Melissa Cooke

When Grant Thomas, the handsome stranger standing in front of me in line at the coffee shop, stripped his uniform shirt off and handed it to me, I could have sworn I was on an episode of Punked. Not only was the man Gabe Kapler’s doppelganger, but he was also a pilot and good with babies, which my six month-old daughter could attest to as she settled in his arms while I changed into his shirt, contemplating all of my life choices at that moment.

All I wanted was one more hot night with the woman of my dreams. Instead, all I got was both of us drunk and accidently married at my resort. Maybe this isn’t such a bad deal, since we must stay together for my inheritance, but how do I explain that to the new Mrs. Cartwright? If we could stop flirting, kissing, and taking this too far one too many times... Don’t get me wrong, Lowri is gorgeous, smart, and spunky, but I don’t want a wife forever. Marriage isn’t for me. I’ve seen the pain it can cause, no matter what sparks fly between us.

From the time I was a little boy, sleeping with my head on a football, I’ve had one goal: carrying on the Bradford-family legacy. Our famous father trained all my older brothers and me to be star athletes just like him, but seven years later, I’m the only one still focused on the game. Until Raven Gale storms into my life. She’s smart, sassy, curves for days, and lightning in the sack. When I met her at my little sister’s wedding we bonded immediately over our dedication to our dreams, our determination to let nothing stop us, and our insatiable, all-night, barrier-busting chemistry.

That was the agreement between me and Maddox Taylor, the NFL’s most notorious playboy and mega-talented quarterback who happened to be out in California for one night—one night in which I broke all of my rules and gave in to the undeniable attraction I felt for the man. He wooed me with dirty jokes, 80s musical references, an obsession with Steve Harvey, and a very specific piercing. How the hell was I supposed to fight that?

Sounds interesting? The author thinks so too! Listen to Book 3 in romance series Carrington Cove.

Crushes are harmless—unless they involve your best friend’s grumpy, off-limits brother. Gannon Brewer is the epitome of my type. He’s at least ten years older than me, emotionally unavailable, and highly disagreeable—a walking red flag in a tailored suit. But do I listen to that? No. In fact, when his office plants start dying, I convince myself that I can ignore the pheromones and save the philodendron. Now I’m in his office every week, dodging sinful smirks and heated stares, reminding myself to reach for the watering can—not him. But one “ivy incident” changes everything.

One of my favorite songs growing up was Jessie’s Girl by Rick Springfield. Ironically enough, I never realized I’d be living out those lyrics in my own life when I fell for my best friend’s girl—and then my best friend, John Schmitt, died. Add on the fact that she was pregnant with his child and that I’d been harboring feelings for Evelyn months before all of this happened, and well, now? Now the lyrics to that song don’t sound so bad anymore.

My ex’s brother is officially off-limits. Right? He’s ten years older. He’s only in town for a few weeks. And did I mention he’s my ex-boyfriend’s brother? But when I agree to be the grumpy lumberjack’s temporary assistant, it gets harder and harder to resist him. He’s all beard, broad shoulders, and growls, but I savor every one of his rare smiles.

You’ve heard the story about the best friends since childhood, the boy and girl who secretly love each other but are too scared to admit it, right? Well, have you heard the one where the twin brother of the boy steps in and kisses the girl to make his brother jealous? No? Then let me enlighten you. Wyatt Gibson has been my best friend since we were in diapers, and I’ve loved him since we were ten. But when Wyatt left for college and I stayed back in our hometown of Newberry Springs, Texas, I gave up on the idea of us ever ending up together, even though he kissed me the night before he left.

I hate that part in a wedding, where everyone waits on pins and needles to see if someone has a reason why the couple shouldn’t get married. So, when I ran into my high school sweetheart and found out that she was engaged, I said my peace before she ever walked down the aisle. Shauna and I crossed paths when I went to Las Vegas for work, and sharing one meal with her was enough for me to remember why no other woman has even come close to affecting me the way she did.