Leave Me Breathless: The Black Rose Collection Read online

  Leave Me Breathless: The Black Rose Collection

  Dakota Willink

  Patricia Eddy

  Sienna Snow

  Sierra Hill

  Cayce Poponea

  Jo-Anne Joseph

  Elizabeth Knox

  Crimson Syn

  Sonya Jesus

  Pepper North

  Sin Silverfall

  Contents

  Introduction

  An Important Note to the Readers

  MARKED

  INSIDIOUS LOVE

  THE SOUND OF SILENCE

  FORBIDDEN LOVE

  DARK DESIRES

  CRIMSON DAHLIA

  DARE DARK

  MASTER OF CONTROL

  PRECIOUS GEMS

  MIA

  THE BULLET THEORY

  Leave Me Breathless Books

  When the daylight fades and time stands still.

  The feeling of flying from just one touch.

  Moving slowly, kissing softly.

  The flash of fever, becoming lost in the flames. Surrendering. Going under.

  These are the moments that leave us breathless.

  Introducing a brand-new collection of romance books by independently published and USA Today bestselling authors whose words will leave you breathless! The Leave Me Breathless books promise to bring you stories of love, passion, betrayal, and hope...and always a happily ever after!

  THE LILAC COLLECTION

  The Lilac symbolizes the first emotion. This collection will feature first in series books from HJ Bellus, Kim Loraine, Dakota Willink, Tamara Lush, KL Donn, H.C. Bentley, Lexi Hart, Samantha Morgan, Samantha Lind, Sonya Jesus, A.C. Williams, and DL Gallie.

  This LIMTED EDITION book is only available until December 31, 2019.

  THE MOONFLOWER COLLECTION

  The Moonflower symbolizes dreaming of love. The collection will feature brand new, never before published, stand-alone books from Heather Guimond, Lexi Hart, Kiersten Modglin, A.C. Williams, Samantha Morgan, Barbra Campbell, Lyssa Cole, and M. Piper.

  THE IVY COLLECTION

  The Ivy symbolizes dependence, endurance, and faithfulness. This collection will feature brand new, never before published, stand-alone books from KL Donn, Evan Grace, Ashley Lane, C.M. Lally, Michelle Windsor, Sophia Henry, K.L. Humphreys, and Natalie Hill.

  THE BLACK ROSE COLLECTION

  The darker side of Leave Me Breathless...

  The Black Rose symbolizes rejuvenation or rebirth, but it can also symbolize death and farewell. The collection will feature brand new stand-alone books from Dakota Willink, Elizabeth Knox, Sierra Hill, Sienna Snow, Patricia D. Eddy, Sonya Jesus, Cayce Poponea, Crimson Syn, Pepper North, Sin Silverfall, Jo-Anne Joseph.

  Watch the trailer premiering on YouTube!

  https://youtu.be/khYX8Z8a4OY

  Join the Leave Me Breathless Party Room for sneak peeks from the Leave Me Breathless authors!

  https://www.facebook.com/groups/LeaveMeBreathlessPartyRoom/

  Please visit http://bit.ly/LMBBooks for more information!

  An Important Note to the Readers

  WARNING

  The Leave Me Breathless Black Rose Collection contains romantic suspense and dark romance stories. Some aspects of these books may be sensitive for some readers.

  The books in this collection are works of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are all products of the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblances to persons, organizations, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.

  MARKED Copyright © 2020 by Cayce Poponea

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  INSIDIOUS LOVE Copyright © 2020 by Crimson Syn

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  THE SOUND OF SILENCE Copyright © 2020 by Dakota Willink

  All Rights Reserved. In ordinance with the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission of the publisher. Please do not participate in or encourage unlawful piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s intellectual property.

  FORBIDDEN LOVE Copyright © 2020 by Elizabeth Knox

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations used in articles or reviews. For information contact Elizabeth Knox.

  Editing by Courtney Lynn Rose, Knox Publishing

  Copyediting by Rebecca Vazquez, Full Bloom Editorial

  Proofreading by Jackie Ziegler, Knox Publishing

  DARK DESIRES Copyright © 2019 by Jo-Anne Joseph

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Edited by KimBookJunkie

  CRIMSON DAHLIA Copyright © 2020 by Patricia D. Eddy

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  DARE DARK Copyright © 2020 by Pepper North

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  MASTER OF CONTROL Copyright © 2020 by Sienna Snow

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  PRECIOUS GEMS Copyright © 2019 by Sierra Hill

  Ten28 Publishing

  Proofreading: Piece by Piece Proofreading

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or used factiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  MIA by Copyright © 2020 by Sin Silverfall

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  THE BULLET THEORY Copyright © 2020 by Sonya Jesus

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or b
y any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  MARKED

  A Novel by Cayce Poponea

  MARKED

  by Cayce Poponea

  Doing the right thing should never leave a scar...

  MARKED is the latest Mafia romance from bestselling author Cayce Poponea. Join her as she shares the story of Giovanni Vitale and Kristine Smith, two people from dramatically different backgrounds whose lives become woven together through deception and lies. Can Kristine follow the three simple rules for working in the Family? What happens when her loyalty is questioned by the one she trusts the most?

  1

  Kristine laid on her side in the double bed she found at a garage sale, the digital clock on her bedside table read a few minutes after three in the morning. Her heart stalled when she heard the creak of the front door opening. Holding her breath, she waited for the tell-tale sign of who’d stumbled through their door, friend or foe.

  Kristine released her breath when a loud thump, followed by a hissed oath, reached her ears. Covering her mouth with her hand to conceal her reaction to the evident pain inflicted as a result of her grandmother's rearranging the living room furniture yesterday. Kristine almost felt guilty for hoping Jonah, her boyfriend of far too long, had broken his toe this time. It would serve him right for trying to sneak in, knowing how often her grandmother changed the house around.

  Gripping her pillow tight, she readied herself for his entrance, something after all the nights he’s stumbled into her room he should have perfected by now. But not Jonah Kelley, that boy should come with a warning label; brains not included or common sense unavailable.

  Kristine’s body bounced as Jonah’s heavy form fell into bed beside her, the smell of cheap beer almost masked the even cheaper cologne of his latest side girl. Grace Miller, whose perfume, a designer knock-off and three years past expiration, filled the small office she and Kristine shared every day.

  Seconds later, Jonah shattered the once quiet room with his obnoxious snores. Feeling defeated, Kristine reached into her nightstand for her noise-canceling headphones, letting the sultry voice of her favorite singer drown out the lawnmower beside her.

  Pain in the middle of her back, combined with the screeching sound of her alarm, pulled Kristine from the little sleep she was able to manage. The brief rest wasn’t long enough to produce a single dream, something she looked forward to every night. Pushing back the covers, she slid into her fluffy slippers, a birthday gift from her granny a few weeks ago. Standing to her full height, she reached for her robe at the foot of the bed, finding Jonah’s dirty work boots, the laces untied and his feet still inside holding the terry-cloth hostage. The manners her grandmother instilled in her would dictate she not disturb the sleeping man, but with her lack of sleep combined with his continued disrespect, those guidelines were forgotten as she shoved his feet to the side. A grunt sounded from his sprawled-out body taking up over half the bed and the reason behind her aching back.

  Shuffling her feet down the hall, she dropped her tired body into the worn cushions of the couch, retrieving her laptop from its new hiding place. The second-hand piece of equipment is the most expensive item she owns, something she snatched up at the end of last semester when her community college purchased new computers. She wished she could upgrade her cellphone as easily, but money was tight and if she wanted to take classes when school resumed, she would need every penny in her savings for tuition.

  Typing her password, her heart soared at the familiar ding of a waiting Facebook message. Even without looking, Kristine knows it’s from her friend Nina, and will save it for later, giving her something to look forward to in her projected dismal day. As she scrolled through the list of her friend’s posts, she allowed herself to pretend she’s a part of their lives, celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, and new babies. While her life is far from boring, she wouldn’t mind an adventure or two.

  Opening the program for her email, she scanned the list of advertisements for everything from fifty percent off storewide clearance to penile implants available near her. Shaking her head, she considered forwarding the latter to Jonah; Lord knows he could use some help in that department.

  A noise from the hall forced her to close the lid and store her computer back in its hiding place. No one, not even her granny, knew of the purchase she’d made. If Jonah found out, he would demand to see it, tinkering around with it until it didn’t work anymore. He was one of those people who knew everything about nothing, believing there was nothing he couldn’t do or invent. His parent's front yard was littered with his brilliant ideas and money-making scams, piles and piles of someone else’s fault as to why his idea didn’t work. Kristine recalled the last time he’d gotten ahold of her computer, how her heart sank as she watched it bounce off the kitchen wall, landing with a broken screen and keys flying in a million directions when he got angry at a game he was playing. She would have killed him, had she not kept all of her files on a thumb-drive, including the term paper she needed to print and turn in the next morning. He’d sworn to replace it, but just like his promise she was the only girl for him, he’d lied.

  “Why isn’t there any coffee made?” Jonah’s voice, thick with sleep, used to ignite something deep inside Kristine. Now it grated on her nerves.

  “I don’t drink it.” Kristine shot back, her lack of sleep sharpening her tongue.

  “Who the fuck doesn’t drink coffee in the morning?” He argued, his voice raised much too high for the early hour.

  “Watch your mouth, Jonah. You wake up my granny and you’ll have more issues than lack of caffeine.”

  “Birdie loves me,” he boasted, shoving a handful of dry cereal into his mouth, several pieces dropping to the floor, another mess she would have to clean. Jonah was right, like most of the women in this dinky town, her Granny, Birdie Campbell loved him. Ironically, it was the only reason Kristine hadn’t dumped his ass.

  “I have to get ready for work,” Kristine stood from the couch, ignoring Jonah’s grumbling about the lack of decent food in this house. He was right again, most of the food in their pantry was off brand or on sale. Money was tight, always had been, but between granny’s social security and her job at the County Co-op, they managed to keep the lights on.

  Twenty minutes and a cold shower later, Kristine rounded the corner to find her granny and Jonah sitting at the kitchen table, a cup of coffee and an empty plate in front of him.

  “Aren’t you going to be late for work?” She deadpanned, not caring to know the answer.

  “I need gas money.” Jonah demanded wiping his face, then tossing a crumpled-up napkin onto the table.

  “Then I suggest you get to work.”

  Kristina wasn’t about to give him another cent, having not been paid back for the last chunk of money he’d conned off her. She’d watched enough episodes of those reality court shows to know not to loan more money when he’d failed to pay her back. She knew how much money Jonah made, she sent the deposit to his bank every other Wednesday after her boss approved it. It wasn’t his lack of earning, but his inability to budget.

  Jonah shoved his chair back with such force it put a dent in the drywall. “Now see, you wouldn’t be such a bitch if you drank coffee.”

  Anger burning hot in her belly as her granny cringed from Jonah’s raised voice. “And you wouldn’t smell like the perfume counter at Rite Aid if you didn’t spend half the night screwing around with Grace Miller.”

  Kristine moved with purpose and determination in her step as she pulled open the front door, swinging her free arm in invitation for Jonah to leave, shooting him a raised eyebrow when he failed to move.

  “No man likes a smart-mouthed woman, Kris.” Jonah started, picking up his cup of coffee and stepping around the table. “I blame those snooty bitches over at that college you go to.” He tossed at Kristine as he passed by he
r. Kristine ignored his jab about her education as Jonah took every opportunity to make her feel bad about wanting more. The joke was on him, as his cruelty had the opposite effect, fueling her desire and making her work harder.

  “Birdie, thank you for the breakfast, though the eggs were a little runny,” Jonah began his back-handed compliment, but Kristine slammed the door in his face, silencing any further foulness he had for the sweet old lady who’d raised her.

  Opening the refrigerator, Kristine removed the container of leftover casserole from last night's dinner, shoving it, along with some utensils into a grocery bag. She heard the shuffle of Granny’s feet against the linoleum behind her, the elderly woman needing a hip replacement for years.

  “You have such pretty hair, just like your momma’s.” Birdie stood behind the little girl who’d blossomed into a beautiful woman, “Same sharp tongue too. She had some colorful words when she brought you into this world.”

  Turning, Kristine took her grandmother’s face between her palms, staring deep into the sadness that clouded her blue eyes. She knew how much it upset her grandmother to speak of her mother, the agony of losing a child something no mother should have to endure.