Of Arms and Arcane - Chapter 31

He’s her stepbrother, her sin and her biggest mistake waiting to happen.Catherine Brown thought moving in with her mother’s new husband couldn’t be harder until she met the cold, arrogant and sinfully attractive Julian Vaughn, her stepbrother.He hates her, teases her and gets under her skin everyday. He’s everything she should stay away from, off-limits and untouchable.But when his anger turns into something darker and hungrier, when he looks at her like he wants to ruin her innocence, Catherine realizes danger has a new name.And no matter how hard she tries, she can’t stop wanting the one man she’s not supposed to have.When hate turns to desire, who’s really in control?EXCERPT✨“You’ve never had sex before?” Julian asked, disbelief flickering in his eyes.Catherine hesitated, then nodded, staring at the floor instead of him.He bit his lower lip, trying to rein in the thoughts crowding his mind. Goodness, she was too innocent for her own good.“So all you did with your previous boyfriends were just kisses and smooches?”She immediately stood, her cheeks flushed. “There are no boyfriends,” she blurted. “I’ve never even been kissed. Please don’t laugh at me.”Laugh? Hell no. Julian wasn’t laughing. He was fighting the urge to pull her close. Knowing she’d never been touched only made his hunger worse.She didn’t realize he’d moved until his breath brushed her ear, his voice dropping low and dangerous.“Catherine, just say the word and I’ll show you what it means to be touched by a man.”Her heart stuttered in her chest and he could hear every beat.

For the large sum of money to help her husband, she chose to be a surrogate mother covertly. Her sweetheart was out of trouble, but she became the woman of loose morals in his eyes. Misunderstanding, disappointment and sadness forced her to divorce the man she loved from the childhood.

In the ancient times when gods and demons ruled the world, countless legacies were left behind.Young Qin Chen acquired the Supreme Devouring Scripture, which allowed him to consume the heritages of gods and demons, comprehend thousands of magical laws, and become a supreme sovereign.The day when my Devouring God clan returns, will be the day that these myriad worlds tremble!

After marrying into the Gardiner Family for two years, Florence Fuller has become the topic of casual conversation among the wealthy ladies.“I heard that on the day of the two families' wedding, the young master of the Gardiner Family actually took another woman abroad.”“Yes, I was at the wedding scene that day, the man showed up once and left, leaving the girl there feeling awkward.”“No one outside knows she's the young mistress of the Gardiner Family. Her husband is constantly surrounded by scandals, and his female companions are never the same.”......Florence Fuller’s marriage was indeed as pitiful and unbearable as they said.Luke Gardiner would only occasionally pretend to be with her to appease the Gardiner family elder and never took this marriage of convenience to heart.Until someone showed him a video.Florence Fuller fell into a man's arms, her tearful eyes and expression distraught, while the man looked at her with deep affection, one arm holding her close. His other hand brushed away the tears from her eyes, and he lowered his head to kiss her.From that moment on, Luke Gardiner's world fell apart.He realized that from beginning to end, Florence had another man hidden in her heart.