Book picks similar to
The Mercenary's Conquest by Lietha Wards


romance
alpha-male
contemporary
contemporary-romance

Enraptured


Alannah Carbonneau - 2013
    Loving her has never come with choice – it consumed and burned and before I knew it I was hers. DaceA man is defined by the secrets he keeps and the demons he carries. I never knew I longed for light until the rays burned me. Now, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to hold tightly to the light I’ve captured. She’s a good girl and she’s come from a good world. We’re as opposite as opposite can be, but she’s the other side of my coin – the day to my night. She’s the truth to my secrets and the redemption to my sins. Her heart is my salvation and her body is my obsession. But loving her comes with a risk I’m not sure I can take. Ella He’s become my safe place when everything I knew disintegrated around me. In his arms, I find solace and safety and laughter in a time where I’m suffocated by pain. He came into my world without any warning, conquering and claiming. They tell me he’s dark and dangerous. I’ve been warned and I know I should stay away, but I can’t seem to help myself. He’s a craving I can’t deny when the world keeps tossing us together. I know there are things I don’t know, but every layer I uncover reveals a man my soul seems to recognize. He’s chiseling away my heart, but I’m unsure if he’s invading the fractured pieces, or stealing them. Either way, I don’t think I have the strength to deny him. Even if I did, I don’t know if I would. Is it really up to me to decide if love prevails over darkness? Or, are some plans fated long before we come to be? I’m beginning to believe I was fated for him – crafted entirely to enrapture all that he is.

Tap


Georgia Cates - 2015
    That’s all she was when I agreed to play a part in deceiving her. But then the unplanned happened.We met. And all I wanted from her was a dirty weekend . . . until that wasn’t enough and I longed for so much more.Lawrence Thorn suddenly means the world to me. And that’s a problem. She’s my business partner’s sister. Forbidden fruit. Pursuing her can mean trouble for me at Lovibond Brewery. But I don’t care.I yearn for her skin against mine.I crave her smell on my body.I want to make her laugh and then hear her moan my name.And she does for a brief moment in time.But Lawrence wants more than I’m able to give. And it’s a damn shame because there’s no one on earth I want more than her.An epic love.A miserable ending.Unless it’s not.

Three of Us


Ella Goode - 2019
     Despite dating the Audley twins since she was fifteen, it’s been a chaste relationship. No matter how she tries to tempt them. Her men haven’t even kissed her, and she’s tired of waiting. The minute she hits campus where the two men have been hiding out for the last two years while somehow still keeping tabs on her every move, she will shake their world. Levi and Zeke made a promise to Olivia’s mom they wouldn’t touch her until she was ready. They’re not sure what that means, but they know they will wait forever just to have her. The problem is that Olivia keeps testing their vows. It’s hard not to give your girl what she wants when that’s all you’ve ever wanted to do. The minute the clock turns midnight, though, all bets are off.

Until Mallory


Ella Fox - 2018
    That could be because the temporary rental she's in is a dump, or it might be that the police just kicked in the door of said rental and came in with their weapons drawn.Officer John Wright is stunned to realize the girl standing in front of him with her hands up is the former neighbor he's pined over for years. Now that he's finally got her within his sights, he plans never to let her go.

Never Loved


Charlotte Stein - 2015
    Beatrix Becker spent most of her life under the thumb of her controlling, abusive father. And now that she’s free and attending her dream college, she has no idea how to act like the normal crowd: partying, going on dates, even having a conversation. Then she meets Serge Sorensen. Big and surly with a whole host of riotous tattoos, Serge is supposed to scare the hell out of her. But beneath his harsh exterior, Beatrix discovers a kindred spirit who knows what it’s like to be a misfit. Most exhilarating—and terrifying—is what he does for a living: illegal street fighting. There’s nothing like the rush Serge gets from the intense athleticism and brutal glory of combat—though his chemistry with Beatrix comes close. Slowly at first, he introduces her to his world, where he lives by instinct, passion, and desire. He even helps her out with her equally traumatized brother. But when Serge gets in too deep with the wrong people, he ends up paying in blood. And suddenly, just as Beatrix has been drawn into Serge’s perfectly sculpted arms, she’s thrown once and for all into the fight of his life.

Bound


Melody Anne - 2014
    Relinquish Control is an exclusive escort service catering to the most distinguished customers, from business magnates to foreign royalty. This proven and well-established international business offers an elite selection of women who are ready and willing to attend to your every need with no questions asked. Confidentiality is our special obligation. Jewell Weston is homeless and desperate at age twenty-four. Two years ago, she quit her job to care for her ailing mother and her young brother; the medical bills incurred because of the cancer that killed her mother two months ago took everything the family had, and the state then took away her brother, now age fourteen. The only way for her to get the boy back is by finding a job and securing a home. When she's approached by a woman in cashmere and pearls who tells her she can change her life, and is handed a card with the business name Relinquish Control on it, she thinks she has nothing to lose by calling the phone number. Maybe this will be the answer to her prayers, a way to save her little brother from the nightmarish foster home he's been placed in. Blake Knight, known to the world as cold and without a heart, is given an exclusive membership to Relinquish Control by his devilish younger brother, who thinks it would be amusing to make his staid brother squirm. Little does this brother realize that Blake does indeed have unusual desires that Relinquish Control can cater to perfectly. What started as a joke turns out to be just what Blake needs. Though the world sees this man as deliberate and emotionless, it's nothing but a facade. What lies underneath would shock all those who know him. When he and his two brothers were six, eight and ten, they were tied up and forced to watch while their parents were murdered. The image has been burned into their minds, though they've tried to forget, leaving each of them guarded and unwilling to give their trust to anyone other than each other. No one is allowed to have their hearts. The brothers would never think of letting down their guard with anyone else, certainly not with a woman. Follow Blake and Jewell's journey and see if they can find a happily ever after...

Beasting Beauty


Madison Faye - 2017
    I still am, even if I’ve spent the last four years shutting myself away from the world because of the darkness inside of me. But royal duty has left me no choice but to attend a “suitor’s ball” in a neighboring kingdom. Finding a wife is the very last thing on my mind, until the moment I lay eyes on her - the far too sweet, far too innocent, far too untouchable Princess Isla. One look at those big dark eyes and luscious curves, and I need to possess her. One taste of those lips, and I lose control of the beast inside. One touch of her soft, untouched body against mine, and she belongs to me. Forget that she’s off-limits. Forget that she’s never been touched. Forget the darkness hanging over my head and clawing at my past. I’m claiming this princess tonight. First, I’ll take her as my queen. Then, I’ll take her in my bed. Princess Isla’s unchained the beast, and I won’t rest until I’ve claimed her in every way I can. *Please note that each of the Possessing Beauty books are completely standalone stories centered around one couple, with no cliffhangers. Beasting Beauty is a quick and filthy modern twist on a fairytale involving a dark, utterly obsessed alpha hero and enough insta-love, kindle-melting steam, and sugary-sweetness to give you the vapors. If you love over-the-top, slightly unrealistic, and wildly dirty stories, this one’s for you! HEA with NO CHEATING!

Dirty Aristocrat


Georgia Le Carre - 2016
    Faking the truth was a whole lot harder. * Lord Ivan de Greystoke Don’t let my fancy title fool you because I'm a bad boy. I've always been. Now I've set my sights on Tawny Maxwell the one woman who stirs a possessiveness and desire in me that makes my insides twist. She's nineteen, blonde, fabulously beautiful, and married to Robert Maxwell. Which makes her a gold digger and my f**king stepmother! Oh and completely unavailable ... until now. For the old man’s dead, she’s the heiress of a hundred million fortune, and I’m the executor of her trust, but it ain't no walk in the park. My stepbrother and stepsisters feel robbed and are of the opinion that she should join her husband a.s.a.p, and I’ve got a raging hard-on. Permanently. Then I come up with the perfect solution. A fake marriage ... to me. Tawny Maxwell Everyone thinks I’m a gold digger. Even the dazzlingly, beautiful man whom I can't stop thinking about looks at me with distrust and suspicion in his silver eyes. But they don’t know the whole story. I have a secret. It's so big it will blow their minds, but I’m not telling. Never...

Mouth to Mouth


Tessa Bailey - 2018
    Tell that to Rory Prince. He should stay the hell away from Olive Cunningham. There’s one small problem, though. She won’t stop almost getting killed—and with this too-smart, too-sweet girl holding his heart in her hands, Rory is powerless to do anything but keep saving her. Homeschooled from a young age, Olive is now out on her own and discovering the world, one milkshake flavor at a time. Until recently, she has experienced life through books. She’s walked in a million sets of shoes while flipping pages—enough to know that Rory gives her once-in-a-lifetime feelings. If only he would stop trying to protect her…from himself.

Stolen Little Thing


Sasha Gold - 2014
     Esme Duval wants nothing more than to return to Honey Creek, Texas, to the ranch she's inherited. Her father and brothers think she doesn't deserve it. Her neighbor, Luke Crosby, thinks she has no business running four hundred acres of prime ranch land and he'll do anything to prove it to her. Not so many years ago, Luke was her ally, her hero and her secret love, now he threatens everything she holds dear. When Esme comes back to claim her property, will Luke once again come to her defense, or will he seize the opportunity to blackmail her into his arms? From Chapter Two “Drink this. It’ll help you sleep tonight,” he murmured. “You’re probably not used to sleeping in a tent.” She was a skittish, wild filly, keeping her distance and avoiding his gaze. For some reason she was fearful. Why, he couldn’t fathom, but one thing he knew for certain was that he was just the man for Esme Duval. There was a reason she’d returned. They belonged together. He’d keep his seduction slow, unravel the knots that bound her just a little at a time, easing up close enough to gentle her. Nolan watched her sip the drink and laughed when she made a face. He drained his in one draught. “Better give her two. The chupacabra hates whiskey. Bet you want to know how I know that, huh, Miss Esme?” “I’d rather hear it in the morning.” Esme took another sip of her drink and shuddered. “My brothers would be laughing if they could see me. I never wanted to go camping with them, and look at me now.” Luke dropped to sit on a blanket. He lay on his side, propped up on one elbow, and sipped his whiskey. “Is your family coming soon?” Esme stared into the flames. “No. They think I’m waiting until the school year is over to claim Simon’s place. They plan to come bully me out of the land.” Luke stilled. “They don’t know you’re here?” “Not exactly.” “Ooo, shit,” said Nolan. The two boys were playing cards on a nearby blanket and snickered when they heard Nolan’s profanity. Luke stared at her. “Do they know I offered to buy the ranch from you?” “I don’t recall,” Esme said. “Your memory’s a little sketchy?” Nolan asked. Luke drained his glass, got up and returned with the bottle of whiskey. He tipped more into Esme’s glass before refreshing his own. Esme took a larger swallow and found this time it didn’t burn quite as much. She didn’t drink spirits, just a little wine every so often. It wasn’t something her father approved of, even though he didn’t apply the rule to himself. She began to feel the liquor’s effects as the moon peeped over the horizon. She watched it rapidly climb into the sky, a full moon casting a warm glow on the ridges, hills and meadows. The trees, giant oaks with limbs hanging almost to the ground, were washed in silver light. The boys, David and Joseph, played quietly at a game of cards. Nolan gazed thoughtfully into the campfire. When she turned to look at Luke, she found him studying her. “Why did you come back after all these years?” he asked quietly. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”

Black


Aria Cole - 2016
    But he's unable to resist the allure of this desperate stranger.Soon the magnetism between them is undeniable, the temptation unbearable. Elle, reluctant to risk losing her heart to this dark and broken man, struggles against the sexual tension, only to surrender to the combustable heat between them.When Elle's life catches up to her and threatens to tear them apart, Maxwell will protect the precious love he's found by any brutal means necessary.✭ Black is a SAFE, sexy, insta-love spin on the Beauty and the Beast fairytale and is intended for mature audiences.

Timber


Frankie Love - 2016
    Dirty. Untamed.I moved to the woods to get away from the bullsh*t of the city. People there don't understand a man like me.I work hard, and my hands are as calloused as my heart.And nothing's gonna change that.But now I've met Harper.And my whole f*cking world has changed.But this girl keeps running.I need to make her stay because she's having my baby.I'm gonna make sure I'm the only man she ever needs again.HarperI never expected my fiancé to break things off.I'd saved myself for my wedding night, and now I'm left wondering why.Needing to get away, I ran to my uncle's cabin in the woods.But a storm has left me stranded on Jax's doorstep, and soon enough he takes me in his arms.And on the floor. And on the table. And in the great outdoors.Our time together has left me with a big problem ... a problem a wild man like him can't fix.A problem that makes me run ... because I need a man who believes in true love and commitment.I need a man who is ready to be a father.*** *** *** *** *** ***NOTE: Originally published as a five-part serial titled TIMBER. This includes all five parts, plus 15,000 extra words of bonus material: ACE 1.WARNING: This story contains graphic language and an untamed man who takes a virgin. Please don't read if you're not ready for hot sex that will make you reach for that vibrator hidden under your pillow. If the batteries are out, your own hand will do. No shame, babycakes. Enjoy this steamy story! You deserve it.

All the Pretty Lies


Michelle Leighton - 2013
    However, with a history like hers, she can understand why her brothers and her father want so much to protect her. She has gone along with it for twenty long years, but those days are over. For the girl who never makes promises, Sloane has made a pact with herself that things will change on her twenty-first birthday. So when the clock strikes midnight, Sloane strikes out to spread her wings and break a few rules.Him…In addition to inking skin, Hemi Spencer possesses many talents. Controlling himself has never been one of them. It’s never had to be. He’s lived a life of indulgence for as long as he can remember. Right up until tragedy struck. Now, he’s nothing but controlled. He’s a man on a mission, one who will let nothing and no one stand in his way.Them…Nothing in their lives could’ve prepared Sloane and Hemi for what they’d find in each other—distraction and obsession, love and possession. But the one thing they can’t find is a future. Neither one has been totally honest. And they’ll soon learn that the devil is in the details. In the details and in the lies.How far will two people go to live in the now when the now is all they’ve got?

IRL: In Real Life


Lucy Lennox - 2019
    The kind I would normally never send. Only, instead of it going to the flirty hotel bartender, it goes to some random stranger who actually responds.I tell myself an unexpected night of hot as hell back-and-forth is the perfect way to blow off a little steam while I’m in New York closing an important business deal. Little do I know the man on the other end of the line is none other than Wells Grange: the most controlling, egotistical, emotionless SOB I’ve ever met.I spend my days squaring off against Wells in the boardroom, and my nights succumbing to the sexy stranger’s commanding texts in the bedroom. Within days, I’m falling for someone I shouldn’t, and I have to remind myself that none of this is real.Wells:The first thing I notice about Conor Newell when he sits down in my high-rise conference room is how delightfully nervous he is. Then I see his tie. The same geeky tie that’s held hostage on my phone. The one that belongs to my anonymous late-night texter. And it changes everything.I should confess. Tell the truth about who I am. Instead, I decide there’s no harm in flirting. After all, once our business is concluded, he’ll be out of my life for good.The more I get to know Conor, however, the more I start to fall for him. Which is a problem, because I made a vow long ago to never let emotions interfere with my life, either business or personal. Except I can’t stop thinking about him night and day. If it’s only in my head, though, it doesn’t count.After all, it’s not like we’re falling for each other in real life...

Unravel Me


Kendall Ryan - 2012
    Against all common sense, Ashlyn’s drawn to him like a moth to a flame. Perhaps it’s that he’s so incredibly male, and even handcuffed to his hospital bed he could pass for a cologne ad – Scent de Insanity. Or perhaps it’s because she’s spent too many lonely nights studying. Either way, she’s determined to help him solve the mystery of his past. She begins to unravel who he was before, using his cryptic tattoos, and his paintings that scream of a dark past as her only clues. When she finally learns his secret there’s no telling which one is the real him, the gentle lover she’s fallen for or the troubled man with a dark past.UNRAVEL ME is a contemporary erotic romance.