For Maleek Jones, hockey is his wife. Everything and everyone else is his mistress, an aside. When unexpected responsibilities land in his lap, the balance of his world is disrupted, changing the way he sees everything.

Small-business owner and financial advisor Samiyah Manhattan is mourning the death of her six-year marriage when she vows never to trust men again. Alone at a local bar, Samiyah attempts to put her situation in perspective when she is drawn inexorably to the presence of a nearby patron. Celebrity ex-boxer and heavyweight champion turned business mogul Jonas Alexander Rose never takes women too seriously. They only attach themselves to him because of his star-studded status. However, when he meets the beautiful Samiyah Manhattan, Jonas is overwhelmed by the heated attraction.

The job offer she expected after taking an unpaid internship at a major shoe company didn’t come through. The friend who’d offered her a place to stay suddenly gave her 48 hours to vacate after a misunderstanding. And when she’s forced to move back to her hometown to live with her father and his mistress-turned-wife, it almost seems impossible for things to get any worse...until she runs into her former best friend, who’s only gotten fine with time.

You met them in the Valentine and Rose series. In this prelude, I will formally introduce you to Malik Anthony Clark, Tristian Neil Clark, and Langston Jamal Clark.

One thing that held constant in Shelby Donovan’s life was her career. As a world-renowned artist, Shelby’s paintings traveled the globe, landing in museums and homes across the nation. But what she couldn’t seem to get under control was her love life. Her mother insisted it was because of her best friend, Sebastian Cartwright. They’ve known each other for years. Sebastian and Shelby shared everything; embarrassing moments, secrets, dating tips, affection, and even an explosive kiss during one tipsy night on Shelby’s birthday.

Asha's life is no fairytale, by any stretch of the imagination. There was no kind, generous father to care for and protect her from the Vegas that exists beyond the glitz and glamour of The Strip. No wise, doting mother to look over and guide her, passing down essential lessons and leading her to the right path. And certainly, no Prince Charming just around the corner, ready to rescue her from working late nights to cover steadily mounting bills.

NBA star Paul "Polo" Logan is known for his on-court prowess and his off-court philandering. Kendra Doll is the main woman in his life, and although their past bonds them together, it also may be what tears them apart. He’s ready to make a change and truly commit to her, but is it too late?

Putting herself first is what Jordana Evans knows how to do best. She’s at the top of her game in her career and no longer haunted by memories of her past threatening to steal her joy. In her mind, being in love is a want, not a need, and she’s convinced that she’ll be just fine without it. Having intimate relations with the opposite sex is something she’s willing to do for one night only. But then came along…him.

Popular travel blogger Greer Kennedy is living the good life with a successful career and equally as successful fiance until one phone call from a friend opens her eyes to the truth of her relationship. Tall, handsome, and successful in his own right, Derek Hill is dealing with some serious relationship problems as well. When their paths cross, they mutually but unofficially decide to share a night - or three or four - of anonymous pleasure.

Train. Fight. Repeat. That's been Princeton "The Prince" Lattimore's life for as long as he can remember. But when an interruption to his heavyweight champion world comes in the form of an alluring journalist who sees well beyond his undefeated stature, he quickly learns there’s a lot more to life outside of the boxing ring.

Dr. Ezekiel Green is ready to make a fresh start in a new city after the divorce from his high school sweetheart. What was supposed to be a professional business dinner with a future colleague quickly transformed into a love at first sight encounter, or so he thought. Dr. Jemma Holiday was spirited, brilliant, beautiful, and another man’s wife.

After a hectic school year with her classroom of first graders, Nova Grant is desperate for a break. So when her best friend invites her to spend the summer down in Miami, taking the vacation is a no-brainer. The only thing is, her best friend’s husband had the same idea, inviting his friend Guy Thompson to stay in the condo Nova was already guaranteed.

At twenty-one, Ason ‘Ace’ Williams Jr. knows all about inevitable endings. He’s formerly famous, a popular rapper’s muse, the son of a three-time NBA champ, and a little… complicated. After a disturbing scandal and loss rocks his world, he’s left to deal with both in a city that doesn’t quite feel like home. It’s a place filled with old family friends he’s never met, reminders of all the endings he’s had to endure, and even worse—he’s stuck there after his dad takes a job no one ever imagined him taking.

Twenty-nine-year-old Happy Galleria is unhappy with the way her life is going. Her life plans were to be married, excelling in her career, and pregnant with her first child. However, her boyfriend, Phil, has other plans. Trying to make partner at his law firm, his plans don’t include a family, marriage, or setting roots anytime soon. Happy has always been good with remaining emotionless, but will her emotions start to show once Phil ignores her pleas for wanting more in their relationship?

Known playboy and award-winning R&B singer Wesley Johnson Jr. puts his dating rules to the side when he has a second chance encounter with the woman he can’t stop thinking about. Finding himself in unchartered territory, he realizes he can’t rely on his fame to earn the affection of this one special woman. Will his new ways be enough for her to let her guard down, or will someone from his past ruin their chances together?

Small-business owner and financial advisor Samiyah Manhattan is mourning the death of her six-year marriage when she vows never to trust men again. Alone at a local bar, Samiyah attempts to put her situation in perspective when she is drawn inexorably to the presence of a nearby patron. Celebrity ex-boxer and heavyweight champion turned business mogul Jonas Alexander Rose never takes women too seriously. They only attach themselves to him because of his star-studded status. However, when he meets the beautiful Samiyah Manhattan, Jonas is overwhelmed by the heated attraction.

Chance Washington only has a few things on his mind when he embarks on a trip back to his hometown. Completing the assignment for work that's sending him there in the first place, helping his mom make progress on her fixer-upper home, and catching up with some of his best friends who he doesn't get to see often enough. What is not a part of those plans is hooking up with the little sister of one of his best friends.

Every man has his weakness. For prominent painter and sculptor Malakai Madden, that weakness has always been women. Now, he's finally ready to settle down and shower one woman with his love. There's just one major problem. Overnight, he's gained thousands of Twitter followers after his obsessive ex decides to leak some private information. To make matters worse, a well-known media source retweets them! Suddenly, every woman wants a piece of Malakai.

JACK: Who's the stunning siren with the killer curves? Damn… I’m stuck guarding Layla Thorne, rock star diva and the ultimate forbidden fruit. She’s a hurricane in heels, so why am I aching to get caught in her storm? Day one, she ditches me. Mobbed by fans—rookie move, sweetheart. She’s a wildcat in leather, I’m a soldier in chaos. Her fiery spirit’s a dangerous aphrodisiac. Why can’t I stop thinking about those lips? Protecting her just got primal. How do I keep my distance when all I want is to claim her? LAYLA: Who’s the broad-shouldered brooding hunk with the piercing...

Gabi isn't looking for love. At all. She's much more interested in starting a new life, in a new city, away from the overbearing demands of her parents. Terrence...is even less into the idea of a relationship than Gabi. He's in a good place in his career, focused on receiving a coveted promotion. Follow along with Gabi and Terrence as they navigate the stages of a relationship that was never meant to go further than a single night. Will they be able to overcome the challenges of family and career to build something that could last?

In this collection are updated stories from some of your favorite Valentines.

Violet Clarke is ready to take over the world, one strawberry at a time, after she inherits her grandfather's old farm. That's the plan, at least... But when firefighter, William Baxter, shows up for a routine safety inspection, he informs her in no uncertain terms that her raspberry-themed world takeover is shut down until she fixes the berry farm's storage shed. Yes, she understands it's a fire disaster waiting to happen. No, she doesn't have any money for repairs, Will. So when the rough and rugged fireman returns, offering her his grumpiest help to restore the shed, well... She can't ...

Popular travel blogger Greer Kennedy is living the good life with a successful career and equally as successful fiance until one phone call from a friend opens her eyes to the truth of her relationship. Tall, handsome, and successful in his own right, Derek Hill is dealing with some serious relationship problems as well. When their paths cross, they mutually but unofficially decide to share a night - or three or four - of anonymous pleasure.

I just want to be naughty for one night of my life. I think I’d be really good at it... I need to escape. I’m a bad girl trapped in a good girl’s body. Perfect grades, star volleyball player, lead in the drama club. I know it’ll lead to a great career. But I need more. Just one night. In Ireland. On St. Patrick’s Day. Thousands of miles away from anyone who knows me. That’s how I met Dare Mackenzie. With fire in his emerald eyes, sinful promises on his lips. And an accent as intoxicating as the darkest stout. He keeps saying I’m too sweet, too innocent, too good. I dare you, ...

The night Jennifer Monroe meets Vance Etienne, the father of a young woman in her life, she knows he's her one. But somehow, she finds herself thinking of the past with her ex-husband more often than she should. There's no doubt about what Vance and Jennifer feel for one another. Can they let the hurt of the past go to focus on their future? Will their pasts be willing to release them from its grasps to pursue an intentional and all-consuming love?

Can he win her heart before she leaves for good? A broken engagement. Alyssa Carlisle arrives at her parent’s house in Florida nursing an unexpected heartbreak. She jumps at the chance for a no-strings-attached fling with the neighbors’ ridiculously sexy college-dropout-turned-real-estate-investor son. Marc’s hot—and every woman in Florida knows it. Half of them firsthand. Alyssa’s not immune; she just knows better than to expect anything beyond a hook-up. Once she set her sights on New York, she never looked back. Maybe once or twice, just to get a better glimpse of Marc’s butt...

What happens when three friends with benefits join together to make a throuple? Ivan has always been a bit of a player, and not just on the hockey rink. But lately the center for the Hopeton Howlers, the league’s newest expansion team, is having a bit of a midlife crisis. He just turned thirty, and his mother is bugging him to settle down. He’s secretly in love with the woman he’s been hooking up with, Maria, but she seems to only want to keep things casual. Then there’s his best friend Erik, a defenseman for the team. The two bisexual men have had a casual arrangement for years, ...

When Emma Wright’s small-town bakery becomes the target of a massive redevelopment project, she’s determined to protect the one thing that connects her to her late mother and her close-knit community. Enter Liam Hawthorne—a devastatingly handsome billionaire whose name is plastered all over the plans to turn her charming neighborhood into a sterile urban hub. Liam’s life has always been about success and strategy, but meeting Emma throws him completely off balance. Her fiery determination and unapologetic passion for her craft make him question everything he thought he wanted. ...

Leaving his home of Freetown, Sierra Leone, to further his education, Haji Abimbola travels to Texas to study chemical engineering. It seemed he could never please his father, but in a quest to prove that he is capable of great things, Haji excels in his field of study. After several major accomplishments and still not having the approval he longs for, he chooses to live life on his terms.

For Naomi Prescott, it's not just a cute little saying. It's a critical mantra, words to live by if she wants to retain her freedom, and, more importantly, her life. Impeccable planning is the only way to ensure she sets off the small flutters that will trigger the big ripple she needs to pull off the score of a lifetime - no matter the stakes. FBI Agent Marcus Calloway is a straight-shooter...if you overlook his sometimes unconventional, law-skirting, expensive ways of solving a case. A big arrest would do wonders to restore his reputation, and he has one woman in mind: Jolie Voleuse.