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.books2020.com Sun, 02 Mar 2025 13:35:22 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 http://www.books2020.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/favicon.png Nikki Sloane – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.books2020.com 32 32 The Broker (Nashville Neighborhood #6) Read Online Nikki Sloane http://www.books2020.com/the-broker-nashville-neighborhood-6-read-online-nikki-sloane Sun, 02 Mar 2025 13:35:22 +0000 http://www.books2020.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
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Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 116232 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)

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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.

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Advertisement The Good Girl (Nashville Neighborhood #5) Read Online Nikki Sloane http://www.books2020.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
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Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 101736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)

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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.

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Advertisement The Frat Boy (Nashville Neighborhood #4) Read Online Nikki Sloane http://www.books2020.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
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Total pages in book: 122
Estimated words: 114337 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 572(@200wpm)___ 457(@250wpm)___ 381(@300wpm)

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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.

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Advertisement The Vixen’s Deceit – Peculiar Tastes Read Online Nikki Sloane http://www.books2020.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)

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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.

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Advertisement The Temptation (Filthy Rich Americans #5) Read Online Nikki Sloane http://www.books2020.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
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Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 101829 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)

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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.

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Advertisement The Architect (Nashville Neighborhood #3) Read Online Nikki Sloane http://www.books2020.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
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Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 110201 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 551(@200wpm)___ 441(@250wpm)___ 367(@300wpm)

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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.

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Advertisement The Pool Boy Read online Nikki Sloane (Nashville Neighborhood #2) http://www.books2020.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
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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.

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Advertisement The Redemption Read online Nikki Sloane (Filthy Rich Americans #4) http://www.books2020.com/the-redemption-4-read-online-nikki-sloane Wed, 22 May 2019 01:57:33 +0000 http://www.test123.demo2.xyz/the-redemption-4-read-online-nikki-sloane Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Romance, Suspense Authors: Nikki Sloane Series: Filthy Rich Americans Series by Nikki Sloane
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Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 121723 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >130

Read Online Books/Novels:	The Redemption (Filthy Rich Americans #4)
Author/Writer of Book/Novel:	Nikki Sloane
Language:	English
ISBN/ ASIN:	B0839GTWSQ
Book Information:
Once, the name Macalister Hale was uttered in the boardroom with respect. Now, it’s whispered in disgrace at cocktail parties hosted by Boston’s elite. Scandal nearly destroyed me, but the one thing larger than my infamy is my bank account, and I’ve learned money can solve anything. Well—almost anything. Sophia Alby’s preferred currency is secrets and the way she trades information puts Wall Street to shame. This girl charges into my life and claims a partnership can restore my reputation. My downfall was swift, but with her, my climb to redemption will be greater. Our arrangement is professional. Appropriate. It has to be, because she’s half my age. But it doesn’t stop me from wanting . . . To move on. To control and indulge in her. To hear the name Macalister Hale echo in her breathy moans. But I can’t. Giving in to temptation led to my undoing before, and I won’t survive it a second time.
Books in Series:	Filthy Rich Americans Series by Nikki Sloane
Books by Author:	Nikki Sloane

ONE

MACALISTER

FRUSTRATION TWISTED MY MUSCLES INTO CORDS, making my clasped hands ache. Before the darkest day of my life, the one where I’d made a terrible mistake, no one would have dared miss a meeting with me. I’d had employees willing to sit in on conference calls while they were in labor or waiting for surgery.

Today, Stephen Alby was eight insulting minutes late. It was long enough to send a message of how little he respected me, my time, and my enormous wealth. Of course, that was assuming he was late. I was beginning to wonder if he would materialize at all. I was easily his biggest client, and if this was how he was going to treat me, perhaps I needed to take my money elsewhere.

I refused to let any of my irritation bleed out onto my face and held my posture neutral since I was out in public. It was noon, and the private penthouse restaurant was fully booked for lunch, and although the dining room wasn’t large, every person in the space was aware of my infamous presence. Conversations had paused at my entrance then lagged awkwardly as I was seated at my table.

It wasn’t the one I preferred, the one by the window, which boasted a view of the harbor and its position of status to the rest of the room. I no longer maintained that level of clout. Instead, I’d been relegated to the smallest table by the door, away from the center where the most influential executives in Boston took their power lunches during the week. Like me, this table existed on the fringes. My money and the Hale name were enough to keep me on the exclusive guest list and earn me a seat in the room, but scandal had driven me to the outskirts.

The din of conversation dropped once more as someone else unexpected appeared at the entryway and spoke with the maître d’.

Clearly, the woman had never been here before. It wasn’t the way her curious gaze took in the floating chandelier at the center of the room that gave it away—it was the soft smile that teased her lips. If she’d taken lunch here before, she’d know this wasn’t a place for happy, friendly smiles. Deals were brokered over seared foie gras and scallops. Careers were made and broken by Boston’s elite while seated at these tables covered in fine white linens.

Once upon a time, I was the king of this town, and I held court in this room.

It seemed the palace intrigue had continued in my absence, but I was desperate to climb back onto my throne and rise above it, rather than play the game with everyone else.

The young woman nodded as the maître d’ spoke, making the waves of her blonde hair shimmer. Her face was familiar, and although it had been years since I’d seen her, it took me only a moment to place the girl. Last time, she’d worn a pale pink bridesmaid dress at my son’s wedding. Today, it was a cashmere sweater dress in navy that covered her frame. It pretended to be modest, but the fabric clung provocatively to her breakneck curves.

When she was led toward my table, I set my jaw.

“Mr. Hale, may I join you?” Her tone was warm and confident.

Mine was brusque. “Are you here to apologize for your father’s lateness?”

Sophia Alby’s smile was unflinching. “I’m sure he’ll be here soon. Let me keep you company while you wait.”

I didn’t appreciate how she lowered into the vacant chair across from me without my approval, but I wouldn’t voice my displeasure until the maître d’ had gone. I didn’t care if I was rude—only that I didn’t appear rude to the people around us, the people who mattered.

The man nodded as she settled into the seat, then he flitted away. I lifted my unimpressed gaze and pinned it on her. “Miss Alby—”

“You have a problem,” she interrupted. There was a strange, off-putting smile fixed on her face.

One of my eyebrows arched so high, it nearly escaped my face. “Is it the girl who just sat uninvited at my table?”

Her unsettling smile widened. “That depends.” She crossed her arms and leaned on the tabletop, manners be damned. It was a conscious decision. She’d gone to the same elite school as my sons, which meant she’d had the finest upbringing. Like my family, the Albys were one of the founding families of Cape Hill—the wealthy hamlet outside of Boston where we lived.

How old was she? Younger than Royce, which meant approximately twenty-five, perhaps twenty-six. I’d invited enough scandal into my life, and the absolute last thing I needed was to be seen having lunch with a pretty girl half my age. Irritation swelled inside me like the bell curve of compounding interest, and it darkened my tone. “It depends on what?”

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Advertisement The Deception Read online Nikki Sloane (Filthy Rich Americans #3) http://www.books2020.com/the-deception-3-read-online-nikki-sloane Mon, 03 Sep 2018 13:57:33 +0000 http://www.test123.demo2.xyz/the-deception-3-read-online-nikki-sloane Genre: Billionaire, New Adult, Romance, Suspense Authors: Nikki Sloane Series: Filthy Rich Americans Series by Nikki Sloane
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Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 89243 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >96

Read Online Books/Novels:	The Deception (Filthy Rich Americans #3)
Author/Writer of Book/Novel:	Nikki Sloane
Language:	English
ISBN/ ASIN:	B07W7NLJ2S
Book Information:
I’ve been through hell to get to this place. To wear the perfect white dress and stand beside Royce Hale, the liar I tried desperately not to fall in love with and failed. Or maybe I’m still trapped in hell because the devil is here too. He lurks at my side, plotting terrible ways to make me his. It’s win at all costs in this family, and I know now just how far the Hales will go to get what they want. But you can’t survive in a house full of lies without learning the art of deception, and once I become a Hale, I’ll show them exactly what I’ve mastered. THE DECEPTION is the third and final book in the twisted Filthy Rich Americans trilogy. It should be read after THE INITIATION and THE OBSESSION.
Books in Series:	Filthy Rich Americans Series by Nikki Sloane
Books by Author:	Nikki Sloane Books

PROLOGUE

AS THE GLASS ELEVATOR CARRIED US UP, Boston spread out before me in a tangled, weaving mess. The city hadn’t been planned, and the narrow roads were laid atop horse trails from the seventeenth century. Snarling lines of concrete were wedged between skyscrapers. Traffic was a nightmare.

I felt a similar kind of chaos as my gaze focused on him.

He wore a black suit and a black tie dotted with silver specks. To everyone else, he’d look powerful and confident, but I saw through it, down to the uncertainty that lingered behind his blue eyes. It was unnerving to see him like this. I’d known him my whole life and only witnessed it a few times.

Breath seized in my lungs as his hand curled around mine and wove our fingers together. We were alone in the executive elevator, but the glass walls left me feeling exposed. Like anyone could see us. I wasn’t supposed to be here.

The pad of his thumb brushed absentmindedly over the set of rings on my left hand, and it forced the words from my mouth, coming out like I’d discovered a great secret. “You’re nervous.”

He delivered a cool, irritated look. “Of course not. Why would you say that?”

I glanced down at our joined hands and back to him, wordlessly presenting his behavior as evidence. Currently, I didn’t work at Hale Banking and Holding, and even if I did, displays of affection had no place here at the office, out where anyone could see.

He raised an eyebrow. “I wanted an excuse to touch you before the meeting.”

It was a lie, but I didn’t call him out on it because he had good reason to be nervous. He was about to walk into the most important board meeting of his life. A decision had to be made, and it would settle once and for all what had been in the works for years.

I didn’t know which Hale was going to come out on top.

He didn’t either, judging by his unsteady tone. “He doesn’t have the votes.”

There was too much anxiety in me to offer a response. It was like I’d swallowed broken glass and the shards jangled together in my stomach with each shallow breath I took. Everything had led up to this moment. Once the elevator stopped and the doors opened, things were going to get much harder.

My gaze flicked to the panel of buttons, and my nerves made my finger itch to reach out and press one—any floor below the one that was already illuminated.

He must have sensed my trepidation because his grip on me tightened. If he’d meant to reassure me, he failed. My pulse climbed higher with each floor we passed, and my heart ground to a halt the same moment the elevator did. He dropped my hand and stepped away from me, putting a professional amount of distance between us.

“Thank you for coming with me,” he said in the quiet before the doors peeled back with a mechanical whine.

Like I had a choice.

I sucked in a deep breath, both wanting and dreading the next part.

He gestured through the now open doors. “After you.”

My knees wobbled beneath my skirt, but I held my head up and fixed an indifferent expression on my face as I stepped into the hallway. I was Marist Hale on the outside, the perfect goddess, ready to rule alongside the other Olympians. And inside, I was the monster Medusa, preparing to take my victims.

I’d only made it a few steps before my husband turned a corner and spotted me in the hallway.

“Marist?” Royce’s questioning look shifted from me to the man at my side.

As my husband’s gaze crawled upward, his eyes widened, and the distance between us filled with ice. Darkness overtook his expression, and he turned to stone.

Gone was the unease that had plagued Macalister in the elevator moments ago. In the hallway, he was as comfortable as a general heading into a battle with twice as many men as his opponent. Bright, cruel victory flashed in his eyes.

I was the secret weapon he’d just deployed against his son, and a sinister smile spread across his lips.

ONE

Eight Months Ago

MY HEART THUDDED ERRATICALLY IN MY CHEST like it had been placed inside a box and kicked down the grand staircase I was hanging on to. My fingers dug into the carpeted step, desperate not to fall, even as gravity seemed determined to pull me away.

Only it wasn’t gravity. The unstoppable force working to rip me from the stairs was solid and cold and named Macalister Hale.

The Minotaur.

I feebly tried to push his hands away, but whatever Alice had done left me crippled and powerless.

“No,” I whisper-sobbed when icy hands slid under my body and began to collect me. He blurred again into an indistinguishable shape as he sat on the steps and pulled my shoulders across his lap.

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Advertisement The Obsession Read online Nikki Sloane (Filthy Rich Americans #2) http://www.books2020.com/the-obsession-2-read-online-nikki-sloane Tue, 05 Jun 2018 13:57:33 +0000 http://www.test123.demo2.xyz/the-obsession-2-read-online-nikki-sloane Genre: Dark, Erotic, New Adult, Romance, Suspense Authors: Nikki Sloane Series: Filthy Rich Americans Series by Nikki Sloane
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Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78415 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >84

Read Online Books/Novels:	The Obsession (Filthy Rich Americans #2)
Author/Writer of Book/Novel:	Nikki Sloane
Language:	English
ISBN/ ASIN:	B07S4B541M
Book Information:
The Hale family is obsessed with status, power, and control. No problem is too big their money can’t solve. Royce Hale manipulated me into giving him everything. My virginity. My hand in marriage. My heart. And as soon as he got what he wanted, he callously sold me off for a cool ten million. In the boardroom and the twisted game his family plays, he says the only rule is to win at all costs. Yesterday I learned a painful lesson not to trust the prince of Cape Hill. Today I’ll destroy his carefully laid plans and show him just how badly he’s already lost. All the money in the world won’t be able to stop me.
Books in Series:	Filthy Rich Americans Series by Nikki Sloane
Books by Author:	Nikki Sloane Books

ONE

MACALISTER HALE’S EYES WERE LIQUID NITROGEN.

They were so cold, they threatened to burn me in an instant, a flash freeze that would turn my skin white and cause blisters to lift on the surface.

I stared up at the powerful man looming over me, who had one hand on each of the armrests of my chair, and I held in a painful breath. There wasn’t any air left in the library or the space between us. He’d used it all when he’d trapped me beneath his inescapable gaze.

Macalister’s lips were only a few inches from mine, and for one terrifying moment it seemed like he was considering kissing me. He’d do it abruptly and without permission, claiming my mouth like it belonged to him.

Like I was his prize.

Was I?

He’d just bought me from his son for the bargain-basement price of one hundred thousand shares. At least ten million dollars, and likely more. A roiling sea swelled and churned in the pit of my stomach. Royce had sealed the deal with a gentlemanly handshake. A business transaction agreed upon and completed. And then he’d fled the library without even a glance in my direction.

I don’t owe you anything, he’d said.

Maybe it was true.

All I could feel was the cut of his betrayal, sharp and excruciating and deep to the bone. A nasty voice inside my head hissed I should have seen it coming. Betrayal was a staple in the myths I adored, and the mortals always suffered at the hands of the gods. A heavy, expensive ring gleamed on my finger, but my engagement to Royce meant nothing. Marrying him would make me a Hale in name—not an immortal like everyone else in his family.

It just made me a target. A pawn in the game between father and son.

Rather than lower his mouth to mine, Macalister peeled his lips back into a joyless smile. “Marist, you shouldn’t find this so upsetting. As I’ve come to understand, you’re a practical girl, and I warned you Royce would sell you out the first chance he got.”

I repeated his understated word like it had been punched from my center. “Upsetting?” I wanted to sound strong, but my voice went hollow. “That’s . . . not the word I’d use for what just happened.”

He reminded me vaguely of Dylan McDermott. He was dark and intense, and looked much younger than fifty-two. His gaze scraped over my face until it settled on my lips. Only this time, it was clear he wasn’t thinking about kissing me. Now he was simply curious about the words I’d produced. He lifted an eyebrow as he evaluated me. “Oh? How would you describe it?”

Unbearable.

I was Ariande, the maiden who’d saved the hero Theseus from the Minotaur’s labyrinth, only to be dumped on an island and left to die when I wasn’t of any further use.

I swallowed the lump that clogged my throat, blocking the word from escaping. When I didn’t say anything, victory flashed through his expression.

“We need to discuss what happens now.” He said it in the same dry way he dictated commands to his employees. “While you’re living in my house, there are expectations, and you will meet them.” He drew in a breath, preparing. “You’ll be respectful and courteous, and you will take any directions I give you without hesitation.”

My heart, which was already racing painfully in my chest, chugged at a faster tempo. I’d told him he’d never own me, but it didn’t make a difference to him. He expected me to bow down to him like everyone else.

“No,” I said.

He was ready for that. He charged forward, driving me backward until I leaned over the back of the chair and it dug uncomfortably into my shoulder blades.

“Do I need to remind you we have an agreement? If you’re not going to follow through on your end, then you cannot expect me to. My money may have cleared into your family’s account, but I didn’t get to where I am today by being a fool.” His expression was stone, his high cheekbones carved, and his lips chiseled into a tight line. “I haven’t removed the lien on your parents’ house.”

The home I’d grown up in had been in my family for four generations. It was everything to my mother, and although it would be a terrible sacrifice to make, was it worth walking away now to get out from under the Hales? What if this was our only chance at escape? In the time of a single breath, I considered cutting my losses.

But my hesitation, or my expression, must have given too much away because a sneer curled on Macalister’s lips.

“Your parents signed over authority to their financial manager. He can divert money without their consent, including the five million you just deposited. In fact, he could move every dollar under the Northcott name. He has total control . . . and he’s my employee.”

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The Temptation (Filthy Rich Americans #5)

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