Ashes and Rain: A Past He Can't Erase, A Love He Doesn't Deserve

Years ago, Daniel Gray walked away from the woman who trusted him, and from the life they might have built together. A firefighter consumed by smoke and fear, he convinced himself leaving Naomi was the only way to protect her. But the choice left scars deeper than any fire could.

Now Daniel is back on the reservation, carrying memories he can’t escape. Naomi isn’t the girl he left behind. She’s the head nurse at the tribal clinic, steady and respected, though the hurt he caused still lingers. When their paths cross, the weight of silence between them is heavy, charged with both anger and something that never really faded.

Every glance risks lighting up what still smolders. Every touch threatens to reopen wounds. Naomi won’t let him close easily, but when crisis strikes their community, Daniel proves he’s no longer the man who ran he’s the one who stays, fighting beside her.

Forgiveness takes more than time. Love, once broken, has to be rebuilt with care.

Can Daniel and Naomi piece together what remains, or will the past keep holding them apart?

***

Their story is one of many in CRAVE HER SHADE, where men built on control fall for women who won’t bend.

They said he had it all power, control, the polished image. But the second he saw her, that picture cracked. She wasn’t like anyone he’d ever touched. Her laugh cut through his rules. Her skin felt like a storm he couldn’t outlast.

“CRAVE HER SHADE” is a raw, unflinching collection of steamy interracial romances where bold Black women upend the lives of men who thought they were untouchable. These stories don’t circle around desire they step straight into it. From billionaire boardrooms to late-night Vegas heat, from hidden protection to obsession that borders on dangerous, each standalone tale shows what happens when men built on control meet the one woman who makes them lose it.

Some want her confidence. Some flinch at her strength. All of them crave her in ways they can’t undo. White CEO, Asian tech founder, Native warrior different faces, same truth: she isn’t theirs to claim. But that doesn’t stop them from wanting her anyway.

Because once you’ve tasted her shade, nothing else comes close.

© 2025 Velvet Ink Press (E-book): 6610001051594

Wydanie

E-book: 9 września 2025