I didn’t notice her before... but now I do. Once I focus on her, I can’t take my eyes from my newest obsession. I need to know everything about her. Her past. Her present. The way she takes her coffee. Exactly how she smells after a spritz of perfume in the mornings. I notice the organized way she arranges her clothes in her closet. How she visits the same market each Saturday. The sounds of her breathing as I lie beneath her bed in silence. Violet is mine. She just doesn’t know it yet.

I don’t want you. You mean nothing to me. I never loved you. I turned my words into swords. And I cut her down. Shoved the blade in and watched her fall. I said I’d never hurt her and I did. Years later I’m faced with all the little lies, the untruths, the false realities, the damage I inflicted when all I wanted was to indulge in my obsession. Lavender Waters is the princess in the tower. Even her name is the thing fairy tales are made of. I used to be the one who saved her. Over and over again.

We're not free to give into this. She's 19, and I'm 38. And I'm her boyfriend's father. Unfortunately, they both just moved into my house.

Dirty Ugly Toy is a novel that blurs the lines of right and wrong, deals with abuse, contains dubious consent, and adult subject matter. If you are sensitive to violent sexual situations, the book may not be suitable for you. Some parts of this book are not easy to hear and are not intended for everyone. However, those that keep an open mind and stick with it will not be disappointed.

I'm a freak, a misfit, an odd end. Abandoned and unloved. But my happiness is so close I can taste it. Until he shows up. Gorgeous, expensive, and all man. Sad brown eyes and a brilliant smile. And he wants me to go with him. His intentions are hidden. His motives are unclear. Yet I leave with him because there's no happiness here. What he promises feels too good to be true.... A castle. A fortune. And horses, too. It's too easy. Nothing in my life has ever been easy. What's the catch? There's always a catch.