Dust and Desire is a tale of forbidden love, ruthless power, and the dangerous pull of destiny.Bella Costa is twenty-five, broke, and running out of options. Betrayed by her ex, rejected by every job she’s applied for, and forced back into her childhood bedroom, she’s desperate for a fresh start. When her loyal best friend Luisa lands her a cleaning job at the estate of billionaire Davos DeLaney, Bella swallows her pride and accepts—despite his reputation for being cold, feared, and untouchable.But Davos is no ordinary billionaire. In the human world, he’s a tech mogul with an empire. In the shadows, he is Drac Balor—the immortal king of the Vladicus vampires. And the moment he sees Bella, he feels the zing—an ancient, undeniable bond marking her as his fated soulmate. The problem? In his world, it is a grave taboo for a vampire to love a human.When a near-accident outside his mansion gives Davos the excuse he needs to keep her close, he offers Bella an impossible bargain: pay for the damage to his luxury car—a debt she could never afford—or marry him for one month. She believes it’s a cruel game. For Davos, it’s the only way to protect her from enemies who would see her destroyed to get to him.Word spreads quickly through the vampire realm. A king who has zinged with a human is a scandal that could topple centuries of rule. The Graveshade clan, Davos’s oldest rivals, seize the chance to ignite rebellion and seize the throne. The Vladicus council demands he end the union—or face a war that could destroy them all.As danger closes in, Bella is pulled deeper into a world of candlelit intrigues, blood-bound politics, and enemies cloaked in charm. The cold king who promised to keep his distance becomes the man whose touch she craves, whose secrets she’s desperate to uncover.Now, Bella must decide: will she walk away and save herself, or stand beside a man who might lose everything—his crown, his kingdom, and his life—for her