Finding sanctuary in a secluded alcove, they were sheltered from the prying eyes of the ballroom. Alone in their hidden haven, their masks fell away, revealing the raw vulnerability beneath.
Their eyes met, sparking a firestorm of desire that consumed them both. Without a word, Jax drew her close, his lips capturing hers in a hungry kiss that left them both gasping for air. The world around them faded into oblivion as they surrendered to the intoxicating passion that pulsed between them.
Clothes were torn at with urgency, each touch igniting a wildfire of sensation that threatened to consume them whole. In the flickering candlelight, their bodies moved as one, a symphony of longing and pleasure that echoed through the night.
And as the masquerade ball raged on, they surrendered to the undeniable pull of fate, their love transcending the boundaries of time and space.
Bel closed her eyes and gave a small sigh as she hugged the open book to her chest. ‘Oh, Jax,’ she whispered as she immersed herself back in the world where Jax was always there to save the day and be the kind of hero every woman dreamed of finding.
Bel set up her phone on her desk and did a quick check behind her to make sure there was nothing embarrassing thatmight show up in the video. It was her worst nightmare that she would post a video on her BookTok account and have viewers pointing out something she’d missed, like that horrific video of the woman in a Zoom meeting with a massive dildo in plain view on the bookcase behind her. Of course, that was an extreme example. Bel was more concerned it would be something awkward like a pair of undies or a bra, which, to her mind, would be bad enough.
Happy that everything was as it was meant to be, she began filming.
She’d fallen into the whole social media thing by accident. She’d always followed her favourite authors and was part of a reviewers’ network within the romance readers’ circle, but making her own videos was not something she’d ever thought she’d be doing. Then one day, after reading a book that had angered her so intensely because it had been such a blatant copy of her most-loved series—and a completely crap-house one at that—she’d decided to have a rant, as you do. It probably hadn’t been the best idea after a few glasses of wine, but then again, had she not had that Dutch courage under her belt, she most likely wouldn’t have ever posted the video, which went viral and ended up earning her a rather hefty following on social media. Her new side hustle also earned her a small income, thanks to display advertising and affiliate marketing.
She loved her little romance community. She’d made so many friends over the last few years; this was the one placeshe could be herself in, talking about books to her heart’s content, surrounded by other romance readers and book lovers.
Not that she didn’t talk about her books to Emma. She did. A lot. But Emma had never gotten into romances the way Bel had and she knew her best friend was only humouring her when she let Bel rave on about one of her recent reads. Since starting her channel, though, Bel no longer felt like she’d burst if she didn’t tell someone about the exciting books she’d found. She had an outlet.
She hit the record button and she was in another world—her favourite one.
