The Billionaire's Wife Series by Ava Lore

Starving artist Felicia Dare hates rich men. As far as she's concerned, they're all absent, philandering jerks who care more about money than people. And she should know. Her own father is a millionaire. Or was. When he shows up on her doorstep and tells her he blew the GDP of Africa on bad investments and failed businesses, Felicia knows he's getting what he deserves. Except that's not all: her mother is sick, and he can't afford the payments for her treatments... moreStarving artist Felicia Dare hates rich men. As far as she's concerned, they're all absent, philandering jerks who care more about money than people. And she should know. Her own father is a millionaire. Or was. When he shows up on her doorstep and tells her he blew the GDP of Africa on bad investments and failed businesses, Felicia knows he's getting what he deserves. Except that's not all: her mother is sick, and he can't afford the payments for her treatments. He has a backer to save his company, but there's one catch: Felicia must marry him! A modern woman, Felicia balks at the implication that her hand can be bought, and she sets out to give this backer a piece of her mind. But there's more to Anton Waters than money and power, and when they come face to face, Felicia realizes that saying no to his proposal may be harder than she thought! less

Anton Waters is a demanding man, and he demands a lot from the woman he wants to be his wife. But Felicia Dare isn't going to take his demands with a smile on her face: she has a few demands of her own. Negotiations turn heated as Anton works his powers of persuasion on Felicia's body--over lunch. This 7,500 word story is part 2 of The Billionaire's Wife series. EXCERPT: Anton Waters pressed his hot, soft mouth against my hammering pulse. I melted under him, my body dissolving into shivers... moreAnton Waters is a demanding man, and he demands a lot from the woman he wants to be his wife. But Felicia Dare isn't going to take his demands with a smile on her face: she has a few demands of her own. Negotiations turn heated as Anton works his powers of persuasion on Felicia's body--over lunch. This 7,500 word story is part 2 of The Billionaire's Wife series. EXCERPT: Anton Waters pressed his hot, soft mouth against my hammering pulse. I melted under him, my body dissolving into shivers. Panting, I put my hands on the table, gripping the table cloth tightly as I struggled to keep myself from touching him back. My fingers itched to feel him. My mouth watered at the thought of tasting him. "Our marriage would be mutually beneficial,” he said, breath ghosting over my skin. “I think you might even enjoy it." No, no, no, no, no... "No one would enjoy being forced into sex for money,” I ground out. He smirked against my throat and swept my hair aside. Lightly, gently, he placed lingering kisses down my throat and up over my neck. "I would never force you. You will always want it." My heart twisted in my chest. I know, I know, I wanted to say, but I couldn't bring myself to admit it. His breath was hot on the back of my neck. "Do you think I won't be able to please you? Is that it?" he whispered, and I felt his words sink into my skin, into my bones, zipping down my body, electrifying me. I wanted him so badly, but how could I tell him that obtaining orgasms with him was the least of my worries? His leg pressed against mine. The heat of his body seeped through the fabric between us and I wished I'd been more prudent and worn pants instead of a skirt. His fingers alighted on my thigh and began to trace shivering patterns across my skin. Lips and tongue played with the sensitive nape of my neck, and his hand drifted down my arm, fingertips skimming the outside swell of my breast. Between my thighs, I felt myself grow hot and slick. "I could make you come right here in this restaurant," he murmured, and his voice was hoarse. "Right in front of everyone. I'll make you scream." His words set me on fire. "I'd like to see you try," I whispered back. Bravado. My voice shook. But it wasn't a lie. Pulling back, he graced me with another one of his faint smiles. "You are the perfect woman for me," he said. "Defiant, with nowhere to run. You'd rather die on your feet than live on your knees." His fingers drifted up my leg, up under my skirt. I swallowed around the lump in my throat. "I'd rather live on my feet than die on my knees, thanks," I told him. He laughed, then looked shocked that he'd done so. I saw him forcibly recover, but I had no time to bask in my tiny victory. One long, hot finger brushed against the soft mound above my pussy, robbing me of thought. "You may live on your feet," he whispered, "but I will bend you over and fuck you all the same." And he slipped under the table. less

Now that Felicia has signed the contract with Anton, she feels as though her life is running away from her. But when she dares to try to regain control, she crosses a line she didn't even know was there...This 8,400 word short story is the third installment of The Billionaire's Wife.EXCERPT:“What is wrong?” he asked me.I looked at him. He seemed genuinely concerned. So. Maybe he didn't like tears. I'd have to file that away, maybe, but right now I didn't want him to see my weakness.“Nothing... moreNow that Felicia has signed the contract with Anton, she feels as though her life is running away from her. But when she dares to try to regain control, she crosses a line she didn't even know was there...This 8,400 word short story is the third installment of The Billionaire's Wife.EXCERPT:“What is wrong?” he asked me.I looked at him. He seemed genuinely concerned. So. Maybe he didn't like tears. I'd have to file that away, maybe, but right now I didn't want him to see my weakness.“Nothing. I just...” My throat closed.So much for not showing weakness. Record time from resolution to collapse.I swallowed. “I just thought a wedding dress like this would be great. And it's not. I've always wanted to wear one and look like a princess, but...” I shrugged helplessly. “Whatever. It's not important.”He was quiet for a moment. “I think I understand,” he said. “Perhaps it could be altered?”I shook my head. I didn't want to dwell on it. “No, it doesn't matter.” I started twisting and turning, trying to get at the zipper.“You've wanted to wear a dress like that since you were a little girl,” he said, like he wasn't willing to just let it go.I forced myself to laugh. “Yeah, but I'm not a little girl any more, even though I kind of look like one.”He spread his hands and appeared to think for a moment. “I am sorry. The gap between fantasy and reality grows larger with time,” he told me, which was some serious Buddha shit that I was not at all prepared to be all zen about. I just wanted him to shut up.“Whatever,” I said. Tears blurring my vision, I turned away and twisted, reaching around behind me to unfasten the dress. This wasn't what I wanted. I didn't want to wear his dumb elegant dress. I didn't want to do this without my mom and my girlfriends. And I definitely didn't want to marry Anton Waters.“Felicia,” he said. My name. The first time he had said it. For a moment, I caught genuine concern in his voice.A large, warm hand alighted on my shoulder. I wanted to shrug him off, but some pathetic need stopped me. Everything was so wrong. I just wanted someone to make it right again. Why wasn't I shopping for wedding dresses with my mother and Sadie? Why wasn't I getting married to a man I loved? Why did it have to be this way?The comforting hand on my shoulder tensed. I felt him begin to pull away.I reached up and grabbed his hand.I didn't really know what to do with it when I had caught it, so I stayed there, struggling to maintain my composure.I felt Anton's hesitance behind me. Then his fingers tightened, and again that incredible electric charge between us sparked.“You look beautiful in white,” he whispered, and then he tugged his hand away and was undoing the dress, unhooking the fastenings and slowly, tortuously tugging the zipper down. Bit by bit, my back was bared to him, and he covered every inch revealed with a heated kiss... less

When their first sexual encounter as husband and wife leaves both Anton and Felicia shaken, Felicia becomes even more determined to find out what is behind Anton's facade. But when the only thing she has to bargain with is her body, things get complicated. This 7,500 word short story is the fourth installment in The Billionaire's Wife series. EXCERPT: With a hmph, I turned away and started to lather my skin... moreWhen their first sexual encounter as husband and wife leaves both Anton and Felicia shaken, Felicia becomes even more determined to find out what is behind Anton's facade. But when the only thing she has to bargain with is her body, things get complicated. This 7,500 word short story is the fourth installment in The Billionaire's Wife series. EXCERPT: With a hmph, I turned away and started to lather my skin. In Vegas it was still warm, and I was coated in a lovely layer of slimy residue from sweating before—and during and after—the wedding. Turning the entire force of my attention to the task, I rubbed vigorously and tried to ignore Anton. Which proved to be hard to do when he reached out and pried the soap from my fingers. “Ass!” I told him. I whirled around and stared him straight in the eye. “I was using that!” He smiled at me, that faint smile again, but this time I thought I detected a hint of teasing behind it. “Why do it yourself when it's so much fun for someone else to do it for you?” he replied, and began to soap me up. I didn't stop him. I liked his hands too much, and besides, I was tired, and his hands were nice. Gently he lathered his hands and began to run them over my body. Even if I hadn't been crazily addicted to the way he fucked me, I would have appreciated the gentle massage he gave. His fingers seemed to know exactly where to go and what to do when they got there. Slowly, gently, he smoothed soapy circles over my skin, digging his fingertips into the fleshy parts of my muscles that he ran across, letting them grind together, then relax under his touch. First he traveled down my arms, then up my stomach. Unwanted warmth gathered in my core, but I studiously ignored it, forcing myself to breathe deeply and slowly as he worked his way up, skirting my breasts. His palms cupped my shoulders, and he watched me intently. “I could eat you up,” he said, his voice low and husky. I knew he could. He would swallow me alive if I let him. And the frightening thing was that a part of me did want him to consume me. I just wanted to fall into him and let him carry me, let him screw me into incoherence, and then I wouldn't have to think any more. I could just be. But what would I be afterward? And what would he make me into, when I could no longer resist?... less

The word is out about Felicia and Anton's marriage, and Felicia's feelings are becoming complicated. Can she get close to the husband she doesn't even know when his entire life is a wall around his past--and his heart? Does she want to? This 7,500 word short story is the fifth installment in The Billionaire's Wife series. EXCERPT: Anton stepped across the narrow space, closing the distance between us... moreThe word is out about Felicia and Anton's marriage, and Felicia's feelings are becoming complicated. Can she get close to the husband she doesn't even know when his entire life is a wall around his past--and his heart? Does she want to? This 7,500 word short story is the fifth installment in The Billionaire's Wife series. EXCERPT: Anton stepped across the narrow space, closing the distance between us. Reaching out, he stroked a finger over my cheek, a light, gentle gesture that left me trembling, my lips parted, begging for something I couldn't put a name to. Bending his head, Anton slanted his lips against mine and kissed me. God, the man could kiss. Our lips slid together, soft and sensual. He nibbled at me, as though sampling delicate fruit. Then his tongue slipped from between his lips and I was falling open to him, falling apart, begging him to come into me. His arms went around me, his hands tangling in my hair as I rubbed my hands up his chest. I felt his heart hammering beneath my palm as he broke our kiss and moved his mouth to my ear. Hot breath whispered inside my head, full of wordless answers I could never decipher. I was putty in his hands, my whole body listing into him, as though I were a sinking ship and he was the only thing keeping me afloat. If he kissed me again, I knew I would drown. He didn't. Pulling away, he took my hand. “We should continue this conversation upstairs,” he murmured. Swallowing hard, I nodded. Upstairs. Yes. He guided me back into the gallery and then up the narrow staircase. The creaking of the old floorboards beneath our feet crackled in the air between us. We arrived in the master bedroom on the top floor. The room was dark, this late in the autumn, and the skylight above us was like a black hole. I imagined if it were to break we would be sucked out into space. Anton switched on a bedside lamp, then took me by the hand and led me to the center of the floor, a few feet from the bed. The whole room was white and blonde, clean and fresh. Anton stood in front of me. His whole being screamed control, even in the way he relaxed his stance. The rock hard body underneath his suit hummed with tension. He had to control himself to relax, and, despite myself, my heart went out to him. What had happened to make him so guarded? What made him so alone? My fingers twitched. The gulf between us was so great, but if I could reach across it, if I could touch him where he stood trapped in his own iron grip... less

The entrance of Felicia's dysfunctional family puts a strain on the newlyweds and Anton takes his frustration out in the bedroom. However, after observing Felicia and her mother, Anton displays a softer side of himself. Can Felicia let her guard down enough to borrow his strength? This 10,500 word short story is the sixth installment in The Billionaire's Wife series. EXCERPT: I shook my head. "It's not like they beat me or abused me or something," I said... moreThe entrance of Felicia's dysfunctional family puts a strain on the newlyweds and Anton takes his frustration out in the bedroom. However, after observing Felicia and her mother, Anton displays a softer side of himself. Can Felicia let her guard down enough to borrow his strength? This 10,500 word short story is the sixth installment in The Billionaire's Wife series. EXCERPT: I shook my head. "It's not like they beat me or abused me or something," I said. "They just weren't great to have around. And now they're around again. I can't get away." Anton pushed away from the door and came to stand in front of me as I shucked my coat from my shoulders and laid it over the nearest chair. "I don't think that's true," he said. I tried not to roll my eyes at him and failed. "Oh yeah?" I said. "Well, you aren't me. I'm not you. I can't just command everyone to do my bidding with a word and a glance of those come-hither eyes." "You think I have come-hither eyes?" he said, amused. "Don't push it," I told him. Anton smiled, real and genuine, not his Zen smile. He was amazing when he smiled. "You do have power, Felicia," he said. "You only have to learn to use it." I shook my head. "I don't know how." His face softened. Without warning, he reached out and pulled me to him. I stumbled, startled, against his chest, my hands coming up to brace myself, but the sensation of his hard body against the palms of my hands had me pausing, lingering, savoring. His fingers trailed over my back, up my arms, and I listed into him, tilting my head back. He gazed down at me with intense, green eyes, fixated on my lips. His hands slid up and up, until he cradled my head in his hands. A thumb alighted on my lips. "Your voice," he said. "You must use your voice. Speak and make yourself be heard." His other hand abandoned my face, slipping down my arm and coming up to cover my fingers where they lay against his chest. "And if people will not listen to you, you must do what you must. Use these hands. I've seen your art—there is power in you. Build your own life, Felicia." Tears stung my eyes. How could he say such things to me? I had been coerced into marrying him. Nothing was mine any longer. He seemed to read my mind, or perhaps my thoughts were plain on my face. Leaning in, he rested his forehead against mine. "I am not the enemy, Felicia. I am your companion, as you are mine. I may have... acquired you in an unconventional way, but I wanted a wife. And you acquired me in the bargain." I closed my eyes. My heart hurt in my chest, as though it had been rubbed raw. Anton drew me closer, and I felt the stirrings of his arousal against my belly. I inhaled sharply. "You can say no," he said. His voice vibrated in my skin, in my bones. "You always have the last say. I'll not be a rapist." I swallowed, hard. "I don't want to say no," I said. "Please, just make me come." Wipe it away. Make me forget for a little while. "Gladly," he breathed... less

Anton's penchant for public sex lands him and Felicia on the front page of the tabloids, but coming to the attention of the media brings something far more devastating to the surface--a secret Anton has been keeping from Felicia. This 9,200 word short story is the seventh installment of The Billionaire's Wife series. EXCERPT: He drew close, looming over me, and I was reminded of our very first encounter here in this office, when he seduced me... moreAnton's penchant for public sex lands him and Felicia on the front page of the tabloids, but coming to the attention of the media brings something far more devastating to the surface--a secret Anton has been keeping from Felicia. This 9,200 word short story is the seventh installment of The Billionaire's Wife series. EXCERPT: He drew close, looming over me, and I was reminded of our very first encounter here in this office, when he seduced me. He hadn't made me come, only touched me, stoking a fire inside that was so violent and out of control that I had to quench it myself the moment I was alone. Even now, just thinking about it, I was turned on. I didn't want to be. I wanted to think rationally and calmly, but it felt like the moment Anton had entered my life that my reason had taken a flying leap off a cliff. And I liked it. I really didn't like how much I liked it. I was losing myself in Anton. Glittering green eyes stared down at me. "I'm sorry, Felicia," he said. "I will do my best in the future to remember the potential consequences of acting on my, ah, more exhibitionist impulses." He extended a hand, running his fingers down my cheek. I gazed up at him, uncertain what to say, wanting only to fall into his arms. It would be easy to do so. A strong man is hard to resist. He leaned down and kissed me, stealing my breath. His mouth was hot and soft, but undemanding. Gently he nibbled and massaged my lips with his. My body heated at the tenderness in his kiss, reveling in the feeling of his arms as they circled around me. Large, warm hands traveled up and down my back, cupping my ass, tracing my spine. His body met mine, soft against hard, and I was melting against him. He pulled away for a moment, cradling my head in his hand. His eyes, desire-drugged, explored my face, as though looking for something there. "You make me forget myself, Felicia," he whispered. "Oh," I said. Inexplicably, tears stung my eyes, but he was already kissing me again, obscuring whatever sweet, soft revelation I was about to uncover with the magic of his touch, and I closed my eyes. His body moved against mine and he broke away again, planting kisses against my throat, his hands smoothing over my breasts, circling my ribcage, as if he could hold all of me in the palms of his hands. My own fingers tangled in his rich, dark hair, and I couldn't help but sigh as he lowered himself to the floor, kneeling before me... less

Devastated to find her marriage has been built on a lie, Felicia goes back to her roots to figure out what she truly wants. Away from the swaying influence of Anton's sexual hold over her, Felicia discovers her true feelings, but can she express them to a man who seems to fear love more than anything else? This 9,500 word short story is the eighth installment in The Billionaire's Wife series.

United once more, Anton shares with Felicia the details of his past. Can the two admit their growing feelings and move beyond the mistakes they have made? This 9,000 word short story is the conclusion to The Billionaire's Wife series. EXCERPT: Abruptly he stood up, the legs of the chair he sat in scraping over the floor, and held a hand out to me. “Please come with me, Felicia,” he said. “There's something I want to show you.” “Is it your cock?” I asked. “Because I've already seen that... moreUnited once more, Anton shares with Felicia the details of his past. Can the two admit their growing feelings and move beyond the mistakes they have made? This 9,000 word short story is the conclusion to The Billionaire's Wife series. EXCERPT: Abruptly he stood up, the legs of the chair he sat in scraping over the floor, and held a hand out to me. “Please come with me, Felicia,” he said. “There's something I want to show you.” “Is it your cock?” I asked. “Because I've already seen that.” To my complete shock, his face broke into a sheepish grin. A grin. Anton Waters knew how to grin. Well, how about that? I thought. I placed my hand in his. Immediately that old familiar fire flared up, and I inhaled sharply. His hand on mine was electric. The very nearness of him made me hum, as though we vibrated along the same frequency. I wanted to fall into him, but getting sidetracked by our mutual desire was what had made it so dangerous for us in the first place. Firmly pushing my sudden breathlessness aside, I rose and we walked hand and hand back into the foyer. He stopped in front of the basement door. “Oh, wow,” I said. “Is this the part where you show me the dismembered bodies of your other wives?” He looked faintly offended. “What are you talking about?” I grinned at him. “Sadie and I were wondering what was in the basement.” “You told me you were wondering if there was a sex dungeon down there.” “Well, yeah, but that was only one theory.” He stared at me for a long moment, clearly bemused, then shook his head. “No dead bodies,” he said, pulling his keys from his pocket. “But something very important to me all the same.” He slid the key into the lock, and the teeth grated over the pins. With a click, he opened the basement door and turned the light on. We descended. I gasped... less