βWhy would you even want to do this?β she asks without looking at me.
βNostalgia.β Iβd rehearsed this answer, knowing she was bound to ask.
She lets out a huff, and her eyes flick over me, then dart back to the door.
βYouβve never been nostalgic in your life. It was always forward movement with you.
Always what was next week, next year, next century. Now, suddenly, you like long walks down memory lane?β
βYes, but itβs also my home of record for the authorities, and I donβt feel like refiling paperwork right now. F*ckinβ hate bureaucracy.β Itβs not a lie, just not the whole truth. She tilts her head as if acknowledging that she can understand that much about my predicament.
βI can give you a room in the inn,β she bargains, turning back to me with a hopeful look.
βNah. I donβt want to be up at the crack of dawn because your ladies are headed out on one of their daily adventures. I want my house. My bed.β
βFine. Then Iβll move into the inn while you play house. Itβll keep me closer to everything.β
βItβs all or nothing.β I press my luck, and now I have her attention. Her eyes search my
face, and they harden.
βYouβd do that? Try to take the ranch and inn away from me? When you never wanted them in the first place?β
βI told you. Iβve had a lot of time to think over the last few months. Reflecting on what I might have done differently if Iβd been in a different place.β I offer her a crumb of honesty, but somehow that uneasy admission makes her angrier.
βYou get nostalgic and want a do-over, so you just get to crash in here and take everything Iβve spent years working on? All because things got a little rough out there, and now you think you can come home to hide. Pretend you can put it all back like nothing happened. Fuck the rest of us, right?β
I bite my tongue to keep from responding. It took two of us to get where we did when things fell apart. She was every bit as stubborn as I was when it came down to it. But Iβm making a big ask right now, and I know it. I deserve some part of this lashing, even if she doesnβt need to be quite so heavy-handed.
βI want a place to stay out of view, serve out the rest of this parole, and have some sense of stability while I figure out whatβs next. Iβm offering you all of it and a million dollars for the inconvenience. Ninety days and you get it all for the rest of your life. Thatβs like winning the lotto compared to what I could do.β
βAnd you f*ck off forever after? I donβt ever have to hear from you or see you again? Your lawyer isnβt going to show up someday pointing to some loophole where you take it all back?β Her arms tighten around her middle.
βIf thatβs what you want.β
βIt is what I want. I donβt even want to be standing here having this conversation with you now. If it were up to me, youβd fuck off immediately and stay f*cked off.β
I bite my tongue to keep myself from pouring gasoline on this fire.
βYes. I f*ck off forever after. No loopholes.β
βI want it in writing. Tell your fancy f*cking lawyer I want everything in black and white. And I want you to sign it in blood. Anything less and I wonβt do it.β
The average person would probably be terrified of her temper, but I love seeing it flare again. Anger means sheβs still invested enough to feel something for me. Apathy is the real danger. Right now, I still have a shot to fix this. It might be one deep down in the bowels of hell, with rapidly dropping temperatures and the smell of snow, but Iβll take it.
βIs that a yes then?β I have to bite the inside of my cheek to keep the smirk off my face.
βNo.β She practically hisses the word. βI have to think. Talk to Curtis. Make sure my lawyer canβt get me out of this first.β
βYour lawyer?β
βI have one.β Her eyes narrow and sweep over me before she looks away again. βNot to mention Iβm still hoping this is a nightmare Iβm going to wake up from any minute now.β
βAfraid not, sugar.β
She flicks me another look before she turns to leave the stables.
βOne last thingβ¦β I call after her, and she pauses but doesnβt turn around to look at me.
βI just want to be clear. When I say I want my bed back, I mean with you in it.β
I see her bristle, and she flips me the bird over her shoulder before storming out. I turn back to Wolfsbane and run my hand over his neck.
βYou notice she didnβt say no,β I mutter under my breath, smiling as I hear the door to the stables slam shut in her wake.
Blurb:
Still married.
Those words change everything.
Now my should-be ex-husband, Ramsey Stockton, the former pro football star turned felon and hero who left this townβand meβbehind years ago, is at my door offering me a deal with the devil.
If I let him stay and play his wife again for ninety days, heβll give me a quiet divorce and his family ranchβthe one my inn is on.
When I scoff at the idea, he offers a million-dollar bonus to help my business float through this rough patch, but only if Iβm his.
Thereβs only one answer I can afford to give him. But he knows everything about meβevery hurt, every secret, and every single weakness I have, including him.
And while Ramsey might want me, his brothers want him back in the family business.
If there’s one universal truth in this town, it’s that Stockton men stop at nothing to get what they want.
All’s fair in love and war, or so they say. Sometimes you have to play dirty to win.
Kevlar
Never thought of myself wanting one woman. But there she is, and sheβs unlike any other. I had her in my bed once, but then I screwed up. Sheβs stubborn and refuses to listen to reason.
Sheβs also a fighter.
When things happen and I find sheβs not exactly who she claims to be, I have to make things right before it’s too late. Even if it means getting down and dirty to do it.
Iβve no problem getting bloody if it means she survives whatβs to come.
My Princess is determined to stay as far away from me as possible. Eighteen months ago, she wanted me, but now sheβs convinced Iβm bad news.
The thing is, an attraction like ours doesnβt just fade, and my need for her has only grown stronger no matter how many times she offers me a scowl instead of her beautiful smile.
Weβve been playing a game of cat and mouse since the day she wore my jersey, and fortunately for her, I love the chase. I love to watch the way her body reacts to mine. Iβd fall to my knees in front of her if I didnβt think sheβd kick me while Iβm down and unearth painful memories from my past that Iβve worked to keep hidden for so long.
Iβm not the only one with secrets and a hurtful past, though. The walls sheβs built around her are so high that I doubt anyone can see the real Kate. But I can; I see it all. I know what makes my girl tick and what she truly wants from life. I was just waiting for a chance to prove it.
And now that itβs here, Iβm going all in to make Kate Violet Monroe fall in love with me.
Since I lost my wife, my life has consisted of being a single dad to two crazy kids and playing professional football, leaving me with no room for anything or anyone else.
Until the moment I met Sawyer.
Something about her feels right, and I know itβs more than just chemistry.
Sheβs a game changer. My second chance at love.
I want all of her days, her nights, and everything in between. But our time together is limited, and come Saturday, sheβs going to leave, taking my heart right along with her.
Sawyer
I wasnβt looking for love, but that didnβt stop it from finding me. All it took was six days to fall head over heels for a complete stranger and his adorable children. Nothing has ever felt so right.
But as a single mom, itβs not just about what I want.
We live over a thousand miles apart, and I know all too well that long-distance love always ends in heartache.
Hudsonβs everything Iβve ever wanted in a man, and I know it would be easy to create a life with him and our kids.
Which is why itβs going to be so hard to say goodbye.
In this fun, sexy college romance, a transfer student finds herself living in a house full of football playersβand falling for the one she knows she shouldnβt want.
Everleigh
Transferring to UC Santa Mira is supposed to be my ultimate college experienceβuntil housing falls through at the last minute. So when I overhear a group of guys complaining they need another roommate, I jump at the opportunity.
Theyβre just football players. Even if one of them makes me weak in the knees, it doesnβt mean anything unless I let it. And I wonβt.
We want different things. Wanting each other doesnβt change that.
Nico
Itβs my senior year and final season with the Santa Mira Dolphins. The last thing I need is a distraction, but thatβs exactly what this girl is. Ever is too leggy, too gorgeous, too thoughtfulβand a whole lot of too much that gets under my skin.
I guess I get under hers too. I canβt help myself.
We live together. That alone makes it a bad ideaβ¦but I never could resist a little trouble.
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Monica Murphy is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling romance author. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and have sold over two million copies worldwide. Both a traditionally published and independently published author, she writes young adult, new adult and contemporary romance.
A native Californian, she lives on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere with her husband, son, their goofy dog, and three cats. When sheβs not writing, sheβs thinking about writing. Or reading. Or binge watching something.
Everleigh was looking forward to her college experience however she did not get off to the best start when she finds out she has no accommodation and limited financial means to secure another arrangement. Her luck changes when she learns that three football players need a roommate, and they are willing to adjust the rent is she agrees to handle the household responsibilities. The only problem with the arrangement is her attraction to one of the roommates.
Nico is aware of his skill both on the field and when it comes to women. He is attracted to Everleigh as well however he keeps all his interactions with women casual and commitment free which would be difficult with them together. It is only a matter of time before the chemistry between them ignites but will she be his forever or just a fling?
There is a lot of should we or shouldnβt we which increases the tension between Everleigh and Nico until they realize that what they share is special even though it wasnβt easy at times. There is also a great cast of secondary characters that enhance the story and leave you wanting their stories as well.
Aria Todd is the new girl in town. She doesnβt mind the title. In fact, sheβs thrilled that sheβll have the chance to start over in a place where nobody knows her. Where nobody can get to her. And where her new neighbor has her peeking out her window regularly.
Paxton Fields is Steel Ridgeβs resident nice guy. Heβs kind to everyone, even the injured and abandoned animals he rescues on occasion.
Thatβs why he catches Ariaβs eye, and the pair explore the chemistry between them.
But Paxtonβs big heart is just a small part of who he is. When itβs necessary to be foreboding, he rises to the occasion.
And thatβs precisely what happens when he learns that there was a reason for Ariaβs recent move to his town. Discovering sheβs been coerced from her home, Paxtonβs protective instincts kick in.
Escaping her past was her plan, but if Paxton canβt find her, Aria may never get to see her future.
A.K. Evans is a contemporary romance author of over forty published novels. While she enjoys writing a good romantic suspense novel, Andreaβs favorite books to write have been her extreme sports romances. That might have something to do with the fact that she, along with her husband and two sons, canβt get enough of extreme sports.
Before becoming a writer, Andrea did a brief stint in the insurance and financial services industry and managed her husbandβs performance automotive business. That love of extreme sports? She used to drive race cars!
When Andrea isnβt writing, she can be found homeschooling her two sons, doing yoga, snowboarding, reading, or traveling with her family. She and her husband are currently taking road trips throughout the country to visit all 50 states with their boys.
Aria has always been there for her family however it has taken its toll on her relationship with them and herself. Needing to distance her she has moved to Steel Ridge and Paxton happens to be her neighbor. She is drawn to him, but she is afraid that if he knew her past he would feel differently about her however her past isnβt far behind.
Paxton works for Harper Security and is a protector at heart when it comes to his job as well as those he cares about. He feels an immediate connection for Aria, and it isnβt long before she becomes an important part of his life and he will do whatever is required to keep her safe.
This is a heartwarming romance that has a little suspense to keep things interesting. It also allows us to catch up with the other characters we know and love from this series.
Aurora Rose Reynolds is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author whose wildly popular series include Until, Until Him, Until Her, Underground King, Shooting Stars, Fluke My Life and How to Catch an Alpha series.
Her writing career started in an attempt to get the outrageously alpha men who resided in her head to leave her alone and has blossomed into an opportunity to share her stories with readers all over the world.
Bax Mayson thought he had escaped the family curseβuntil he saw Olivia Gannon again.
Itβs been eight years since he last laid eyes on his best friendβs little sister, and now, fate has thrown her back into his life. As if their undeniable connection isnβt complicated enough, a mysterious threat looms, determined to tear Olivia away from him.
For Olivia, moving back home wasnβt supposed to change everythingβuntil it did.
Running into Bax was the last thing she expected, but that one encounter sets off a whirlwind of events she couldnβt have imagined. Now, with family tensions rising, exes resurfacing, and a hidden enemy out for revenge, Olivia must figure out whoβor whatβtheyβre fighting. Because one thing is certain: she and Bax have something worth fighting for.
I learned that last piece of information a bit too late.
I never expected to see him again. But it turns out that destiny had other plans and gave me the whole of him for several incredible hours.
Then I bolted againβfor the second time in my life.
He was Manuel Marchetti.
Off-limits. Forbidden. Dangerous.
So then why was I unable to forget him?
My body and soul came alive only for him. I hoped Iβd never see him again, but it wasnβt meant to be. Everywhere I went, the man was thereβstealing kisses, making promises, and painting streets red.
He seemed to delight in pushing my buttons and demanding more. Much to my dismay, it seemed I was unable to resist him.
Then, a chance encounter required his protection. He swept me away to his remote Italian castle and I could feel my resolve cracking under his burning gaze and searing touch.
The harder I tried to resist, the faster my body caved.
With each passing day, I was starting to realize that by the end of it all, Iβd be the one succumbing.
Either by the secrets surrounding my life or under his consuming touch.
