Price of a Kiss

Featuring: Reese and Mason
96,610 words, 378 pages
FULL STORY

HE'S A GIGALO

I don't care what my cousin says; I am not the queen of impossible relationships. I mean, just because my last boyfriend tried to kill me and left a bit of a scar on my neck, then forced me to move across the country and legally change my name to Reese Randall to escape him, does not mean--

Oh, who am I kidding? For a freshman in college, I have to have the worst dating track record ever.

It's no wonder love is the last thing on my mind when Mason Lowe enters my life. But the chemistry between us is like bam! Our connection defies logic. And he's just so freaking hot. Being around him makes me feel more alive than I've ever felt before. I even like bickering with him. He could be my soul mate...except for one teeny tiny glitch.

He's a gigolo.

Boy, do I know how to pick them.

To Professor, With Love

Featuring: Aspen and Noel
113,100 words, 396 pages
FULL STORY

STUDENT-TEACHER RELATIONSHIP

Junior in college. Star athlete. Constant attention from the opposite sex.

On this campus, I'm worshiped. While seven hundred miles away, back in my hometown, I'm still trailer park trash, child of the town tramp, and older sibling to three kids who are counting on me to keep my shit together so I can take them away from the same crappy life I grew up in.

These two opposing sides of myself never mix until one person gets a glimpse of the true me. I never expected to connect with anyone like this or want more beyond one night. This may be the real deal.

Problem is, Dr. Kavanagh's my literature professor.

If I start anything with a teacher and we're caught together, I might as well kiss my entire future goodbye, as well as my family's, and especially Dr. Kavanagh's. Except sometimes love is worth risking everything. Or at least, it damn well better be because I can only resist so much.

-N. G.-

Be My Hero

Featuring: Pick and Eva
123,560 words, 380 pages
FULL STORY

HE'S ALREADY MARRIED

Once upon a time, there was this pampered rich girl who was kind of full of herself. She really only cared about appearances and hiding all her dark, ugly secrets under the guise of an opinionated snob. But then Eva Mercer got pregnant, shot by a psycho, and kicked out of the only home she knew. Now she's broke, unemployed, and has to start anew with a newborn to raise. But how?

On the other side of town, sexy, tattooed orphan, Patrick Ryan, can't get a break. He's out on parole for defending the last damsel in distress while trying to help her support her child, but all he wants is to find his one true love. He knows this woman by scent, smile, and laugh, but he's never actually met her. He doesn't even know her name. He just knows she's the key to fixing everything.

One kind of hero can save you from physical harm. Another can rescue you from a different kind of doom. To reach their dreams, Eva and Pick can save each other. But first, they must open their hearts and learn how to trust.

With Every Heartbeat

Featuring: Zoey and Quinn
143,840 words, 416 pages
FULL STORY

HE IS HER ROOMMATE'S BOYFRIEND

I used to think everything was black and white, truth or lie, easy or hard, that if I could just escape my strict, overbearing, abusive father, my life would be perfect. But since I've found a reason to risk his wrath and leave, to help a friend in need, I've come to realize everything I thought I knew is wrong.

Friends have their own agenda, honesty comes with a dosage of lie, easy doesn't even exist, keeping secrets sucks, and love...love is the most painful thing of all.

Maybe if Quinn Hamilton hadn't asked me to skip classes for the day and help him pick out an engagement ring for my best friend, I wouldn't have fallen for him so completely on that sunny Tuesday afternoon and I wouldn't feel so conflicted. But I did, and I can't take it back, no matter how hard I try. So I have to deal with the fact that even I'm not as good, or honest, or caring as I'd always thought I was, and no matter what I do next, someone's going to get hurt. Probably me.

-Zoey Blakeland

*Don't worry! The hero and heroine are not cheaters.*

A Perfect Ten

Featuring: Ten and Caroline
148,570 words, 426 pages
FULL STORY

SHE IS HIS BEST FRIEND'S LITTLE SISTER

Let your hair down, Caroline, they said. It'll be fun, they said.

I know I've closed myself off in a major way over the past year, ever since "the incident" where I messed up my life completely. It's past time I try to live again or just give up altogether. But this is quite possibly the craziest thing I've ever done. In a last ditch effort to invigorate myself, I'm standing outside Oren Tenning's bedroom, I just peeled off the sexiest pair of underwear I own, and my hand is already raised to knock. My brother would disown me for doing anything with his best friend, and he'd probably kill Oren. But if I play my cards right, no one will ever know about this. Not even Ten.

Maybe after tonight, I'll finally get over this stupid, irrational crush I hate having on the biggest jerk I've ever met. Or maybe I'll just end up falling for him even harder. Maybe I'll discover there's so much more to my crude, carefree hunk than meets the eye.

Worth It

Featuring: Knox and Felicity
125,460 words, 396 pages
FULL STORY

POOR BOY - RICH GIRL. THEIR FAMILIES ARE ENEMIES

I fell in love once.

It was amazing. She was amazing. Life was amazing.

I lived for each time I could see her, and nothing else mattered, not that our families were enemies, our time together was forbidden, or we had to meet in secret.

Our love could conquer all.

Until it didn't.

So I was ripped away from the love of my life and shoved into hell, forced to continue without her.

It shattered me, broke the best parts of me, left me permanently damaged.

Or so I thought.

Years later, I swear history's trying to repeat itself because she's back in my life, and I'm just as drawn to her as I was before. But I'm older and wiser now, and I know she should stay away from a worthless ex-con like me.

So, I will not let her in. I absolutely refuse to hurt her. I will keep her away.

Then again, sometimes risking your greatest fear to get to a smile makes everything worth it, and besides, I'm not sure I can resist her, anyway.

This is the story of how Felicity Bainbridge changed my life forever, starting one summer day long ago after I was forced to change a dirty diaper...

--Knox Parker

The Girl's Got Secrets

Featuring: Asher and Remy
136,610 words, 408 pages
FULL STORY

HE THINKS SHE'S A DUDE

Here's the same old "girl posing as a boy" story but with a rock-n-roll twist.

Remy Curran dreams of one day being in a band, except the group she wants to join refuses to hire a girl drummer. So, she auditions as a guy...and makes the cut.

Becoming "Sticks," a member of Non-Castrato, isn't quite what she dreamed it would be, though. She spends most of her time keeping up the subterfuge and learning how to walk, talk, act, and drink like a man.

But what's even harder to deal with is acting oblivious when the band's heartthrob lead singer, Asher Hart, treats her like one of the guys and not a woman. She never imagined he'd be so much more than a pretty face with a nice voice. But he's better than perfect. He's perfect for her.

When love and lies combine, Remy must keep up the act or lose everything. But who knew lying to reach one dream could prevent you from attaining an even bigger dream?

Priceless

Featuring: Sarah and Brandt
106,980 words, 348 pages
FULL STORY

BEST FRIENDS AFRAID TO CROSS THAT LINE

Three things in my life were fact.
I needed Sarah to survive.
I needed sex to remain sane.
And I could never mix sex with Sarah.

I just knew, deep in my marrow, that if I did, I'd somehow lose her. All my deepest darkest secrets would crack open, bleed out, and ruin everything between us. I wouldn't unleash the shit inside me on my worst enemy, let alone her. So she stayed strictly in the friend zone.

People probably thought I never went there with her because of her cerebral palsy, but f*ck them. She knew she was the most important person in my world, and I wasn't about to risk hurting our relationship just to make my c*ck happy.

Until the moment she begged me to take her virginity. Now it's all about to hit the fan, because how the hell do you resist the one person forbidden to you when she says please?

--Brandt Gamble

Consolation Prize

Featuring: Colton and Julianna
130,880 words, 374 pages
FULL STORY

SHE HAS A CRUSH ON HIS BROTHER

Don't you just hate it when someone destroys all your carefully made plans?

I mean, I had goals: college to graduate in one semester, a future I was working hard to reach, and an image of myself I wanted the world to see. My life was stacked into these precisely placed blocks. But then Colton Gamble came along and knocked them all askew.

I hated how he messed everything up, how he could hog all my attention whenever he was around, how he made my pulse quicken, but only because he ticked me off...not because I was attracted to him. Oh! And I hated how he knew how attractive he was too, the shallow, full of himself, doesn't take no for an answer, too flirty, too cocky, extremely irritating jerk.

The boy had all the qualities that turned me off. Or so I thought.

One night he wasn't quite the brainless, overconfident jerk I assumed he always was.

One night, he took care of me when I was at my lowest. He opened up to me and made me open up to him.

Now I'm learning maybe he's not what I first thought he was. And maybe I'M not what I first thought I was. Maybe it's okay to rearrange a couple of my perfectly set blocks. Maybe, just maybe, I'll stop worrying about what I'm afraid everyone else will think and finally reach for something I really want. It's possible some of my plans need to be destroyed, and Colton Gamble is exactly the kind of mess I need in my life.

What do you think? Should I give him a try?

Desperately seeking your advice,

Julianna Radcliffe

The Price of Mason

Featuring: Mason and Reese
159,960 words, 492 pages
FULL STORY

SHE'S TOO GOOD AND INNOCENT FOR HIM

I might've ruined any chance I ever had at a meaningful relationship when I decided to become a male prostitute at eighteen, but that was okay.

I paid off my mom's debt, the rent, my sister's hospital bills. I put food on the table and kept eviction notices at bay.

It was worth it.

But was it worth the price of my soul?

Two years later, this job has begun to kill me in every way but physically, until SHE comes along.

Reese is the breath of fresh air I need. She makes me smile, she makes me laugh, she makes me want more. But how can we ever be together after all the choices I've made?

Listing one mistake after another, these are my confessions and how we came through to the other side.

***

The Forbidden Men series concludes with THE PRICE OF MASON by looping back to the beginning and retelling PRICE OF A KISS through his eyes.

Just when you thought you knew everything, here's the rest of the story.

Off Balance

SON OF: Pick and Eva
8,989 words, 34 pages
NOVELLA

Julian wants nothing more than to make the high school football team. His throwing arm is great and his dad is a close personal friend of the coach. The only thing holding him back is a little thing called total lack of coordination.

When the coach sends him off to DANCE school of all things for the summer to work on his faulty footwork, however, he thinks life can’t get any worse, especially when his own sister turns out to be his volunteer dance instructor.

But then he gets teamed up with Nia, and suddenly being off balance doesn’t seem so bad. Maybe falling is actually exactly what he needs.

Tis the Season

DAUGHTER OF: Pick and Eva
8,144 words, 33 pages
NOVELLA

Things never turn out normal whenever the Forbidden crew gets together, so Skylar can’t really expect anything less when she comes home for the holidays during her sophomore year at college and a surprising blast from her past shows up at the big Christmas party. But it’s still a shock to the system.

Meanwhile, her brother has brought his roommate, Dominic, along, and the sparks Dom creates with Skylar might be the only thing to help her get through the season this year.

Dear Worthy

SON OF: Noel and Aspen
DAUGHTER OF: Knox and Felicity
14,622 words, 48 pages
NOVELLA

Bentley has had enough. She’s tired of Beau Gamble always butting his way into her life, sabotaging her dates, constantly picking on her, and basically annoying the life out of her. She just wants to finish the last year of high school pretending he never existed.

The only problem with that is that their families are close friends, which makes avoiding Beau downright impossible. If she wants to survive him with her sanity intact, she needs to learn how to deal with him. So with a little tip from her mother that Beau only really opens up through the written word, Bentley writes him a letter, demanding to know what his problem is.

His response might just change her entire perspective of him, or maybe it’ll change her whole world.

Once Upon a Canoe Trip

SON OF: Quinn and Zoey
DAUGHTER OF: Ten and Caroline
10,889 words, 41 pages
NOVELLA

Teagan’s fed up with finding so many losers out there in the dating pool. She just can’t seem to connect with anyone, so she decides to stop casting her line so far out and fish a little closer to home. Maybe someone from her parents’ big group of friends holds just the man for her.

The most obvious choice is Luke. So during the big yearly canoe trip, Teagan goes bold and crawls into his tent—naked—to explore her options. The only problem is she gets the wrong tent and ends up kissing Luke’s brother, J.B., and wow.

Maybe a little case of mistaken identity is what happily ever after is all about.

Playing to Win

DAUGHTER OF: Asher and Remy
7,262 words, 27 pages
NOVELLA

Being the oldest daughter to a pair of celebrity rock stars isn’t always easy. After being bullied and harassed at school for her fame, Rory Hart goes incognito and spends her senior year of high school with her Uncle Pick. There, she decides to take this opportunity as an unknown to see if she’s really got what it takes to become a famous rocker herself. And what better place to test her skills than the local talent show.

Her only competition might be country boy, Tucker Holt, but Rory’s confident she can still smoke him on the vocals. Until she learns his goal is to win the reward money to help his single struggling mom pay the bills.

Suddenly, playing to win feels more about winning someone heart than winning first place.

The Revenge Plan

DAUGHTER OF: Brandt and Sarah
154,883 words, 472 pages
FULL STORY

After I caught my boyfriend cheating, I tried to be mature about it with an amicable split. But he took his retaliation too far, and I have officially had enough. No more Miss Nice Haven.

No one is allowed to lie to me, betray, embarrass, and devastate me, fill me with self-doubt, or put my future at risk, and expect to get away with it. He is going to feel my wrath.

Enter Wick Webster, his archenemy.

Nothing would provoke my ex more than to see me moving on with the one guy he hates most, so that's exactly what I plan to do.

The only hitch in my brilliant scheme is Wick himself. He's just gotta be all love-not-war and peace-is-the-only-way. He's more concerned about helping me heal than seeking my sweet revenge.

And what the hell is it about his soothing presence and yummy looks that calls to me until I forget how much pain I'm in? He's making it awfully hard to use and abuse him for my malicious means. The damn guy is making me fall for him.

Beware of Maverick

SON OF: Colton and Julianna
6,703 words, 24 pages
NOVELLA

Cress hates finishing up his freshman year of college with a broken heart, but here he is anyway: broken, depressed, and alone. Rooming with family friend, Trick, he finally takes his mourning period too far, and Trick decides to force him from seclusion by getting him out of the apartment for a while.

But along the way, they need to stop at this one house real quick.

Enter Maverick St. James.

With the body of a construction worker and a wicked frown that’s hot as hell, Maverick is just the kind of guy Cress needs to steer clear of right now. Or maybe he’s just what Cress needs to make him realize life isn’t over yet; it’s just getting started.

Secrets That We Keep

Gracen SON OF: Reese and Mason
BELLA DAUGHTER OF: Reese and Mason
FOX SON OF: Felicity and Knox
138,534 words, 444 pages
FULL STORY

Gracen Lowe has a new life theory:
What you don’t know can’t hurt you.

Which is exactly why he decides not to tell his twin sister, Bella, that he’s accidentally falling for the woman she hates most, the very woman who allegedly cheated with Bella’s last boyfriend and broke them apart.

Bella might be his best friend and ultimate confidante, but she’d legit cut off his favorite body part if she knew which woman he’d been craving. So even if his theory’s totally whack, staying quiet will definitely keep him safer.

Except he feels so guilty about it all.

Meanwhile, Bella’s heating up the sheets with one of Gracen’s best friends, and she can’t seem to reveal that little detail to her brother either, due to—you know—reasons.

When the truth is exposed, all bets are off. Shattered secrets will either set everyone free or wreck their relationships forever.

Insta-Family

DAUGHTER OF: Noel and Aspenn
Around 111,730 words, 356 pages
FULL STORY

Lucy Gamble, Knocked Up by Dying Man She Gave Sympathy Sex, Now Moving on to His Big Brother.

Have you ever tried to come up with a headline for your life? Well, mine’s so cringeworthy I can’t believe it’s actually my story...or a hundred percent true.

But honestly, how could I say no to the one-night-stand when he begged? Only a monster could deny someone their dying wish, right?

I mean, okay, getting pregnant from the encounter was a regrettable, irresponsible mistake; I can fully admit that.

Turning to his brother, however, was never part of the plan. Initially, I didn’t even like the guy.

Except Vaughn Merrill is a force to be reckoned with. He’s determined to be an “involved” uncle, and no matter how much I tell him he doesn’t have to be so helpful, he’s just so freaking helpful.

And gorgeous.

Plus not at all the ass I assumed he was. Then there’s this massive pain and grief and loneliness I see in his eyes. I just want to hug him constantly and give him the sense of family he so desperately needs.

So really, can you blame me for falling for the one man I know I shouldn’t?

Every Time My Heart Breaks

SON OF: Quinn and Zoey
DAUGHTER OF: Pick and Eva
Around 125,290 words, 414 pages
Full Story

How do you make yourself fall in love with someone?

After his family friend, Chloe Ryan, is traumatized by a disturbed ex-boyfriend, Luke Hamilton is “encouraged” to step up and be the kind of partner she needs. Problem is, he’s never looked at her in that light before.

He’s not one to give up on much of anything, though. His stubborn, competitive nature, mixed with the dutiful loyalty he inherited from his parents, makes it impossible for him to say no. And romancing Chloe becomes priority number one.

But his feisty contender gives him the challenge of a lifetime when she’d rather argue with him than accept a simple compliment. Chloe demands honest, genuine feelings from someone before she’ll even think about opening her heart again, and since Luke refuses to back down from his determined quest, he decides to grow some feelings.

Except, uh, yeah… That’s easier said than done since he’s never been in love before and has no idea how to even begin the process of falling.