Self-made billionaire Raiden Kuroshiro escaped a dark past vowing to reclaim his heritage. But when the woman who once betrayed him returns, his desire for her threatens his plans. So he swears he'll purge her from his system and be done with her…
Scarlett Delacroix believes she's sinned beyond forgiveness. So she accepts Raiden's offer of temporary passion as her last chance with him. Then she becomes pregnant. But she and her baby have no place in Raiden's future -- unless he walks away from all he's ever wanted…
Good book with some very intense emotions. Raiden is on the verge of gaining everything he has worked for during the last ten years. Taken as children and forced to work for organized crime, Raiden and his "brothers" finally escaped. They all swore to do whatever necessary to bring down those that harmed them and save others from the same fate. Raiden also wants to reclaim his heritage and is about to enter the highest echelons of Japanese society through marriage. It doesn't matter to him that there is no love between them, only understanding. Then, the night of his engagement party, the one woman he's never forgotten reappears in his life.
Five years earlier, Raiden and Scarlett had met under different circumstances. Their attraction was explosive, and they couldn't stay away from each other. Raiden opened up to her in a way that he hadn't with anyone else, until the day he discovered it was all a lie. Furious at the betrayal, and helpless to do anything about it, they parted ways, but Raiden has never forgotten her. Though she looks completely different now, Raiden knows that this is the same woman. Determined to purge her from his system, he proposes a short affair.
Scarlett had her own reasons for her actions back then, ones that haunt her to this day. She never expected him to recognize her, but since he has she accepts his proposal as a way to make amends. It's also her last chance to make memories that will have to last her a lifetime. But she has secrets from her past that could drastically change everything he believes about her.
I really liked both Raiden and Scarlett. Raiden has a well-earned reputation for ruthlessness, but he isn't a cruel man. Though he doesn't love Megumi, he still treats her with kindness and respect. Because of what he's been through he guards his emotions, with his "brothers" being the only ones who know all of him. Scarlett is an amazing woman. She has reinvented herself so many times that she frequently wonders if she knows who she really is. My heart broke for her as her past was slowly revealed.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Raiden and Scarlett. There was no denying the explosive chemistry between them. But along with that chemistry was a deeper connection. Being with Scarlett made Raiden feel again, something he wasn't too sure he was happy about. As his feelings for Scarlett deepened, Raiden also needed his questions answered. I ached for Scarlett as she shared a small part of what had brought them together, and the guilt she feels because of it. An unexpected twist comes when Raiden asks one of his brothers to do a full investigation into her past. I was brought to tears as her full story was revealed and Raiden learned of the horrors she'd been through. His support of Scarlett as she confessed all was fantastic. I had to laugh at his actions when she fainted, even as they revealed the depth of his feelings for her. But there are still some serious obstacles to them having a future together. I loved the fierceness of the other men of Black Castle as they banded together to help Raiden. I loved how everything came together at the end, with an especially fun scene to close it out.
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