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 7
"Okay."
He went off and Merry had to hurry off the kitchen, kissing her sister and bestfriend goodbye.
When she got to BlackByte Cyber Systems and Technology, the reception was different than her first day there.
Everyone smiled at her.
Ah, she needed to check the news again.
The secretaries smiled directly at her. Some tried not to look jealous and typed furiously, checking her out.
The smiling secretary handed Merry over to an older, dark skinned, neatly dressed and fresh lady who gave a curt curtsy.
"Hello, ma'am. I am Sadeola Harvey. Call me Sade, please. I am ordered by Mr Damon Blackwell to lead you to Floor 70 where he resides. Follow me."
Merry smiled and followed Sadeola and when they got to the wide white corridor outside Damon's office, it took some time for Damon to authenticate their entrance.
Merry's heart was beating that she believed Sadeola would hear it.
Soon, Damon's office door slid open and Sadeola gave Merry one polite smile before Merry courageously went in and silently uncovered his lunch.
Merry carefully arranged what she brought and tried not to look at Damon who kept glancing at her face and typing codes.
She managed to look up and she met Damon's emotionless eyes.
He was checking her out.
"You eat before it gets cold." Merry said, stiffly and went to sit, immediately turning on her phone and watching a movie.
Damon obeyed her.
The news flew in again.
Her. At her restaurant.
She had never been this exposed in her life but she'd signed up for it.
"Damon, how did everyone know?"
He bit into a pancake and closed his eyes, savoring the taste. Merry frowned.
Was that how CEOs appreciated their cooks? She thought sarcastically.
He looked at her and their eyes met again.
"Do you want some?" He asked and Merry cursed softly, looking away.
"No. I want to know how things got out."
"We try to keep things secret but somehow, they just get out. That reminds me, you'll meet my.... THE BLACKWELLS tomorrow."
Merry noticed what he called HIS FAMILY.
"Of course, I'll love to see them. Afterall, they have a son in my care."
Damon looked at her, displeased somehow.
"Don't look at me like that. You need my help...."
"Don't say all that to me." He snapped.
"Don't snap at me. Accept it. You-need-help...."
He seethed, furiously.
"....And you need to relax and eat up or I'll pack up and leave."
His grip tightened around his fork. Merry was pleased to see him angry.
"Be quiet." He warned.
Merry rose and went to seat opposite him.
"What happened, Damon? Or.... What's happening?"
Silence.
"Damon, I apologize for making you uncomfortable but.... I'm curious."
"You're making me feel uncomfortable."
She reached to touch his arm and he moved back.
Merry's forehead creased.
"I don't know anything. You're annoying, yes. I hate you, sure. But.... I can't just get paid and you lose the.... DARE. We're on the same team. No matter.... the past thing. The contract expects you to be of a good conduct and meet certain conditions on the 25th of December. It believes I can help you.... You picked me. But, how can I help if I don't know what I'm dealing with?"
He licked his lip and relaxed a little bit.
"It's clear to see." He began, angry. "I hate people. So much. Maybe you can make me look.... kind-hearted."
"Oh...."
Silence.
He spoke, calmly now. Dangerously.
"And don't you ever mention the past to me. Ever again. I hate everything about it."
"I wouldn't want to because I hate you back.... Too much...."
"And you burrowed in my arms last night, moaning and fragile?"
Merry paused, tongue-tied. She looked for something to say but Damon beat her to it.
"I know. You were doing your job."
"I truly wish we'd never met, Damon. You're selfish and wicked."
Something like pain crossed his face as he looked at his plate but he smiled dryly and resumed eating.
Merry did not like how this ended but she was happy to have hit him. Maybe.
****
****
Merry was nervous about meeting his parents. She wanted to look her best at the family dinner.
Samantha was in her room, giving ideas, clapping, making noise as usual. They were excited and scared at the same time.
Soon, Merry wore a green turtleneck that hugged her breasts and dark blue jeans that shaped her hips and long legs. She wrapped a grey scarf around her neck and slipped on a matching coat.
At 12:00pm, Samantha squealed.
"Girl, we nailed it. Casual enough for his parents. Sexy enough to turn Damon on."
"Sam, you're scaring me."
"Or you're simply scared of meeting the Blackwells."
"Yes. That."
"Merry!" Nicki, her younger sister, yelled from the hallway. "Your date is here."
"Lower your voice, Nicki...." Merry hissed. "Dad is sleeping."
She grabbed her purse, wore her heels, and rushed out. Nicki's eyes widened.
"Merry... you look so fucking hot."
Merry only rolled her eyes and walked with Samantha behind her.
"You're swearing again, Nicki."
Nicki blushed. "Merry, I'm nineteen now. Don't dodge my compliment."
"Thanks, little chicken."
Nicki curtsied and ran to join Samantha, who was already peeping through the front window.
Merry took a deep breath, steadying her shaking hands.
"Just sex," she reminded herself. "Just business with the motherfucker."
Damon waited in a simple car to avoid attention, but her neighbors still stared hard.
She opened the back door. Damon sat stiffly, avoiding her eyes.
"Hi." She greeted.
"Hi."
"Scoot in."
"There's enough space."
She leaned in, irritated. "You don't want people to see you, do you?"
Immediately, he pressed himself against the far end like getting noticed was dangerous. Merry almost laughed.
The drive was quiet except for when Damon snapped at his driver.
Soft music. Heavy silence.
****
****
The mansion screamed luxury. Valets took their coats. A doorman led them in.
"Hold my hand," Merry said.
He hesitated, then grabbed it, muttering a curse.
"Make it make sense," she whispered.
"Don't confuse this," he warned.
"Then play your role."
He pulled her close, jaw tight.
They entered the dining room-perfect, cold.
The Blackwell family waited.
Merry swallowed and smiled. "Hi."
Damon's grandmother brightened. "Welcome. Sit."
A sharp voice cut through the room.
"Is that a fiancée or a maid?" Damon's father asked.
"A cook," Damon replied, irritated.
Merry touched his arm. He eased.
Silence stretched.
"I apologize for the rough entry," Merry said.
A blonde woman spoke, disdainfully. "We'll be the ones speaking."
"Shut up when it's my business, Tracy Donovan," Damon snapped at her.
Emily reached for his arm but Merry's hand was already there.
"Stop," Damon muttered. "I'm not a child."
Osbourne Blackwell studied Merry. "Your name?"
"Merry Steele, sir."
"And your place in society?"
Damon snapped. "Question me, not her."
Osbourne's voice stayed cold. "We protect this family. Moderate status is safer. For the press."
"Fuck the press."
Merry's hand rose again. Damon glanced at her. "Don't."
Tension thickened.
"Do you use TikTok?" Emily, Damon's sister asked sweetly, sounding like Lydia from Teen Wolf.
Before Merry could answer, a fist hit the table.
"Enough!" Michael Donovan, Damon's step-grandfather, said.
Osbourne straightened. "We want unity. Order. And Damon Blackwell and his... fiancée must keep BlackByte strong. But there are concerns."
Merry's chest tightened.
Osbourne's gaze pinned her. "You are here by exception. Keep the contract private. Follow instructions. Help.... Damon. You'll be well compensated. Ruin our name, and there will be consequences."
She opened her mouthto speak.
"Merry," Damon cut in. "Don't."
Her eyes met Naomi's. Naomi sent her a soft smile.
"This is corporate," Osbourne continued. "He resistedthe offer, but he has no choice but choose you. When did you meet?"
"Years ago," Merry said.
"And the relationship?"
"It was... casual."
Damon ate without tasting it.
Osbourne studied her, unconvinced. "Weren't you the-"
He stopped.
Merry looked at Naomi but Naomi was looking at Tracy in some kind of way.
"Never mind. You're welcome. Do your part."
He turned to the table. "Let's eat and disperse. Thomas, Tristan, Julian, and Martin are not here, and it's a shame. Damon, we need to talk."
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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.