Orphan

Sometimes the hardest thing to give is your heart.Malik Williams has built his life around service, not love. Ruggedly handsome and fiercely dedicated, the director of multiple Manhattan community centers believes his purpose is helping others-not risking his heart. Growing up without a family taught Malik to rely on himself, and he's determined never to need anyone.Dr. Peyton Sawyer knows love's power-and its cost. A widowed professor starting over with an assistant professorship at NYU, Peyton is committed to making a difference in her students' lives while keeping her guarded heart firmly protected. When her work brings her into Malik's orbit, neither expects the instant spark that flares between them.Drawn together by shared values and undeniable chemistry, Malik wants to move fast. Peyton, burdened by grief and guilt, pulls back. As their connection deepens through late conversations, shared purpose, and stolen moments, Malik begins to open up-only for the past to come crashing back.A chance encounter with the abusive stepfather who once terrorized Malik threatens everything he's worked for. When the man offers funding for Malik's beloved Harlem community center in exchange for control, Malik must confront the trauma he's buried for years. At the same time, Peyton faces danger of her own when her efforts to help a vulnerable student place her in harm's way.As fear, love, and unfinished wounds collide, Malik must decide whether he's willing to face his past to claim a future. And Peyton must choose whether love is worth the risk-this time, for real.This Time for Real delivers an emotionally layered romance centered on healing, resilience, and the courage it takes to love again. With compassion, authenticity, and deep emotional insight, Yahrah St. John tells a powerful story of love after loss-where confronting the past becomes the first step toward a lasting future.

Sometimes desire is the most dangerous thing of all.Brilliant labor attorney Sage Anderson has built her reputation on winning battles in the courtroom, not risking her heart. A former orphan burned by a cheating ex‑fiancé, Sage has chosen ambition and control over love, convinced that vulnerability is a liability she can't afford.Media mogul Ian Lawrence lives by a different set of rules. Gorgeous, wealthy, and relentlessly charming, Ian enjoys pleasure without attachment. Watching his parents' marriage implode taught him one lesson-love only leads to abandonment. Commitment is the one thing he refuses to offer.When a high‑profile lawsuit threatens Ian's empire, Sage storms into his world determined to secure the case that could make her a partner. Their first encounter is chaotic, combustible, and unforgettable. What begins as a strictly professional relationship quickly ignites into a battle of wills, temptation, and unspoken longing.As stolen moments turn into undeniable passion, Sage struggles to keep her heart guarded while Ian insists on keeping emotions off the table. But the deeper their connection grows, the harder it becomes to ignore the truth-desire without love is never enough.Forced to confront past wounds, career ambitions, and the fear of giving too much, Sage must decide whether she's willing to walk away from the man she loves. And Ian must choose between the safety of his carefully controlled world and the woman who's shown him that love might be worth the risk-if he's not already too late.

Sometimes the past refuses to stay buried.Restaurateur Dante Moore has fought his way from an orphaned childhood to the brink of culinary stardom. When a glowing review crowns him one of New York's hottest new chefs, Dante expects praise-not a collision with the woman who once shattered his heart. The food critic behind the accolades is Adrianna Wright, the ex-girlfriend who vanished from his life more than a decade ago without explanation.Adrianna never planned to see Dante again. Now divorced and back in New York to care for her ailing father, she's built a formidable reputation of her own-and buried the truth about why she left. One look at Dante reignites old passions, unresolved anger, and the love they never truly escaped.As professional rivalry turns into undeniable attraction, Dante and Adrianna are forced into close quarters when a lucrative television opportunity demands they work together. With secrets simmering beneath the surface, every shared kitchen and stolen moment threatens to expose the truth Adrianna has guarded for years.When long-buried heartbreak and devastating revelations finally come to light, Dante must decide whether forgiveness is possible after betrayal cuts this deep. And Adrianna must risk losing Dante forever if she wants any chance at the future they were once denied.Because when love comes back around, it always takes two to tango.