the botany of desire

ISABELLA DANTE has a night out with her friends to celebrate graduating from the most prestigious college in Italy. As the first, legitimate, most adorable daughter and heiress of Leonardo Dante, the most powerful business tycoon in La Nostra Terra, she's admired by all the men in the nightclub but known for being reserved and prim, and no one makes a move on her. They all just admire from a distance. When the night draws to an end, Isabella accepts her last drink from her step-sister, Aurora Dante, and it makes her feel intoxicated and almost lose consciousness. Her view gets blurry, and she finds herself staggering to the rooms in the VIP section and passing out. A month later, the rumor of her sudden pregnancy hits the media, causing a mad uproar. Her father experiences a drastic blow in his business as his stock drops. The scandal blows like wildfire, almost tossing the Dantes into misery. Infuriated and disappointed, Leonardo Dante gives Isabella an ultimatum – revealing who the father of her child is or getting disowned by him. Isabella is in a dilemma with no way out. Without a second thought, she would have revealed who the father of her child is, but she has no idea. The memories she had from that night are foggy. She can't recall who the man she might have slept with was. She tries pleading, but it falls on deaf ears as she gets disowned by her father. Years later, as a successful businesswoman and single mother, Isabella crosses paths with Enzo Ferrari, the menacing Capo Dei capi of the Italian Mafia. Drawn to her and her daughter Sofia, Enzo finds himself torn between his responsibilities to the mafia and his growing love for Isabella.

Closing the door shut, I exhaled lowly and turned around to make a dash into the room when my eyes met with a pair of raging fireballs glaring into my soul. How come he is here? I made sure to lock the door. “And you think that a wooden door is strong enough to prevent me from meeting my mate?” He answered my unsaid question, his tone strident and laced with pure rage making me cower back. But still, I mustered up courage and shot him a defiant look. “And I made it clear to you that I don’t accept you as my mate,” I spoke confidently while looking straight into his eyes. My breath hitched when I noticed his eyes darkening. He was clearly pissed by my protest but I stood my ground. Taking a deep breath I continued, “Listen, I can’t be with you nor with anyone. What happened that night was just a mistake and I never accepted you so stop harassing me and just leave-“ Before I could complete it, my neck was grabbed in a vice grip as I was pinned against the door. I quickly shielded my belly with my arms dreading he would hurt my children. But irrespective of my fear-stricken face, he leaned dangerously closer to my face and flashed me a diabolical smirk that dripped with menace. “I think I made it clear to you last night Ms. Evans. I had never asked for your consent in the first place so you… don't really have a choice. ‘Cause once you enter Xavier’s maze, there is no going back, Grace.”

Daniella was desperate to have a child and the bodyguard assigned to her was perfect to become her child's father. She believed that desperate times called for desperate measures but Marcus wasn't a fan of her irresponsible behavior. He wanted her apology but ended up getting married to the woman who abused him.

"......VOICES IN MY HEAD AND THEY WON'T STOP TALKING...." "....AND OURS IS A LOVE THAT HAPPENS ONCE IN A LIFETIME..." Young, handsome Daniel Winchester shows up in small and quiet Riverside. Rumors are flying about the new comer in town. Josie Geronimo is intruiged by the new teacher in her community high school. She desire to unravel the mystery behind the stormy clouds in his eyes; she must lose some innocence during this quest. Life is determined to play a fast one on her as she descovers Daniel's old identity. Daniel is captured by the innocent young girl giving him so much attention, he's scared not to hurt her, he's scared to love her. Still, this is a love that comes once in a lifetime; they must grab and harness it to the fullest. The road is rough, dark and scary, yet, Daniel and Josie must travel this path to reach each other.

They say the opposite attracts, but what happens when two people with the same attitude encounter each other but have different lifestyles? Both are fun-loving, with different perspectives and different definitions of love. Shrey Khatri, a 19-year-old college student, ends up knowing the dark secrets of the youngest self-made businessman, George Hemsworth, at the age of 21, who came to India to run away from his dark past and live a peaceful life. On the other hand, Shrey's best friends, Reva Mahajan and Louis Lambert, who are related as step-siblings, will see their love blossom or gloom with a third person's appearance in their lives. What will be the outcomes of the past memories in Shrey and George's lives, and how did Shrey end up being "His enthralled desire"? To find out, let's dig into the streets of India, where autumn is painted in the eyes of the people. It's the sequel to Bound of Remembrance, Book 2.

A few hours before her wedding, Elowen ditches her cheating fiancé and the entire Guerra family, then ends up in a club for a one-time stripper gig where she meets Dante. Enthralled by her, Dante presents her with a contract. Elowen thinks she can use this to her advantage - steal his money and skip town, where the Guerra family won’t find her. So, she signs the contract and gives up her virginity to him. Unbeknownst to her, Dante isn’t just some random rich guy. He’s her ex-fiancé’s uncle and the most powerful man in the city. He’s used to getting what he wants, and he wants Elowen, who had just signed a contract with him. What happens when she finds out his true identity and the fact she can never escape the Guerra Mafia?

"...You want me to go to another town as you date and later marry some other lady whom you underestimate to be stupid, and I’ll be your mistress until the day that I’ll realize that I lost everything for you… you want me to sit back and wait as I grow old and see another woman bear your children.”

His gaze met mine, intense and possessive, his lips just an inch away as his lips left my nipple. “Say it, Erica,” he commanded, voice rough. “Say that you belong to me.” I swallowed, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might drown out my thoughts. He held me tightly, his fingers pressing into my skin as if trying to claim every inch of me, refusing to let me escape. “I... I don’t,” I whispered, my voice barely steady, the denial weak even to my own ears. He gave me a dark smile, then continued, his mouth finding my other breast. He sucked lightly, his other hand gripping my waist, making it clear he didn’t plan on letting go. His tongue drew imaginary circles around my nipple, his teeth nipping at my sensitive bud before he sucked it whole again like a starved man. “You don’t?” he murmured against my skin. “Then why haven’t you stopped me?” I opened my mouth to protest, but only a soft sound escaped, my hands tightening on his shoulders as he kept pushing, each suck and touch breaking down my defenses. I let out an ear splitting moan, “Raffael please…” *********** Erica’s world is shattered when she’s forced into a dangerous deal with Raffael Greco, the ruthless crime boss who now owns her. By day, she’s his maid, and by night, she works in his strip club—her body no longer her own. Drawn to the ruthless man who both torments and ignites her, Erica can’t resist the tension simmering between them. Raffael, obsessed with controlling her, finds himself slowly losing control instead. Can Erica survive being Raffael's sinful desire, or will his desires destroy her before she can escape?

When her family decides to have her betrothed to their kingdom's worst enemy to stop the war, Ariel decides to take matters into her own hands to keep seeing her lover including asking her cousin Roseline to act like her but what she never expected was for Roseline to take it very far, to fall in love with the man she was supposed to marry and then do the worst things to make sure Xavier was hers and hers alone even if it meant killing Ariel and Xavier's sister Juliet. Meanwhile Ariel never expected to find love in the one man she hated from the first day they met or to have his baby...

Diane arrives at Hotel Dela Paz, a luxurious destination renowned for love and romance, but for her, it becomes a sanctuary to heal her broken heart. As she tries to recover from past wounds, fate introduces her to Damon Dela Paz, the enigmatic billionaire who owns the hotel. Their connection is instant, sparking a powerful desire between them. Despite her heartache, Diane finds herself irresistibly drawn to Damon, yearning for his touch and comfort. That one passionate night binds them, and they can't stop thinking about each other. But just as their desire begins to deepen into something more, people from their pasts resurface, threatening to reignite old wounds. Now, Diane and Damon must confront their feelings and the shadows of their histories. Can their fiery connection transform into lasting love, or will the ghosts of the past tear them apart? In this story of passion, healing, and second chances, Diane and Damon will have to fight for the love they've both been longing for.