Her Boon, Her Bane
Deyoti Falowo · Ongoing · 54.3k Words
Introduction
Three years ago, Joslyn Patel met a man whom her best friend had described as "sex on legs". Three years ago, Gabriel Reid met a woman whose smart mouth he'd hoped was as good at blowing as it was at retorting—it had been way more than he'd imagined, by the way.
Three years ago, sparks were ignited, their intertwined fate was set in stone and they had a night to remember.
Fast forward to two years later, Gabriel now has a girlfriend so he definitely shouldn't be thinking about the woman from that explosive night but he can't help that the memories were now imprinted on his mind... and perhaps another part of him.
Fate would have it that when Gabriel finally meets the best friend his girlfriend wouldn't stop talking about, she happens to be Joslyn, the mystery woman from two years ago. Tension brews between the two but nothing can be done about it.
Skip to the present; Gabriel is now single again and nothing stands between him and finally getting the woman he's spent three years wanting, but what happens when not long after he begins his chase, his divorced mother introduces a man her age as her new fiancé.
What happens when the man turns out to be Joslyn's father?
After all, a taboo relationship makes it all the more hot and exciting.
Chapter 1
Excerpt
❀ ❀ ❀
“You’re my best friend's boyfriend, Gabriel.”
Gabriel's steps faltered until he came to a stop, tilted his head and turned around to face Joslyn again. “Ex–boyfriend,” he corrected.
“Whatever. It still changes everything between us,” she shrugged and started fiddling with her water bottle, suddenly feeling timid beneath his scorching gaze.
Gabriel shook his head, walking back towards her. “It changes absolutely nothing, Joslyn. Not if you don't allow it.”
She looked into his eyes, her sweet honey-hued orbs colliding with his swirls of green and blue that reminded her of the Mediterranean ocean. The color harmony couldn't be more explosive.
Joslyn cleared her throat and averted her gaze from the magnetic pull of his eyes. Forcing herself to stand tall, she adopted a posture of confidence and resolve—a stark contrast to the storm of emotions raging inside her. Gabriel's nearness sent a wave of weakness through her knees, but she refused to let it show.
“No matter what, I won't betray Sigourney. It’s an unspoken rule between friends to never date each other's exes. You're off limits, Gabriel.”
“In that case, if we're gonna state the facts then it's Sigourney who's violated that rule between you two because you and I met first, didn't we, Joslyn?”
“That— That's different. She wasn't aware. We all weren't.”
“Oh yeah? Well I'm still saying this: fuck such rules. Whether they're unspoken or in the damn constitution, I don't give a fuck about that crap. And I am not off-limits, darling. Lapointe can't decide that for me. Only I can.” Gabriel moved even closer, backing her up against the wall of the hallway. “I want you, Joslyn. And I always get what I want,” his voice turned husky.
“T–That doesn't apply to me.” Joslyn stuttered, struggling but failing to keep her voice steady.
“I always get what I want,” he repeated firmly. At this point, their chests were touching as they both panted, equally breathless from the heated atmosphere between them.
“Why bother fighting it?” Gabriel asked softly, raising his hand to caress her face. He hooked her short silver hair behind her ears so he could feel her smooth and silken skin tingle and flush under the mercy of his mere touch.
“Your eyes, your lips, every part of your body, is begging for my touch, baby.” He whispered, trailing his other hand down her exposed arm, feeling the goosebumps surfacing on her skin.
“Just admit it. You're just as attracted to me as I am to you, Joslyn. You want me as much as I want you. Maybe even more.” His warm breath fanned her face, making her eyelids droopy.
His baritone voice carried the perfect blend of depth and huskiness, an intoxicating allure that wrapped around her like a siren’s song. It was temptation itself—akin to the devil murmuring sweet nothings into her soul, coaxing her closer. Every inch of Gabriel exuded seduction, and Joslyn was slipping, slowly but surely, into his grasp.
“I don’t,” she croaked before hurriedly clearing her throat. Gabriel smirked, fully aware of the effect he had on her. “Did I ever admit that?” Joslyn retorted, although deep down, she knew her protests were pointless. Every denial, every argument—it was all futile and they both knew it.
Gabriel's gaze shifted to Joslyn's mouth, taking in her unintentional pout and before he knew it, his hand still cupping her face inched closer to it. “Your lips,” he started, his calloused thumb grazing her bottom lip and tracing the delicate curve of her Cupid’s bow. His gaze remained riveted on the mesmerizing sight as he added, “need not speak the words your eyes so clearly confess, love.”
❀ ❀ ❀
C O P Y R I G H T
This book is solely a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, incidents and/or occurrences are products of the author's imaginations, and have been used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual person(s), living or dead, places or events is purely coincidental.
Her Strength Her Bane © 2023 by Laramie.
All rights reserved. All parts of this book/publication are restricted to being reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form(s) or by any means — including but not limited to electronic, photocopying, mechanical, recording, or otherwise — without the prior written permission of the author/publisher. The only acceptable exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
A B O U T
Her Strength, Her Bane is a romance book set in the contemporary world (cited as the city of Vancouver, Canada), between a billionaire CEO, Gabriel Nicholas Reid and the flight attendant, Joslyn Leann Patel, who he'd been chanced to meet at a club one night.
The story takes effect as a one-night stand trope kinda book but it advances into something more when the fates of both leads are woven in more ways than one and subsequently, later in life, they're set to meet more times.
I N F O R M A T I O N
Her Strength, Her Bane is set in three time zones namely: two years before the present (that is, the club night), a year before the present (that is, Gabriel and Sigourney dating and Joslyn's and Gabriel's official introduction to each other courtesy of Sigourney) and lastly, the present times which spans the rest of the book. It was imperative that insights on their past were given, therefore it had to be written before the book officially began and I hope that by this explanation, clarity is brought to the readers, so as to prevent any instances of confusion.
Another thing to note, this is a fictional book, and so a number of things aren't real and have only been coined from the author's imagination—and some of the things that ARE real, have been fine-tuned for the sake of the plot. An instance of this is Joslyn's job as a flight attendant and the details of it, such as her break/time off period. My knowledge on air-hosting/flight-attending is limited to what I got off the Internet, and so I'd tweaked a couple of things to suit the plot of my book. Please, keep this in mind.
Lastly, the first few chapters were written years ago which means they are... cringe-y at best compared to the newer and more recent chapters. I haven't gotten around to editing them yet but I will in due time. So if you can manage to get through them and look past their flaws, I can guarantee you'll enjoy Gabriel and Jos's story!
W H A T T O E X P E C T :
> Vulgar language.
> Mature/sex scenes.
> Some level of angst.
> A taboo relationship.
> A possessive alpha male.
> A feisty, sassy & independent female lead that might make you want to pull your hairs out, lol.
> Reverse grumpy × sunshine.
> Slow burn sorta romance novel.
> Good but imperfect grammar guaranteed.
(I'll try to make it as error-free as possible but I don't promise that there won't be a few slip-ups here and there.)
> Sweet and swoon-worthy scenes are also guaranteed.
Without further ado... I give you HER STRENGTH, HER BANE.
Last Chapters
#35 Chapter 34
Last Updated: 7/30/2026#34 Chapter 33
Last Updated: 7/30/2026#33 Chapter 32
Last Updated: 7/28/2026#32 Chapter 31
Last Updated: 7/28/2026#31 Chapter 30
Last Updated: 7/28/2026#30 Chapter 29
Last Updated: 7/28/2026#29 Chapter 28
Last Updated: 7/28/2026#28 Chapter 27
Last Updated: 1/30/2026#27 Chapter 26
Last Updated: 1/24/2026#26 Chapter 25
Last Updated: 1/24/2026
You Might Like 😍
CHASING GHOSTS
Inked Adonis - Mafia Romance
Of me saying I want to climb him like a tree.
And he just. Texted. Back.
It's the dog's fault, really.
If this untrained Great Dane I'm walking had any manners at all, I never would've ended up here:
With my leash wrapped around the most gorgeous man I've ever seen.
Lucky for me, the guy is a good sport about it.
(Although his joke that “Dogs take after their owners” hits a little too close to home when Rufus starts humping his leg.)
He leaves me with his business card and a smile that makes my knees weak.
I'm still pinching myself as me and the bestie resume our walk.
“Methinks you had a little crush on him,” she accuses.
Not thinking and a little flustered by the whole experience, I reply, “I’d wrap my legs around his waist tighter than that leash.”
THAT'S when she reveals that she'd been recording my response.
THAT'S when she gives me the most devilish grin I've ever seen and says, “You're welcome.”
And THAT'S when she hands me my phone and reveals...
She sent the recording to him.
My heart is in my throat as those three little dots appear…
Then a text.
“PROVE IT.”
THE CHRONO WITCH: BENDING TIME TO SAVE HIM
What she wasn't ready for was finding out Zayn Ponteris had been dead the entire time.
The grief shatters something inside her. And before anyone can stop it, Kayla does something no sorceress should be able to do—she travels back in time.
Suddenly she's fifteen again, standing at their end of year formal, with Zayn alive and right in front of her, completely unaware that in another timeline she watched his parents mourn him.
This time, Kayla is determined to save him. Except nothing goes according to plan.
Zayn has a girlfriend. And the closer Kayla gets to changing his fate, the more she realizes her powers are bigger and more dangerous than she ever imagined.
The supernatural world is closing in. The clock is running out. And the one person standing between Kayla and everything hunting her is the same boy she keeps bending time to protect.
Kayla has no idea what's in store for her.
Because when you bend time, fate bends back.
Where The Ice Gives Way
Blake Atlas scents his mate the moment Charlotte arrives. The bond hits hard and unmistakable, but Charlotte doesn’t recognise it. She doesn’t know why her chest keeps pulling toward the one boy she absolutely cannot afford to want. Blake is Charlie’s new hockey captain. Charlie’s chance at making something good. Charlie makes it clear; his sister is off-limits and Blake tries to do the right thing, but secrets don’t stay buried forever. Rogues prowl the edges of town. The ice cracks. The bond tightens. Then Charlotte’s rare white wolf awakens, the very thing that makes her powerful, also makes her a target.
Shanti needs Shakti. (Peace needs strength.)
Where the Ice Gives Way is a slow-burn YA paranormal romance filled with fated mates, protective alpha energy, fierce sibling loyalty, found family pack bonds, hurt/comfort, and quiet, aching tension. It’s a story about first belonging, learning to be cared for, and what happens when the girl who has always held everyone else up finally falls, and someone catches her.
Reborn and Unleashed: The Boss Lady Takes No Prisoners
Now reborn, Vivian refuses to hide her strength. She's revealing her true identity, claiming her power, and rewriting her fate. No more submission, no more misunderstandings—this time, she'll take control of her life and her love.
As regretful brothers beg for forgiveness and powerful enemies fall at her feet, Vivian has one goal: to rise without mercy and make the man she once loved fall for her all over again—on her terms.
Faking It With My Worst Enemy On Ice
But on his birthday, everything falls apart when his girlfriend exposes Clare's most humiliating secret in front of the entire team.
Just when Clare is ready to disappear, Rhys Calloway, her worst enemy and the team's arrogant captain, pulls her into his arms and tells everyone she is his girlfriend.
She should have pushed him away, but she kissed him back instead.
Now Clare is locked into a two-month fake relationship with the most infuriating man she has ever met, trying to get over a stepbrother who never cared and survive a captain who makes her forget why she was supposed to hate him.
The problem is that Rhys kisses like he means every single second of it, and just when Clare starts to move on, Zane decides he wants her back.
One girl, two hockey players, and a heart that was never supposed to feel this much. Will she choose the stepbrother who broke her or the enemy who caught her when she fell?
The rejected white luna
My Billionaire Husband's Secret
He was the CEO of the Blackwood Group — a man whose wealth and power eclipsed ninety-nine percent of the world.
He was gentle. Romantic. Attentive. I fell for him fast.
But a year into our marriage, I began to notice something — a pattern.
Lucas's sexual appetite was intense — he wanted me almost every night. Yet every single month, he arranged a solo trip to send me away. I told myself it was his way of spoiling me.
Then a message arrived from someone called Sweet An.
Do you really know your husband?
From that day on, my life filled with shadows.
I suspected my husband of having an affair.
When Lucas and I made love, something felt wrong — his body too large, too much, like something I couldn't explain.
I heard sounds during sex — animal sounds, like something feral had crawled into bed with us.
My best friend Mia said: "There are men sick enough to let dogs fuck their wives."
The family doctor, Daisy, told me: "You could never stay by Lucas's side forever. Your background doesn't make you worthy of being his wife. Do you understand?"
I went looking for whoever had been tearing my marriage apart. I fought to win my husband back.
But the deeper I searched, the larger the secret grew — something far darker hiding beneath this supposed betrayal.
Does Lucas truly love me?
And why, out of everyone in the world, did he choose to marry me?
The Legacy Game
When scholarship student Chris Linds stumbles onto a mystery someone has killed to protect, she becomes the next target. The only person standing between her and death is Ashen Ford, the academy's cold, untouchable Student Council President—and heir to one of Corvain's founding families.
As anonymous invitations summon twelve students into the legendary Legacy Game, alliances fracture, secrets surface, and every challenge brings another deadly truth to light. But the greatest secret isn't who will win.
It's why one winner vanished without a trace... and why someone will do anything to make sure history repeats itself.
Rejected By My Family, Desired By The Mafia
While the real heiress struggled to survive, the nanny’s daughter, Talia, was raised in luxury as the beloved jewel of the Laurent family, pampered by Camille’s parents, adored by her three brothers, and even promised to the prestigious Matteo Devereux through a childhood engagement arranged by their grandparents.
Then the truth came out.
Six months ago, Camille was finally brought back to the Laurent family. To protect the family reputation and prove their devotion to their bloodline, the Laurent patriarch transferred 35% of his personal shares into Camille’s name overnight, instantly making her one of the wealthiest heiresses in the country.
It brought anxiety to all the Laurent family. But what they don’t know…is that Camille never needed them.
Behind her elegant smile lies a woman filled with secrets powerful enough to shake the whole family. She's a miraculous healer capable of curing the incurable poisons.
Yet despite everything, her family still chooses Talia.
Every accusation against Talia is forgiven. Every scheme against Camille is brushed aside. Even Matteo, the man who was supposed to be Camille’s fiancé—cannot let go of the woman he always believed belonged by his side.
But while the Laurent family underestimates Camille, another man begins to see exactly who she is.
Dante Moretti.
The ruthless heir of an old-money dynasty. A billionaire CEO worshipped by the public…and the merciless king of a criminal empire hidden beneath the city’s glittering surface. When Dante is poisoned by a rival syndicate with a deadly toxin no doctor can cure, he offers a fortune for anyone who can save him.
Only Camille can. Their deal is simple: she becomes his personal physician, and he gives her anything she wants.
Letters to a Dark Prince
Thrown into Isteros Academy—a world of old money, blood money, and cruel social games—she's an outsider by birth and an afterthought by design. Her sister Solyn is the school's untouchable queen and Mara is her favorite target.
Everyone expects Atreus to treat his fiancée’s scholarship sister like everyone else does—as if she doesn’t matter.
Instead, his dorm room sits directly across from hers, close enough that she can see his light go out at night. Some nights, he climbs the old maintenance trellis just to check on her. He teaches her chess. He shows up exactly when something's gone wrong—and never once asks to be thanked for it.
"Don't fall in love with one piece," he warns her, over a board neither of them treats like a game anymore. "It punishes the person who only sees half of it."
Mara doesn't understand why the boy who's supposed to make her life harder keeps quietly making it easier—not until she realizes the anonymous stranger she's been writing to every week already has a name.
His.
He doesn't know he's writing to her, either.
By the time they find out, it's too late to stop what's already happening. Far too dangerous for anyone to find out.
In an empty studio, in the middle of a rainstorm, she asks him: 'Am I the kind of girl who kisses a boy engaged to my sister?'
He doesn't answer.
So she asks: 'What are we?’
He told her not to fall in love with one piece.
She fell anyway.
And he was never far behind.
Everybody is Guilty Here
Middlesbrough's underworld is a dangerous game, and Matthew Smith finds himself right in the middle of it. A once-feared gang leader, he is now forced to be a pawn in a deadly cat-and-mouse game. Matthew's only shot at freedom is helping the police bring down Mr. K, the elusive mafia boss of the city. The only problem is that the detective he is forced to work with is the same man who arrested him years ago.
Masahiro Payne is everything Matthew hates: cold, calculating, and relentless. But their only hope for survival is by pretending to be a happy couple, blending in amidst dangerous crime, deceit, and power struggles. The closer they find themselves to taking down Mr. K's empire, the more they are attracted to one another, an affair too potent to turn from.
As their undercover mission spirals into a web of lies and hidden desires, they face a growing threat from all sides. But the greatest risk is the one they can't control-their own feelings. With every touch, every stolen kiss, the line between their fake relationship and real emotions blurs.
In a world of betrayal, trust is a luxury, and falling for each other may be the deadliest mistake of all. Can they survive the deadly mafia games or will their passion be their demise?
