I’ve kissed a lot of frogs, just to be covered in warts. I’ve been lied to, cheated on, and used more times than I can count. I don’t have it in me to keep going. I need a break from it all. I need time for the wounds to heal, and the scars to fade. Wouldn’t you know it’s my luck to meet a gorgeous man after declaring my self-imposed break? He’s charming, sexy, and determined to change my mind. 

I don’t want to be someone’s dirty little secret. I know all too well what that feels like. Guarding my heart means staying out of pro football player Brock Williams’s bed and out of the spotlight. After all these years, he’s exactly like I remember: charming, determined, and used to getting what he wants. And what he wants now is me. The chemistry between us is undeniable. The guy I always saw as a player is now the one who makes my heart beat fast—the one who leaves dirty love notes on my pillow. Oh, yeah…he also happens to be my brother’s best friend.

There comes a point in your life where you have to say enough is enough. I wasted my college years on a guy who played with my head, played with my heart. I was blinded by the fairy tale, the one that didn't exist. The day I gave up on the idea of happily ever after, my focus became me. Moving forward and establishing my career. Until one day.... I didn't expect him. My new boss, a six foot two, inked rock god. I believed I was working for the record label - I was wrong.

I'm out of my depth participating in a blind-date photo shoot. Not only am I meant to act like I'm open for dating, but I'm meant to be sexy and get up close and personal with a complete stranger.

Life is a series of events, one leading you to another. The hell I lived through with my drug-addicted parents led me to the Marine Corps. Committing my life to my country was easy. My brothers were my family - all I had and all I needed. I wasn’t looking for her, but I should have known life had other plans. It led me to her.

There’s nothing better than a packed house on a Saturday night, and co-owning the hottest restaurant and bar in town with my best friends isn’t so bad either. We put everything into Burgers and Brew. My job is to keep the alcohol moving and the patrons coming back for more. I won’t let anyone break my focus.

Expect the unexpected. That's what they say, but it's easier said than done. How do you expect a change so huge it rocks you to your core? How do you prepare yourself for an event that will alter your life forever? One breath. One second. One minute. One hour. One day at a time, you learn to live with your unexpected reality. 

Overhearing my cousin's best friend confessing that she's never been satisfied wasn't my fault . . . but offering to help her change that definitely was. Her brother is a friend of mine, and while this has a bad idea written all over it, it doesn't stop us from becoming friends . . . with benefits. Palmer is gorgeous, off-limits, and stubborn as hell. For the first time, I'm the one left wanting more. I'm tired of watching her walk away. I'm ready for her to stay.

I'm the girl who doesn't let anyone in. My world was shattered and turned upside down in one night. Since then I've been trying to live, if that's what you call it, but fighting the anxiety of what happened and trusting others is hard. Each day is a struggle to reach for the unknown. I watched my father give my mother the world and the stars. She took everything from him, then left him as a broken man with nothing to live for. I told myself I'd never fall in love. I'm guarding my heart and emotions, only looking out for number one.

It took one night with her to know she was my forever. It took one minute for me to climb out of bed and drive away from her. It’s taken me three years to confess that leaving her behind was the biggest mistake of my life. I won’t stop until she knows what she means to me. I’ll convince her to listen to her heart.