Hard Enough - Chapter 184: Advancing quickly

[Mature Content:]Alaric was too close to Nicolette.Her mouth was just inches away from his.He could smell the lavender on her skin, the heat radiating from within her.But he held back, refusing to be carried away by her charm…“Mr. Allens…” she purred, and he looked down at her.Her eyes widened with desire, and he knew, in that moment, that if he wanted to kiss her, she would let him.The last thing he wanted was commitment. He knew that Nicolette didn’t want that either.But why was she this tempting?So willing?It was that willingness that confused him.She blinked, then swallowed as she pulled the jacket off her shoulders. His eyes lingered on her exposed neck.God.He just wanted to bury his mouth in that hollow spot.“Here,” Nicolette said calmly, extending the jacket to him.He took the jacket, his hand brushing hers just a second. She flinched, her face turning pink as she clutched the towel against her chest.His stomach flipped at the sight.If only that towel would give way to…Before he could stop himself, Alaric pressed his arousal against her stomach, pushing her against the wall, cornering her.She gasped at the sudden movement and for a moment, he lost his mind.“Cole…” he breathed, crushing himself against her.Her eyes gleamed with desire and a vulnerability that rocked him to his core.He would be foolish not to give in to this feeling.But he would also be a fool if he did.She had chosen to marry him.Not her boyfriend.And definitely not Lucian Crawford.Yet, he couldn't help it.She was only his for a year.But still…***************When her business and the gallery she inherited from her mother burn to the ground, Nicolette Voss is determined to rebuild—and get revenge on her father.She turned to her father’s rival, Alaric Allens, for an alliance.Alaric is willing to help, but on one condition—she must be his wife for a year.They called him Ruthless Alaric after an infamous incident 6 years ago. Alaric is back in town, and so are the crumbs of his past. But he is determined to change everything with a wife.He has his hidden agenda.She needs her revenge.But will this marriage between storm and steel survive the heat? And what will they do when deep secrets threatens to destroy them both?

Reborn at the turn of the century, residing in Moscow, freshly off the plane, preparing to study abroad...Wang Ye only ever wanted a quiet life of modest wealth, to live his days in peaceful bliss.Yet, pushed along by the hand of fate, he found himself helplessly walking down the path towards becoming an oligarch!

An Yin, a delicate beauty caught in a risky charade, pretends to date playboy Bo Cheng to escape her troubles—until she meets his brother, ​Bo Shaojin: the ruthless, untouchable CEO whose icy dominance rules both boardrooms and high society.Their first encounter crackles with sizzling tension. Shaojin’s piercing gaze lingers on An Yin, his brother’s “girlfriend,” as she trembles under his scrutiny. But when their paths collide again—her, half-dressed and panic-stricken in his bathroom; him, a storm of restraint and hunger—the line between duty and desire shatters.As An Yin’s fake relationship unravels, Shaojin’s ironclad control dissolves. Drunk on obsession, he corners her in a midnight confession, his hardened facade crumbling as he vows, “I won’t touch you…” But his hands whisper promises his words deny.

“Mike woke up as a Beastmaster in a world where danger lurked in every corner.

The world was being invaded by monsters from another realm, and the citizens were forced to fight for their own safety.

Just as Mike wondered if he could survive in such a dangerous place, he received a system based on his attractiveness.

With the system’s help, his attractiveness began to rise every day.

When Mike’s attractiveness peaked at 9,999, not a single human tried to flirt with him.

Days went by as such until one day when a rare divine beast swift passed him and stopped in front of him willingly.

“Ding! Congratulations. You’ve tamed the legendary divine beast Green-Eyed White Dragon!”

Mike stared dumbfoundedly at the huge dragon in front of him.

Just like that, Mike tamed his first divine beast.

It didn’t take long for Mike to realize that his attractiveness only worked on divine beasts.

“Ding! Congratulations. You’ve tamed the legendary divine beast Tempest Battle Eagle!”

“Ding! Congratulations. You’ve tamed the legendary divine beast Black Flame Phoenix!”