Novels by J.O

I barely made it three steps out of the library before I heard my name, sharp and laced with accusation.“Elena.”I sighed, already knowing what was coming. Squaring my shoulders, I turned to find Tiffany standing a few feet away, arms crossed so tightly her nails pressed into her skin. Her eyes flicked over me—too observant for my liking—taking in my flushed cheeks, the slight mess in my hair, the way my blouse wasn’t as perfectly tucked as it had been before.Shit.She knew.“Care to explain what the hell is going on?” Her voice was clipped, her expression unreadable.I forced a smirk, tilting my head as if I had no idea what she was talking about. “What do you mean?”Tiffany scoffed, stepping closer. “Don’t play dumb, Elena. I saw you sneak off to the library, and I know exactly who was in there with you.”Noah.Of course, she knew. Tiffany missed nothing, and if I had been smarter, I would’ve been more careful. But I wasn’t thinking about Tiffany or anyone else when I was with him

The bus rolled to a stop in front of the school, the familiar brick facade looming ahead like nothing had changed. But everything had.Noah and I weren’t the same people who had stepped onto this bus yesterday.I could still feel the ghost of his hands on me, the lingering heat where his touch had burned itself into my skin. My pulse was still too fast, my breaths still too shallow, and the way Noah looked at me—as if he was barely holding himself back—only made it worse.I exhaled sharply, forcing myself to focus. The last thing we needed was to walk into school looking as wrecked as we felt.Noah stood first, stretching like he hadn’t just been seconds away from completely unraveling in the back of the bus. His gaze flicked down to me, amused, heated. "Are you coming?"I shot him a look. "You’re asking that now?"His lips twitched, but he said nothing as he stepped past me, moving toward the exit.I followed, smoothing my uniform and running my fingers through my hair in an attempt

We barely made it back to the room the museum staff had provided before we were at each other again—hot, desperate, unable to stop.The air was thick with the scent of us, our bodies tangled in the dim light, sheets pushed to the floor as we devoured each other over and over. There was no hesitation, no second-guessing, only the raw need that kept us going until the early hours of the morning.When dawn finally crept in, spilling golden light through the windows, we lay in a breathless, tangled mess. My body ached in places I hadn’t even known could ache, and Noah looked just as wrecked, his lips swollen, his skin marked with the evidence of the night we had lost ourselves in.We didn't say much. There was no need to. The silence between us wasn’t awkward—it was something else. Something that felt dangerously close to contentment.With lazy movements, we reached for the extra uniforms we had brought, exchanging smirks as we realized the ones from last night were nothing but shredded r

I should have seen it coming. The moment my history teacher started talking about an extra-credit project, I should have known fate was about to take another swing at me. But nothing—absolutely nothing—could have prepared me for what came next."You’ll be paired up," Mr. Langley announced, adjusting his glasses. "And since we’re low on slots, some of you will be sent in pairs to the same location."I barely paid attention until I heard my name."Elena Kensington and Noah Carter. You’ll be working together on the Renaissance exhibit at the Halloran Museum. It’s an overnight trip. You leave tomorrow after school."I blinked. Surely, I had misheard.Noah scoffed. Low. Dismissive. Like he’d rather swallow glass than spend a weekend anywhere near me.I didn’t blame him.Still, my stomach twisted. This was the last thing I needed. Being forced into close quarters with Noah Carter, of all people, was nothing short of cruel punishment.I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. His jaw was t

I barely made it two steps past the foyer before my mother’s sharp voice cut through the air.“Elena.”I froze, my fingers curling around the strap of my bag, nails digging into the expensive leather.Damn it.I’d seen Cameron’s car parked outside the mansion the moment my driver pulled in, and I knew exactly what that meant—trouble.For once, I’d planned to be smart. To avoid the headache, I took the back stairs and locked myself in my room. But of course, my mother was always one step ahead.With a slow inhale, I schooled my features into a neutral expression and turned toward the living room.Cameron sat on one of the velvet couches, looking every bit the perfect, polished man my parents adored. He was relaxed, legs crossed, arm thrown over the back of the couch like he belonged there. His hair was perfectly styled, his uniform pressed without a wrinkle in sight, and his smug little smirk told me he was enjoying this far too much.My father sat across from him, flipping through som

I spent the entire day trying to avoid Elena.It was impossible.Everywhere I went, she was there—like a ghost haunting my every step. Even when I couldn’t see her, I could feel her. My body hadn’t forgotten the way her fingers had trailed over me, teasing, testing, pushing me to the edge of something I couldn’t afford to give in to.I had to get a grip.So I threw myself into distraction. Class. Gym. Lunch. Keep moving. Keep my head down. Stick to the routine. But no matter how hard I tried, my mind kept betraying me. My gaze would drift across the cafeteria without permission, scanning the crowd before I even realized what I was looking for.And then, because fate clearly had it out for me, Aria slid into the seat next to me, all bright smiles and too-eager energy."Noah!" She practically purred my name. "I’ve been meaning to ask—what’s your gym routine? You’re in insane shape."I barely spared her a glance, stabbing my fork into my food. "Weights. Cardio. The usual."She wasn’t det