Darkly His: The Billionaire's Fake Fiancée
WARNING ⚠️: This book contains sex scenes and mature contents not fit for readers below 18+.
If you love steamy romances and emotional stories, this book is the one.
By day, Damon follows her rules in the kitchen: chopping, kneading, burning his fingers, and surviving her sharp mouth.
By night, she follows his.
Damon Blackwell is a cold, dangerous billionaire who hates Christmas, women, and anything that smells like joy. Haunted by tragedy and trauma, and memories of the girl he once loved and lost, he lives like a machine: money, control, and pleasure without attachment.
Then his grandparents and three ruthless brothers dare him to do the impossible:
Live like a normal man for 12 days to Christmas: no staff, no luxuries, no protection, no control and no bad temper. He has to change and be easygoing with investors.
Fail, and he loses the biggest business deal of his life.
Indulgence is over for him.
The only place Damon knows he can grab survival? A small-town Christmas cooking competition hosted by that one woman who broke his heart years ago.
Merry Steele never expected to see Damon again. The man she left without a word. The man who haunted her dreams after she broke his heart back now stands in her kitchen offering a deal she can't refuse:
Cook for him. Sleep with him. Pretend to be his fiancée until the end of the year.
The pay is tempting. The temptation is even greater.
Before Christmas, can they resist the heat, desire, and lingering love they once shared and keep it strictly business?
As family obligations, enemies, and a high-profile Christmas ball close in, Damon and Merry must correct old heartbreak, passion, and dangerous feelings.
Will Damon ever forgive his fuckmate?
Can Merry resist the billionaire who once stole her heart... or will old flames burn hotter than ever under the snow, the lights, and the Christmas feelings?
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Chapter 6
"I've given too much of a compliment already."
"You want control all the time."
"I always have it. Accept that."
Merry looked at the clothes, mouth watering, body aching to get in them and watch Damon Blackwell gape.
"Don't think about sex, Steele. I have my own preferences. Go to bed early."
****
****
In the evening, Merry was surprised at her tiredness and hit the bed immediately she had her bath and brushed her teeth.
Her white silk nightgown was see-through and clung to her bare breasts. She wore no thong, no panties. Just as Damon asked.
In his bed, there was something too intimate about it. Something too cozy.
She hated it but she imagined his hard, big body pressed against hers, his arms holding her. She wondered how heart wrenching his sleeping face would look like beside her.
Everyone's voice poured into her head.
Especially SAMANTHA'S.
"He's just a contract boyfriend."
"Just a cold contract boyfriend who used me and I left him." Merry said aloud.
Samantha's message interrupted her thoughts.
"Hey, girl. Me and Caleb are out for a date night."
Merry replied.
"Oh my God, girl. Finally back together again. I'm so happy."
"Thanks. Also wanted to tell you to stay strong and not fucking bother about BLACKWELL. You're a strong girl."
"Yup. Thanks. Enjoy your date night. SEE YA."
Merry giggled, sleep gripping her instantly as she typed.
Then, Samantha sent the image of a hot guy. Caleb.
Merry smiled, loving what she was seeing and fell asleep, phone still unlocked.
****
****
Damon walked in the room and stared at Merry's sleeping form, forehead creased with stress and interest.
He then went for a bath, brushed and hurried through some more things before glancing at the bedside clock.
12:07am.
He sighed, unbuttoned the top button of his black pajamas and walked towards the bed.
He stopped.
He couldn't understand why it was so interesting to watch Merry Steele sleep. He looked at the sexy swell of her plump breasts against the nightgown. From the deep arch of her waist to the outer curve of her hip.
Or was it the way her long, rich hair spilled all over the pillow to expose her slender neck?
Damon softly breathed through the warm pool of heat in his chest and reduced the air conditioning with the controller before slipping under the covers beside her.
He didn't want to wake her.
The scent of roses hit him and he shut his eyes as it clouded his common sense.
Memories of her wanted to come in but he fought them off knowing it'd only make him bitter and spoil the mood.
Damon was surprised at himself but being the daredevil he was, he scooted closer.
Then, closer.
This was just too comfortable. He needed to leave but his body was still.
Finally, he pressed against her and slipped an arm around her waist.
It was so cozy that he shivered and fell asleep fast.
****
****
Merry woke four hours later and was confused when she felt the heavy warmth around her other than the duvet.
She shifted and then smelled him.
She gasped.
Damon-fucking-Blackwell was cuddling with her!!!
Heavens, it felt so good. So warm to feel his heart thudding peacefully against her back.
"Merry...." Her strict mind suddenly interrupted. "This is Damon Blackwell. There's a mistake somewhere. Think straight!"
Immediately, Merry shut her eyes and began to move away but Damon's arm tightened and he jumped, voice was extra-deepened by sleep.
"Wha.... Merry?"
She turned to stare at his sleepy face. His hair was tousled and his blue eyes were sharp in the dim lamplight. He looked so.... innocent.
"What?" He asked.
Merry blinked.
"Damon...."
Pause.
"This is too intimate. We.... We shouldn't be cuddling."
"It's not written on the contract, is it?"
Silence. Merry needed to say NO.
"You can pretend, Merrilyn Steele. I don't bite." Damon cajoled.
"Just tonight." Merry heard herself say.
And her heart swelled with emotions she wished she didn't feel as Damon sleepily beckoned for her to scoot back into his waiting arms.
"Stay."
When her head hit his shoulder, it felt so secure.
Every meaning of his masculinity and comfortably hard, warm body made her just want to press her face into his body.
"Merry, you're so careless." Her mind cried.
"SHUT UP!" She thought in her head.
SHE MISSED THIS. SHE MISSED THE FEEL OF HIS BIG, STRONG ARMS CLOSING AROUND HER SMALLER FORM.
And it was so annoying.
Even more shockingly, Damon reached a hand to the back of her head and stroked gently.
She sighed. He sighed.
And they just lay there in the silence.
Merry in warmth and disbelief. Damon, very sleepy.
****
****
Merry woke first, the californian morning sun hitting her face.
Today was the 1st of December and she tried to remember the last episode on her life story.
Damon.
She blinked and became fully conscious of their last night and his warmth still pressed to her.
She picked up her phone to see the time.
7:18am.
She unlocked her phone and behold....
The image of a handsome guy.
A hot guy, to be exact.
She stared at it, wondering how she had the picture.
Damon moved from behind her and got out of bed.
He went and had his bath, came out smelling fresh and dressed corporately.
Merry knew he looked hot but she was overwhelmed with anger at herself and him. Because he was back to being cold now and she'd tried to warn herself.
He turned to her and said.
"You'll go to the salon today. I'm sending you 850 bucks for use. Have fun. Mr Valasco will drive you."
"Breakfast?"
"No."
"Laundry?"
"Mariana will be here soon."
He left and Merry heard the ding of a credit alert.
****
****
Merry had a quiet drive and was surprised to receive stares and silent gossips at the salon she frequented.
She wanted a bob and had her hair cut.
Her hairdresser, the chubby dark skinned lady, spoke first.
"Merrilyn, you're Mr Blackwell's wife-to-be, right?"
Merry was surprised.
"How.... How did you know, Kate?"
"It's all around town, y'know. I'm so happy for you."
Everyone was smiling at Merry now and she smiled back. Stiffly.
"Yeah. Uhm, thanks."
Then, Kate talked about how she wanted to make Merry look so hot that Mr Blackwell would faint.
Like he'd ever dare faint. Control freak, Merry thought.
****
****
Merry quickly stopped at her kitchen and was shocked to see a crowd.
For the first time in many months, tables had to be set outside.
Families, Workers, Alumni....
Everyone seemed to have gathered around and she was scared of coming out of the car.
But being who she was, she took the dare and got out of the expensive vehicle.
Same thing, stares, smiles-both genuine and fake-came her way.
She strutted with pride and on her way into the restaurant she came slamming into a guy who was in a hurry, talking in his phone.
Their eyes met and oh, Merry wanted to swoon.
He was blond. He was hot! Too fresh and handsome.
"Uhm...." Merry began, smiling. "So sorry."
He smiled back and patted her shoulder that Merry thought she felt a spark.
"It's okay, ma'am. Are you okay?"
"Yes. Sure."
"Yeah?"
Merry nodded and went in while he disappeared.
Samantha and Nicki were so happy to see Merry and wished there was time for some gossip. She told Mr Valasco to go have his own time and she stayed in the kitchen, cooking, extremely happy about the sudden changes. There were customers everywhere.
She had a lot of change from Damon and had saved it in her Kitchen budget.
This was getting interesting.
****
****
Few hours later, Damon called.
"I need lunch. Bring it down in 1 hour."
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8.6
It was my birthday, but instead of celebrating, I was bleeding on the floor of my own bedroom. My sister Serena had just smashed a champagne bottle over my legs, her eyes filled with a dark madness because our father allowed me to wear the family diamonds.
To escape her, I bolted into a pitch-black guest suite, only to be grabbed by a man who felt like a wall of solid muscle. He was drugged, unstable, and pinned me against the wall, his teeth sinking into my neck in a primal claim that left a permanent mark.
I managed to flee, but the nightmare was just beginning. My father didn't care about my injuries; he only cared that I had "insulted" the man in that room—Delos French, the most powerful CEO in New York. He threatened to stop paying for my mother’s critical care facility unless I went to Delos and begged for his forgiveness.
My brother Julian was even worse, intentionally pouring scalding coffee over my bandaged wounds just to see me flinch. They forced me into a revealing gold dress, treating me like a high-priced commodity to be sold to the highest bidder to save their failing company.
I didn't understand how the people who were supposed to love me could be more predatory than the monster in the dark. I had spent my life fixing their scandals, yet they were ready to throw me to the wolves the moment I became useful as a pawn.
But when I stood before Delos French at his gala, he didn't see a trophy. He recognized my scent, my touch, and the fire in my eyes. He trapped me in his private lounge, kneeling to clean the blood from my injured feet.
"Marry me," he whispered, his voice a low, terrifying growl. "And I will give you the power to burn your family to the ground."
I looked into the eyes of the man who had hunted me and realized he was the only one offering me a weapon to destroy the people who had broken me.
"Okay," I whispered.
8.9
For three years, Alana acted as the sole tactical brain for the Dawnbreaker squad, keeping them alive despite being labeled a useless "Dud" Conduit.
But right before the crucial Ascension Trials, squad leader Cash handed her a corporate sponsorship contract. The condition? She had to become the "private companion" to a greasy corporate heir just so the squad could get high-tier gear.
When she refused, the teammates she had bled for unanimously voted to kick her out.
"You're just window dressing, a liability."
They revoked her safehouse access, burned her belongings, and the academy advisor even tried to force her into a state-sanctioned breeding program. They left her to freeze in the slums, betting she would desperately crawl into the rich man's bed.
What they didn't know was that her inability to summon an Eidolon wasn't a lack of talent. Her teammate Dallin had been secretly sabotaging her rituals for years, crippling her potential just to keep her chained as their free tactician.
Stripped of everything and pushed to the absolute brink, Alana's despair morphed into a deadly resolve.
Using a million-credit black market loan and a forbidden blood matrix, she forcibly anchored an Apex-Tier cosmic wolf disguised as a harmless silver pup.
When her ex-squad tried to publicly humiliate her and burn her new "pet" alive in the cafeteria, a flash of silver light severed Dallin's hand instantly.
Looking at her screaming former teammates, Alana finally smiled.
8.4
Everything in Chris' world changes when he meets Kate.
Chris Cena who is a young billionaire CEO controls one of the most powerful empires built by his late father.
Chris lives under the shadow of his mother, Elisabeth Cena. The ruthless woman who once ruled the empire before handing it to him.
Kate Milmar who is brillant, sensual and emotionally guarded moves confidently among powerful men without ever allowing herself to belong to any of them.
When she publicly challenges a wealthy client, her fearless defiance immediately captures Chris's attention.
Chris offers her a dangerous proposal for her to leave her world and exclusively belong to him.
As their attraction grows slowly, Kate notices strange cracks in the history of the Cena Empire. Chris's father died suddenly years earlier and in the aftermath, Elisabeth took control of the company briefly before passing it to her son.
What once seemed like a normal transition begins to look suspicious as Kate uncovers missing records, hidden documents and a mysterious change in the company's will.
Elisabeth sees Kate as a threat to both her son and the legacy she had built and a silent war begins between the two women .
Chris gets caught between his loyalty to his mother and the growing feelings he has for Kate.
9.3
"Adrian, why would you lie to me? Why would you let her push my mum like that?"
Yvonne's voice trembled, holding back tears.
Adrian smirked. "Wake up, Yvonne. You really thought I wanted you when Tricia was right here?"
That was how Adrian-her first crush, the boy she thought cared-chose to humiliate her in front of everyone as she was the cleaner's adopted daughter.
But fate had other plans.
Because the Diamond Belfort brothers-the heirs everyone adored were coming to their school in search of their missing heiress- baby sister. But the queen bee steals the chance that should have been hers. Then again, secrets don't stay buried forever. With her true identity waiting to explode, Yvonne must decide to rise from the ashes, claim her place, and bring down everyone who tried to destroy her.
Because the real heiress doesn't beg.
She takes rather.
Now, Yvonne is done playing small. It's her time to rise, reclaim her crown, and make everyone regret ever doubting her.
7.9
Eileen Goff was a nobody, scrubbing diner tables to survive while her greedy family bled her dry.
On the eve of her twentieth birthday, the government's mandatory marriage algorithm matched her with a spouse.
It wasn't a plumber or a teacher. It was Harrison Butler, the ruthless, untouchable billionaire king of Butler Industries.
At the registry, Harrison's glamorous intended fiancée threw a half-million-dollar check at her.
"Take the money, get out of here, and never show your face again."
The registry supervisor even offered her a million dollars to sign a cancellation agreement, trying to erase her from the system.
At their first high-society gala, Harrison's stepmother and the fiancée locked Eileen in an empty room, plotting to humiliate her and prove she was just cheap trash.
Eileen was terrified and confused. Men like Harrison Butler didn't just accept federal matches with girls who smelled like fried onions.
But instead of abandoning her, Harrison smashed the door open, publicly banished his own family, and kissed her in front of the entire city's elite.
Why was this billionaire going to such extreme lengths to protect a complete stranger?
Then she overheard his assistant talking about a marriage clause in his grandfather's trust fund.
He didn't love her; he just needed a powerless, state-mandated wife to lock his parasitic family out of his empire.
Realizing she was a highly valuable pawn, Eileen stopped trembling, looked the billionaire in the eye, and spoke.
"I believe we can have more than just a legal relationship. We can have a business arrangement."
7.7
Silas Vane, a billionaire on the edge of ruin, needs his ex-wife's signature to save his tech empire-and June Ashby, his scorned orchard-owning ex, wants only one thing: to make him suffer.
The deal is brutal, simple, and non-negotiable: Silas must move back to their small hometown, trade his silk suits for calloused hands, and work the orchard harvest for six months. Worse? He has to play her doting husband for the press-fake marriage, real contract, no room for error.
What starts as a revenge-fueled game quickly spirals. As the sun dips below the orchard trees, old sparks reignite, and the line between fake and real blurs into something dangerous.
Silas came to town for a patent to save his empire. But he might just walk away with a broken contract-and a heart completely owned by the woman who set out to destroy him.