Lindsey

I was young and naive. I thought I could save the world. I thought that protecting those around me from hurt and pain was what I was born to do. She made me feel that way. Ava Links, the little girl who was too f - king stubborn for her own good. The little girl who absorbed the hurt and pain of everyone around her and tried to bring sunshine to them all. The little girl who somehow looked at me, expecting - no, damn near demanding - I protect her.

The last time I saw my best friend's younger brother, he was a geek wearing braces. But when Cannon shows up to crash in my spare room, I get a swift reality check. Now 24, he's broad shouldered and masculine, and so sinfully sexy, I want to climb him like the jungle gyms we used to enjoy. At six-foot-something with lean muscles hiding under his T-shirt, a deep sexy voice, and full lips that pull into a smirk when he studies me, he's pure temptation.

He's back. Not just back in town, but living in the flat right beneath mine. And he looks good enough to eat, which is just one more reason to stay away from him. But I can't resist. The sex is incredible (pretty sure we've shaken the house right off its foundation), but he can't fool me - not this time. A degree in marketing and five years in advertising have taught me that "true love" is a fairy tale used to sell lipstick, diamonds, and perfume. It doesn't exist. He thinks I'm wrong, and he wants to prove it. I think he's crazy, so I dare him to try.

The one guy she can't have is the one she can't forget. Liam Quinn is one of the biggest movie stars in the world...and the only man Elissa Holt has ever truly loved. After being out of her life for six years, he and his gorgeous fiancée are set to star in the new Broadway show Elissa is stage managing. The only trouble is, when late-night rehearsals bring Elissa and Liam together, the line between what is and what could have been gets blurred.

Allie Hayes is in crisis mode. With graduation looming, she still doesn't have the first clue about what she's going to do after college. To make matters worse, she's nursing a broken heart thanks to the end of her longtime relationship. Wild rebound sex is definitely not the solution to her problems, but gorgeous hockey star Dean Di-Laurentis is impossible to resist. Just once, though, because even if her future is uncertain, it sure as heck won't include the king of one-night stands.

New York Times and USA Today best-selling indie authors Jennifer Probst, Emma Chase, Kristen Proby, Melody Anne, and debut author Kate Meader come together to write a sizzling romance anthology. Outside it may be frosty, so turn the heat way up with these stories of desire!

High school quarterback and town golden boy Brady used to be the best of friends with Willa - she even had a crush on him when they were kids. But that's all changed now: Her life choices have made her a different person from the girl he used to know. Gunner used to be friends with Willa and Brady, too. He, too, is larger than life and a high school football star - not to mention that his family basically owns the town of Lawton. He loves his life and doesn't care about anyone except himself. But Willa is the exception.

One word. Stay. It was all he had to do. Instead, he got on that bus and took my heart with him. That was 17 years ago. I moved on. Marriage. Kids. White picket fence. Everything I ever wanted, but my husband betrayed me and I was left once again.

An actress since she was 14 years old, Paige Lockwood finds herself craving a little normalcy after a scandal rocks her otherwise predictable world. With everyone in her life attempting to control her, she takes matters into her own hands and leaves town without so much as a plan or a destination.

Madison Myers is a hard-working assistant to one of LA's top talent agents. Determined to make a respectable name for herself in the business, the last thing she wants in her life is singing sensation Walker Rhodes, with his nonstop tabloid-filled antics and bad boy behavior. But after he pulls her onstage during one of his concerts and serenades her in front of thousands of screaming fans, all bets are off. She doesn't want to give in to his charms, but Walker is relentless and keeping a secret of his own.