliciously twisted retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk . For readers who like their heroes morally gray, their steam scorching, and their happily-ever-afters dripping with secrets, Feast of the Fallen has it all!”

They call it a game. But games have rules, and mine were written in blood.

I was starving when I applied to The Feast of the Fallen—a twisted hunt where the world’s most elite billionaires pay millions to chase women like me through a gilded labyrinth until dawn.

One million dollars just to play. Two million if I'm caught.

I told myself I'd run, hide, and take the money–unharmed–so I could finally escape the poverty that's been choking me my entire life.

But I didn't count on him.

Jack Thorne, the phantom host, who built an empire from ash and blood, watched from the shadows while men hunted like monsters in a storm of his own creation. But when a reckless guest breaks his rules and goes too far, Jack steps out of the darkness, revealing himself as the most dangerous player of all–one who looks like a savior but will stop at nothing for revenge.

Jack doesn't negotiate with giants. He watches them gorge themselves on power until their true nature spills out. Then he brings the axe.

Billionaire • Hunter/Prey • Touch Her and Die • Possessive MMC • Rags to Riches • Forced Proximity

⚠️ Dark romance with explicit content. Please read responsibly

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

Epigraph

A seed doesn’t wonder what it will become. That’s the first mercy.

Small enough to pocket. Small enough to smuggle in a fist. I was once a seed. Traded. Bartered. Owned.

They never predicted what I would become.

Bury a seed and it obeys—at first. Quiet. Patient. But leave it alone too long and it will overtake a kingdom.

It waits, taking only what it needs. Time is a seed’s only possession. Patience is forced as dampness turns to rot, splitting it open in what feels like death.

But a seed doesn’t die. It endures.

It climbs through pressure and darkness, rung by rung, until it breaks free, ever aiming for the sky, until, one day, it towers over all that once buried it like a dirty secret.

Cut it back and it only grows more aggressively. A seed is never just a seed. It is the metamorphosis of time and darkness from which insidious giants are made.

Prologue

A Trade for Magic Beans

London, Twenty-six Years Ago

London fog hid the sun while the wind cut like needles through Jackie’s threadbare clothes. Mum told him to wait while she spoke to the man in the car, so he huddled on the stoop, drawing his knees to his chest as the rats scurried along the cracks in the pavement to an opening in the bricks.

Sometimes the house was colder inside than outside. But not when it rained. When it rained, the air tasted of metal and ash.

Cars didn’t usually come down their street, especially not ones as black or shiny as the one parked at the curb. It must be warm in that car, Jackie thought, watching steam curl from the open window where Mum leaned.

A dog barked in the distance, raw and desperate until it turned hoarse.

Jackie shivered. “Mum⁠—”

Her finger pointed up, signaling silence before extracting a thick envelope from the hand that reached through the car window. She stuffed the item in her pocket as the sleek glass closed.

The car pulled away, red lights shrinking until the mist swallowed them whole.

She didn’t look at him when she turned. Instead, she kept her hands in her pockets and her gaze on the ground. “Come on, Jackie. You need a bath.”

“It’s too cold⁠—”

“No arguments.”

“Who was that?”

“No one.” She still wouldn’t meet his stare.

“What’s in the bag, Mum?”

Her hand pressed down on the bulge she’d tucked safely in her pocket. “Beans, Jackie. Just beans.”

“Magic beans?” he asked, skipping after her.

“I hope.”

When they walked into the building she didn’t touch him. She didn’t brush a hand over his hair or help him with his jacket like she normally did. At age six, he didn’t have a name for the cold weight that settled in his chest that day. His mother’s affection had always been a source of warmth. And the absence of it weighed heavier than hunger.

That was the day Mum’s tears started. Like an endless season of rain, her sadness went on so long, Jackie forgot what summer was like.

After his bath, Jackie shivered under blankets, but the chill wouldn’t leave his bones. Water trickled from the gutters as rain seeped through cracked plaster. He normally lay with Mum on colder nights, but she hadn’t stopped crying, so he left her alone.

The following day, when the church bells tolled, he awoke to his mother standing over him, her expression blank and her eyes flat.

“What’s wrong, Mum?”

She looked through him with that haunted stare. “Put on your blue jacket.”

“Where are we going?”

“Just you. It’s a surprise.” She wiped her eyes, the soft skin below her lashes red and raw. “Somewhere warm with lots of food and toys.”

“Why can’t you come with me?”

She shook her head, her dry, pale lips forming a flat line. “It’s not for mothers.”

Jackie was so hungry, he needed little more than the promise of food to get moving. “Then I’ll bring you something back.”

She blinked rapidly. “Bring yourself back. That’s all I need.”

After dressing, they waited by the door. She gripped his hand, her hold cold and tight as if she were afraid to lose him in a crowd, but no one else was there. Her breath hitched and she crouched before him, tugging his jacket shut.

“Listen to me, Jackie. Be a good boy and do exactly as you’re told, understand?”

“I’m always a good boy, Mum,” he said cheekily, throwing his arms around her neck and squeezing tightly.

“I know you are, baby. I know you are.”

He should have held onto her a little longer.

Chapter One

One Night

Present Day

* * *

Steam wafted from the industrial pressers like breath from a dying animal—hot, damp, carrying traces of whatever had soiled the sheets before Daisy fed them through the machine. Sweat pooled in the hollow of her throat, slid between her breasts, gathered in the creases of her elbows where heat had turned her skin pink and angry.

Eight hours of this. Sometimes ten. Her hands knew the rhythm without her mind’s permission. Lift, feed, press, fold, stack. The familiar song of machinery no longer bothered her ears. She was as deaf to the white noise as she was to her own breathing.

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Fight For Love Read Online Alexa Riley http://www.ilovenovels.com/fight-for-love-read-online-alexa-riley Sat, 28 Feb 2026 17:33:54 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/fight-for-love-read-online-alexa-riley Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Erotic, Insta-Love, Novella, Virgin Authors: Alexa Riley Advertisement

Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 23935 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 120(@200wpm)___ 96(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >26

Juliet Farrow has run away from home and is in desperate need of a place to stay. Hiding in the women’s locker room at a boxing gym seems like a good idea until she’s caught by the owner. Maverick Bolland is a giant and could easily throw her out, but instead, he offers her a job and a safe place to sleep. Is it wrong for her to hope it’s the same place he’s sleeping too?

Maverick might host a few underground fights, but he’s not one to get his hands dirty. At least not until he discovers Juliet hiding in his gym. Suddenly he’s ready to take on anyone who threatens her, including the family that’s hunting her down. Falling in love wasn’t the plan, but he’s not about to let her go

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

CHAPTER

ONE

JULIET

I stand outside of the police station, not wanting to go inside, but I don’t have much of a choice. My stepmother has reported me missing, and I don’t understand why.

The second I could escape her hold, I did, but I have no idea why they are trying to find me. They loathe my existence. The only thing I want is to be free of them so I can start a new life. What that life will be, I don’t have a clue, but I want to be able to find out. I can’t live with them hovering over my head.

Once upon a time I thought my stepmother liked me, but that mask quickly fell when my father passed away. My dad wasn’t the best father. He devoted so much of his life to his job, but the time we did have together was precious to me. I don’t think he intended to have a child he’d have to raise on his own, so he shuffled through a handful of women before finding Rina and making her presence permanent.

For the past three years, Rina has done everything she can to hurt me. Normally it’s all a mental game, but there have been a few instances when she was drinking and things got physical. I kept my mouth shut because I wanted to make her happy. I kept telling myself that if I was better, she’d love me.

It might have taken me a few years, but I’ve come to terms with that never happening. The final straw to truly escape came after she remarried six months ago. Her new husband left me alone for the most part. I could have been invisible for all he cared, but his son is another story. Brock comes and goes from the home as he pleases. The home I grew up in, which is no longer mine. The place that once gave me comfort is now a hell house.

Wanting to get this over, I climb the steps to the police station and pass by a few officers lingering outside. The place isn’t too busy, and when I go to the front desk and tell them I think I’ve been reported missing, they have a uniformed officer come speak to me. A female officer appears soon after and then leads me to a desk that’s out in the open with other desks around it. Most of the ones near us are empty as I take a seat, and she begins to ask me questions.

“Juliet Farrow,” she says, repeating my name before typing it in the computer. She asks for my date of birth next, and the moment she finds me, her demeanor changes. Her eyebrows rise, and her eyes flick from her computer screen back to me.

“What? Does it say I’m dead now?” I joke, but she doesn’t seem amused.

“That’s a big bag you got there,” Officer Niks says, ignoring my question and nodding down to the bag I dropped at my feet. It’s filled with clothes and toiletries. That’s about it.

“It’s all I have,” I admit.

“Why don’t you come with me?” Niks stands, and I hesitantly do the same.

I follow her to one of the rooms over to the side before stepping in with her. When she closes it behind us, I shift on my feet.

“You’re freaking me out.” If I’m getting arrested, at least I’ll have a warm place to sleep tonight, but I’d rather not have to stay in jail.

“Here’s the thing,” she says as she leans against the table behind her. The room is bare, and in the back of my mind I wonder if this is where they do interrogations. “Your stepmother reported you missing.”

“Yeah, I know,” I say, still confused.

“Then she came back the next day and said you stole a few items from her.”

“What?”

I don’t know why I’m shocked. In fact, I should have expected this. This is why I couldn’t simply walk out the front door. I had to sneak out, but I knew full well she would become unhinged. There was no other choice for me, though, because I knew that Brock was closing in on me. The longer I was there, the closer I could feel him getting.

“She reported a necklace and a matching ring.”

“The emeralds,” I say, already knowing what she’s referring to.

My father was a wealthy man, and he was smitten with Rina. She put on a good act. So good that I’m not sure if she actually loved him or not. Maybe at some point she did. I’m not really clear what all was in my father’s will because I haven’t seen it, and for all I know, my dad might not have left me a penny. What I do know is that he would have given me that emerald set because it belonged to my mother. Sadly, I have very few memories of her, and I often wonder if they’re real or ones I’ve made up after hearing stories about how she was with me.

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