Ava Reed

Aurora Crestwood has been in love with her best friend Liam for ten years. Ten years of being his shoulder to cry on, his late-night phone call, his emotional support through every breakup. Ten years of watching him chase the same toxic woman who keeps breaking his heart.

When Selena Beaumont announces her engagement to someone else, Aurora thinks she's finally free. But Liam has other plans. He wants to crash the wedding, make one last desperate play for the woman who's never truly wanted him. And he wants Aurora to help him do it.

Against her better judgment, she agrees. What she doesn't expect is to meet Kian Vance.

Liam's estranged brother is everything Liam isn't—dangerous, direct, and completely uninterested in playing games. He's also friends with the groom, which makes him the biggest threat to their sabotage plan. But when Kian looks at Aurora, he doesn't see Liam's reliable best friend. He sees a woman who's been hiding her true self for far too long.

"I'm going to steal her from you," Kian tells his brother with cold certainty.

When Kian proposes a wager—if the wedding falls apart, Aurora belongs to him—she should walk away. She should focus on helping Liam win the woman he's obsessed with. She should stick to being the good girl she's always been.

Instead, she shakes hands with the devil himself.

Now Aurora is caught between two brothers, a wedding that might not happen, and a dangerous man who sees right through her carefully constructed walls. Kian promises to show her what it means to be truly wanted, but his interest comes with a price.

As the wedding weekend spirals toward chaos, Aurora must decide: will she keep playing it safe, or will she finally embrace the fire she's been hiding?


Claimed By The Wrong Brother

I thought it would be sleazy and dark, with sticky floors and the stench of cheap beer. Instead, "Velvet Rouge" is upscale and surprisingly elegant, with tasteful lighting and plush seating.


Still, my heart pounds as we're led to a table near the main stage. I tug at the hem of my black dress—the only remotely suitable outfit I packed—feeling both thrilled and terrified by this adventure.


"Drink?" Liam asks, leaning close so I can hear him over the pulsing music.


"Something strong," I reply, surprising myself with my boldness.


He grins and signals a passing waitress. "Two whiskey sours."


On stage, a woman with cascading red hair performs an intricate dance around a pole, her movements graceful and athletic. I find myself mesmerized by her confidence, the way she owns her body and her sexuality without apology.


"You okay?" Liam asks, studying my face.


I nod, perhaps too enthusiastically. "Better than okay. This is... educational."


The Provocateur's Game