Husband With Benefits
Nora is shattered a month before her wedding when she uncovers her fiancé's deceitful affair. As she manages this betrayal, she discovers a deep ploy to hinder her from claiming her rightful inheritance. Devastated but determined, Nora takes a daring step to regain control of her life. Enter Demetri 'The Demon' to those who know him, a formidable man barely known to her, who offers her protection and support in return for a contract marriage to satisfy him. In a twist of fate, Nora marries Demetri to claim her inheritance and fight those who plotted against her. But as she battles her own family and Demetri's many rivals, will she be able to keep from falling for the man known to crush people beneath his booted heel. Excerpt: She had forgotten that the man was intimidating and directly challenged him. Rather than speaking, Demetri rose from his seat and approached her deliberately. Although it was a mere few steps, time seemed to stretch for Nora. When he was almost within touching distance, his hand gently landed on her knee, moving it sideways. His touch moved with a hint of a caress, and he stepped between her open legs. Nora sat there in frozen silence, her eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights. Catching her chin between his fingers, he tilted her face upwards and spoke unhurriedly," You are my wife." She nodded her head slowly in affirmation while his thumb slowly traced her lip. "I have given you time to gather your emotions." Another nod. Nora's nervousness made her lick her lips, acutely aware of his intense gaze fixed upon them. "Your reason for the marriage was to secure your inheritance and get away from under your mother's thumb." "Yes..." Nora whispered in confusion. Her confusion was not about his statement but about the bewildering sensations coursing through her. What was happening with her? "It's time for you to fulfil your end of the contract, yes?" He continued. "Yes," Nora whispered breathlessly. Why was she breathless? Had the oxygen level in the house dropped? Was the air suddenly thinning? Abruptly, his hand left her face, and she watched as he drew closer. It was then that Nora comprehended what was unfolding. All those tantalizing, heart-pounding kisses she had read about in novels were about to possibly become her reality. But the anticipated kiss didn't happen. Instead, he paused near her and commanded, "Kiss me."
Surprise
Autumn was in a bad mood. And that wasn't all. The worst part was she didn't know why she felt this way. The three women-Nora, Evana and Isabella had come to visit were extremely friendly to her, Arabelle, and Gabe. Even though they had shown up without warning, they brought lots of food and gifts for Arabelle, much to Arabelle's delight and 'to not be a bother' to her. The thing she had feared—that they would be snooty and stuck-up—had not happened. There had been an odd moment when Arabelle had introduced herself but she hadn't been able to make that out.
Yet, she still felt unhappy with them. As she put away the dinnerware that Gabe and Isabella had washed and dried, she realized she felt envious of the easy camaraderie these women shared with Gabe. It was a sobering realization to understand that while she had started to consider her husband as her friend, she was not his only friend. All his sisters-in-law were his friends too.