Aliyah Burke – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read

Aliyah Burke – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.books2020.com Fri, 03 Apr 2026 23:14:53 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 http://www.books2020.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/favicon.png Aliyah Burke – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.books2020.com 32 32 Another Try – Shields and Sins Read Online Aliyah Burke http://www.books2020.com/another-try-shields-and-sins-read-online-aliyah-burke Fri, 03 Apr 2026 23:14:53 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/another-try-shields-and-sins-read-online-aliyah-burke Genre: Alpha Male, Suspense Authors: Aliyah Burke Advertisement

Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 55606 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 278(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)

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FROM BESTSELLING ROMANCE AUTHOR ALIYAH BURKE

Book two in the Shields and Sins series

The better part of valor is often to run.

Jasmine "Smoke" Hoyer has decided it’s safer to run than to fight. Keep her head down and keep it moving. No attachments. No feelings.

Once so deep undercover that the lines between right and wrong had been blurred, she now trusts no one but herself. She’s drawn back into the world of espionage when her past catches up to her.

Lance Baldwin is no stranger to the twists of fate, years of undercover work suddenly hinges on the cooperation of a woman he once wished he would never lay eyes upon again. This case has plunged him in deeper than anything he’d done before. Double crosses, murders, attacks, safe houses being leaked, all lead to one conclusion. There is a mole.

Their forced proximity leads to eye-opening revelations and unquenchable passion. The fragile, budding trust is tested when he has to decide whose side he’s on. Will they still have a shot once the bullets stop flying and the truth is exposed or will it be shattered into pieces?

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

Chapter One

The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places. ~Ernest Hemingway

San Diego

The sun beat down on him without mercy and one-time decorated Detective Lance Baldwin of the Atlanta PD—now undercover lowlife, mob errand boy rising up the ranks as Lance Beckner—wiped the sweat off his brow and lifted the brown bottle to his lips and drank. The beer wasn’t even cold any longer and he was so close to spitting it out and demanding another. Why? Because that’s what his asshole persona would do.

Day in and day out he’d spiraled down further and further until it had gotten to the point of did he even recognize himself in the mornings when he stood in front of the mirror? His Italian silk suits may remain but he wasn’t remotely close to the man he’d been a year and a half ago when he’d been tapped for this assignment.

And on the few rare moments he was honest with himself, he didn’t think he ever would be again. All he knew was he needed to get out of here and back to his life.

A hand smacked him hard on the back and he didn’t even grunt, aware that was what Michel Jankovic was going for.

The asshole lowered his bulk to the outdoor stool beside Lance and waved for a drink.

“Something happen for you to come seek me out on my time off?” He didn’t get a lot of it and guarded it like a dragon and their treasure.

“Actually, Lance, your time is mine. If you have me on your ass for the next month, you’ll accept it and do so with a goddamn smile.”

Lance put down the bottle and shook his head and he slid from the stool onto his feet. “Wrong. I put up with you showing up on my ass like this purely because I work for your father. Even your old man figures I deserve some time. I mean, how am I supposed to get some pussy when I have your fucking ugly mug shadowing my ass? I don’t do threesomes and you’re definitely not my type.”

Michel didn’t appear all that dissuaded by his soliloquy. He belched and scratched his chest.

“Can’t see at all why having you like a fucking anchor around my neck would hurt. Fuck, you can’t even dress up to respect your father. I’m not looking for a five-dollar whore. I have more class than that and don’t need to spend my days in line at the free clinic getting checked to make sure I’m disease free.”

Lance pulled out a wad of money from his pocket, ripped off two bills, caught the bartender’s gaze and dropped them down. The man nodded at him but didn’t approach. In fact, he continued his conversation with another man.

“Leave me the fuck alone, Michel. I need to get laid with my woman and I’m not offering up classes on how to make sure your partner is satisfied or how to be more than a three-pumper.”

Michel glared. “My women are satisfied.”

Lance leaned close, anger tinging his tone. “You don’t fuck women, you go after children. They can’t speak for themselves.” He inched nearer yet, daring the man to reach for him. “And if they could, they would tell you to stop.”

He spun away, only to pause when a bearpaw clamped down on his arm. Michel was back in his face.

“You don’t approve but you work for my father.”

“Money is one thing but no, I don’t see any reason to fuck a child when there are plenty of women who would even look past your lack of everything because you have money.” He pushed his finger in Jankovic’s chest. “Do not grab me again.”

Lance walked off, aware he was making himself a target, inviting Michel to attack. When the attack didn’t happen he was almost equal parts surprised and not at the result. Michel was a hothead and was well-known for losing his temper and beating people into little balls of pulp. Or having his bodyguards do it for him.

However he was also, and rightfully so, scared to fucking death of his old man. Lance had busted his ass to get to where he was. He hated it. And did so with every fiber of his being, but he had a job to do and he was going to continue doing it so he could bring this human trafficking empire down.

Burn it so not a single person in the family would ever think they could get away with it again in their life. Instill the fear of God, or the Devil, into them and make them shiver whenever his name was whispered.

A couple of blocks later he walked up to a different bar and ordered a drink. Nodding at the bartender, he made his way to one of the outdoor tables and took a seat beneath the brightly colored umbrella.

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Advertisement Frosted Hearts & Fiery Souls Read Online Aliyah Burke http://www.books2020.com/frosted-hearts-fiery-souls-read-online-aliyah-burke Sun, 01 Feb 2026 09:22:43 +0000 https://www.books2020.com/frosted-hearts-fiery-souls-read-online-aliyah-burke Genre: Alpha Male, Insta-Love Authors: Aliyah Burke Advertisement

Total pages in book: 18
Estimated words: 16661 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 83(@200wpm)___ 67(@250wpm)___ 56(@300wpm)

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A broken-down truck, a curvy librarian, and an ex-soldier who falls hard.

Vivyan Souza, is a level-headed, plus-sized librarian traveling to Sander's Point to help update the local library’s technology systems. But a severe blizzard slows her journey and has her ignoring her father's advice when she pulls over to help a stranded motorist. A large, bearded man with intense sapphire blue eyes who makes her rethink her stance in love at first sight.

Ronan Milo, a military veteran was expecting to spend the blizzard in his truck and praying he survived until a woman stopped and offered him a ride. Attraction to the shy woman who doesn't seem to see her own worth hit him fast and hard. Instantly he knows this...she is his future.

Ronan knows he found his one and is determined to get her to realize they were meant to be, but his angel—what he calls her—is hesitant, unsure of her own worth. Will this fiery forced proximity lead to the everlasting love Vivyan has only read about in books, or will their intense moment vanish once the snowplows clear the road?

This storm might just bring them the love they’ve both been searching for.

This short read is MF with a guaranteed HEA.
Tropes for Frosted Hearts & Fiery Souls include – Small Town, Ex-military, Blue Collar, Bad boy, Curvy, Forced Proximity, Stranded Together, Librarian, He Falls First

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

Chapter 1

Adjusting her wipers to a higher speed, Vivyan Souza worried her lower lip as the snow continued to slam into her windshield even though she felt like she made her way down the interstate at a crawl. If she was lucky.

“This is what I get for agreeing to head out to a different town to help them set up that library.”

She checked the rearview and wasn’t exactly surprised to see no lights behind her. Only foolish people were on the road in weather like this. Explains so much as to why I’m here. For three heartbeats, she focused on her expression, noting the exhaustion on her dark face, the circles beneath her rich brown eyes.

“At least I can sleep once I get to the hotel.” When the weather had turned crappy so fast, she’d called the hotel, confirming they would hold her reservation until she got there, being as the weather would delay her.

Rolling her shoulders, she focused back on the road. The sun would be setting in a few short moments, not that the ball in the sky was currently offering a lot of light, given the heaviness of the falling snow. But once it did set, the world would be even darker and far more dangerous to be out on the road. The temperature would drop even faster and the slight thawing of snow from the heat of the vehicles would ice over in mere moments, making it no better than a skating rink.

Ahead, a flicker of reddish orange snuck through the haze of white.

What the hell? More flickers and it hit her what she was seeing.

Flares. An alert.

Vivyan eased off the accelerator on her 2001 Nissan Pathfinder, because she wasn’t entirely sure what she was going to run up upon. This wasn’t the kind of weather that boded well for anyone who slammed on the brakes. The flares flickered and struggled in the accumulating snow for visibility but whomever set them down had done plenty.

Smart of them.

Every instinct she had told her to go ahead and keep moving. It was dangerous to stop for strangers in this day and age. So much crazy and hate out there, seemingly getting worse as the days went by. But, her mother, a loving and caring woman until the day she passed from this world to the next, would have stopped, no matter what. Especially in weather like this.

And so it was her mother’s voice in her mind that had her pulling off the road behind the pickup. A Chevy, newer model, electric blue in hue.

If it were warmer, she would have popped out and offered to take a look. The driver’s door opened and her gut tightened as a large—and she meant large—bearded man stepped out. Dark blue jeans, window pane brown flannel with what looked like red in there as well, but she couldn’t tell positively because of the whipping snow.

Her mother’s words were drowned out by her father’s, “Never stop, baby girl, it’s too dangerous and I don’t want to lose you like I did your mother. The world has changed and so many will see nothing beyond the color of your skin and that you’re a woman.”

She understood his fear but dang it, her mother’s words were now, as they’d always been, a strong force within her. Dad had taught her how to fix cars. She had put herself through college by working as a mechanic, it hadn’t been her calling, not like her love of books which had gotten her to pursue getting her masters in library science. But she’d been good at it, very good.

He tugged the brim of his worn baseball cap down, to hide his eyes or protect them from the blowing snow, she wasn’t sure. The man checked both ways before striding toward her.

For the space of a few seconds, she flexed her fingers over the gearshift, her father’s words telling her to shift into gear while her mother’s were reminding her to be a better person. Instead of leaving, she turned the heater up higher, preempting his need for warmth when he got out of the cold and hers after she got back in from stepping out.

The man didn’t get smaller the closer he came, quite the opposite. Shoulders were broader than she had first thought. Shifting her legs closer together as a rush of heat hit her, she whimpered with longing.

What is wrong with me?

This wasn’t her. She didn’t get crazy over a man merely from a look. Instalust was something that happened in books, not her life. She was level headed, understanding that kind of thing didn’t happen to her as a plus-sized woman. Men, if they spoke to her, weren’t interested in her in a sexual manner. It had been years, far more than she wanted to reflect on, since she’d found pleasure other than by her own hand.

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Advertisement Finding His Way – The Protetors Read Online Aliyah Burke http://www.books2020.com/finding-his-way-the-protetors-read-online-aliyah-burke Mon, 21 Apr 2025 22:18:55 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/finding-his-way-the-protetors-read-online-aliyah-burke Genre: Alpha Male Authors: Aliyah Burke Advertisement

Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 27756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 139(@200wpm)___ 111(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)

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He prided himself on his control…until her.

Jeremy Ruscino spends his days in the jungle, finding those who wandered to far off their path. As a member of The Protetors SAR group, his life is about control. An Amur leopard, far from home, he also takes dangerous retrieval jobs of another sort to keep his beast from going rogue.
All of that changes the moment he learns an acquaintance of his has been taken.

Detective Dianna Levitt could say she's had better days. A case having been tossed on it's side, ends up with her kidnapped and out of the country. Her rescue comes in the form of a man whom she'd enjoyed for a blissful twenty-four hours but never forgot.
Giving in to what his cat has been telling him from the beginning, he sets out to make her understand they are meant to be.

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

Chapter 1

Miami

The light at the far end of the street flickered, obviously on its last leg. The overwhelming stench of piss and alcohol permeated the air. No dumpsters for anyone to hide behind, no doorways, not much of anything.

The Crown Vic that rolled into the area did so in the manner of a dark wraith, silent and sneaky without flashing lights or screaming sirens. The tires rotated over the pavement, making tiny snaps and pops on the small rocks and trash.

It parked, idling, while both front doors opened and two figures stepped from the interior. The humid air clinging to each of them in the manner of a wayward dryer sheet to the inside of a sleeve. Each person held a Glock as they made their way to the front of the car.

“Where are they?”

The woman’s voice was low and tense. She shifted her weight and slid to the left, eyes moving methodically, not sporadically or frantic, but with a measure of calm that had come from years of experience.

The man with her, shrugged and pointed toward the end of the alley without saying a single word. She sneered without a word, her partner was useless. A slight acidic breeze curved around them, ruffling the thinning hair and ill-fitting cut of his dress shirt. A tie and suit coat long having been relegated to the backseat of the car. His gut, once tight and flat now pressed against the buttons, straining their sturdiness. A hawkish nose took up the majority of his feature’s focus.

With a low growl of frustration, the woman took point and headed away from the car, gun ready to fire if needed. She hated this part, the not knowing but it all came with the damn job. And she was brilliant at it. Nope, not bragging, simply a fact.

The silence of the area was broken up by the revving of a powerful engine. Whipping around, the woman lifted her gun to fire and got off two shots at the car that ran her down, tossing her up over the hood of the sedan to slam into the windshield, rendering her unconscious. No sign of the partner who’d been with her.

Brake lights lit up the liquid on the asphalt ever so briefly. The driver got out and rushed to the prone body and checked for a pulse, then lifted her up and dropped her over his shoulder with zero care. The jarring hits had knocked her bun down and a waterfall of micro-braids fell around her face as she was carried and deposited without ceremony in the trunk.

The man was in such a rush to get out of there, he didn’t notice—or care—about the badge and holder that lay open on the ground. The yellowish light from a nearby pole highlighted it as the flickers continued. A steady rain started and the drops splashed on the plastic holder covering both the badge as well as the identification and ran down between the letters of the name there.

Detective Dianna Levitt.

* * *

Two months later, Khasansky District

“Would it kill you to pick up your fucking phone any one of the first five times I called?”

Jeremy Ruscino shrugged even though the man on the other end, Lando Vargas, couldn’t see him as they were on different continents. Pushing a hand through his shaggy dark blond hair, Jeremy braced a shoulder against the tree as he stared out over the area. Sparse and barren in this wintery weather, he continued to search for what he sought.

“Been busy.” The wind shifted and he lifted his face into the breeze, both for a wake up call, the freezing wind and snow would help with that and to ensure he was still safe. This area was not one he should ever not be aware in. Not that he was caught unaware, his cat made sure, even if he was occupied with something else to keep its senses open. He shifted his weight against the trunk, the rough bark not bothering him in the slightest.

“Thought we were all taking some time off.”

Did he detect reprimand in the man’s tone? Yes, yes he definitely had. Didn’t matter that Lando could shift into a four hundred and fifty pound black jaguar. The man wasn’t his alpha. In fact, no one was. He worked with Lando purely because he respected him, end of story. Not because there existed some sort of misguided loyalty to the shifter.

Well, perhaps there was some, for he would go through hell for the man if he asked. Heck, he’d do it for any of the small group he worked with. A surprising shock, in all actuality, given how much of a loner he was, but these guys were worth his loyalty. All four of them. They were his second family.

“I am taking time off…from Search and Rescue.”

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Advertisement That Fateful Ride Read Online Aliyah Burke http://www.books2020.com/that-fateful-ride-read-online-aliyah-burke Thu, 17 Apr 2025 13:13:17 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/that-fateful-ride-read-online-aliyah-burke Genre: Alpha Male Authors: Aliyah Burke Advertisement

Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 35908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 180(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)

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The Nebraskan Territory is a harsh place and yet love finds a way to bloom; still, Cy has to fight to keep the woman who has stolen his heart.

Rebecca Freeman assumes her brother's identity and rides for the Pony Express. She thinks she's ready, not counting on Cy Spencer or her attraction for him. Cy is the station manager for a stop along the route. Discovering one of the riders is really a she; they strike a deal for his silence, and grow closer every day.

Soon it doesn't matter how wrong it was for them to be together. When her brother returns, can Cy let her go? Or will he put everything on the line to find the woman who came to him on that fateful ride?

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

Chapter 1

1860, Nebraska Territory

“I have to do this, Mama,” Rebecca Freeman insisted. She never paused in hefting the heavy saddle to settle upon the back of her dun gelding, Polaris. Hot dry air flowed over her as the wind picked up, swirling and sending up little dust cyclones and bringing the smell of baked earth to her nose. She blinked a few times, doing her best to keep the dirt from stinging her eyes.

“You’re a girl who’s got no business riding there.” The disapproval was so strong she could taste it. “None!”

Rebecca sighed and flipped up the stirrup to settle upon the seat. She understood the hesitation and reluctance. Heck, she had her own amount of it, but none of that mattered.

“Mama, I have to. We have no choice. We need the money. Robert’s laid up with his injuries. I can do this. They’ll never know.” She refused to budge an inch. This was something she could handle.

Full lips flattened with annoyance and a healthy bit of concern. “You get caught and you’ll be wishin’ you was dead. We can figure something out. Stay home and take in more washing.”

Her mama spoke a hard truth and she didn’t want to think about how much it worried her. best not to imagine what it would be like to be discovered as a lone woman without any protection. Especially one of her skin color.

Cinch tightened, she patted Polaris on the neck as she dropped the stirrup back down and went to stand before her mama. Sally Freeman was a tall beautiful woman who had seen more than her share of difficulties. She could cook a mean meal out of next to nothing or shoot the wings off a fly if she so chose.

She was intimidating and a hard woman to live with as a mother. Still, she’d not raised any wallflower, but a proud young Black woman, so Rebecca lifted her chin and held her mother’s sharp gaze, ignoring the dirt and grit whipping around them.

An omen.

A bad one if she was to believe the stories.

“I won’t get caught. I ride and shoot better than Robert. Besides, I can’t take in extra washing, it won’t do enough.” She didn’t point out that her mother knew that. They both knew additional washing wasn’t going to compare to his wages they would be losing out on.

Her mama scowled and crossed her arms. Acceptance slowly pushed into her stare. “You come back in and let me fix yer hair. You done gone and made a mess of it.”

She nodded and dutifully followed her back inside their small house. It was as much of a blessing as she’d get. It wasn’t much of a reprieve for what was coming next, her mother worked fast. Once her hair had been fixed and wrapped along with her breasts, she peeked in on her brother. Shallow, rasped breaths filled the room and she blinked back tears as she kissed him on the head.

“Stay alive, Robert.”

“Becca,” he said on a graveled, pain-filled voice. “You can’t. I changed my mind. It’s too dangerous.”

“I know the trail and the oath. I can do this. I am doing this.” One final kiss and she headed out. Her mother waited by the door and handed her a small bag.

They exchanged no hugs or words. Rebecca stepped back outside and did her best to ignore the pile of thick black locks, which lay on the hard packed dirt fluttering around courtesy of the wind. There was no reason to have cut it inside where her mother would have to sweep it up. All the housekeeping would fall on her as well as everything else.

Guilt swamped her and she squeezed her eyes shut one more time. When she looked again, most of her cut hair had blown away.

It was a sign. Another one. However, this one was one she couldn’t ignore.

The loss of innocence. The changing of times and it unsettled her.

By Polaris, she adjusted the red neck cloth as Robert always wore. She preferred blue, but from this moment on, she was no longer Rebecca Freeman. Now she was Robert Freeman.

Resting her head on Polaris’ shoulder for a moment, she took a fortifying breath. Gathering his reins in one hand, she swung up with considerable ease into the saddle and rode off towards the station to await her first pickup. She spared no looks back. Robert wouldn’t, so neither would she. Robert typically rode out of the Buffalo Creek Station, one past the one she headed toward.

She had gone to the station before and had met the station master, Ethan Wilson. A crotchety yet fair old man, which was all that mattered to her. He’d never paid her much mind before and that was going to work in her favor. It took her a good while to get there. Once she arrived, she tied Polaris in some welcome shade and headed up the wooden sidewalk to the door. At the last minute, she remembered Robert walked heavier than she did and so she stomped a bit harder, ensuring to jangle her spurs.

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Advertisement His Unwanted Temptation – Heart’s Compass Read Online Aliyah Burke http://www.books2020.com/his-unwanted-temptation-hearts-compass-read-online-aliyah-burke Wed, 25 Dec 2024 21:49:48 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/his-unwanted-temptation-hearts-compass-read-online-aliyah-burke Genre: Alpha Male Authors: Aliyah Burke Advertisement

Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 82367 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >87

There are times that the unwanted, is what’s desired most of all.

Rake Brenden St.
Martin, known as Bryn to friends and family, doesn’t much care for the rules of London society. Many call him “The Mutt” when his back is turned yet to his
face act honorable and friendly. He discovers his plans to return to America are suddenly in question when he meets a young woman, his opposite in every way, who immediately calls to his protective side. And his possessive side.

Curvaceous wallflower Rosamunde Fletcher is a disappointment to her family, and they never let her forget it. Wishing to make a difference other than as the daughter of a member of peerage, she tries to help where she can, but it isn’t easy when her own family is putting on airs to fool their peers. To save the family from financial ruin, her father arranges a marriage for her to an unknown man.
Determined to find one bit of happiness and excitement before the life-changing event, she strikes a bargain with Bryn. He will teach her brother to box, and
he, well, he will assist her in her quest to find a man for her to experience passion in the bedroom with. However, the more time she spends with Bryn, the more she learns he is the one, the only one, she wants.

The agreement? Foolish. Bryn shouldn’t have done it, but he isn’t able to say no to her and wants to do whatever necessary to make her smile. Before long he is questioning his own feelings because simply being friends is no enough anymore, he wants so much more, and soon he will have to make a decision that might change both of their lives.

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

Chapter One

Her lungs were in a vise, and they burned. Ironic really, given how freezing the temperature in the room was. Rosamunde lay in her bed for a moment longer wishing summer had arrived. Anything but this bone-chilling cold. Remaining burrowed beneath her thick blankets, she gave herself a mental shake.

As bad as I have it, I’m not as bad off as those women and children on the streets.

Shame flushed through her even as she tugged the heavy bedding up over her face, desperate to retain the minute bit of warmth she had. And to stop seeing her breath on the air. She had to get up, take care of her morning ablutions and dress in layers. At least it would be warmer downstairs.

Bitterness chased the shame and she sneered. Her father, always about putting on a front for those members of peerage. Not that they stopped by to visit, no, her father would go meet them at clubs. Where it was warm and opulent.

Even so, she didn’t want to leave the comfort of her bed. Kind of comfortable. The mattress was well used and heck, she even had extra drapes that were layered over her, adding to the heat. Not on top, that wasn’t something her mother could find out. Not that the woman would lower herself to come to her middle child’s room. But if a rumor of Rosamunde doing such a thing ever got out, she would feel the woman’s wrath for a long time.

Especially when I’m such a massive disappointment.

Massive in multiple ways if one were to believe her parents. And, she did, as she’d heard the disparaging remarks her entire life. How fat she was. How stupid. Useless. A waste of space. And those were the nicer ones.

Clenching her jaw against the chill she knew wasn’t avoidable, Rosamunde tossed back the heaped forms of bedding and hopped out of bed.

“Eep.” The room was colder than she’d anticipated, despite having seen her breath. Normally she was prepared for the shock of the cold but not this morning. Her entire body shook as she stripped off the heavy woolen dress she slept in for additional heat. Standing by the bowl on her large faded and chipped armoire, she lifted the small wooden hammer she had there and tried to break the layer of ice covering her cleansing water. When she realized it was a futile attempt to make a decent sized hole, she did the best she could.

By now she was a professional at this and washed quickly before dressing in layers. Not as warm as she had been, but again, she was on her way to the main floor where there would be a fire in the grate.

Propelled ahead by the thought of not freezing, she hurried out of her room and to the stairs. A third of the way down the dingy—when she had been younger, it was always highly polished— staircase, her threadbare footwear caught on an exposed edge of wood.

Pitching forward, she muffled her scream of surprise and threw out her hands, searching for something to save her. The railing did. Tears sprang to her eyes at the lancing pain of a wooden sliver shoving deep into her palm.

“Are you okay, milady?”

Startled and a bit embarrassed anyone had witnessed that incident, she lifted her chin and gave the older gentleman—one of the few members they still had on staff, the butler and her father’s valet—a small smile. Hiding her injured hand behind her back, she followed that up with a wobbled nod.

“Good morning, Richards. I guess I’m a bit of a bumbler this morning.” With as much grace as she could manage, she navigated the reminder of the stairs.

He gave her a nod and carried on his way. Opening her palm, she winced at the blood pooling there. She had never been a fan. Unwilling to head back up to the frozen northland of her room, she continued toward the sitting room where there would be a bit of warmth, so if her father got any visitors it wouldn’t take long to fill the room with enough heat to maintain that illusion he desperately sought.

Stomach growling, she worried her lower lip in her teeth before sighing with resignation. She needed to eat something. Bypassing the sitting room, she headed for the dining room and took a fortifying breath before entering.

Her mother, the viscountess, sat in her usual spot, her mug of tea piping hot, as evidenced by the steam curling up from it in a warm, beckoning tease.

Cool blue eyes, not the same as hers, no, Rosamunde had her grandmother’s green eyes, lifted as the typical sneer unfolded across her face when she realized who was before her. A familiar thought of why she didn’t have any of her mother’s features dashed ever so briefly though her mind.

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Advertisement Come Fly With Me – The Protetors Read Online Aliyah Burke http://www.books2020.com/come-fly-with-me-the-protetors-read-online-aliyah-burke Fri, 06 Dec 2024 20:23:01 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/come-fly-with-me-the-protetors-read-online-aliyah-burke Genre: Alpha Male Authors: Aliyah Burke Advertisement

Total pages in book: 13
Estimated words: 11713 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 59(@200wpm)___ 47(@250wpm)___ 39(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 >13

Age is just a number and he's determined to get her to realize that.

Jo Carlile takes some time for herself, heading down to Belize. As she checks into her hotel, she runs into a man she knows through a friend, who makes her want more than she can have.
Kenan Matos, a falcon shifter, who works in a SAR group is home for some much needed time off. When he sees the one woman he wants more than anything, he turns his time into showing her that even if he is younger than her, it doesn't matter. Not to him and it shouldn't to her either. He is more than man enough to take care of her, for the rest of their lives.

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

Chapter 1

Miami

“I’m sorry, you’re fucking doing what? Going where? When is this?”

With an inaudible groan, Jo Carlile pushed her chair back with one sparkly stars and moon ankle sock, relying on her expertise to stay balanced and not crack open her skull on the cement floor of her home office. The air around her, cool, courtesy of the air conditioning flowing through the vents. Even so, she wanted to strip down to nothing and let the breeze hit her nakedness.

“Calm down, Selena. I wanted something different this year. Dianna is undercover right now and won’t be done before the holiday. You’re in Brazil. Emily is off in Africa with her man. I don’t want to spend a holiday alone here in Miami. That’s just pathetic.” She did her best to make it sound like a joke, how pathetic it would be but the grunt that met her ears told her it had fallen flat.

“Come to Brazil. You’re family.” The warmth and love flowed over the phone, allowing her, for a singular moment, to imagine they were in the same room. She and her best friend. It wasn’t to be.

But I’m not, not anymore. She blinked away some tears and sighed as she allowed herself to thump forward to the floor. Forcing cheer into her voice, she tried again.

“No, sweetie. I’m going to go off on a grand adventure. I’m heading to Belize and am going to play tourist and let some other schmuck other than myself do a tour. I’m going to go ziplining and find some hot man to shag.”

A grumble of serious irritation. “You can fucking zipline here. You know this.”

Yeah, she did. Rolling her shoulders, she slipped her feet into her four inch heels and stood. “I need to do this, Selena. Things are changing. We have to face that fact.”

“I don’t if I don’t want to.”

Walking across her floor, she flicked the light off, shrouding the office in darkness. Jo didn’t doubt that if they were face to face, Selena would have stomped her foot in pure stubbornness.

This time the smile didn’t have to be forced. “Sweetie, you do. Em is happy and I can’t see her coming back here. She and Dianna still haven’t completely mended their fences. Plus there’s something else going on with Dianna right now that she’s not telling me about.” She went to her kitchen and pulled out a pre prepared meal setting it on the forest green counter top. “No, before you ask, no clue yet but when I figure it out, I’ll let you know. Dianna is just being secretive and for her, that’s like the fucking Fort Knox being tighter on their security.”

“I worry.”

Putting the phone on speaker, she turned for a glass as she gazed at her forest green and soft white kitchen with hints of wine red. It always made her feel like she was in nature. She pulled out her shellacked pink and gold mug with ‘Boss Bitch’ done with onyx black writing. “For what? I’m good. I’m happy in almost every aspect of my life, I’m just needing a break from Miami.”

Slight shuffling. “And your family.”

She shrugged despite Selena being about seven hundred miles from her as the crow flew, not even bothering belabor that point because it was true. Jo took the lid off and slid it in the microwave, setting the timer and moving back to the large island that sometimes had all her friends around it, eating and laughing with her.

Jo had a huge family and while she loved them all, it also meant having a ton of people up in her business and in her life. They’d not been a fan of her heading to Brazil with her friends the first—and subsequent times she’d gone—they definitely weren’t going to be pleased when she called them from the airport that she was heading to Belize.

I’m not dumb enough to tell them before my ass is past security and at my gate. In fact I’ll probably simply wait until I’ve boarded and call them a few minutes before I have to put my phone in plane mode.

Yep, that was a far better plan. The microwave beeped.

Although, there was always a chance her mother would find a way to get past there to her. Five more days and she was gone for a month. A full thirty days of a brand new adventure. Was she saddened her besties couldn’t come? Of course. Would it stop her from going? Hell no.

“How long until you’re back?”

The low tone of her friend broke into her thoughts of how her mother wouldn’t hesitate to storm the airport. Hell, that woman would probably call in a bomb threat or say she was a danger simply to get her ass off the plane.

New plan. Call when she landed in Belize. She had a direct flight and wouldn’t need to call before she landed. Yes, much better.

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Advertisement The Christmas Vow Read Online Aliyah Burke http://www.books2020.com/the-christmas-vow-read-online-aliyah-burke Thu, 21 Nov 2024 13:36:04 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/the-christmas-vow-read-online-aliyah-burke Genre: Alpha Male Authors: Aliyah Burke Advertisement

Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36118 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >39

In a town full of magic, can a parajumper and a woman avoiding her family find the ultimate gift—each other?

Rayla Hunter is in Hallelujah Crossing for two reasons, escape her father’s eye and to find her friend. Embracing Christmas in this 24/7 holiday town isn’t hard and neither is falling for the man they have playing Santa.

Parajumper Jack “Ryker” Owens is used to facing danger, in fact, his job defines it. However, a stop at a small Tennessee town on the hunt for his brother thrusts him in the most dangerous mission yet, love.

One has fallen at first sight, the other is used to being only good enough when there is something to be gained. Once they succumb to the pleasure simmering on the air around them, what happens after realities crash into their bubble? His vow may have been made over Christmas in July but he means it for forever.

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

Chapter 1

July

Hallelujah Crossing, TN

“Oh my God, Santa is fucking hot! I want to sit on his lap. Preferably without clothing and his dick buried deep between my legs as he takes me for a ride. All across the sky. My bed. The floor. I’m not picky.”

Rayla Hunter rolled her eyes as Krissy Mae Corbin, strode into Santa’s Toy Shop wearing some frayed jean shorts and a tank top that showed far more skin than it covered. Her raven black hair fell artfully around tanned shoulders like she’d simply walked out of a salon. More like sashayed because that pageant queen didn’t simply walk. Anywhere.

She didn’t blame her, if she could get away with wearing clothing as Krissy Mae did, she would as well. Sure she could do it now but as she wasn’t about to let her less than flat belly and touching thighs show that much, she was going to be covered.

Hallelujah Crossing was a Christmas town. That’s what it was known for and while this was her first time there, she’d quickly come to love the small town nestled deep within the Smokey Mountains in Tennessee. Was it where she’d expected to end up?

Most definitely not.

But the huge change from DC was enough to keep her in place while drowning in everything Christmas related.

Besides, this is where Grant said he would meet me.

She didn’t have a lot of friends. In fact, she could count on one hand how many she had and have a few fingers left over. She had acquaintances and people who wanted to use her for her parents connection. Grant Brown had been the first person to see her.

For that alone, she would carry his secret and take it to the grave if needed, however, she wanted to see him. Alive. He was doing something dangerous and it scared her that he put himself in danger like that. However, she only had minimal information on his work. He hadn’t wanted to land her in hot water.

Therefore, she accepted the job at Santa’s Toy Shop for their huge Christmas in July celebration. Essentially, she was a gopher. She would run wherever needed, get toys, wrap them, take photos if needed. All the things. Fill in where needed without question. The pay was surprisingly decent for coming from this small rural Tennessee town.

Money wasn’t needed, she was lucky enough to have money and she wasn’t desperate for it, or have the need to live paycheck to paycheck. She knew that it was a privilege denied to most of the country.

So she was here, running errands and dressing up like a holiday decoration.

And I’m okay with that. It allows my brain to not focus on what person is setting me up for something that will, in a space of time, help them no matter the cost to me and my wellbeing. Here, it’s all about the holiday. And honestly, I could use some of that happiness and holiday spirit to calm the storm within.

Did she need to work? Not even close, but the thought of using a card and alerting the parental figures as to her location, or the men who did their work for them, didn’t sit high on her to-do list. Not in the slightest. Ergo, she got a job.

In a large building that looked a lot like many of the one’s in DC during December with the amount of decorations. Only it was July. In Tennessee. And she was sweating. Or would be if not for the AC.

Okay, I’m still sweating.

“Did you hear me?” Krissy Mae paused in front of her, one hand on her hip, eyebrows up in exasperation.

“I think even Santa heard you on that one, Krissy Mae. He’s hot and you want to fuck him. Multiple times and multiple placed.”

Her blue eyes sparkled as she waggled her eyebrows. “And I need that man to take me for a ride, bend me over and make me lose my voice. He’s yummy.”

Rayla shrugged. “Not a word I associate with Santa. Grandfatherly. Sweet. Jolly.” She shook her head wishing she’d taken the time to put her hair up today. Sitting behind a desk didn’t get her this sweaty and despite the air conditioning, she’d been hustling today. “Fuckable. That’s a new one.”

Krissy Mae waggled a finger at her. “Just you wait, hon, you’ll see, and you will think the same as I do. Unless,” she paused canting her head to the left. “Are you into women?”

She jerked back and scowled up at her friend. “What? No! How did you get there?”

“You seem dead set on not finding Santa attractive.”

Blowing a raspberry, she rolled her eyes. “I’m pragmatic. Santa is Santa. A hot man is a hot man. Doesn’t mean because I’m not as excited as you I am playing for the other team.”

Ruby lips pursed. “You’ve been burned by a man before. That’s what this is.” A firm nod which sent her shiny locks sliding over her shoulders. “Honey, all you need is to jump back on that horse.”

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Advertisement Courage Runs Deep – Tungsten Protective Services Read Online Aliyah Burke http://www.books2020.com/courage-runs-deep-tungsten-protective-services-read-online-aliyah-burke Fri, 15 Mar 2024 06:57:22 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/courage-runs-deep-tungsten-protective-services-read-online-aliyah-burke Genre: Alpha Male Authors: Aliyah Burke Advertisement

Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 45135 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >47

Sometimes it takes more strength to let someone beyond the wall than keeping everyone out…Submarine Navigator Neha Kirk has the honor of being first. An honor which comes with more than it’s share of tribulations and a magnifying glass, she’s no longer sure she wants. Her life is no longer her own. A desire which ratchets up when she meets one man she would like to get to know better.Commander Davin Bly is content with his life as Range Master. At least until Lieutenant Kirk strolls into it. He wants to know the woman more than anything but she has walls that make the submarine’s hull thick as an egg. Not everyone is pleased with this woman breaking all kinds of barriers and he is willing to do whatever it takes to keep her safe.They will both need to dig deep for the courage to face what’s out there.

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

Chapter 1

Neha Kirk returned the salute before she walked off the boat on which she served. The USS Puerto Rico SSBN-906. A boomer. She was one of only a handful of women who served on any sub and she was the navigational officer and sole source of ovaries on this particular submarine.

It wasn’t easy, she wasn’t going to lie about that but when the opportunity had been presented to her, she jumped at the chance. She may not have a lot going for her but she sure as fuck had courage. And to be the one of the first to serve on a boomer, was something she wanted more than anything.

She walked briskly up the pier, needing to get away from everything for a while. They’d just come back from a deployment and she’d stayed onboard to let those with families reunite. There wasn’t anyone waiting for her, so no need to rush. She didn’t mind pulling a watch to make sure that happened.

Besides, it was a two-fold reason. Not being one of the first off the boat, also kept her out of the media’s eye. The other women from what she’d seen enjoyed the limelight, however, personally, she preferred to keep it off her. Sailors saluted her as she moved by them but even though it was returned, she didn’t slow to talk, just continued on.

She had her own priorities and right now, that included a shower that wasn’t timed and a bed that gave her a bit more room to roll around in.

Because we have someone to roll around in it with? Oh no, that’s right we don’t. We’re fucking single because our last man didn’t want anything to do with a woman on a submarine. He thought I was going to be the crew’s whore.

Not just her ex had been of that belief, but her siblings as well. She didn’t even bother asking her father what he’d thought. He’d not been proud of her in her entire life, why should he start now?

Getting back to her place took a bit but if anything, she’d learned how to be patient. Had to be if you spent most of your life in a black tube beneath the ocean’s surface. Even so, when she unlocked the door, she closed it behind her with a click and sighed in relief.

Home.

She had a cleaning lady she paid once a month to come make sure everything was in working order. The woman was a saint and did an incredible job. And she would call her letting her know she was home. Just…not right now.

Neha stripped as she walked to the bathroom and turned the water on as hot as she could handle it. Stepping beneath the streams, she closed her eyes as it rained down on her.

Oh fuck yes.

She allowed it to work its magic for a while then got cleaned up. Wrapped in a large towel, she padded to her bedroom and smiled at the sight of her bed. Her one big purchase, a California king. She wanted to be able to spread out and roll around when she was home. Not that she did, but, the capability was there if she started.

Or if I get some man over here to knock the dust out and rid me of the cobwebs that have begun to spawn their own colony they’ve been in there for so long.

There were people she was interested in, but she was resolute in not going there. She had her life under a microscope because of being one of not only the first women on a boomer, but a woman of color. Any man, if he was brave enough to hook up with her, probably wouldn’t want their sexual life brought to the forefront of everything.

And I do mean everything.

Rooting around for an oversized t-shirt, she drew it on over her head and draped the towel over the chair. After making sure she was properly lotioned, she yanked the towel and padded back to the bathroom and hung it up.

This time when she returned to the bedroom, she crawled in and closed her eyes. It may be early and many would be out, but she didn’t care. She was heading off to a land of sleep where sirens wouldn’t wake her or being tossed off her rack.

She’d forgotten about the fucking doorbell and when it pealed and woke her, she was in a mood. Pushing a hand through her hair, she climbed from bed and yanked it open. She scowled at the person standing there.

“Hey sis.”

“Go away, Hank.”

“Are you kidding me? You just got off deployment. Let’s go out and celebrate.”

She didn’t move back, didn’t allow him in her space. “The fact you know I’m back already means you’ve been watching for me to return. And you only want to go out, so I pay for you. It’s not happening. I’m staying in.” She shook her head. “In fact, I’m staying in bed for at least a day.”

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Advertisement One Cold Night (Prince Brothers #1) Read Online Aliyah Burke http://www.books2020.com/one-cold-night-prince-brothers-1-read-online-aliyah-burke Thu, 08 Feb 2024 08:24:45 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/one-cold-night-prince-brothers-1-read-online-aliyah-burke Genre: Alpha Male, Suspense Authors: Aliyah Burke Series: Prince Brothers Series by Aliyah Burke
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Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 56782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >60

Heat sizzles during the winter…John Prince has been undercover for the ATF for over two years when his cover is blown. His rescuer comes in the female form and goes by Leena. Their attraction is hot enough to melt the snow outside, but he has to wonder, are the ones who set him up for death, still after him?Leena Parsons, prefers dogs to people. Regardless, she can’t leave the man she finds in an icy river to die, so she takes him home. During their days and nights together, she learns about the man who’d been betrayed by some of his own. She falls for him and when danger arrives again, she puts herself in harm’s way to ensure that he isn’t killed.He’d lied to her about his last name, thrust her into danger, and yet through it all she was at his side. When it is all over, will he be able to hold onto the woman who’d found him one cold night?

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

Chapter 1

“I don't think he ever gave a thought to other people's opinions, which was just as well because they were often unkind.”

― James Herriot, All Creatures Great and Small

* * *

Leena shivered and burrowed her hands further into the oversized men’s jacket, ducking her head further below the upturned collar. The snow whipped around her, biting exposed skin with a hungry ferocity.

“Come on, Argo,” she muttered. “Unlike you, I don’t relish being out here.” Like he could see her—or respond in words, she shrugged. “Not at night anyway. Especially at a rest area. I want my bed and warmth.”

The winds carried his deep bark to her, and her shoulders sagged. I know what that means. There would be no return trip to the van until she went to see what he wanted. “Argo, hier!” she pitched her voice to carry over the wind and pelting snow.

She stomped her feet, wishing once more she was back in the van and on the road, headed home. The trip had been a long one, good, but long. From the darkness he appeared like a rocket who’d locked in her trajectory, snow flew out from his bounding strides. He executed a perfect sit before her as if there weren’t all that snow under his ass.

“Good boy,” she praised, before giving him her unique release command. “Wazzu.”

He barked again and backed up now that he’d been released. His intentions plain. Her heart broke for a moment; he looked so much like his father. Her heart dog. Another bark followed by a spin and two bounces in the other direction.

“I’m coming. Two legs, not four here.” She struck out after him, cursing as the land dipped down, causing her to slide through the knee-deep snow. Her dog led her to a thick copse of trees where he barked at a log, lying partially in the freezing river.

She brushed a wet curl away from her face. “Seriously? You wanted me to see you bark at a log? I should kill you. Let’s go.”

He ignored her and stepped closer to the water. Her mouth dropped open when he grasped something in his jaw and yanked. Shit, that’s a person.

She scrambled over by Argo, driving him back with a single word. It was a man, the blowing snow had partially covered him and his lower body still lay submerged in the icy water.

“Shit.” She shifted and bent to grasp him beneath his arms, then pulled. By the time she got him free of the water, she was panting. He wasn’t small by any stretch. His body riddled with burn marks, wounds, and absolutely no clothing.

Without thought, she shrugged out of her coat and covered him. On her, it went past her calves. On him, it barely hit his knees.

“What the fuck happened to you?”

“Leave me,” he rasped before he collapsed, completely unconscious.

“Sure, because I was raised to leave half frozen naked men alone. I don’t suppose you’re just pretending to be unconscious, are you?” Of course not. “Fuck me sideways, this is going to suck.” She bent back down and got to the arduous task of moving him to safety.

It took her nearly twenty minutes to drag him up to her van that thankfully she’d parked close to where she was coming up. The wind had picked up along with the snow, making her all the more pleased to have Argo with her. The parking lot was vacant on her end, everyone else having parked near the restrooms.

Per her norm, she’d chosen an empty area so the dogs she travelled with wouldn’t be around everyone. Especially when she let them stretch their legs. She paused, digging in her pants pocket for her keys, then unlocked her van.

“This is how serial killers get into your life, Leena. You bring them in.” She opened the side door, immediately saying, “Blibe.” The three dogs there stayed as ordered and she returned to the unconscious, still naked man lying in a heap.

Her own strength waning, she grunted and groaned as she maneuvered him into the vehicle. “Gotta let you in on a secret here Mister. Usually I’m having sex when I mutter and grunt this much. Or I think I do, haven’t had any in a while so I’m not quite sure I can remember how it goes.”

Once inside the van, she reached and closed out the cold after Argo had jumped in. At least until he shook. Her dogs were interested in her newcomer, but she moved them aside as she took him to the bench seat converted to a bed in the back. She reached around him and removed the jacket, doing her best to ignore his cock that lay against his leg.

“Maybe you’re not all cold.”

She drew back the blankets and nearly lay him back but a moment of hesitation for the injuries on his back were a problem that needed addressing. Reaching over him to the rear of the van, she grabbed the first aid kit she always carried from where it rested in its spot. Then set about cleaning his injuries.

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Advertisement Dangerous Rhodes (Billionaire Brothers #3) Read Online Aliyah Burke http://www.books2020.com/dangerous-rhodes-billionaire-brothers-3-read-online-aliyah-burke Sun, 09 Jul 2023 00:33:17 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/dangerous-rhodes-billionaire-brothers-3-read-online-aliyah-burke Genre: Alpha Male, Billionaire Authors: Aliyah Burke Series: Billionaire Brothers Series by Aliyah Burke
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Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 38960 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 195(@200wpm)___ 156(@250wpm)___ 130(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >41

FROM USA TODAY BESTSELLING ROMANCE AUTHOR ALIYAH BURKE

Book three in the Billionaire Brothers series

It's dangerous to ignore what's right in front of you.

He lives in obscurity and is better called a shadow.

Hastings Rhodes spends his days with his boots on the ground of foreign countries. Yet, the moment he gets the terrible news about one of his best friends, he heads back. To get the answers he demands, he need Violet Wentz, the beautiful organizer.

A boon for a family member positions her in a difficult situation.

Violet expected some hassle getting the project off the ground, but a vile senator and a grumpy military man on day one wasn't on the list. With the senator making threats, she realized she had to put aside her own personal feelings and work with the sexy, protective Hastings.

Two opposites have to learn to work together to each get what they want. Hastings discovers that neither his name nor his job are a plus for this woman, and she has thick walls around her heart. Getting in will be more dangerous than any mission he's been on. Once in, he plans on staying forever.

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

Chapter One

“If you can’t do it, I suggest you get the person who can give me some fucking answers down here!”

The venom in those words had Violet pausing as she stepped in through the doorway of the renovated building, out of the pouring rain. Welcome Home would be officially opening its doors in nearly four weeks, and she’d been roped into coming out here by family, nonetheless, to help them smooth over the final bumps.

From the sounds of things, there are plenty of bumps. She pushed her hood back from her head, freeing her curls and took a deep breath. No one waited for her, not that there was a front desk being manned yet, but still, they knew she was coming.

Chances were the person she needed was in the room with the yelling grump.

“Sir, there’s no need for that language.”

“Then do your fucking job.”

Oh, hell no!

She wasn’t going to put up with that. Marching over the spotless beige-tiled floor, she entered the doorway and found two men in there, squaring off. Two who couldn’t be more different from each other.

The man behind the desk, whose lean body was draped in white leather pants and a bright orange shirt, stood his ground, but even from the doorway Violet could tell he wasn’t a fan of the situation. And she didn’t blame him. His voice was one she’d heard a few times when she had called out here prior to her arrival. This was Paul Hemmor.

Yelling Man was built, a goddamn brunet Viking. Broad shoulders that looked like he could pull one of their longboats single-handedly were draped in a black leather jacket with a hood of dark charcoal-gray. As she stood behind the man, she took a quick—not so quick—perusal of him. Even his hair, that long collection of dark chocolatey strands with a few hints of rust in it, looked incredible. He had it gathered up in a man bun, but that in no way distracted from his sexiness.

Powerful legs encased in dark denim and an ass that—Christ!—could probably crack a walnut. He stood with his legs shoulder-width apart and arms crossed as he faced down Paul, who probably weighed half his muscled weight.

She hated bullies.

“May I help you, sir?” she asked while she maneuvered herself into the room, past him and around the desk. Without ceremony, she dropped her large pack on the floor by her feet and gave Paul at her side a reassuring smile. Then she gazed at the man across from them and lost her breath.

And I thought the back side was delicious. This man was every fucking desire she’d ever had, all rolled into one.

“Who are you?” he growled.

Patting Paul on the arm, she took a much-needed moment for regrouping and said quietly, “I’ve got this from here, Paul. We’ll catch up after.”

He nodded then took two steps away from her only to stop. “Are you sure you want me to leave you alone?”

The with him wasn’t spoken but definitely implied.

“I’ll be fine.” Dismissing him, she faced a man she would on any other day want to climb like a tree. Okay, today wasn’t an exception, she still wanted to do that, but he had the manners of a jackass.

She plastered on her work face and looked once more at the man before her. Objectively, this time. He was a dangerous one for sure.

“What’s the problem, sir?”

His dark scowl was focused completely on her. She wasn’t scared, she’d been before more than her fair share of bullies. He skimmed her with his flinty gaze, the graphite hue heating to molten for the briefest of seconds before it hardened once more.

“Who the fuck are you?”

“I’m the one in charge around here and the one who is going to have you removed from the premises if you keep on with that language.”

He raised one thick eyebrow. “How do you expect to do that?”

Smile not slipping an inch, she sat in the chair and rolled it closer to the desk. “I don’t have a lot of time, so either get to the point of what is bothering you or leave.”

Interesting how dark stormy eyes can get thunderheads in them. This man, whoever he was, didn’t like being challenged. Or refused.

“Evan Winter.”

She knew the name, had read about it in the files she’d been sent. But she also didn’t give out information to just anyone. Especially when she didn’t have much.

“Nothing to say?” He placed his hands on the desk, glowering down at her.

“You didn’t ask a question.” She leaned forward, positively refusing to back down from his challenge. “You stated a name.”

He narrowed his eyes further, and she felt the searing burn from his glare.

“Do you know him?”

“Not personally, no, but I know the name. And let me stop you before you even get started. Welcome Home isn’t about giving out personal information on our people, so I won’t tell you if he’s here.”

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