The Beauty and the Beast Box Set, a scorching-hot dark mafia romance collection from bestselling author L. Steele is available now!
"Run my Beauty... If I catch you, you are MINE..."
Michael Byron Domenico Sovrano The Capo of Sicily's notorious Mafia company. My father owed him, so he took me to repay the debt. And married me to further his own ambitions. I hate him, I am determined to resist him. But what happens when I begin to fall for my new husband...?
What happens when I begin to fall for my new husband...?
About L. Steele:
L. Steele loves to write romance novels featuring dangerous men and feisty women. She enjoys trading trivia with her filmmaker husband, watching lots and lots of movies, and walking nature trails. She lives with her family in London.
Mafia Bride, an all-new must-read dark mafia standalone romance full of suspense from bestselling author L. Steele is live now!
Massimo Domenico Sovrano is arrogant, mean, full of swagger and oh so hot. As one of the most feared gangsters in Italy, he can have any woman he sets his sight on. But for some reason he wants me. The chemistry between us is off the charts. So I sleep with him on our very first meeting. Only, he betrays me. He breaks my heart. Which is why I lie to him. I tell him I am in love with someone else. I turn my back on him and decide to focus on my fledgling career as an actress. Now he's back in my life. Only problem? He's engaged to my sister...
I ignore him and move away, when I hear him drawl, "Didn’t take you for a coward.”
Excuse me? I pause. He’s baiting me. I know he’s trying to get a rise out of me. I should leave without paying him any attention, but my stupid pride doesn’t let me. I spin around and scowl. "What did you say?"
"You heard me." His grin widens. "You’re leaving because you can’t face the music?"
"Music?" I tilt my head as if listening to the tune playing over the speaker. "The only music I hear is the eighties’ hit by Tina Turner—"
"Remixed by Kygo."
"Excuse me?"
"She came out of retirement to release the single remixed by Norwegian DJ Kygo."
I laugh. "You’re kidding, right?"
"I assure you, I am not. You can look it up if you don’t believe me."
I shake my head. "This entire conversation is insane. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have something urgent I need to take care of." I turn to leave.
I hear his footsteps behind me a few seconds before he plants his body in front of me with such speed that I almost bump into his wide chest. He’s so massive that he blocks out the rest of the bar behind him. And his scent, sweet baby Jesus, his scent. It’s spice and citrus and something smoky like firewood. I sniff again, fill my lungs, and my head spins. My knees turn to jelly and I stumble. Why am I turning into a klutz around him?
He grips my shoulder to steady me, and once more, pinpricks of heat bleed out from the point of contact.
I freeze; so does he. I pull away, and this time, he lets me go without protest. "Look, I didn’t mean to scare you in any way. I simply want to talk to you." He raises his hands, palms facing toward me.
"I don’t want to talk to you." I glance down, only so I can avoid those piercing gray eyes of his, and end up taking in his jeans. Hoo boy, does he fill out those jeans, or what? They might have been blue at one point in time, but the color is almost white now. The fabric is threadbare at his knees and at the edges of the pant legs. And his feet, OMG, his booted feet are huge. A size thirteen at least. Which means, the size of what he’s packing must be quite substantial. I raise my gaze to his crotch and almost groan at the column outlined over the left side of him.
"I believe this is when I say, my face is up here?" he drawls. I flush. Sweat beads my hairline. Is it hot in here or am I having a hot flash decades before going into menopause? I gotta get out of here before I say or do something to embarrass myself further.
"I believe this is when I excuse myself." I duck past him, but he moves with me, so I have no choice but to pause.
"You have to stop doing this," I say through gritted teeth.
"You’ve got to stop trying to escape me." He chuckles.
"I’m not trying to escape you; I’m trying to leave," I snarl.
"From where I am, it looks like you’re trying to run because you are scared of what you’re going to find out if you stay," he retorts.
"Oh yeah?" I tip up my chin, all the way up, and then some more, so I can see his face. Gosh, he’s tall. I mean, I had a sense of his height when he was sitting down, but standing, he’s an absolute behemoth. He’s possibly the biggest brute of a man I’ve ever seen. His beaten-up leather jacket stretches across his shoulders. I can't miss how his biceps stretch the sleeves, hinting at powerful muscles underneath. The overhead light bounces off of his longer-than-fashionable length hair, picking out hints of brown among the coal dark strands. A hint of a tattoo peeks out from under the neckline of his T-shirt. With his day-old stubble, he comes across as someone who’ll always look effortlessly sexy. A look that adds to his appeal. A look which I definitely don’t fancy. Not at all.
"And what is it I’m going to find out?" I scowl.
"That the two of us have something in common."
"We have nothing in common." I toss my hair over my shoulder.
"We sure do." He bends his knees and peers into my eyes. "We want to fuck each other’s brains out.”
Meet L. Steele:
L. Steele loves to write romance novels featuring dangerous men and feisty women. She enjoys trading trivia with her filmmaker husband, watching lots and lots of movies, and walking nature trails. She lives with her family in London.
Mafia Bride, an all-new addictive dark mafia standalone romance from bestselling author L. Steele is live now!
Massimo Domenico Sovrano is arrogant, mean, full of swagger and oh so hot. As one of the most feared gangsters in Italy, he can have any woman he sets his sight on. But for some reason he wants me. The chemistry between us is off the charts. So I sleep with him on our very first meeting. Only, he betrays me. He breaks my heart. Which is why I lie to him. I tell him I am in love with someone else. I turn my back on him and decide to focus on my fledgling career as an actress. Now he's back in my life. Only problem? He's engaged to my sister...
L. Steele loves to write romance novels featuring dangerous men and feisty women. She enjoys trading trivia with her filmmaker husband, watching lots and lots of movies, and walking nature trails. She lives with her family in London.
Mafia Obsession, an all-new steamy and intense dark enemies-to-lovers mafia romance from bestselling author L. Steele is available now!
Luca Sovrano. One of the Sovrano Seven. Ruthless Capo. Dangerous Villain. The most beautiful man I've ever seen.
Our paths should never have crossed, but when he's thrown into the same cell as me we are trapped together. And forced to play a dangerous game to survive.
When he asks me to pose as his pretend wife, I agree. But what begins as a fake relationship, Blows up into real life longing.
When we escape together, he vows to protect me.
But who will save me from him when he finds out my secret...?
A brutal mob boss is brought to heel by the fiery spirit of a jazz dancer who teaches him the meaning of love, in this enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience dark billionaire romance. This is a stand alone.
What begins as a fake relationship, blows up into real life longing.
"Get off of me," she snarls. "Only if you promise to listen," I shoot back. "First, you get off me." "First, you promise to listen." "I’ll do no such thing." "In which case..." I place more of my weight on her and her gaze widens. "You wouldn’t." She scowls. "Try me." I allow my lips to curve in a smirk. Using my weight to hold her captive while I try to make her... Listen to me? It’s a dick move, but fuck that. We’re in trouble, and the only way out is if I get her to follow my directions. Her face pales a little, then her lips firm. "Fine," she says in a low voice. "I didn’t hear you," I drawl. "A-hole," she murmurs under her breath. "Heard that, and it’s alphahole to you." She opens and shuts her mouth. "You have an inflated opinion about yourself, don’t you?" "Not the only thing that’s inflated, Angel." "Don’t call me that." "I’ll call you anything I want." I allow my grin to widen. Her scowl deepens. "You… you… Dickwaffle!" I blink, then can’t stop the chuckle that rolls up my throat. I laugh so hard, my whole body shakes, and as a result, she shakes under me. "That’s a creative insult, I’ll give you that." "I’m just getting started," she shoots back. "You and I are going to have fun; I can feel it," I tease her. "Get off of me." She slaps my shoulder, and the vibrations shudder through my brain. The back of my head begins to throb in earnest. I touch the space and my fingers come away wet. "Is that blood?" She stares at it, then at my face. "Does it hurt?" "Are you concerned?" I narrow my gaze on her. "Of course not. But since we are, clearly, having a conversation, can you please get off me now?" "We are, aren’t we?" I roll off of her, and once on my feet, extend my arm to her. "Luca Sovrano." She sits up, then pushes off the bed and stands facing me. "What the hell did you think you were doing earlier?" She scowls. "Trying to distract you so you wouldn’t scream and make those guys come in here again." She pales a little, and her gaze flicks to the door. "Did they take you, as well? I mean, obviously, they did take you... But how did they overpower you? You seem—" "Strong? Virile? Sexy?" She darts me an annoyed look. "Does everything always have to be about you?" "Not always… but mostly." I wiggle my fingers. "At least shake my hand, will you?" "If you think I want to be your friend after what you did earlier, you are sadly mistaken." "Considering we’ve already exchanged saliva, a handshake doesn’t seem that far-fetched." She throws up her hands. “You’re gross." "And you’re cute when you are angry." "Eh?" She opens and shuts her mouth. "Who are you again?" "Luca Sovrano, part of the Sovrano Seven." "What are you, some kind of underground Mafia gang?" "How’d you guess?" "You’re joking, right?" She begins to laugh, but she must notice the look on my face, for her lips firm. "You’re not joking." "Not at all," I confirm. "Oh for F's sake." She takes a step back, as if she’s just realized the predicament she’s in. Too late, baby. I’ve already set my sights on you, and I’m not letting go that easily. "So, you’re part of a Mafia outfit?" "I am the Mafia." I widen my stance. "And you’re trapped with me in this cell."
Meet L. Steele:
L. Steele loves to write romance novels featuring dangerous men and feisty women. She enjoys trading trivia with her filmmaker husband, watching lots and lots of movies, and walking nature trails. She lives with her family in London.
Mafia Obsession, an all-new enticing dark enemies-to-lovers fake-relationship mafia romance from bestselling author L. Steele is live now!
Luca Sovrano. One of the Sovrano Seven. Ruthless Capo. Dangerous Villain. The most beautiful man I've ever seen.
Our paths should never have crossed, but when he's thrown into the same cell as me we are trapped together. And forced to play a dangerous game to survive.
When he asks me to pose as his pretend wife, I agree. But what begins as a fake relationship, Blows up into real life longing.
When we escape together, he vows to protect me.
But who will save me from him when he finds out my secret...?
A brutal mob boss is brought to heel by the fiery spirit of a jazz dancer who teaches him the meaning of love, in this enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience dark billionaire romance. This is a stand alone. 1-Click NOW
L. Steele loves to write romance novels featuring dangerous men and feisty women. She enjoys trading trivia with her filmmaker husband, watching lots and lots of movies, and walking nature trails. She lives with her family in London.
Mafia Obsession, a thrilling dark enemies-to-lovers billionaire romance from bestselling author L. Steele is coming June 13th, and we have the first look at the gorgeous cover!
Luca Sovrano. One of the Sovrano Seven. Ruthless Capo. Dangerous Villain. The most beautiful man I've ever seen.
Our paths should never have crossed, but when he's thrown into the same cell as me we are trapped together. And forced to play a dangerous game to survive.
When he asks me to pose as his pretend wife, I agree. But what begins as a fake relationship, Blows up into real life longing.
When we escape together, he vows to protect me.
But who will save me from him when he finds out my secret...?
A brutal mob boss is brought to heel by the fiery spirit of a jazz dancer who teaches him the meaning of love, in this enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience dark billionaire romance. This is a stand alone. 1-Click NOW
L. Steele loves to tame alphaholes. She writes romance stories with possessive growly men who meet their match in sassy, curvy, spitfire women :) She also writes dark sexy paranormal romance as NY Times bestseller Laxmi Hariharan. Married to a man who cooks as well as he talks. She lives in London.
"I think you will find it worth your time to listen to my proposition."
"What is it?" I scowl.
"Marry me. Of course, it’s only an arrangement …"
Sebastian 'grumphole' Sovrano is ruthless, arrogant, and fixated on me.
The first time we meet at a bar I dump my drink all over him.
He retaliates by following me into the ladies' ...
We seem to rub each other up the wrong way every time we are in the same room.
He's arrogant, high-handed, full of himself, and...
So very appealing.
No way can I act on the attraction that sizzles between us, right?
But I need to get custody of my daughter,
And he promises to help me.
Provided I pose as his wife.
Only problem? I can't resist his mean smirk, his wickedness that appeals to the darkness inside of me.
But when he discovers my secret, the tables are turned.
Now my fake husband is also my worst enemy...
A single mother who'll do anything for her child's happiness confronts the big bad mafia prince and teaches him the meaning of love in this standalone, enemies to lovers to enemies, hate-filled romance, with an HEA. 1-Click NOW!
Mafia Vows, an all-new enemies-to-lovers mafia romance full of steam from bestselling author L. Steele, is available now!
Sebastian 'grumphole' Sovrano is ruthless, arrogant, and fixated on me. The first time we meet at a bar I dump my drink all over him. He retaliates by following me into the ladies' ... We seem to rub each other up the wrong way every time we are in the same room. He's arrogant, high-handed, full of himself, and... So very appealing. No way can I act on the attraction that sizzles between us, right? But I need to get custody of my daughter, And he promises to help me. Provided I pose as his wife. Only problem? I can't resist his mean smirk, his wickedness that appeals to the darkness inside of me. But when he discovers my secret, the tables are turned. Now my fake husband is also my worst enemy...
A single mother who'll do anything for her child's happiness confronts the big bad mafia prince and teaches him the meaning of love in this standalone, enemies to lovers to enemies, hate-filled romance, with an HEA. 1-Click NOW!
Sebastian Sovrano is ruthless, arrogant, and fixated on me….
Grab your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
He holds out one of the tulip shaped glasses, and I snatch it from him. Before he’s raised his own glass, I’ve tossed mine back. The alcohol leaves a trail of heat in its wake. It hits my stomach, and a ball of heat radiates out from the point of contact. I cough as my eyes water. "Jesus, what is that? Paint remover?" I glance up through my spiky eyelashes to find him watching me with something like disdain. "What?" I sputter. "Never seen a grown woman act like a wuss?" He merely tosses his own drink back—the action is so elegant I want to lean in and follow his every move, with my tongue—then places it on the table with a controlled snap. The kind that manages to be authoritative and demanding. Bloody hell, how can one man convey all of that with such a small gesture? Out of the corner of my eye, I spot the bartender hurrying to refill his drink. Seb takes the glass from me, and his fingertips brush mine. A current of electricity shoots out from the point of contact. Oh, shit. Not good, not good. Don’t want to have this kind of a reaction to this man. "I’m not going to sleep with you. Even if you were the last man on earth," I blurt out. A touch of humor sparks in his eyes.
"We’ll see." He tilts his head. "You’re a little thing, aren’t you?" He frowns, as if only now noticing my lack of height. Well, I’m five-feet-four-inches, which is pretty decent, or so I’d thought until I stood before this monster of a man. "You’re a big, mean alphahole, aren’t you?" I scoff. His jaw drops, but he recovers quickly; I’ll give him that much credit. "That’s not a word in the English language," he says in a tone that could have chilled my grappa if I were still holding it in my hand, which I’m not. More’s the pity. I would have dumped it on him, just for the satisfaction of taking him by surprise again. "It is now," I inform him, "and by the way, I may be small, but I pack a punch." "Somehow I don’t doubt that." He lowers his head until we share breath, then murmurs, "But whatever it is you’re offering, I'm not interested." It’s my turn to gape. "What the—?" I sputter. "I’m not offering you anything. I’m not sure what makes you think—" He chuckles, the sound so deep, it seems to reach all the way to my toes. "Jerk," I snarl. "Stop laughing at me. I don’t know who you think you are, but—" "I have to admit, your response was most satisfying.” He smirks. And damn it, that shouldn’t be so hot. And I shouldn’t still be staring at that beautiful face of his. But honestly, while I’ve only heard of men being referred to as fallen angels before, now I get where the phrase comes from. If that description fits anyone, it’s this larger-than-life guy who’s looking at me like he’s the most superior thing ever to have walked this planet. "Only because you caught me by surprise." I poke my finger in his chest. "I’ll have you know, normally, I am far cooler and more collected." "No doubt, it’s my presence that unnerves you," he drawls. "It’s your presence that makes me want to leave this bar," I retort. "No one’s stopping you." He raises his hand in a dismissive gesture, much like the one I used on him earlier. "In fact, I’ll give you a drink to go." He jerks his chin at the bartender. For the second time in a few minutes, I gape at him. "And I thought Italian men were such charmers." "Only with the right kind of women," he shoots back. "Which I am not—when it comes to you— thank god." I pretend to wipe my forehead. "I wouldn’t be interested in you if you were the last man on this planet." He yawns. "I believe you already mentioned that. Are you done with your childish tantrum?"
I resist the urge to stamp my foot; that would only confirm his misogynistic remark, and I am not going to validate his misplaced perception. "I’ll have a beer," I say in a casual voice. "Eh?" A line appears between his eyebrows, marring the expanse of that gorgeous forehead. "A beer." I stab my thumb over my shoulder. "Tell him I want a beer to go." "Instead of grappa?" He wrinkles his nose like I’ve suddenly developed a bad smell. Not that I didn’t like the taste of it, but there’s a reason I’m asking for beer. “In fact, make it a pint. You know us Brits; we never settle for anything less." He shoots me a look filled with disgust. "There, there, it can’t be all that bad." I pat his chest. The heat of his body instantly soaks through his shirt to bleed into my skin. I shiver. To say the man is ripped is an understatement. I mean, I have touched walls which were less firm. Okay, maybe a tad exaggerated on my part, or not. I swear, the man must spend all of his spare time working out. He glances down at where my hand seems to have developed a relationship with the front of his shirt. "Oops, sorry." Not. I lower my hand to my side. "Your hair..." He points to where I have piled my hair on my head. Half of it has come undone, and strands now hang about my face. The curse of having thick hair. Not to mention, the humidity in this establishment pretty much means my hair is frizzy and escaping from its messy bun. "What of my hair?" I scowl. "I’ve seen bird’s nests that are tidier." "Such sweet compliments. Keep that up, and I’ll be sure you have a crush on me." He smirks. I glower up at him. The skin around his eyes creases. Then he reaches over and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. Tendrils of loathing—it has to be loathing—shiver out from where his fingertips brushed my earlobe. Someone clears their throat. That’s when I realize Theresa is standing beside us.
Meet L. Steele:
L. Steele loves to tame alphaholes. She writes romance stories with possessive growly men who meet their match in sassy, curvy, spitfire women :) She also writes dark sexy paranormal romance as NY Times bestseller Laxmi Hariharan. Married to a man who cooks as well as he talks. She lives in London.
Mafia Vows, an all-new scorching-hot enemies-to-lovers mafia romance from bestselling author L. Steele is live now!
Sebastian 'grumphole' Sovrano is ruthless, arrogant, and fixated on me.
The first time we meet at a bar I dump my drink all over him.
He retaliates by following me into the ladies' ...
We seem to rub each other up the wrong way every time we are in the same room.
He's arrogant, high-handed, full of himself, and...
So very appealing.
No way can I act on the attraction that sizzles between us, right?
But I need to get custody of my daughter,
And he promises to help me.
Provided I pose as his wife.
Only problem? I can't resist his mean smirk, his wickedness that appeals to the darkness inside of me.
But when he discovers my secret, the tables are turned.
Now my fake husband is also my worst enemy...
A single mother who'll do anything for her child's happiness confronts the big bad mafia prince and teaches him the meaning of love in this standalone, enemies to lovers to enemies, hate-filled romance, with an HEA. 1-Click NOW!
Can I act on the attraction that sizzles between us…?
Grab your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
L. Steele loves to tame alphaholes. She writes romance stories with possessive growly men who meet their match in sassy, curvy, spitfire women :) She also writes dark sexy paranormal romance as NY Times bestseller Laxmi Hariharan. Married to a man who cooks as well as he talks. She lives in London.
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