 Simmer (verb): to stew gently below or just at the boiling point; to be in a state of incipient development.
My life was always at a simmer… only stewing, never going anywhere. I was left to fend for myself when it came to affection or love, so I learned to go without. I refused to let them see how broken and lonely I was; it was much easier to hide behind a false reality. I didn't want anyone's pity. I didn't need it. Pity wouldn't put food on the table or keep a roof over our heads. That was all me. Now, I have a second chance at a dream long forgotten. It demands hard work and sacrifice—with absolutely no distractions. A recipe I already know all too well, raising a daughter on my own. Drew Kostas is everything I’ve ever wanted but couldn't let myself have. He’s younger, gorgeous, charming—and relentless. He sees beyond the hardened shell I’ve built to protect myself, coaxing out a softer me I don't recognize. It doesn't matter how I melt in his presence when the heat between us threatens to boil over. That's the thing about heat. When it rises, everyone gets burned. Especially when they're foolish enough to fall in love.
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 This whole contest was supposed to be easy. I know, I know. Famous last words.
It’s a long story, but I messed up at work. Big time. To earn back the trust of my boss, I promised to save one of our magazines. Yep. That Hot Dad contest you’ve seen advertised all over the place was my idea. And if I’m successful, if I’m able to increase our online readership, then I get a shot at my dream job. But the one thing I never expected to happen, happened: Contestant number ten, Grayson Malone. Hello, Mr. Difficult. And did I mention sexy as hell? Unfortunately he knows me. The old me, anyway. And while we might be older now, I remind him of before. Of the woman who broke his heart, who hardened him, and who left him alone to raise the cutest little boy I’ve ever seen. But I don’t want a relationship. And I definitely don’t fall for single dads with baggage. Even ones with chiseled abs and killer smiles. But he got to me. They got to me. Him and his son and their messy, crazy life. But I got to him too. I see the stolen glances. I feel the walls he built start to crumble. I recognize that there’s an unexpected beauty to the chaos in his life. And now that the contest is about to end, we’re left to decide whether the last six months were just fun or if what we have is worth risking it all?  Bane
Naked surfer. Habitual pothead. A con, a liar, a thief and a fraud. Last I heard, he was extorting the rich and screwing their wives for a living. Which is why I’m more than a little surprised to find him at my threshold, looking for my friendship, my services, and most puzzling of all—looking humbled. Thing is, I’m on a boycott. Literally—I cut boys from my life. Permanently. Problem is, Bane is not a boy, he is all man, and I’m falling, crashing, drowning in his sweet, perfect lies. Jesse Carter Hot as hell, cold as ice. I wasn’t aware of her existence until a fat, juicy deal landed in my lap. She’s a part of it, a little plaything to kill some time. She is collateral, a means to an end, and a side-bonus for striking a deal with her oil tycoon stepdad. More than anything, Jesse Carter is a tough nut to crack. Little does she know, I have the f****** teeth for it.  I’ve always been a good girl.
I work hard, I follow the rules, and I always achieve my goals. But sometimes good girls want things that aren’t good for them. Or someone who isn’t good for them. Like their new boss. And sometimes they do very bad things to get his attention. Like sell their virginity in an auction. Who knew he’d be so very, very mad? Maybe this was not my best laid plan…  Everyone in Cedar Creek, Texas, knows Jack McNight is an arrogant devil. Physically, I get it: he’s tan and fit, with coal-black hair that’s clearly been scorched by hellfire. Oh, and his personality? It burns just as hot.
When I show up on the doorstep of Blue Stone Ranch, I’m run-down and rockin’ my last pair of underwear. I’m hoping for a savior, but instead, I find him. My opinion of Jack is marred by a dismal first impression, but his opinion of me is tainted even before I arrive. He’s heard I’m a spoiled princess there to take advantage of his goodwill. To him, I’m more trouble than I’m worth. Our button-pushing banter should get under my skin. His arrogance should be a major turn-off. Problem is, devils are known to offer their own form of temptation. Every one of his steely glares sends a shiver down my spine. Every steamy encounter leaves me reeling. Sure, it could be the Texas heat messing with my head, but there’s no way I’ll survive the summer without silencing him with a kiss and wrestling him out of those Wranglers. Who knows…going to bed with the devil might just be the salvation I’ve been looking for all along.  “What do you do when you meet your soul mate? No wait…that’s too easy. What do you do when you meet your soul mate and have to spend a lifetime loving him in secret?
I’ll tell you what you do. You lie.” REN Ren was eight when he learned that love doesn’t exist—that the one person who was supposed to adore him only cared how much he was worth. His mother sold him and for two years, he lived in terror. But then…he ran. He thought he’d run on his own. Turned out, he took something of theirs by accident and it became the one thing he never wanted and the only thing he ever needed. DELLA I was young when I fell in love with him, when he switched from my world to my everything. My parents bought him for cheap labour, just like they had with many other kids, and he had the scars to prove it. At the start, he hated me, and I could understand why. For years he was my worst enemy, fiercest protector, and dearest friend. But by the end…he loved me. The only problem was, he loved me in an entirely different way to the way I loved him. And slowly, my secret drove us apart.  Sean Phillips is a sexy as sin enigma.
Cocky. Promiscuous. The New York Mavericks star wide receiver. His quick moves and sure hands extend way past the lines of the football field--and into the bedroom. Sure of himself and sure of his life, Sean’s convinced he can handle anything. But when beautiful, pint-sized Six Malone delivers a challenge he’s never faced before, his certainty starts to waver. ** Six Malone is a force to be reckoned with. Feisty. Hilarious. The popular YouCam vlogger Pick Six. The chance to work with the Mavericks on an eight-episode vlog series is the opportunity of a lifetime, and Six knows it. But after an interesting first encounter turns into a head-to-head battle with cocky football star Sean Phillips, her attention shifts—to keeping herself from falling in love. Too bad spending time with the team is part of the job, and Sean has a flawless track record…of getting what he wants. ** Pick Six: A term used when a quarterback throws an interception and a defensive player returns it for a touchdown, resulting in six points. Pick(ing) Six: When a man-wh*ring baller meets his match.  As a chief stewardess on luxury superyachts, I massage egos, pamper the spoiled and cater to the most outlandish desires of the rich and famous.
I’ve never had a guest want something I can’t give them. Until British businessman Hayden Wolf comes aboard—all sexy swagger and mysterious requests. He wants me. And Hayden Wolf’s a man who’s used to getting exactly what he demands. Despite being serious and focused. Demanding and ruthless. He’s also charming when I least expect it as well as being devastatingly handsome with an almost irresistible smile. But guests are strictly off limits and I’ve never broken a rule. Not even bent one. My family are depending on me and I can’t lose my job. Only problem is Hayden Wolf is looking at me like I just changed his life. And he's touching me like he’s about to change mine. A standalone romance.  Six was always there, even when I didn’t want him.
But he couldn’t hold me together, and I couldn’t be his penance. Loss is a phantom limb. No one can see it, but the ache torments you in the night, distracts you during the day, and leaves you fragmented. I’m half a heart, half a soul, and nothing could cure the pieces he’d left behind. Losing him was safer than loving him. Because the love that kept us coming back again and again was nothing short of madness. But then, isn't mad love the most honest?  Fourteen years ago, my life changed forever.
My sister disappeared. That day I was selfish. That day I chose myself over her. And that day, I lost everything.Including Nikki Walters. She's the girl I’ve loved my whole life. She’s gorgeous. Caring. Every single thing I’ve ever wanted but denied myself. She was my sister’s best friend, and I destroyed any chance of keeping her. When her safety is threatened, I have a second chance to do the right thing. But as soon as she moves in, I want her in all the wrong ways. All it takes is a brush of her hand, and I’m losing all control. The fire between us is only burning hotter. But neither of us saw what was coming. And it just might be Nikki Walters who destroys me in the end. The highly anticipated sexy, suspenseful stand-alone second-chance romance from NYT Bestselling Author, A.L. Jackson. |