Nikki Sloane – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read

Nikki Sloane – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.wownovels.com Sun, 12 Jul 2026 16:11:39 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.1 http://www.wownovels.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/favicon.png Nikki Sloane – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.wownovels.com 32 32 Hold Me Close (Dangerous Obsession #3) Read Online Nikki Sloane http://www.wownovels.com/hold-me-close-dangerous-obsession-3-read-online-nikki-sloane Sun, 12 Jul 2026 16:11:39 +0000 https://www.wownovels.com/hold-me-close-dangerous-obsession-3-read-online-nikki-sloane Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Dark, Mafia Authors: Nikki Sloane Series: Dangerous Obsession Series by Nikki Sloane
Advertisement

Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 96460 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 482(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >102

The only thing more dangerous than trusting him — is falling for him.

One last job. Once Captain Olivia Wallace flies her employer to South Africa and back . . . she’s free. Next time she won’t unwittingly agree to work for criminals, but when you’re running from your past, you can’t afford to be picky.

She quickly discovers the savanna is full of predators and the most dangerous of all is her boss’s new bodyguard. This man is intense. Lethal. Gorgeous.

Even when he’s wrapped in lies.

His name is fake, but their attraction is blisteringly real. He may claim he’s not a good man, but when violence erupts, he risks everything to save her—including his cover.

Except putting his desires above the mission sets them on a dangerous collision course with the Italian mafia, and its impact threatens to destroy so much more than just their lives.

TROPES:
- Alpha Hero
- Spy / Hidden Identity
- Mafia
- Guarded Hearts
- Protector
- Military
- Only One Bed
- Strong Heroine

Hold Me Close is a standalone romantic suspense. However, it is book 3 in the Dangerous Obsession series which is best read in order to avoid spoiling previous booksShe’s a flight attendant. He’s the billionaire who sat in 1A…until he bought the airline to keep her close.

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

1

OLIVIA

Elephants were on the runway, making landing impossible. This wasn’t a delay I’d encountered before. My co-pilot Rory and I guided the Bombardier down to buzz the landing strip, startling the impressive beasts on their way, before we maneuvered to make our approach.

It wasn’t much of a runway. More a level strip of grassy land that the luxury game lodge groomed for their wealthiest clients, so they had somewhere to set down their private jets. The only alternative was to land at Johannesburg and drive three hours to the middle of nowhere.

There was no way the eldest son of the Abramo family was going to put up with that.

The plane bounced and shuddered down the runway, and I had to fight the yoke in my hands to bring the aircraft to a stop on the dirt-packed, uneven road. Then I powered down the engines and the jet slowed to a crawl with South African soil beneath the wheels.

A few more flights and my trial contract as the Abramos’ pilot would be up. Usually, I flew for the patriarch, an intimidating man whose scrutinizing gaze made me break out into an uneasy sweat. I didn’t let people scare me, but every hair stood on end in his presence.

The Abramos didn’t speak English.

It was like that language was too ugly to come out of their refined mouths. The entire flight crew spoke no Italian, and this was by design. During my interview for the job, the translator explained the language barrier was so the Abramos could discuss sensitive business information in flight, but I wasn’t a fool.

I knew what type of business they were really in.

I unlatched the cockpit door and collided face-first with a man’s hard chest. I shot him a perturbed look, like it was his fault I’d walked into him.

Nathan.

The unfamiliar American was enormous, at least six and a half feet tall, all muscle stretched across his lean frame. Dark, straight hair that was longer on top and swept to one side. His eyes were magnetic. As black as the gun I’d seen holstered under his arm. I didn’t like armed passengers on my bird, but it wasn’t as if I could ask Giovanni’s private security guard to stow his weapon in the hold.

I couldn’t ask him because Nathan scared the hell out of me.

Giovanni’s usual bodyguard and translator for this safari had come down with the stomach flu at the last minute, and Nathan had taken his place. The moment I’d seen him, something tightened in my chest and my breath went shallow.

I’d spent most of the flight down here trying not to think about him, or how embarrassed he’d been when he realized I was the captain and not the flight attendant. After his apology, we’d had a quiet moment together. His job was to ensure nothing dangerous made its way onboard, and I told him I thought the most dangerous thing was probably standing in front of me.

He didn’t deny it.

In fact, there’d been no reaction at all from him.

He appeared to be the same age as I was, but maybe he was older than thirty-five. He looked tired, like he hadn’t slept during either leg of the flight. Even tired, this man still looked dangerous. That gun, those muscles, those furiously intense eyes.

Predatory and beautiful.

He stared down at me now, his face expressionless, but there was something lurking in his gaze. Curiosity? I’d always been good at reading people, which made me great at poker, but didn’t help with much else.

“Sorry if the landing was a little rough,” I said.

He shrugged as if he couldn’t care less, but again, there was an edge to his expression, hinting at something . . . else. “It was fine.”

His voice was deep and sent my stomach uncharacteristically twisting.

“We’ve both had rougher,” announced Rory, who lingered in the cockpit and finished powering down the electronics. He was Scottish with gray hair and a few extra pounds around the midsection, and an easy-going calmness that I admired.

He was right. I’d certainly had rougher landings, but I kept my face blank.

Nathan’s dark eyes narrowed, discerning. Like he saw past it, right to the dark memory of that crash I tucked away. I ripped my gaze from his and turned my attention to the young British cabin attendant who was setting the stairway in place. Stuart was nice. He was bright and happy and so polite that sometimes I felt inferior when he was around. Like there was something wrong with me for not being able to find a smile as quickly as he could.

It was pleasant outside, probably sixty degrees in the shade and warmer under the sun. Spring even though it was late November. Being south of the equator messed with my head.

On the tarmac, a collection of people waited, staff of the private game reserve. Nathan translated our boss’s demands to them, and while some began to unload the luggage, the travel party of two, plus my flight crew, were ushered into a waiting van.

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >102

Advertisement
Keep Me Safe (Dangerous Obsession #2) Read Online Nikki Sloane http://www.wownovels.com/keep-me-safe-dangerous-obsession-2-read-online-nikki-sloane Tue, 16 Jun 2026 12:51:02 +0000 https://www.wownovels.com/keep-me-safe-dangerous-obsession-2-read-online-nikki-sloane Genre: Alpha Male, Angst, Billionaire, Contemporary, Dark, Suspense Authors: Nikki Sloane Series: Dangerous Obsession Series by Nikki Sloane
Advertisement

Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >96

She’s the one woman he can’t have, and falling for her isn’t just reckless—it could be deadly.

Billionaire Shawn Dunn has it all. Command of a global empire. Women who crave him. Wealth that means nothing is beyond his reach.

Yet Kara Hayward refuses to fall under his spell. She’s fire and defiance wrapped in temptation, the only woman who looks him in the eye and says no. It only makes Shawn want her more.

Getting involved would be shockingly dangerous. Kara’s sister is hiding from a ruthless assassin, and it’s safer for everyone if Shawn keeps his distance.

But the tension between them is inescapable. Every touch ignites. Every kiss sears hotter. Their desire grows into something more, something deeper . . . until the night everything burns.

Because the man hunting Kara’s sister has come to collect his revenge, and the price isn’t Shawn’s money, power, or pride.

It’s Kara.

* Keep Me Safe was previously published in 2014 as Keep by Karyn Lawrence (Nikki’s alter ego). This completely rewritten version features new content, more spice, and a point-of-view switch

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

1

KARA

I sat motionless as all the color drained from my employee’s face.

“We have to terminate your employment, effective immediately,” I said. “I’m sorry. It was a difficult business decision that we’ve had to make. Your position has been eliminated.”

I knew I sounded robotic and unfeeling, but the truth was I felt like shit. Not just because of my jet lag, but because of the man who sat across from me in the glass conference room. Scott Rhodes’s jaw tightened until I was sure he was going to crack his teeth.

“I can’t say I’m surprised,” he hissed. “I expected nothing less from this company.”

Scott had been working at the Manhattan branch of Incentive Systems for the better part of twenty years, and he was the second person I’d had to let go this month.

I was a top-level project manager, the youngest at the company at only thirty years old, and I wasn’t experienced at laying people off. It’d be all right with me if I didn’t get any more practice at it.

Scott’s chaotic gaze went to my boss, who sat beside me. Jim had wanted this to happen for at least six months, but I’d fought a losing battle for my employee’s job. In Jim’s defense, Scott’s work had been declining. Plus, I’d heard rumors he was coming in late and leaving early, even after I’d put him on a performance improvement plan.

I still oversaw the New York implementation team from my office at the international headquarters in Maastricht, and rather than do it over a video call, I’d chosen to fly in from the Netherlands to relieve Scott. He was owed that for all his years, even if he’d been sliding.

“Human resources will be sending over a severance package,” Jim said. He looked, for lack of a better word, bored. Like he had no idea we’d sent the world crashing down on Scott.

This was just one of the many reasons why I’d left New York. My boss was kind of a dick.

Scott’s breathing was rushed, panicked. “What . . . happens now?”

“You’ll go to your desk,” Jim said, “and collect your items. Kara won’t hover, but we do need to make sure that’s done, and you leave immediately afterward.”

For a moment, I was concerned he wasn’t going to go quietly, and I held my breath.

But it left me in a relieved sweep when he rose from his chair, his glassy-eyed expression shifting away from me. He turned and plodded toward the door, leaving the conference room like a zombie.

“You still think flying in all the way from Europe was necessary?” Jim asked when the door swung shut.

“Yes.” I ignored his pointed question. It probably hadn’t made a shred of difference, but I wasn’t cold or unfeeling—and didn’t want anyone to view me that way either. If I hadn’t flown in, I was sure my ex-husband, who worked five floors up, would use it as an excuse to lobby for my dismissal. Paul had resented my climb through the company ranks from the moment I’d started here.

“The bright side is his wife will get less in alimony.”

I was able to disguise my personal feelings, but only barely. “He’s getting divorced?”

“Amber said the wife moved out last month. I thought you knew.”

“No, I didn’t. That explains why his work was suffering.”

Jim leaned back in his chair and stretched. “Yeah, maybe, but it’s not an excuse. People get divorced and keep doing their job all the time, you know. You did.”

I tore my gaze away from him so he couldn’t see my discomfort. The ink on my settlement papers had been dry for almost two years, but the word divorce was still a slap in the face.

“It wasn’t easy.” There was an understatement.

When he didn’t move, I stood on the high heels that hurt my feet. I was already tall at five-eleven, so the shoes were completely unnecessary. I loomed over people and made them uncomfortable. Really, I made men uncomfortable, and at this point in my life, that was a good thing. These shoes were a freedom now that I was single.

My ex-husband had been an inch shorter than me when I was flat-footed.

“I’ll go check on him,” I said.

I rounded the table and was halfway to the door when a woman darted down the hallway, sprinting past the conference room.

“What was that?” Jim asked.

It gave me pause. “Amber.”

“Was she running?”

Anxiety made the air in the room go thin. The offices beyond the glass were quiet. Too quiet.

I didn’t realize I was retreating until the table against my hip let me backpedal no farther. Even before I saw Scott and the small, silver handgun clutched at his side, I somehow knew.

Cold dread curled its fingers around me as he burst through the door and raised the gun toward Jim. His hand shook like he was completely out of control, which was exactly how I felt.

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >96

Advertisement
Stay With Me (Dangerous Obsession #1) Read Online Nikki Sloane http://www.wownovels.com/stay-with-me-dangerous-obsession-1-read-online-nikki-sloane Wed, 13 May 2026 18:46:39 +0000 https://www.wownovels.com/stay-with-me-dangerous-obsession-1-read-online-nikki-sloane Genre: Alpha Male, Dark, Forbidden, Suspense Authors: Nikki Sloane Series: Dangerous Obsession Series by Nikki Sloane
Advertisement

Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 104185 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >110

When the spotlight turns deadly, survival becomes the performance of her life.

A single gunshot rings out, shattering Laurel Hayward’s debut as a professional dancer—and witnessing an assassination is only the beginning of her nightmare. The ruthless killer will stop at nothing to find her—determined to possess her or silence her forever.

Enter Deputy U.S. Marshal Jason Dunn: handsome, confident, and far too good at getting under Laurel’s skin. Keeping her alive is his job, but keeping his distance? Impossible. Alone in the secluded safe house, the line between duty and desire blurs into something too powerful to resist.

Laurel needs Jason to survive. Jason needs her to finally capture the ghost who’s haunted his career for years. But as their attraction ignites, the obsessed killer returns with a deadly final act . . .

And it could cost them everything.

* Stay With Me was previously published in 2014 as Stay by Karyn Lawrence (Nikki’s alter ego). This completely rewritten version features new content, more spice, and a point-of-view switch.

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

Prologue

NOW

LAUREL

My hands reached behind to grasp the cold metal railing while I sucked the pre-dawn air into my lungs.

What the hell?

I stood precariously on the ledge of a balcony with my toes curled over the edge. This, and my death-grip on the wrought iron at my back, were all that kept me from plunging to the rocks far below.

Water lapped against the cliff. I hated heights. So why on Earth was I out here?

I tried to steady my breathing and keep my gaze up, but my legs shook. I shivered in the cold wind, making the railing rattle. A panicked whimper escaped from my lips as I pivoted on my heel, turning until the rail slammed into my stomach, but I didn’t care.

At least I could cling to two things now. The wrought iron, and the illusion I was safely back on the stone balcony.

I took another breath and launched myself up and over the railing. It wasn’t pretty, but both feet hit the ground, meaning I was still alive. My teeth chattered because I was only wearing silk pajama pants and a camisole top.

Across the balcony, a robe was draped over a patio chair.

I slipped my arms into it as I tried to remember why I’d taken it off, but sharp, agonizing pain sliced through my head. I moved my fingers up to the nape of my neck, and then up into my hair where it ached the most.

There was a large wound near the crown of my skull.

It wasn’t fresh, but not yet healed, either. Something foreign and sharp was embedded in my skin. The hair around it felt like it had been shaved at one point but had started to grow back. I turned to face the house as reality washed over me.

Nothing was familiar. Not this place, not my clothes, not how I got here. I pushed a strand of brown hair out of my eyes. Holy crap, not even my hair color seemed right. The force of it all almost knocked me off my feet.

I couldn’t remember.

It was all just empty.

I trembled and cinched the robe tighter, eyeing the railing. What had I been doing out there?

A single word echoed through my mind, which was terrifying . . . Suicide.

“Hey.” His voice was soft, but I jumped anyway. “What are you doing?”

The man used the heel of his palm to grind the sleep from one eye. He wore a plain t-shirt and flannel pajama pants, and his mahogany hair was askew. Taller than average, and likely in his thirties. I peered at his face, tried to force myself to recognize him. He was attractive and seemed to know me, so surely I should remember him.

Nothing.

“What are you doing up?” he asked.

I didn’t say anything, because what would I say?

“Well, we’re awake. You want coffee?” He turned to head back in through the French doors he’d strolled through.

I stayed deathly quiet. Everything was too overwhelming.

When I didn’t respond, he stopped and focused on me, concern washing through his expression. “What is it?”

I held up a hand and gestured to the surroundings. I still couldn’t bring myself to choke out anything, but the panic in my eyes must have spoken for me. The unease in him grew ten-fold and, when he tried to approach, I shuffled backward instinctively.

It caused him to stop short and look defeated. “You don’t know who I am.”

“I don’t.” It came out as a whisper, but the words crushed him all the same.

“We were in a car accident. A pretty horrific one, so it’s good you don’t remember it. That’s our silver lining to this whole thing.” He drew in a heavy breath, perhaps considering his next words. “There was a significant bleed in your brain, and they had to keep you in a medically induced coma for a week. The day they discharged me and you were still under was the worst day of my life.”

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >110

Advertisement
The Broker (Nashville Neighborhood #6) Read Online Nikki Sloane http://www.wownovels.com/the-broker-nashville-neighborhood-6-read-online-nikki-sloane Sun, 02 Mar 2025 13:35:57 +0000 http://www.wownovels.com/the-broker-nashville-neighborhood-6-read-online-nikki-sloane Genre: Alpha Male, BDSM, Contemporary, Erotic, Forbidden Authors: Nikki Sloane Series: Nashville Neighborhood Series by Nikki Sloane
Advertisement

Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 116232 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >124

I used to be daddy’s little princess, but I failed out of college and ran away with an older man. Now my father has me cleaning houses to make up for the biggest mistake of my life.

As if that wasn’t punishment enough, it becomes a million times worse when I’m forced to take on Noah Robinson as a client.

He was supposed to be a one-night stand. One scorching night with no last names or commitment. Now I’m working for him, and every week that goes by it gets harder for us to keep things professional.

Plus, the more I learn about him and the secret, sexy lifestyle he lives, the deeper my craving for him becomes.

But I’m out of chances with my father, I can’t risk blowing my life up again.

Noah and I know we can’t be together . . .

Because I’m his boss’s daughter.

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

ONE

Noah

I’d never struggled so much to close a deal, and it had nothing to do with negotiating terms or one party being difficult. In fact, the man standing in front of me was as eager as I was to get this thing done.

The issue was the naked guy on the other side of the room.

The man’s wrists and ankles were shackled to the large St. Andrew’s Cross that was anchored to the brick wall, but he didn’t seem concerned about his restraints. No, his excited gaze was locked on to the woman approaching him, and when she reached out to run a hand across his bare chest, the man’s hard dick jerked.

The woman was fully clothed in a strapless pleather corset and matching knee-length skirt. Everything was so tight, cinching her waist to be impossibly small, it was as if an invisible hand squeezed her body. It forced her curves up, making her breasts threaten to bulge out over the top of the corset.

Normally I wouldn’t mind, but—

Goddamn, it was hard enough to focus right now. I didn’t need to add a nice, big pair of bare tits to my distraction.

“This was one of my first custom pieces,” Clay said. “It took me twenty hours, but I’m more efficient now. I shouldn’t have an issue meeting your client’s deadline.”

My gaze snapped back to the man before me.

The first time I’d met Clay Crandall, I’d struggled to believe him when he mentioned he made high-end BDSM furniture. The guy looked so reserved, so conservative, so . . . well—nerdy. Even down to the pair of glasses he wore.

He looked like the type of guy who was more likely to get off staring at spreadsheets than people in bondage.

But that was a rookie mistake on my part. I’d been in the lifestyle long enough to know better than to judge or make assumptions. There’d been all kinds of different people at the sex club I’d belonged to for years in New York. My first time here at Club Eros had shown me Nashville’s scene was no different.

I ticked my head toward the St. Andrew’s Cross, doing my best to ignore the couple playing there. “The pictures don’t do your work justice.”

Clay flashed me an appreciative smile.

I’d looked through the entire photo gallery he had available on his website. In a flat, two-dimension world, the sleek, tasteful furniture looked sexy, but in real life? It couldn’t compare. The furniture was stunning.

Without it, this side room of Club Eros was what you’d expect from a sex club. Its walls were red and the floor black, and the space felt . . . borderline average. Maybe even a bit boring. But the rows of black folding chairs had an aisle down the center, and it led your eye straight back to the stage-like platform.

Perched on it, two large wooden beams crossed in an ‘X’ and stretched across the brick wall. Even when the St. Andrew’s Cross wasn’t in use, the piece had to be a showstopper. It elevated this clichéd room into something that oozed sex and whispered about power. It legitimized Club Eros.

And it was exactly what the club in New York was looking for.

On stage, the woman was teasing her partner. She’d turned her back to him, rubbing her ass against his erection. When he moaned, she shimmied up the sides of her skirt over her hips, exposing her utterly bare lower body.

It was impossible not to let my gaze linger on the slit between her legs. I had come to the club to do the deal with Clay, not to play, but my dick throbbed with longing.

I hadn’t fucked anyone since the move, and it’d been a month. No, wait—it’d been longer. More like five fucking weeks. My hand was getting quite the workout these days.

Clay eyed the couple but seemed . . . indifferent. Like this was something he’d seen enough times that it no longer held any interest for him. Or perhaps his disinterest wasn’t with the act so much as it was with the people performing it.

The man and the woman on stage were only a little older than us. Both looked to be in their forties, and each was decent looking. But they couldn’t compete with Clay’s boyfriend and girlfriend, who sat in the back row of folding chairs, watching the impromptu show and politely waiting for us to finish our meeting.

My first time at Club Eros, it had been ‘exhibitionist night,’ and Travis and Lilith had taken the stage first. But before their scene began, a man, who I’d later learn was Clay, appeared with a piece of furniture that looked like a padded sawhorse. It had black legs, a black leather top that was trimmed with red accents, and silver rings dangled from multiple spots.

These rings gave Travis plenty of places to thread his rope through and tie his partner down. And while they performed, Clay stood to the side and watched like a boss supervising an employee.

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >124

Advertisement
The Good Girl (Nashville Neighborhood #5) Read Online Nikki Sloane http://www.wownovels.com/the-good-girl-nashville-neighborhood-5-read-online-nikki-sloane Mon, 04 Sep 2023 20:23:13 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/the-good-girl-nashville-neighborhood-5-read-online-nikki-sloane Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Erotic, Forbidden, Virgin Authors: Nikki Sloane Series: Nashville Neighborhood Series by Nikki Sloane
Advertisement

Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 101736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >108

What are you supposed to do when your best friend's little sister—a classic good girl—asks you to help her go bad?

You should say no.

You shouldn't pretend to date her so she can piss off her parents.

You definitely shouldn't agree to take her virginity and show her all the experiences she's been missing out on.

And you really shouldn't keep it a secret from her brother, the one who's your best friend and business partner.

But I don't always make the best choices. In fact, I can be kind of a dick sometimes.

And I know if I don't do it, someone else will . . . and I can't have that. If anything, it means I get to be the good guy for once.

I just wasn't prepared for how gifted this good girl would be at going bad.

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

ONE

Preston

My best friend Colin was a porn star. He’d been with his girlfriend for more than a year now, and they’d filmed all sorts of crazy stuff together, sometimes with different people too—or so I’d been told. I’d do nearly anything to support my friend and business partner, but I drew the line at watching him fuck.

It didn’t bother me what they did. Good for them, I’d said when I’d found out.

Plus, his side hustle of creating adult content was what was helping get our business off the ground. The plan was we’d be partners, sharing the work, but he was the money backing us, and I’d promised myself to never forget that.

His adult work especially didn’t bother me today, because his girlfriend Madison was hot, and she must have invited a friend to join her at the group graduation party my dad was hosting.

The original plan had been a joint party for my dad’s girlfriend Cassidy and me since we had both graduated from Vanderbilt, but Colin had graduated from Davidson University the following week, too. His parents were dicks and had disowned him after they’d found out he was doing porn, so we’d agreed to include him.

My dad and I had done more for him than his parents had the last few years. I was an only child, which meant he was as close to a brother as I could get. So, I was glad this joint party worked out.

It was good not having to split it with just Cassidy, too. Less chance for people to focus on the fact my dad’s girlfriend was graduating at the same time as his son.

She wasn’t just the same age as I was—she was also my ex.

God, that felt like a fucking lifetime ago. I tried not to think about it, not just because it was weird as hell she was with him, but mostly because I’d been a bit of a shithead back then. I liked to think I’d come a long way since then.

I stood on the back patio beside the hot tub, ignoring the rest of the partygoers who were scattered around the pool, and the Congratulations banner flapping in the breeze. My gaze sharpened on the hot brunette lingering beside Madison.

I’d clocked the girl right away when she arrived. She’d hesitated for a moment at the gate in the wrought iron fence that surrounded my back yard. There was a black gift bag with a graduation cap on it and gold tissue paper dangling from one of her hands, but she looked like she wasn’t sure she was in the right place.

It was nice she’d brought a gift, but we grads had agreed no presents or cards for this party. It wasn’t family here—just friends—and most of them were college kids who didn’t need to waste money on dumb shit. I’d rather they saved their cash for the bars downtown. We’d planned to head to Broadway tonight, and every place on the busiest street in Nashville had overpriced drinks to gouge the tourists.

I’d seen the girl first, but Madison waved at her, and the girl smiled brightly. Then she pushed through the gate and moved quickly to her friend, who was alone. Colin was probably still inside the house, stuck in an inescapable conversation with Steve. We were barely friends with him in high school. The dude had never been great, and he’d somehow gotten worse over the last four years.

I’d been forced into inviting him when one of our mutual friends had mentioned the party, and Steve had gone after me like a dog with a fucking bone. I knew I should go inside and rescue Colin from him, but I was much too interested in Madison’s friend.

From where I was standing, I could only see the girl in profile, but that was more than enough for me to check her out. Her hair was a dark brown, curled in loose waves that went halfway down her back. Her green tank top wasn’t low cut, but it was glued to her body, so it flaunted her small waist and nice-sized tits.

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >108

Advertisement
The Frat Boy (Nashville Neighborhood #4) Read Online Nikki Sloane http://www.wownovels.com/the-frat-boy-nashville-neighborhood-4-read-online-nikki-sloane Fri, 09 Dec 2022 21:32:43 +0000 http://www.teennovels.net/the-frat-boy-nashville-neighborhood-4-read-online-nikki-sloane Genre: College, Erotic, New Adult, Romance Authors: Nikki Sloane Series: Nashville Neighborhood Series by Nikki Sloane
Advertisement

Total pages in book: 122
Estimated words: 114337 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 572(@200wpm)___ 457(@250wpm)___ 381(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >122

Colin Novak is the big man on campus. Huge—if the rumors are to be believed. Nearly every girl at Davidson University has had a ride on him . . . everyone, except me.

Which is fine. This frat boy may be irritatingly hot, all carved muscle with a deceptively wholesome smile, but that’s irrelevant. He’s a Sig.

When I catch his fraternity cheating at the Greek Week tournament, he denies it—causing our rivalry between houses to escalate. Colin and I may have started the mud fight, but it grows into an all-out war, and ends with us expelled from our houses.

Now I’m homeless and it’s all his fault.

So, while answering an ad for a leading role at an adult film company wasn’t part of my career path, the work comes with a lot of perks. Steady salary. Accommodations close to campus. A safe place to explore my fantasies.

Except when I show up for my audition, my partner is none other than my new archenemy—Colin. And our sexual chemistry is explosive.

We hate how attracted we are to each other, and I despise that I want every scene to be with him. Because the longer we live together, the more I see he’s not who I thought he was.

This frat boy was so easy to hate . . . but what if he’s even easier to love?

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

PROLOGUE

Madison

My heart beat erratically, too fast one moment and too slow the next. Sweat trickled down my back. The boy I loved was leaving, and there was nothing I could do to stop him.

I’d had plenty of chances over the summer to ask him to stay . . . but instead I’d encouraged him to go. It was a tremendous opportunity, I’d told him. Jack had been accepted into the international business program at Davidson University, which only took a handful of students each year. This would open doors and set him up with a job once he graduated.

And it included a semester abroad.

When his passport arrived last month, God, he’d been so excited. Jack had always yearned to travel, to see the world, but he’d have to do it without me. There was no way I could take a semester off when I only had three semesters of college left, and I certainly couldn’t afford to go to Germany with him.

So, even though it killed me, I pretended to be thrilled. I wasn’t going to let him give this up, and I loved him too much to hold him back. Plus, if I made him stay, eventually he’d resent me.

He had to go.

My gaze followed Jack as he wove through the line for security, his passport and plane ticket in hand. There was a curved neck pillow clipped to his backpack, and I watched it bounce with each step he took, rather than look directly at him.

Because that was too hard. Too painful.

Just the shape of him moving toward the TSA agent made my eyes blurry and my chin quiver. I’d held it together when we’d said goodbye, but my insides were made of glass—and now they were breaking.

We’ll talk every day, he’d assured me. It’s one semester. I’ll be back before you know it.

There was no way that was true.

But I’d nodded and attempted to squeeze out a smile. I didn’t want to be sad and ruin this day for him, plus I didn’t want his last memory of me to be a crumbling face, streaked with tears.

It felt like the end when he kissed me goodbye. He could swear up and down we’d be fine with five thousand miles between us, and I desperately wanted to believe . . . but I just couldn’t.

There were too many people who’d let me down in my past for me to stay optimistic. I’d learned the only promises I could count on were the ones I made to myself.

Jack handed his passport over to the agent, who waved him through after a quick evaluation. I sucked in a breath and held it as he followed the roped off section that briefly turned him back toward me.

He slowed, and alarm washed through his handsome face as he saw how stricken I must have looked.

“Madison,” he said, lifting his voice over the noise of people waiting for security. “It’s okay. Don’t cry.” He delivered a comforting smile as he began moving again. “I promise, we’ll be fine. I love you.”

I pressed my lips together, swallowed the stone in my throat, and nodded.

I wasn’t able to speak, wasn’t able to tell him I loved him, too. But at least it meant I wasn’t able to tell him not to make promises he might not be able to keep.

He held my gaze all the way until he reached the corner, lingered for a final moment, and then disappeared around it.

I stood utterly still, holding the crushed pieces of myself together. I didn’t know what else to do. How was I going to walk out of this Nashville airport, go back to the car I’d borrowed from a friend, and carry on like a small part of me hadn’t just died?

I was so in love with him.

Oblivious people moved around the busy ticketing area, hurrying to get where they were going. They were starting a journey, not ending one, and God, how I envied them. I wanted to have that excitement about what came next, instead of this crushing fear.

Jack was going to come back a changed man; that much I was sure of.

And I dreaded I wouldn’t fit into his new life when he returned.

ONE

Madison

Dark clouds loomed on the horizon, and Jenn—my sorority little sister—looked worried.

“They said it wasn’t supposed to rain today,” she muttered as she glanced down at her pristine sneakers.

I kept my tone light. “We tried to warn you.”

It was April, which meant spring showers, and it had rained every day this week. My gaze shifted from her to the obstacle course in front of us, where brown puddles dotted the field. Had there ever been grass on it? It was all dirt and mud now.

Every time Lambda Theta Chi had made it to the finals and competed for the Fidelity Cup, the race had been a slog. If anything, the muck had made the final race more fun. In our house, there were pictures in the front hall from previous years where the sisters were cover head-to-toe in mud.

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >122

Advertisement
The Vixen’s Deceit – Peculiar Tastes Read Online Nikki Sloane http://www.wownovels.com/the-vixens-deceit-peculiar-tastes-read-online-nikki-sloane Wed, 19 Oct 2022 22:42:06 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/the-vixens-deceit-peculiar-tastes-read-online-nikki-sloane Genre: Dark, Fantasy/Sci-fi, Paranormal Authors: Nikki Sloane Advertisement

Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 44459 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 222(@200wpm)___ 178(@250wpm)___ 148(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >48

Void is more than just a haunted house. It’s a psychological nightmare designed to find your breaking point.

And this year, the experience will be extra special and horrifying. For its tenth anniversary, the elaborate production has taken over a castle high on the cliffs of Scotland, which has a bloody, tragic past.

Haunted, some say. Cursed, others whisper.

Reviewing Void wasn’t supposed to be Tyler’s assignment. But when he’s the only journalist available at his failing magazine for the important exclusive, he’s thrust into an immersive horror movie experience.

Every scene is more disturbing than the last, and the only thing holding him together is the seductive woman operating the elevator. Her flirtations seem genuine, but as he goes deeper into Void, his grip on reality begins to slip.

Are her feelings for him as manufactured as the monsters he sees? Or is all of it real?

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

Chapter 1

Turbulence doesn’t cause plane crashes. I told myself this over the sound of screaming, which came from the woman seated two rows behind me.

Before takeoff, the captain had warned us they expected some rough weather and that the flight attendant would need to remain seated for the duration of the short flight. But this? The past ten minutes had lasted for-fucking-ever. Every uneasy breath I pulled into my lungs took at least a decade.

The man sitting in the seat across the aisle was unfazed. He wasn’t bothered by the way the wind batted our tiny plane around or the fact we could fall out of the sky at any moment and plunge into the hilly landscape of Scotland.

I lifted my chest and tried to match his confident posture, which was laughable because we couldn’t be more different. The guy was tall and big. He obviously worked out often and probably woke up each morning with more scruff on his face than I’d have if I went a month without shaving. At five foot eight, I’d been the tallest kid in my sixth-grade class—but I’d peaked early. I hadn’t grown another inch since, and it seemed highly unlikely I’d get another growth spurt at twenty-eight.

My last girlfriend told me I had an “intellectual” look, which was . . . a compliment? Or maybe just a nice way of calling me scrawny.

My stomach vaulted into my throat as the plane dropped and then violently tottered side to side. People gasped, and the woman two rows back screamed again. This air pocket was so bad, the urge to catch myself was instinctual. I had to make the falling sensation end.

Except the thing I grabbed and tried to steady myself with was the thick forearm of the guy across the aisle.

His focus snapped to me—the strange American man who’d put a hand on him. I couldn’t imagine what expression was plastered on my face. Hopefully he’d think my discomfort was because I’d grabbed some dude’s arm and not because we were plummeting to certain death.

But the plane leveled out and seemed to find air beneath it again, and I peeled my fingers away.

“Sorry,” I said, doing my best not to be sheepish.

The man nodded politely. “Nae bother. Happens all the time to me. The wife’s scared of flying too.”

I held back a grimace. Scared? No, I was nervous, not scared.

Because if I got scared, I wouldn’t be on this plane, and after it landed—or crashed—I wouldn’t be headed to the ultra-immersive horror experience known as Void.

Even though it was the last fucking place I wanted to visit.

Disneyland for horror-movie fans was how my editor had described it to me last night, but unlike the rest of the guests, I wouldn’t have to fork over thousands of dollars to attend. Refiner, the magazine I worked for, had secured the exclusive rights to review Void—which was a first in its ten years of production.

Josh Sharpe, the creator, was secretive and mysterious. He kept the thing by invitation only and prevented any details from getting out on social media with airtight nondisclosure agreements.

There was no website, no information. Apparently, this was the haunted house all other haunted houses feared—so good that it didn’t need to advertise.

It meant I was going in unprepared tonight, which was not how I liked to do my reporting. But then again, nothing about this job was how I liked it. I was the magazine’s literal last choice for writing the article.

Yesterday, the entertainment writer—the one who’d pitched the project—had crashed his car on the way to the airport and was now in surgery to repair a fractured forearm. Our editor had scrambled our small team, trying to get someone last minute from politics or sports or even food and wine, but everyone was unavailable or unable.

Everyone except me.

To celebrate the anniversary of the experience, Void’s creator had moved the production from New York City to a sleepy castle on the coast of Scotland, where it would run for five nights and end on Halloween. I was the only writer at Refiner who possessed an unexpired passport, had no personal life conflicts, and—as I was already in London working on my own piece for the magazine—could reach Scotland in time.

My editor didn’t say “go or else” explicitly, but he didn’t have to. Refiner had once been the premier men’s publication, but now it struggled in the digital space. We needed something big to stay afloat. This review would hopefully bring in the clicks and the much-needed advertising dollars that went along with them, which meant it was far more important than anything I’d ever written for the magazine before.

And I wasn’t just my editor’s last choice . . . I was the worst one too.

I disliked haunted houses and horror movies. I understood why people enjoyed them, but the fake peril and cheap scares? None of that appealed to me. I liked characters who made smart, logical choices and knowing what was behind the door.

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >48

Advertisement
The Temptation (Filthy Rich Americans #5) Read Online Nikki Sloane http://www.wownovels.com/the-temptation-filthy-rich-americans-5-read-online-nikki-sloane Thu, 21 Oct 2021 00:11:56 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/the-temptation-filthy-rich-americans-5-read-online-nikki-sloane Genre: Contemporary, Erotic, Romance, Suspense Authors: Nikki Sloane Series: Filthy Rich Americans Series by Nikki Sloane
Advertisement

Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 101829 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >109

Read Online Books/Novels:	The Temptation (Filthy Rich Americans #5)
Author/Writer of Book/Novel:	Nikki Sloane
Language:	English
ISBN/ ASIN:	B09BBNTTJD
Book Information:
Vance Hale has everything. A ridiculous amount of money, an Ivy-league education, and a 1,000-watt smile that can charm the designer dress right off a girl. He’s also going to have a future that includes me—whether he wants it or not. I don’t care that he’s trying to reform his playboy ways, or that he made a bet to go 90 days without the touch of a woman. I’ve spent the last decade planning my revenge and I need a partner in crime. This gorgeous, cunning man should do fine. So, we strike a deal. I’ll help get him across the finish line and he’ll bring me into his world among the Cape Hill elite. Our relationship may be fake, but our chemistry is shockingly real. One innocent kiss and I’m struggling to hold up my end of the bargain. Wanting him wasn’t part of the plan when everything else I desire is within my grasp. The only problem? Neither of us is any good at resisting temptation.
Books in Series:	Filthy Rich Americans Series by Nikki Sloane
Books by Author:	Nikki Sloane

ONE

VANCE

Tension was something I was so accustomed to in my life. I wore it effortlessly, the way my father wore a bespoke suit as a second skin, as he did now. He sat in the chair across from me in the formal living room, dressed in his standard three-piece black suit.

My gaze snagged on the colorful silk peeking out from his front breast pocket.

His girlfriend’s doing, for sure. Macalister Hale had obsessed over tradition his whole life and embodied a classic look. He much preferred people’s attention stay on him rather than his pocket square, but Sophia was pushing him to be fashion-forward. Or at least to join this century.

Any other time, I would have enjoyed the idea that a woman half his age had such power over him, but I was too distracted to focus on it. My father had shown up at the Hale estate and announced he had something important to discuss. He’d arrived without warning, likely because if I’d known he was coming, I’d have avoided him.

So, I’d reluctantly followed him into the front room of the house which had once been his and dropped down onto the couch my former stepmother had reupholstered the year before her death.

Of course, I immediately regretted my decision.

Alice loomed large between us, and the weight of unspoken words pressed down on my chest, making it difficult to breathe in my father’s presence. He already knew what I’d done, but it did nothing to ease my guilt.

“This will only take a minute,” he said.

His tone was full of his usual commanding indifference, the one that was so effective at telling you only his opinion mattered. His posture was rigid and straight, as if he were perched in a throne and not a chair, but again—this was normal. He was an imposing figure to the rest of the world. He made other people uncomfortable with a simple look.

But I saw through it today, and this was what had me so distracted.

Whatever he wanted to discuss, it gave him hesitation. In fact, the great and powerful Macalister Hale seemed . . .

Nervous.

My stomach churned with unease. My father didn’t do nervous. I swallowed thickly. Fuck, was he going to bring up Alice? Was this the conversation we desperately needed to have—the one I still wasn’t prepared for?

My father’s gaze shifted away from mine. “I’m planning to ask Sophia to be my wife.”

I blinked in my lack of surprise. My family had its fair share of secrets, but the way my father felt about Sophia? That wasn’t one of them. The entire town of Cape Hill knew, thanks to my father’s proclamation five months ago at Damon Lynch’s disastrous campaign dinner. The only thing surprising to me was that my father hadn’t proposed already. We Hale men were nothing if not decisive, and I was sure his mind was set. Once his decision had been made, what was the point in waiting?

He wanted her.

And he’d raised me to understand Hales took what they wanted.

“All right.” I was unsure what I was supposed to do with this information. “You wanting me to wish you luck?”

“No, I don’t need luck.” His cold blue eyes snapped back to me. “I would, however, like your permission.”

I was suddenly grateful to be sitting because the floor threatened to swallow me whole. “What?”

He drew in a deep breath, making his shoulders lift. “She’s the same age as you, so it’s understandable if that gives you unease.” He had one arm draped over the armrest of his chair, his fingers tensed in a fist, and his thumb brushed back and forth over his knuckles. “I don’t need to tell you how much I care for her. You heard what I said that night, which wouldn’t have been possible without your help. I’ll always be grateful for that.”

My brain was still stuck on the part where he’d ask for my permission. It ranked right up there with him admitting defeat.

It was something he never, ever did.

“It was no big deal,” I said automatically.

He ignored my statement. “I’ve spoken to Royce already, but I’d like your approval as well.”

He hadn’t asked my opinion about marrying Alice, but then again, that had been fifteen years and a lifetime ago. Had he ever asked for permission in his life? Until recently, he had no need for anyone else’s approval.

God, he’d changed so much.

He hadn’t exactly softened—his edges were still sharp and exact. But there was a thoughtfulness in him now. An awareness that the world might not always turn at his command. That people did not have to bend to his will.

His fall from grace included time behind bars, and it had been one of the most difficult things we’d had to endure. Like my mother’s death, the consequences he’d faced had been a turning point in his life.

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >109

Advertisement
The Architect (Nashville Neighborhood #3) Read Online Nikki Sloane http://www.wownovels.com/the-architect-nashville-neighborhood-3-read-online-nikki-sloane Sun, 28 Feb 2021 09:51:30 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/the-architect-nashville-neighborhood-3-read-online-nikki-sloane Genre: Alpha Male, BDSM, Erotic, Romance Authors: Nikki Sloane Series: Nashville Neighborhood Series by Nikki Sloane
Advertisement

Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 110201 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 551(@200wpm)___ 441(@250wpm)___ 367(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >118

Read Online Books/Novels:	The Architect (Nashville Neighborhood #3)
Author/Writer of Book/Novel:	Nikki Sloane
Language:	English
ISBN/ ASIN:	B08F4KNZJV
Book Information:
On the surface, my new boyfriend is a stiff, buttoned-up architect. He plans every detail of his life while carefully maintaining the walls he’s built around his heart. But when the biggest project of his career pulls him away, Clay’s solution is both temporary and unconventional. It even comes with a name—Travis. This handsome stranger is sweet and thoughtful. He’s only meant to be a stand-in, to fulfill my needs under Clay’s watchful direction, yet these two men couldn’t be more different. The one thing they share? Well, I guess that would be me. One gets off on my pain, the other on my pleasure, and it awakens a desire none of us knew existed. But it can’t last. Eventually I’ll have to choose. And it’s going to destroy us all.
Books in Series:	Nashville Neighborhood Series by Nikki Sloane
Books by Author:	Nikki Sloane

ONE

A loud, insistent banging came from my front door, caused by an angry fist, and I froze.

First of all, it was dark and pouring rain outside. There wasn’t an overhang or porch to cover whoever was knocking on my door. And second . . . what the actual fuck? I lived in the guest quarters behind my parents’ house, and their property was surrounded by a fence.

So, I didn’t get visitors. Anyone coming here would go to the main house first.

It meant the owner of the fist pounding on my door in the dead of night—and during a storm—had come onto my family’s property without permission.

Every hair on my body stood at attention with alarm.

“Lilith?” a male voice asked, sounding urgent. “Are you home? It’s Clay Crandall from next door. I need your help.”

Like the snap of a pair of fingers, the tension in my body shifted and I couldn’t get my door open fast enough.

He stood on the concrete path with his head tipped down to keep the worst of the rain from falling into his eyes. He was drenched, and the water molded his clothes to his body, showing off every perfect inch of him. Clay was in his late thirties, meaning he was at least ten years older than I was . . . and exactly the type of guy I preferred.

Jesus, he was so fucking hot. Even with anxiety stricken across his face.

I stood stock-still with one hand on the doorknob, ignoring the rain splattering my legs, and gawked at him. Behind his dark-rimmed glasses, his eyes were the same shade of brown his hair was when wet, as it currently was. He was fit and toned, and had a body made for sex. The kind I was sure could turn a smart girl like me stupid.

Which it had, because I hadn’t invited him in to get out of the rain. I stepped back and gestured inside. “Come on in. What’s going on?”

He shook his head. “No, I—” He struggled to find the words. “You’re a veterinarian, right?”

“No, I’m a technician.” It wasn’t the first time someone had made that assumption. I was more like a nurse, who assisted the doctors at the animal hospital where I worked.

But this answer must have been close enough because he nodded and backed up, urging me to follow him out into the storm. “I need your help . . . at my house.”

There was something odd about the way he’d said it. His voice was full of discomfort, like he was reluctant. Or perhaps he was shy.

I’d only had one conversation with my next-door neighbor since he’d moved in more than a year ago. Once he put up his curtains, I never saw him again. The guy was rarely home, and when he was, he stayed hidden. The rest of our neighbors were friendly and chatty, or nosy, or all of the above. Everyone knew each other’s business. But Clay?

He was a ghost.

No one came by to see him. There weren’t visiting cars parked in his driveway or the street beside his house, not even on holidays. A lawn service took care of his yard.

My mother joked he was probably a serial killer.

No way. He was too good looking for me to believe that, even when I knew serial killers could be attractive.

I put my hand up to shield the rain from my face. It was a feeble attempt to save my eye makeup as I tried to dart out into the storm, but his hand came up to stop me.

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >118

Advertisement
The Pool Boy Read online Nikki Sloane (Nashville Neighborhood #2) http://www.wownovels.com/the-pool-boy-2-read-online-nikki-sloane Mon, 08 Jun 2020 13:57:33 +0000 http://www.test123.demo2.xyz/the-pool-boy-2-read-online-nikki-sloane Genre: Contemporary, Erotic, Romance Authors: Nikki Sloane Series: Nashville Neighborhood Series by Nikki Sloane
Advertisement

Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 88955 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >95

Read Online Books/Novels:	The Pool Boy (Nashville Neighborhood #2)
Author/Writer of Book/Novel:	Nikki Sloane
Language:	English
ISBN/ ASIN:	B084T4K3SH
Book Information:
Nothing says happy birthday like catching your husband in a compromising position with his boss. His male boss. Why, hello, midlife crisis. I’m starting over, but this time I’m doing it right. Or at least I’m doing what I want. Taking the day off from work to hang out poolside? Yup. Do I leave the swimsuit in my house? Sure. Does my very hot, twenty-something pool boy happen to catch me naked? Oh, yeah, he does. And he likes what he sees… a lot. My best friend keeps telling me to have a fling and get back out there. But I’m not so sure she meant for me to do it with her son.
Books in Series:	Nashville Neighborhood Series by Nikki Sloane
Books by Author:	Nikki Sloane

ONE

Erika

When Clark’s phone rang, his gaze flicked to mine. It was loud in the trendy restaurant, and his phone was on silent, but it rested face down on the table, so I could feel the vibration of it through my elbows planted on the tabletop.

He flipped it over and glanced at the screen, and he didn’t have to say anything for me to know who was calling. His hesitant expression announced it was his boss, Derrick, and the software upgrade his company was rolling out was not going well.

I pressed my lips together to hold in my disappointment. We’d known for weeks going out tonight would be risky. Clark had been a programmer for Hale Banking and Holding Company long before we’d met and gotten married, and never once had an upgrade gone off without a hitch.

“It’s okay,” I said, pushing out a smile. “At least we made it through most of dinner.”

He shot me an apologetic look as he stood and snatched up his phone. It was too loud in here, so he’d take the call outside. “Maybe they just have a question.”

I quirked my eyebrow and tilted my head to let him know I thought he was dreaming. It seemed like the Nashville branch of HBHC couldn’t run without him. I’d joked more than once that Derrick was his work husband and saw Clark far more often than I did. Processing servers were always going down, or a single error in a line of code would cause a massive issue, requiring him at all hours of the day.

Even on special nights like this one.

He wasn’t outside long, and when he came back to the table, he didn’t sit. “They, uh . . . need me to come in.”

Of course they do, I wanted to snap.

My husband was an attractive man. He worked out three times a week with a trainer, had a handsome face, and took pride in his appearance. But I couldn’t look at him, too frustrated with the situation. Instead, I stared at the remainder of the steak I’d ordered for dinner.

“Hopefully it won’t take long,” he added. “But I’m really sorry.”

“It’s okay,” I lied, and forced brightness into my voice. “I’ll take an Uber and see you at home. Good luck with the system.”

“Thanks.” He leaned down and dropped a quick kiss on my forehead. “Happy birthday, Erika.”

That was what he left me with. No I love you or a kiss containing a speck of passion. I shouldn’t have been surprised. My husband had never been affectionate, and over the last few years, his sex drive had faded to nothing—right as mine had ramped up to the max. Once the desire for me had gone, it seemed unlikely it’d ever come back.

Not unless I did something drastic.

I stared across the long, narrow dining room, wrapped with exposed brick, and considered my options. It meant I was deep in thought when the waiter appeared at the tableside and gestured to Clark’s plate.

“Do you know if he’s finished? Should I get these plates out of the way?”

“Yes, he’s done,” I said. “He had to go.”

The man slowed as he collected the dish. “Oh. The gentleman said it was your birthday and ordered dessert. We were going to sing.” He delivered an amused smile. “You still want that? Our voices aren’t great, but our chocolate cake is.”

I shook my head. “Oh, no, thank you.”

He gathered the silverware and stacked it on the plates, resting in the crook of his arm. “You sure? You only turn twenty-one once.”

When he winked, it was playful and harmless, and I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Oh? And what about forty-two?”

He blinked in surprise, then looked at me dubiously. “No way.” He shook his head. “Wow. No lie. I would have guessed early thirties at the most.”

Warmth bloomed inside me. It was nice to hear, and he’d seemed genuine. “Thank you.”

I’d been blessed with both good genes and a mother who believed her children weren’t allowed to see the sun until she’d applied sunscreen to every inch of them. I looked young. My boss, Ardy, referred to me as “kid,” even though he was just ten years older than I was.

But he also called nearly everyone “kid.”

It also helped that over the last year, I’d gotten in the best shape of my life. I’d been focused to hit my goal by my next birthday, and this morning in the gym, I’d stepped up to the pullup bar and knocked out ten chin-ups without assistance.

So, tonight wasn’t about turning a year older so much as it was a celebration of a year of hard work and determination.

The waiter brought me the chocolate cake anyway, but he was smart enough to put it in a take-home box. “In case you change your mind. Happy birthday.”

I hadn’t had sweets in forever, and as I stared at the white box, I was suddenly grateful. Clark probably wouldn’t be home until the middle of the night, and a slice of cake would be a nice consolation prize.

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >95

Read Online Books/Novels:

The Temptation (Filthy Rich Americans #5)

Author/Writer of Book/Novel:

English

B09BBNTTJD

Read Online Books/Novels:

The Architect (Nashville Neighborhood #3)

Author/Writer of Book/Novel:

English

B08F4KNZJV

Read Online Books/Novels:

The Pool Boy (Nashville Neighborhood #2)

Author/Writer of Book/Novel:

English

B084T4K3SH