Sam Mariano

Sam Mariano – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.books2020.com Mon, 20 May 2024 22:09:38 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 http://www.books2020.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/favicon.png Sam Mariano – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.books2020.com 32 32 Brutal Ambition Read Online Sam Mariano http://www.books2020.com/brutal-ambition-read-online-sam-mariano Mon, 20 May 2024 22:09:38 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/brutal-ambition-read-online-sam-mariano Genre: Alpha Male, Angst, Contemporary, Dark, New Adult, Virgin Authors: Sam Mariano Advertisement

Total pages in book: 171
Estimated words: 167204 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 836(@200wpm)___ 669(@250wpm)___ 557(@300wpm)

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Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it.

I used to fantasize about meeting a masked madman who would love me endlessly and obsessively. He would look after me in a world where no one else did. He would manipulate all the strings that held up my life until I had exactly the one I wanted.
And then one night I met him.
Only he wasn’t the hero I always imagined he would be.
When we left the forest together that night, I thought I’d escaped the villains relatively unscathed, but my true villain was the man whose arms I felt safest in.
He was the one who would tear me apart.

Now I know the only way to save myself is to stay far away from Killian Walsh.
But no matter how fast I run, he won’t stop chasing me.
He knows the best thing he could do for me is set me free.
But he’s too selfish to do it.
He calls me reckless, but I think he’s crazy.
Because Killian Walsh will let the flames consume us both before he will ever let me go.

Brutal Ambition is a full-length secret society romance that contains dark subject matter some may find triggering. Please read the author's note if you need one.
This story is a spinoff of the Coastal Elite series, but can be read as a standalone. The timeline of this book is the same timeline as the fourth Coastal Elite book, Surrender.

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

Chapter One

Brynn

“I really don’t think you should go tonight.”

I glance at my roommate in the mirror as I brush the final coat of mascara on my thick, dark eyelashes. “So you’ve said, somewhere around 34 times,” I say good-naturedly.

“I know, but you’re getting ready to leave, so I wanted to tell you again. I have really bad vibes about tonight, and you know I’ve been right before.”

Stacie’s right. We joke that I was born without instincts, but it’s hardly a joke. I’m not sure where the disconnect lives in my body—maybe it’s the problems I had when I was younger, when I worked so hard to dissociate from my reality—but that connection seems to have been permanently severed. I could walk right off the side of a cliff and my body wouldn’t give me that warning sensation until it was far too late to do anything about it.

I glance back at my well-meaning roommate. “I also know you think Kyle is a douchebag, so it’s probably more your misconceptions about him leading you to that bad feeling than actual bad vibes.”

“Don’t go,” she says, leaning against the wall. “Stay here with me and we’ll binge candy and watch scary movies together.”

“You know I don’t like scary movies.” I pop the brush back in my tube of mascara and screw the lid on. Taking a step back so I can look at my reflection all the way to my knees, I ask, “How do I look?”

“Beautiful,” she says, almost without bothering to glance at me. “You’re always beautiful. And you deserve better for a first date than ‘come to my lame frat’s Halloween party.’ That’s not even a real date. The asshole could at least take you to dinner.”

“It’s fine. I’m sure if we like each other after this, he will ask me to dinner. At least at a party, if we don’t hit it off, we’re not stuck in only each other’s company. Like, remember that godawful date I went on where we ran out of things to talk about over an appetizer? What I would have given to be able to simply pretend I see someone I know and get the hell away from that boring mess.”

Stacie watches as I turn around and grab a handful of the white lace robe flaring out behind me.

Since people have told me for years I resemble Emmy Rossum, I decided to put together a costume of her as Christine in the Phantom of the Opera movie when she gets lured to the lair of the beast. I even watched a video of her hair routine so I could get my chocolate brown curls to match hers as closely as possible.

“Do you think anyone will guess my costume?”

“Not a chance in hell.”

I crack a smile. “I guess Christine without Erik is a harder costume to guess, but my choices were limited. Kyle told me to pick something white and kind of modest, but also sexy. That’s a smaller selection than you might think. I don’t even know if he’ll think this is sexy, but I think it gives a Victorian sexy vibe.”

When I look at Stacie, her eyes are wide with barely repressed horror. “He told you what to fucking wear?”

Oops.

I didn’t mean to tell her that part.

Stacie is easily annoyed by a man being in any way bossy toward her, and while I get that, it doesn’t bother me at all that Kyle made a suggestion about my costume. It’s just a costume. He probably wanted to know what I’d be wearing so he could find me more easily in the crowd.

A small part of me even hopes the reason behind it may have been that he wants to surprise me with a matching costume.

I envision walking through the doors and seeing the swish of a black cape in the crowd. I go looking for him, but he finds me. I turn to see the tall, white-masked phantom there to whisk me off to his underground lair where he can have me all to himself.

I do love a man in a mask.

And a man who’s really into spending time with me, though I acknowledge that part of the fantasy is probably a massive stretch.

Kyle and I had a pleasant conversation while we waited in line at the coffeehouse near campus, then we texted a bit after I gave him my number, but the connection probably wasn’t enough to warrant surprise couples costumes at his frat party in front of all his friends.

But who knows? I’m a glass-half-full kind of girl, and Kyle did seem really interested in me.

Eagerness to get there and see his costume makes me excited, but Stacie is in the opposite headspace and still wants to keep me home.

Her gaze rakes over my costume more aggressively this time, lingering on the tight bodice that pushes up my boobs, then the white thigh-highs and the exposed skin above them. “All right, my bad juju meter has just gone up. There’s no way you’re going to this party, Brynn.”

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Advertisement Surrender (Coastal Elite #4) Read Online Sam Mariano http://www.books2020.com/surrender-coastal-elite-4-read-online-sam-mariano Tue, 27 Feb 2024 19:57:53 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/surrender-coastal-elite-4-read-online-sam-mariano Genre: Alpha Male, Dark, Insta-Love, Young Adult Authors: Sam Mariano Series: Coastal Elite Series by Sam Mariano
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Total pages in book: 139
Estimated words: 135378 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 677(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 451(@300wpm)

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SOPHIE
I knew better than to go to that party. I would have been much happier curled up at home eating Halloween candy by myself, but I had Mom’s voice in my head telling me to make an effort now that I was in college, to put myself out there and socialize. If I’d stayed home, I wouldn’t have met him.

SILVAN
Men have always committed atrocities chasing after their desires. The men in my family have it down to an art form. Personally, I’ve never experienced a desire that ran so deep it poisoned my soul. Until the night I laid eyes on her. It’s really too bad she didn’t feel the same way. It could have been a fairy tale. I guess our story was meant to be something a little more twisted. Oh well. I desire Sophie Bradwell, and I don’t care how many terrible things I have to do to get her… and keep her.

Surrender was previously released as Sophie’s Surrender by the same authors. This Coastal Elite re-release contains the exclusive Coastal Elite bonus story, Sleeping Beauty.
This is a dark romance intended for a mature adult audience. If you have sensitivities to certain themes commonly found in dark romance, please make sure you read the author’s note at the beginning of the book.

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

Chapter One

Sophie

I knew I should have taken an Uber to this thing.

Sighing, I turn the steering wheel and try to maneuver into a too-small spot in the too-full driveway.

Everyone is here tonight.

The thought causes my introverted soul to shrivel, but after being a hermit the entire last year of high school, I promised Mom I would make an effort in college.

Since school started at the end of August, things haven’t been much different from high school—except for the class schedule—but when my roommate invited me to this Halloween party tonight, I knew I had to go.

Once I park the car, I grab my little denim purse and climb out. Nervously fidgeting with my too-short cut-offs, I glance around, hoping no one sees me. These stupid things keep riding up.

I never wear shorts this short, but it’s a costume party, and I decided to come as a farm girl. It was the best thing I could put together with stuff I already had in my dresser.

I might be willing to put myself out there and come to this party, but I wasn’t about to waste sixty dollars on some slutty pirate costume on top of it.

My blond hair is braided and in pigtails. I’m wearing a flannel top with the front tucked into my tiny denim shorts. The best part of this costume is that as I enter the sprawling mansion, I see girls in painful-looking heels all over the place, but here I am in a comfy pair of ankle boots.

Nailed it.

I’m not overly stylish anyway. I prize comfort over beauty, and fashion tends not to. My feet wouldn’t even know how to react if I tried to squeeze them into a pair of high heels.

The loud music hurts my ears as I pass through the entryway and into the first room full of people. I want to escape the speakers, so I quickly go deeper into the house.

I search the room full of faces. Some I’ve at least seen before, but others are strangers. A random guy makes eye contact with me, making my heart beat a little faster, and my nerves start to fray.

I veer into a hallway to get away from him.

Am I really ready for this?

Maybe not, but I’m here now. Better make the best of it.

I scan the crowd in this new room for a familiar face, someone safe and comfortable I can talk to.

I should’ve come with Kendra, but I didn’t want to be stuck without a ride in the very likely event that I decide to leave early. Plus, not having my roommate to lean on would force me to socialize.

I haven’t really met many people at college yet. There are people in my classes I’ve exchanged casual smiles with, but I’ve been too shy to say much outside of the typical schoolroom niceties.

None of these people look familiar, though.

For a panicked moment, I wonder if I’m at the right house. What if I got the address wrong and came to the wrong stupid Halloween party?

Before I can work myself into too much of a panic, I spot a group of girls from my Spanish class gathered near the refreshments table. I paste on a quick smile, but they quickly look away when they catch me looking at them.

My smile drops.

I guess they don’t want to talk to me.

I take a deep breath and try to ignore the impulse to take this as a sign and flee. I could so easily turn around and go right back to my dorm…

But no, I promised Mom I would try. I have to give it a real shot.

Forcing myself to socialize makes me anxious, so I focus on the home itself.

Some rich guy on campus is throwing this party, and he lives in his family’s classy old-money Boston mansion. It’s decked out for Halloween with candles flickering inside ornately carved jack-o’-lanterns and fake cobwebs in every corner, but the home’s classical decor and history lend an air of authenticity to the spooky vibe.

I’ve never been in a house this grand before, never even seen something so impressive except on the glossy pages of this old Sotheby’s magazine I flipped through in the clearance section of a used bookstore once.

The inside of the house is just as imposing as the outside.

This old mansion has real character and a sense of stalwart confidence that tells me it doesn’t need to keep up with the times. It may not have all the modern upgrades of flashier homes in a similar price range, but it doesn’t need them to be impressive.

This house doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone. It is what it is; like it or don’t.

I like its vibe, so I spend more time exploring the house itself than the party I didn’t want to come to. I’m sure I’m not supposed to, but the quiet of the empty rooms provides even more temptation I can’t bring myself to resist.

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Advertisement The Best Man Read Online Sam Mariano http://www.books2020.com/the-best-man-read-online-sam-mariano Sun, 14 Jan 2024 20:20:08 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/the-best-man-read-online-sam-mariano Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Dark, Erotic, Novella, Taboo Authors: Sam Mariano Advertisement

Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33589 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)

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The man I love is not for the faint of heart.
He’s an artist, a maniac, a brilliant sculptor capable of molding the most delicate clay into something beautiful and unbreakable. He teases that he makes magic, but it’s not a joke to me. He is a magician.
He will break you apart and rebuild you, and only then will you know true freedom.
He will give you what you never knew you needed, whether you want him to or not.
He will make you his.
If you’re me, anyway.

I thought I knew what love was, but he opened my eyes to depths invisible to anyone who doesn’t know him.
I don’t know how I lived for so long in the cold, cruel world without him.
Now, I need him to breathe, and he needs me the same way.
Call it sickness, call it obsession.
Tell me I’m brainwashed, that he’s more villain than hero.
I don’t care.
I’m in love, and this is the story of how he made me his.

The Best Man was previously published on Kindle Vella. This is a high spice standalone dark romance with a morally flexible "hero" and is intended only for a mature adult audience. If you require content warnings, please make sure to read the author's note in the beginning of the book.

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

Playlist

Tolerate It – Taylor Swift (Jessa and Joey at the beginning of the book)

I Don’t Believe You – Pink (Julia and Jared at the beginning of the book)

Exile – Taylor Swift

Everything – Michael Bublé

Chapter One

I’ve always looked forward to getting married.

Not for the pretty dress or the party, but because to me, getting married meant becoming part of a family.

I never had that.

My mom went through a string of boyfriends, but none that ever meant anything to me. My father left when I was too little to remember much about him. There’s a sliver of a memory of him sitting on the couch with me watching a cartoon while Mom brought me a snack, but that’s about it.

Mom had to fill in the gaps. She says he was an asshole, hard to please, didn’t care about anything but his own selfish needs. Maybe it was her bitterness talking, but I figured at least some of it must be true. He left his child to go live a string-free life, after all.

She stuck around to raise me, I guess, but she’s not much better. She is missing my wedding to go to a concert a few states away with her newest boyfriend.

So, when I met Joey, I thought all my dreams were coming true.

He’s a handsome man with a good job in his family business. His mom and dad are still together, and he’s the youngest of five strapping boys. I desperately want a family, so while I’ve never admitted it to anyone, good genes are something else I look for in a man.

And Joey has excellent genes.

When I met him, I couldn’t believe how handsome he was, and more than that, I couldn’t believe how humble he was. Surely a man like that must get fawned over all the time, but he didn’t behave like super-hot men usually do. It impressed me that he managed not to have a big head.

Then he took me home on the Fourth of July to meet his family for a cookout.

I met his brothers and his father.

I’m not sure how, but Joey is the least handsome of them. It seems like each older brother gets more and more handsome until you make it to the original masterpiece—their father.

I’ve never hung out with the most attractive people in the room before, and I was anxious about his family liking me on top of it. I felt like he really should have warned me that his brothers had godlike physiques and roguish smiles that could melt every pair of panties in Victoria’s Secret. That way, I could have at least been prepared.

I was so shy I could scarcely speak the whole time we were there.

My shyness may have been misinterpreted as standoffishness, though, because I didn’t seem to make a great first impression.

I know his mom didn’t care much for me, but I’m not sure she would have liked anyone. She’s easily agitated and clearly favors the daughter-in-law she got through Jared’s marriage. Since she enjoyed the existing family dynamic, she did not seem enthusiastic about expanding and letting someone else in. I was nothing but nice to her when we did speak, but she was grumpy and treated me like an annoyance she’d rather be rid of. No matter how hard I tried, I could tell she wasn’t impressed.

Her husband Marcus Sr. was nice, though.

The eldest son, also Marcus, picked on me a lot.

Jared is married. He’s not nice, but his wife is.

Then there was Matt. He was nice to me, but he has the bluest eyes, and I had a hard time holding his gaze for too long.

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Advertisement Contempt (Coastal Elite #3) Read Online Sam Mariano http://www.books2020.com/contempt-coastal-elite-3-read-online-sam-mariano Wed, 25 Oct 2023 18:31:21 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/contempt-coastal-elite-3-read-online-sam-mariano Genre: Alpha Male, Dark, New Adult Authors: Sam Mariano Series: Coastal Elite Series by Sam Mariano
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Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 155405 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 777(@200wpm)___ 622(@250wpm)___ 518(@300wpm)

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My stepbrother, my tormentor…

I had a plan to get through senior year. Get good grades, stay busy with clubs, don’t forget to carve out time for Mom and Hannah, and most importantly, stay far, far away from Landon Atwater.

That plan collapsed at the end of summer when my mom announced her surprise engagement… to Landon’s father.

Now, I have to live with the jerk who has spent years tormenting me. At school, I could make sure we weren’t in the same classes and turn the other way if I saw him in the halls, but avoiding him gets a lot harder when I’m living in his seaside mansion.

Especially because he doesn’t want to be avoided.

Landon has always loved taunting and controlling me, but now he has the ultimate advantage and he’s not afraid to use it. Landon is the chaos machine that could blow up this newly minted family—and my mom’s chance at happiness—and, unfortunately for me, he knows I won’t let him.

I was prepared to be on my guard at school, but I didn’t plan to spend senior year avoiding capture in my own home.

Unfortunately, it seems Landon has a plan of his own.

And no lock on my bedroom door is going to keep him from accomplishing it.

Contempt is book three in the Coastal Elite series. Readers first meet Parker and Landon in book two, Undertow, which is where their story begins. Contempt is intended for a mature adult audience only, and anyone requiring trigger warnings is urged to read the one at the beginning of the book.

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

“A true lover is continually and without interruption obsessed by the image of his beloved.” -Andreas Capellanus

Chapter One

Parker

The top box tilts as I make my way down the stairs as carefully as I’m able. I stop, looking up at it and hoping it settles because if it falls, every box on the stack will plummet down the stairs and I’ll be lucky if I don’t lose my balance and go with them.

I should have just carried fewer boxes and made a second trip, but this house has so many stairs, and we’ve been at this for so long. I just want to get it done so I can sit down.

Moving day.

Also known as my descent into the bowels of Hell.

I’ve been dreading today since the moment my mom told me we were moving in with the Atwaters. I couldn’t even sleep last night, too busy tossing and turning and thinking way too much about all the possible horrors today—and the rest of the days I have to spend here—might hold.

Last time Landon and I were in a room alone together, he realized he can use my determination not to ruin things between his dad and my mom against me.

The time before that, he imprisoned me in my bedroom until I called the cops for help after he broke into my house.

And the first time…

Let’s just say I’m really hoping we can make it through this year without there being a fourth.

I don’t need the A I have in advanced statistics to know that is incredibly unlikely, but it is what I’m hoping for.

Moving in with the Atwaters seems a lot to my logical brain like standing on the deck of the Titanic with a bailer bucket, trying to throw water out faster than it can pour in so we don’t sink.

I’ve seen the movie and read the books. My brain knows how that story ends, but my heart is another organ entirely. It cannot and will not be reasoned with. I am one thousand percent certain that by sheer force of my will, I will keep this goddamn ship afloat.

I will not let Landon Atwater sink it, no matter how hard he tries.

I only have to do this for a year.

Less, really.

More like eleven months. Just a slow blink in the overall span of my life.

I can do this.

I can carry the boxes, too. I smile, seeing the top box up there defying gravity as it settles into place. “Good box. I appreciate you.”

When I was a kid, I always loved the movie Matilda. I didn’t relate to the shitty family she had since my mom is legitimately the best, but I could relate to what her life must have been like after she got to live with Miss Honey. I liked to imagine my brain was so strong, it could move objects, too.

Looking at myself now, I think that’s probably something I should have grown out of, but here I am, convinced I can move all the resistance in the world by the sheer force of my determination.

Oh well.

I’m gonna make it true.

I make my way down the stairs without dying and use my shoulder to push open the door of the Atwaters’ in-home gym. I keep my ears peeled for the sound of weights being released and clanking into each other and feel relieved when I don’t hear anything.

I haven’t actually seen Landon in a while, and that makes me nervous. I need to put a tracker on him or something so I can be aware of his location in the house at all times.

Yeah, that’s a good way to live.

I shove that unhelpful logic aside and turn the corner.

My heart slams to a stop when I catch sight of movement, then accelerates like it’s on jet fuel when my mind grapples with the reality of what I’m seeing.

Landon Atwater, shirtless in just a pair of gray sweats and cross-trainers that probably cost more than my laptop. He’s using a piece of gym equipment, a metal frame with a bar across the top. His feet aren’t touching the ground and, without meaning to, I watch as he lifts himself until his chin goes above the bar. The muscles in his body flex with the effort, but he makes it look easy. He’s glistening with sweat, so I guess he’s been at it for a while.

That explains the heat in this room.

I’m so hot, I feel like I accidentally stepped into a sauna.

There is a sauna, but this room is just the workout area and it’s air-conditioned. It shouldn’t be so hard to breathe.

Must be the body heat he’s generating.

When I pry my eyes from his distracting body and meet his gaze, I see it’s locked on me, a smirk on his lips as he repeats the smooth movement of lifting himself—this time, aware that he has an audience.

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Advertisement Sophie’s Surrender Read Online Sam Mariano http://www.books2020.com/sophies-surrender-read-online-sam-mariano Fri, 09 Dec 2022 21:32:58 +0000 http://www.teennovels.net/sophies-surrender-read-online-sam-mariano Genre: Contemporary, Dark, Insta-Love, Romance, Virgin Authors: Sam Mariano Advertisement

Total pages in book: 139
Estimated words: 134133 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 671(@200wpm)___ 537(@250wpm)___ 447(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >139

When I saw her at the party that night, her fate was sealed.
Sophie Bradwell would be mine, no matter what I had to do to get her.

Men have always committed atrocities chasing after their desires.
The men in my family have it down to an art form.
Personally, I’ve never experienced a desire that ran so deep it poisoned my soul.
Until the night I laid eyes on her.

It’s really too bad she didn’t feel the same way. It could have been a fairytale.
I guess our story was meant to be something a little more twisted.
No matter.
I desire Sophie Bradwell, and I don’t care how many terrible things I have to do to get her… and keep her.

Warning: this is a dark romance intended only for a mature adult audience. It contains possible triggers, so if you have triggers commonly found in dark romance (especially the ones penned by Sam Mariano), please make sure you read the author's note in the beginning of the book.

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

Chapter one

Sophie

I knew I should have brought an Uber to this thing.

Sighing, I turn the steering wheel and try to maneuver into a too-small spot in the too-full driveway.

Everyone is here tonight.

The thought causes my introverted soul to shrivel, but after being a hermit the entire last year of high school, I promised Mom I would make an effort in college.

Since school started at the end of August, things haven't been much different from high school—except for the class schedule—but when my roommate invited me to this Halloween party tonight, I knew I had to go.

Once I get the car parked, I grab my little denim purse and climb out. Nervously fidgeting with my too-short cut-off jean shorts, I glance around, hoping no one sees me.

These stupid things keep riding up.

I never wear shorts this short, but it's a costume party and I decided to come as a farm girl. It was the best thing I could put together with stuff I already had in my dresser.

I might be willing to put myself out there and come to this party, but I wasn’t about to waste $60 on some slutty pirate costume on top of it.

My blonde hair is braided and in pigtails. I'm wearing a flannel top with the front tucked into my tiny denim shorts. The best part of this costume is that, as I enter the sprawling mansion, I see girls in painful-looking heels all over the place, but here I am in a comfy pair of ankle boots.

Nailed it.

I'm not overly stylish, anyway. I prize comfort over beauty, and fashion tends not to. My feet wouldn't even know how to react if I tried squeezing them into a pair of high heels.

The music is so loud it hurts my ears as I pass through the entryway and into the first room full of people. I want to get away from the speakers, so I quickly go deeper into the house.

I search the room full of faces, some I've at least seen before, but others complete strangers. A random guy makes eye contact with me, making my heart beat a little faster and my nerves start to fray.

I veer into a hallway to get away from him.

Am I really ready for this?

Maybe not, but I'm here now. Better make the best of it.

I scan the crowd in this new room for a familiar face, someone safe and comfortable I can talk to.

I should’ve come with Kendra, but I didn’t want to be stuck without a ride in the very likely event that I decide to leave early. Plus, not having my roommate to lean on would force me to socialize.

I haven’t really met many people at college yet. There are people in my classes I’ve exchanged casual smiles with, but I’ve been too shy to say much outside of the typical schoolroom niceties.

None of these people look familiar, though.

For a panicked moment, I wonder if I’m at the right house. What if I got the address wrong and came to the wrong stupid Halloween party?

Before I can work myself into too much of a panic, I spot a group of girls from my Spanish class gathered near the refreshments table. I paste on a quick smile, but they quickly look away when they catch me looking at them.

My smile droops.

I guess they don't want to talk to me.

I take a deep breath and try to ignore the impulse to take this as a sign and flee. I could so easily turn around and go right back to my dorm…

But no, I promised Mom I would try. I have to give it a real shot.

Forcing myself to socialize makes me anxious, so I focus on the home itself.

This party is being thrown by some rich guy on campus, and he lives in his family’s classy old-money Boston mansion. It’s decked out for Halloween with candles flickering inside of ornately carved Jack-O-Lanterns and fake cobwebs in every corner, but the home’s classical décor has so much history of its own, it lends an air of authenticity to the spooky vibe.

I've never been in a house this grand before, never even seen something so impressive except on the glossy pages of this old Sotheby's magazine I flipped through in the clearance section of a used bookstore once.

The inside of the house is just as imposing as the outside.

This old mansion has real character and a sense of stalwart confidence that tells me it doesn’t need to keep up with the times. It may not have all the modern upgrades of flashier homes in a similar price range, but it doesn’t need them to be impressive.

This house doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone. It is what it is; like it, or don’t.

I like its vibe, so I spend more time exploring the house itself than the party I didn’t want to come to. I’m sure I’m not supposed to, but the quiet of the empty rooms provides even more temptation I can’t bring myself to resist.

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Advertisement Resisting Mr. Granville – Blurred Lines Read Online Sam Mariano http://www.books2020.com/resisting-mr-granville-blurred-lines-read-online-sam-mariano Thu, 10 Nov 2022 23:02:47 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/resisting-mr-granville-blurred-lines-read-online-sam-mariano Genre: Dark, Forbidden, Romance, Taboo, Virgin Authors: Sam Mariano Advertisement

Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 140184 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 701(@200wpm)___ 561(@250wpm)___ 467(@300wpm)

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I found love where I wasn't supposed to find it...

The night I met Mr. Granville, he was slipping out of my mother’s bedroom.
She was passed out drunk and I was on my own, but that was nothing new. It wasn’t even the first time one of her boyfriends looked at me for a little too long—just the first time I felt anything like interest in return.

My mother and I had never been close, but I knew I had to pretend not to notice his hot gaze lingering on me when he was supposed to be there to see her, had to resist the temptation to lap up all the attention he offered me.
Until the one night I didn’t.

After they broke up, I thought I’d never see Milo Granville again.
But my less-than-impressive grade in chemistry had me striking a deal with his brilliant son: he would help me bring up my grade, and I would pretend to be his girlfriend so he could get the attention of the girl he actually liked.

Resisting Mr. Granville is a full-length standalone forbidden romance. It is not a dark romance, though it does contain some dark and sensitive subject matter. Refer to the author's note in the beginning of the book for additional details.

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

Chapter one

Kennedy

Please don’t be the one to open the door. Please be at work.

I hold my breath as a tall, dark, and handsome shadow grows larger on the other side of the frosted glass. A chill passes over me as I wait on the front porch, one that has nothing to do with the nippy fall weather.

I suck in a breath as the handle turns.

I had to muster every bit of courage to come here tonight, but whichever one is on the other side, I won’t let him see my discomfort.

Still, I hope it’s Jet.

Even Jonathan.

Just please, please, please don’t be Milo.

When the door opens, my heart sinks down into the pit of my stomach.

Milo Granville.

My mom’s ex-boyfriend.

The sexiest man I’ve ever encountered.

The man who nearly took my virginity before I came to my senses and kicked him out of the apartment.

I swear I can see the memory of that hot summer night reflected in his ice blue eyes as he gazes at me from the doorway, his pitch black hair carelessly swept aside in an effortlessly handsome style, a dimple in his cheek from that up-to-no-good smirk on his face.

“Well, isn’t this a nice surprise.”

No.

I pretend to be unaffected as I tip my chin up just a bit and tell him, “I’m here to see your son.”

His lazy smirk doesn’t leave his face. If he’s bothered by it, I certainly can’t tell. “Which one?”

His voice is dry and suggestive. I sense an implication that I’m so easy I could be here to sleep with either of them, even though I’ve never slept with anyone. Even though he’s the one who came over when he knew my mom wasn’t home, who offered to help me with my homework one night and started touching my thigh beneath the table.

Of course, I brushed it away.

That time.

He wore me down, though.

Movie nights with my mother right there on the couch on the other side of him, but he’d let a daring finger caress the outside of my bare thigh beneath my nightgown.

And then the night she worked late, and he came over early and caught me coming out of the shower.

The way he stopped in the hall and we locked eyes.

The heat that spread through me instantly as I stood there naked beneath the towel, my hair piled carelessly atop my head, my pussy damp from more than the remnants of shower water.

He walked toward me with sure steps. It was wrong what he was doing, but I couldn’t muster the strength to stop him as he took the towel out of my hands and opened it up. As his gaze raked over me there in the dim hall lighting, appraising every glistening inch of my naked body.

Beautiful, he’d said.

I felt beautiful.

I felt fucking radiant.

I was also on fire, gripped by lust I’d never known before. When his massive palm covered my breast, I couldn’t breathe. When he walked me back into the bedroom that belonged to my mother and shoved me back on the bed, I didn’t ask him to stop.

I could have. I’m sure he would have.

But since I didn’t, he knelt on the floor and spread my legs. His mouth latched onto my pussy and every last bit of decency fell off of me with the same ease as the towel we’d left behind on the hallway floor.

He ate my pussy with abandon, gripping my thighs so hard I had bruises the next day. I experienced pleasure I’d never felt when I touched myself in bed at night, and after he made me come on his face, when I was lying on my mom’s bed with my heart pounding, my body weak from release, I didn’t want it to stop.

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Advertisement Undertow (Coastal Elite #2) Read Online Sam Mariano http://www.books2020.com/undertow-coastal-elite-2-read-online-sam-mariano Wed, 02 Nov 2022 21:50:33 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/undertow-coastal-elite-2-read-online-sam-mariano Genre: Alpha Male, Bad Boy, Billionaire, Dark, Romance Authors: Sam Mariano Series: Coastal Elite Series by Sam Mariano
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Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 51131 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 256(@200wpm)___ 205(@250wpm)___ 170(@300wpm)

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Currently featured in the Bully God anthology! Will release on its own with a bonus chapter from Parker's POV summer 2022!

HAYDEN

Cheerful, doe-eyed, mildly neurotic—Gemma Cane is not at all my type, but when the brown-eyed beauty stormed into my office, all fired up and wearing the garb of a belly dancer, I couldn’t tear my gaze away.

She was seeking justice, but I had something else in mind.

She couldn’t afford me, but I had other ideas about that, too…

GEMMA

Arrogant, cocky, an outright bully—Hayden Atwater is the sort of man I usually go out of my way to avoid, but when my horrible neighbor stepped way over the line, I wanted to crush him, and to do that, I knew I’d have to fight fire with even hotter fire.

The notoriously cutthroat lawyer was the first weapon I could think of, but the last man I should trust. I realized that as my anger subsided and I registered the predatory gleam in his stormy ocean eyes.

I left his office empty-handed, but now, he won’t leave me alone.

I know there can never be anything between us and we are completely impossible, but that word isn’t in Hayden’s vocabulary. If there’s no room for him in my life, he’ll make room. But then, disaster strikes.

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

Chapter One

Gemma

Eyes straight ahead. Just pretend you don’t see him.

It’s not unusual for my shoulders and spine to be straight when I’m driving. I’ve been dancing since I was four years old, so I know the importance of good posture.

Unfortunately, good posture isn’t the reason for my straight spine as I drive down the road I live on. Tension is. I can feel it building in my shoulders and gathered in my upper back as I get closer to my driveway.

A place that once brought me feelings of peace and contentment has been tarnished with inky dread. I used to love coming home from work. Now it’s like this every time.

A shame, too, since it’s such a pretty drive.

The road I live on is lined with similar-looking homes—monuments that the people living inside have fulfilled the elusive American dream.

I’ll admit the houses in the neighborhood are very nice.

The people? Not so much.

Especially Brent Hartley and his awful wife, Lisa. If their garage door is even open when I’m driving home, I tense up. Right now, Brent is standing at the edge of his driveway in black shorts and a white T-shirt, a navy blue baseball cap covering most of his short dark hair.

I don’t turn my head to let on that I even notice him as I pass, but I can feel his gaze shift in my direction.

Ignoring him even harder, I drive past the next house, then turn left into my own driveway.

My house is a little different from the rest, but it’s still a lovely home, and I was so proud to move into it with my daughter. I could never afford a home like the rest on this street. I shouldn’t even be able to afford to live near them, but I purchased this empty lot in the coastal town of Baymont, California, many years ago when my daughter was just three years old. I bought it when her father and I were still together, and I had dreams of us being a typical, happy family. Back before I knew what a disappointment he would turn out to be.

The dream home never happened, not while I was with him. Not soon after, either.

At times, I was tempted to sell this plot of land. I desperately needed the money, and I almost caved when the developer that bought up all the land around it offered me close to double what it was worth.

At first, I couldn’t understand why he wanted my little plot of land so badly, but then these big, beautiful homes started going up all around it, and I realized the truth. My little plot was a pimple on the face of this lovely, upper-class neighborhood. They wanted to pop me so I’d go away and they could build another beautiful, expensive house.

I didn’t sell, though.

When he realized I wouldn’t sell, he made me a different offer: they would build me a home just like the others on this street—a stripped-down model, of course—and they would sell it to me at cost so I could afford it. It wouldn’t have the interior upgrades and higher-end finishes, but even a base model of a Darington home was more than I could ever dream of.

For years, I’d owned this lot, and finally, I would have a dream home to put on it.

It seemed like a dream come true. I couldn’t wait to live in this beautiful, family-friendly neighborhood. It’s a safe place, a cul-de-sac, the absolute ideal. My daughter could make friends with the other kids in the neighborhood and go to an amazing school. It would be a great place for us to live.

Boy, was I wrong.

When Brent Hartley and Jayden Todd came walking up my driveway the first time they caught me on my lot, they seemed welcoming, if a little sexist. They wanted to know when my husband would be around since they hadn’t seen him yet. When I explained I didn’t have a husband, thought bubbles seemed to hang in the air over their heads with a burning question: Then how did you buy a house?

All by my little ole self.

I didn’t say that, of course, because I didn’t want to start off on the wrong foot.

The developer had asked me not to tell any of the neighbors about the deal he gave me on the house. He didn’t want anyone to get jealous or feel ripped off, and I wouldn’t want them to feel that way, either. If it mattered enough to him to have a uniform neighborhood that he was willing to build me such a beautiful home at such a reduced price, I could certainly repay the favor by keeping my mouth shut.

I smiled and explained to my new neighbors that I was a single mother of a teenage daughter, and we couldn’t wait to move in. We had been renting before, so this was our first home. I didn’t explain how I could afford it, and although I could tell they wanted to, they didn’t come out and ask.

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Advertisement Even if it Hurts (Coastal Elite #1) Read Online Sam Mariano http://www.books2020.com/even-if-it-hurts-coastal-elite-1-read-online-sam-mariano Wed, 10 Aug 2022 01:09:51 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/even-if-it-hurts-coastal-elite-1-read-online-sam-mariano Genre: Angst, Contemporary, Dark, New Adult, Romance, Virgin, Young Adult Authors: Sam Mariano Series: Coastal Elite Series by Sam Mariano
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Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 129986 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)

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Read Online Books/Novels:	(Coastal Elite #1) Even if it Hurts
Author/Writer of Book/Novel:	Sam Mariano
Language:	English
Book Information:
Featured in the Filthy Elites anthology April 2022! He could have been my hero. He saved my life that night, a beautiful dark angel slicing through my fear and the water, dragging me from its deadly clutches. He should have been my hero. I thought maybe he was. Villains aren’t supposed to win, and good should always conquer evil, but in the elite coastal town I live in, the only purpose a label has is letting you know what something—or someone—costs. Good, bad; it’s all relative, and it hardly matters. Baymont, California is a land of beautiful villains and happy-ever-afters that are just out of reach. Especially for me. Until Dare moves the world beneath my feet, and even though I’m afraid to trust it—to trust him—boy, am I tempted. In more ways than one. Being with Dare is scary, but being without him is impossible. He makes it impossible. Dare’s no hero, that much is clear, but maybe… Maybe he’s mine. ****This story contains triggers and is intended only for a mature, adult audience. See the opening author's note for more explicit triggers, but know this is a very dangerous relationship with a very dark hero.
Books in Series:	Coastal Elite Series by Sam Mariano
Books by Author:	Sam Mariano

Playlist

Sweet Little Lies - bülo

Shameless - Camila Cabello

Honestly - Gabbie Hanna

Just the Same - Charlotte Lawrence

Joke’s on You - Charlotte Lawrence

Toxic - Britney Spears

Plot Line - emlyn

Bored - Billie Eilish

Boyfriend - Dove Cameron

Prologue

Aubrey

This is the story of an absolute psycho.

A pair of them, actually.

It all started one day while I was at work, and the school mean girl Anae came in with a return I couldn’t process.

The article she brought in wasn’t even from our store. I turned over the fuchsia top and looked for a tag anyway, but there wasn’t one. The top had clearly been worn, too. There were faint pit stains underneath each arm.

Pushing the mound of material back across the counter, I told her politely, “I’m sorry, this item isn’t eligible for return.”

She had been talking to her entourage while I did my thing, but when I effectively told her she couldn’t have her way, she turned, her glossy strawberry blonde locks catching the light, and stared at me as if I were a lower life form. “Excuse me?”

I offered an apologetic look. “I can’t give you a refund for this.”

“Why?”

“It wasn’t purchased here.”

“Yes, it was.”

“No, it wasn’t.”

Her eyes narrowed at me. “Are you calling me a liar?”

“Of course not,” I said, equipped with my best customer service smile. “Maybe you bought a lot of things that day and some were from here, but this wasn’t. We’ve never carried this top before. And without tags or a receipt, a return is pretty much impossible. I’m sorry.”

She didn’t touch the lump of material on the counter. She continued to glare at me coolly before saying, “You go to our school, don’t you?”

Anae has never spoken to me before, so I was honestly surprised she even knew that. “Yes.”

“Then you know who I am.”

“I do.”

“Is that why you won’t put through my return? Is this some sort of pathetic jealousy thing?”

“No,” I said, hating life and my need for a job. Why couldn’t I have just been born rich so I could live large on Mommy and Daddy’s dime like she did?

That was the most insane part of all of it. Anae's rich! She didn’t need to return the top, yet she made such a big deal about it.

“I want to speak to the manager.”

“The manager isn’t in right now,” I told her. “But if she were, she would tell you the same thing. We can’t return a shirt that wasn’t purchased at this store. We literally cannot do it. If you take the top back to the store you did buy it from, maybe you can return it there.”

Pushing the material back across the counter without breaking my gaze, she said, “Put my fucking return through so I can leave this crappy little boutique and never come back.”

“I literally can’t.”

“If you don’t, there will be consequences.”

What does that even mean? “Look, if you want to call back later and talk to the manager, you can, but no one will give you a different answer than I have. If I could do this return for you, I would. If I possessed a time machine and I could only use it once, I would use it to go back in time and stock this shirt at this store just so I could do this return for you now, but alas, I cannot. There is nothing I can do for you.” I glanced behind her pointedly to a woman with a few articles of clothing draped over her arm, waiting to check out. “Now, if you’ll please step aside so I can help the next customer, that would be amazing.”

Anae’s cold glare could save the polar ice caps if she used her powers for good instead of evil. “Remember this day, Aubrey,” she said, her gaze flickering to my nametag. “Because it’s the day you put yourself on my shit list, and trust me—that is not a place you want to be.”

I wasn’t really sorry she wasn’t getting her way for once in her whole life, but I flashed her sympathetic eyes and lied like any good retail worker would have. “I’m really sorry.”

She snatched her blouse off the counter. “You will be.”

Anae tossed her hair and turned around, dismissing me and storming away in one fluid motion, her two minions right on her undoubtedly expensive heels.

I sighed, knowing she’s exactly the type of person who would call my boss and try to get me in trouble even though I did nothing wrong.

“I love my job,” I muttered sarcastically to myself.

The next woman in line smiled sympathetically as she placed her items on the counter.

“Did you find everything you were looking for today?” I asked her cheerfully.

“Yes, thank you.”

Her manners felt nice after Mean Girl Barbie lashed out over nothing.

As the sane customer thanked me and started toward the door with her shopping bag, I decided to text my boss. I needed to tell her what had happened so I could get ahead of it. If I waited until after Anae called with her version of the story, it would be harder to feasibly explain mine. I mean, aside from the seriously unhinged, who would actually try to get a person in trouble for not refunding a top that wasn’t purchased at our store?

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Advertisement Descent – Black Heart – Heaven & Hell Read Online Sam Mariano http://www.books2020.com/descent-black-heart-heaven-hell-read-online-sam-mariano Fri, 07 Jan 2022 21:37:23 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/descent-black-heart-heaven-hell-read-online-sam-mariano Genre: Alpha Male, Erotic, Romance Authors: Sam Mariano Advertisement

Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 137205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)

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Read Online Books/Novels:	Descent - Black Heart - Heaven & Hell
Author/Writer of Book/Novel:	Sam Mariano
Language:	English
ISBN/ ASIN:	B09PGSD21H
Book Information:
Calvin will do anything for me... except let me go. We were strangers, as far as I knew. He saw me once, but didn’t introduce himself like he could have. Calvin Cutler. Nice to meet you. But there’s nothing nice about Calvin Cutler. He’s ruthless and single-minded, and he zeroed in on me—a hapless target for his dark and twisted appetites. In the depths of Hell, I first looked into his sinful brown eyes, felt the greedy touch of his demanding hands for the first time. Not the last time, though. He wanted more. So much more. He wanted me, whether I wanted him or not. WARNING: Descent is a standalone dark romance with an unrepentant bad guy hero. This book is intended for an adult audience only and contains subject matter (such as non-consent) some may find triggering.
Books by Author:	Sam Mariano

Chapter One

Hallie

“One more round!”

As my best friend orders up another round—on me—I look at the fruity drink in front of me that I haven’t even finished yet.

It’s my fault. I’m not a fast drinker. Charity could drink a brawny old biker under the table, but when I drink, I tend to pace myself.

“Come on,” she says, her butt hitting the chair as she sits back down and wraps an arm around my shoulders. “Why are you still on your first drink? It’s a bachelorette party, for fuck’s sake.”

“This is my second drink,” I tell her, though I can see it doesn’t make a bit of difference. “And I know it’s your bachelorette party, that’s why I’m at this loud-ass bar to begin with.”

When we were younger, I enjoyed going out drinking with Charity, but as I approach 26, I’m finding the whole scene a little tired. If I’m being honest, I would have preferred to spend the evening at home in my pajamas, curled up on the couch with my cat.

Even in twenty years, I doubt that will be Charity’s idea of a good time, so instead we’re taking a party bus from bar to bar. This is our first stop, and I think Charity is starting to get bored of the place.

“We need to get you a man,” Charity says off-handedly, like it’s a to-do list item she just remembered to bring up.

“We don’t,” I disagree.

“We do.” She signals the bartender, and he runs right over to get her a shot while we wait for that second round. She throws it back like a champ, then brings the glass down on the bar top with a hard thud. Looking over at me, she says, “I’ve got just the guy for you. When I get back from Bermuda, I’m gonna set you two up.”

I’m shaking my head before she even finishes her thought. We have gone down this road before, and Charity’s idea of the man I need and my idea of the kind of man I need do not line up. “I appreciate the sentiment, but really, I’m good.”

“I know that last guy didn’t turn out so great,” she acknowledges.

Recalling how rude he was to the waiter and the bathroom break he took which resulted in him returning to the table with white powder residue beneath his nose, my lips thin. “No, it sure didn’t.”

Undeterred, she goes on, “But if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”

“An excellent mentality in most cases, but honestly, I’m fine hanging out with Marie and my own company for right now.”

“I feel like you’re afraid to get back out there.”

“I am definitely not afraid to get back out there,” I assure her. “Fatigued, maybe, but not afraid.”

Nodding with remarkable solemnity for an almost-drunk girl, she says, “I get that. I do. Dating can be exhausting when you’re actually trying to find someone to settle down with. But I know you, babe. You’re not meant to spend your days with Marie. She’s a lovely cat, sure, but you are a relationship girl. You’re the marrying kind. You are not a future cat lady spinster. You’re just not.”

Sighing, I grab my drink and take a slow sip. “No, that’s not how I see my life going, but honestly, I’d rather be a cat lady spinster than date someone who makes me feel…” I pause, trying to encapsulate the feelings I’ve been left with after every failed relationship. Finally, I come up with, “unfulfilled.”

“I don’t want that for you, either,” she says. “But you won’t feel that way with the right guy. I don’t feel that way with Tyler, and I’m not the marrying kind. If I can find that, you sure as hell can.”

I shrug. “Maybe someday. It’s just not my turn yet, and I’m fine with that.”

Charity shakes her head. “It will never be your turn if you never go out with anybody. Let me set you up. I know the guys I pick for you aren’t usually your first choice, but sometimes the most perfect person for you is someone you never thought to consider.”

I cannot stomach the idea of going out with another of Charity’s picks. I also seldom win arguments with my professional lawyer bestie, so rather than engage, I lean forward and look down the bar. Surely shiny new drinks will distract her.

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Advertisement The Boy on the Bridge Read Online Sam Mariano http://www.books2020.com/the-boy-on-the-bridge-read-online-sam-mariano Sun, 07 Mar 2021 09:05:32 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/the-boy-on-the-bridge-read-online-sam-mariano Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Dark, New Adult, Romance Authors: Sam Mariano Advertisement

Total pages in book: 241
Estimated words: 234779 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1174(@200wpm)___ 939(@250wpm)___ 783(@300wpm)

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Read Online Books/Novels:	The Boy on the Bridge
Author/Writer of Book/Novel:	Sam Mariano
Language:	English
Book Information:
The day I met Hunter Maxwell he wasn’t the rich kid who lived in the giant house, he wasn’t the most popular guy in school, he certainly wasn’t the bully who had chased his own best friend out of town after a falling out—he was just a boy with a black eye and a dark secret. My life would have been much easier if I had stayed out of it, but I couldn’t. I saw someone hurting and wanted to help. I saw someone possibly in danger and wanted to make sure he was safe. There’s nothing safe about Hunter Maxwell, though. I thought there might be. I fell under his spell. Whatever the world saw when they looked at him, it wasn’t what he showed me. The bond we formed was real. I know it was real. But with Hunter, when the tides turn, you’d better hope you’re safely on the shore and out of his reach. I thought I was a strong enough swimmer to keep my head above water. I thought if it came down to it, I could resist his pull. I didn’t know, but now I do. Once Hunter sets his sights on you, there’s no such thing as out of his reach. Whether it’s today, tomorrow, or five years from now, he’s coming for me—and when he does, he won’t stop until he’s destroyed me. ***The Boy on the Bridge contains mature, adult content and is only recommended for adult readers.
Books by Author:	Sam Mariano

“I always loved you, and if one loves any one, one loves the whole person, just as they are and not as one would like them to be.”

-Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

Part One

Chapter One

Riley

14-years-old

As I amble along the path toward the footbridge, I adjust the heavy backpack threatening to leave a permanent indent on my shoulder.

My backpack broke earlier this school year, but my mom stitched the strap back on. It has held up just fine for a while, but today Mom had to work so she couldn’t pick me up from school. That means I have to walk home.

Apparently, all the extra jostling popped the threads, because about a mile ago the darn thing gave out. Now I’m trying to lug this heavy sack of books on just one shoulder and that shoulder isn’t thrilled about it.

Movement ahead startles me and I gasp, clutching the backpack strap instinctively.

Someone is sitting on the footbridge with their feet dangling over the edge, palms braced on the aged wood. They’re looking down into the water, not paying me any mind, so my grip eases up and my racing heart begins to slow down.

Normally, there’s no one else on this path, and I feel uneasy that someone is now. Like they’ve found a place that was supposed to be secret and shown up uninvited.

I guess since I stopped walking—or maybe it was my gasp—I catch the attention of the stranger on the bridge. Only when he turns his head to look at me, I see it’s no stranger at all.

Hunter Maxwell is the intruder sitting on my favorite bridge.

We go to school together, but we’ve never spoken. He’s kind of a popular jerk who comes to school just to hang out with his friends, and I’m kind of a quiet bookworm who actually shows up to learn. I can’t imagine we would have anything to say to one another.

He must agree, because as soon as he recognizes me, he looks away—back down at the rippling water beneath the footbridge.

Something unpleasant turns over in my tummy. It feels like rejection, but that’s silly. I don’t care if Hunter Maxwell dismisses me. I didn’t want to talk to him, anyway.

Lifting my chin and bracing the strap on my shoulder, I set about ignoring him right back. I march across the distance between us, then march right past him.

Before I make it off the bridge and onto the dirt path toward home, his low tone interrupts the mutually held silence. “Don’t tell anyone you saw me today.”

I stop abruptly, frowning as I look back at him. “Excuse me?”

His sigh is impatient, but he repeats himself anyway. “The school thinks I’m out of town. No one normally comes this way.” Now he turns his head to look at me. “You know this is private property, right? Mine. You shouldn’t trespass.”

I’m so surprised, I only really hear the first part. As soon as he turns his head, I get a better look at the side of his face I didn’t see the first time he looked at me.

The skin around his left eye is agitated and swollen. It kinda looks like he got hit in the face.

The distance between us on the social hierarchy falls away and concern for him swells up inside me. I rush forward, dropping my backpack on the footbridge as I sink to my knees and lean in to get a better look. “Oh my gosh, what happened to your eye?”

“Nothing,” he says defensively, swatting my hand away.

My eyebrows rise. “This is definitely not nothing.” My long dark hair falls in my face, so I shove it back behind my ear. “Did somebody hit you?”

“It doesn’t matter. Mind your own business,” he mutters.

“It does matter,” I argue. “It looks terrible. Did you put anything on it? If you ice it, it will help with the swelling.”

“I’m fine,” he informs me. On impulse—I think—he pushes me hard in the chest to get me away from him.

I lose my balance and fall backward on my butt. It’s hardly a far fall so it doesn’t hurt, but I don’t appreciate being shoved to begin with.

“Fine,” I snap, pushing up to my feet and retrieving my bag. “I was only trying to help.”

“I don’t need your help.”

“Good, then I won’t give it to you,” I tell him, hoisting my broken backpack on my shoulder and stomping away from him.

I hear a loud sigh, then the telltale patter of sneakers against wood. “Wait,” he says, his voice less hostile.

“No,” I toss back without stopping. “Don’t follow me.”

“I’m sorry,” he says, all rushed as he catches up to me. “I didn’t mean to shove you. You were just making me mad.”

“There are better ways of expressing anger than shoving people,” I inform him, a bit primly. “Try words sometime.”

The corner of his mouth tugs up and he tucks his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Thanks for the solid life advice.”

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Read Online Books/Novels:

(Coastal Elite #1) Even if it Hurts

Author/Writer of Book/Novel:

English

Coastal Elite Series by Sam Mariano

Sam Mariano

Read Online Books/Novels:

Descent - Black Heart - Heaven & Hell

Author/Writer of Book/Novel:

Sam Mariano

English

B09PGSD21H

Sam Mariano

Read Online Books/Novels:

The Boy on the Bridge

Author/Writer of Book/Novel:

Sam Mariano

English

Sam Mariano