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.

Sinaa’s plans didn’t include a little Christmas magic in the form of a six-foot-two chocolate Adonis, but plans were made to be changed. Malachi Long came prepared to be a protector and support system for his sister as she faced a dramatic and draining divorce. What Malachi wasn’t prepared for was laying eyes on the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. All Malachi wanted to do was unwrap her for Christmas, and he was hoping Santa fulfilled wish lists for 33-year-old men.

Andru is fresh out of prison, standing in the middle of a blessing and a curse. Just when he thinks all he’ll have to show for his life is the barbecue shop and street life, a beautiful, alluring woman walks in and steals his heart.

Receptionist Isis Bennett isn’t looking to be boo’d up. Opting out of the complications of love and relationships completely. She’s single, carefree and loving it, and that will never change. Until Freedom Owens steps into her job, challenging the love ‘em and leave ‘em attitude that had always worked for her.

All Zarinah wanted was to fall in love. Growing up, she had kissed her fair share of frogs. When an unconventional situation leads her to Lawson, her wishes might become reality. Lawson is the new CEO of his family's hotel casino chain. He's tired of aimless dating and women just wanting his money. When he meets Zarinah, he instantly feels like she's the one.

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.

Serena Howard and Blake Russell are two driven individuals with tunnel vision when it comes to their goals. The two meet in Philadelphia, and there's instant chemistry between them. They date, have fun, and eventually fall for one another. Will the desire to achieve their goals interfere with their feelings for one another? Will they sever ties, or will their connection be too strong to break?

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.

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.

Sometimes, you just need someone to help you see things in a different light. A shift in the angle.

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?

All Jerzey wanted was a family of her own. After things don't work out with her ex-husband, she takes matters into her own hands. Being a foster mom isn't easy, but having her best friend by her side to help makes it a little easier. That is, until the two blur lines and suddenly a friendship isn't enough.

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.

If there’s any one thing Pierre and Logan have in common, it’s their ability to invite snap judgements based on shallow views of who they are. Logan is the privileged only daughter of a respected family whose legacy runs long and deep. Pierre is the moody, orphaned son of big screen royalty who couldn’t possibly live up to the prestige of his pedigree. Or maybe not.

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.

Fresh off a divorce from a Hollywood hotshot, Madison Atwood needs an escape. With the paparazzi fresh on her heels and her love life splashed on every tabloid, she runs away to a swanky retreat in Northern California. Avalon Springs is the mountainside haven she needs to find herself again. Luke Dawson lives off the grid, preferring solitude to society. When he finds a beautiful woman soaking in the hot springs on his property, he can't stop himself from watching her. She captures his attention, but she's just a city girl - a beautiful distraction disturbing the peace.

Beau Emerson is no gentleman. Those hazel eyes. That filthy mouth. That greedy, hard body. It all equates to one thing. Irresistible. One look and I know he'll bruise my lips and scar my knees. He'll give me the best nine days of my life while ruining me in the most beautiful way imaginable. And I'll let him, because he has the power to talk me into anything. Except one thing. Staying. I have no choice. The things I desire from him will destroy me in the end.

With a nickname like "Sin", it's no wonder they call me the bad boy of hockey. Opponents curse me. Fans scream my name - in the arena and in other, much more private places. Penalties or not, I'm not afraid to dish out a little pain. But pleasure? That's my weakness. And no one knows it better than my best friend, Cassie Desrosiers. I'd have to be blind not to notice her rocking body and teasing grin. So when she invites me along on a trip to Vegas, my curiosity isn't the only thing that's aroused.

In Scandals, Monica Houston is a newly divorced mom who makes ends meet as an exotic dancer at Scandalous, the hottest club around. But if the ex finds out, she runs the risk of losing her kids. Meanwhile, sexy dancer Robin Wright thinks she might be in over her head when her sister is sent to jail and her nephew is thrust into her care. Unprepared for this new role, Robin finds herself falling for the kid’s “big brother”, even as she tries to prove her sister’s innocence.

Boone Price and his brothers know oil; at least, the dirty, backbreaking side of working an oil rig. But when their scrubby, worthless hunting land turns out to be sitting on top of one of the biggest oil wells in North America, they go from the rig to the boardroom and end up billionaires practically overnight. Now with enough money to do whatever he wants, Boone is developing a taste for fine things.

Football star and Internet sensation Gavin "Anaconda" Adams is the biggest celebrity our little town has ever seen. But I had no idea who he was when I accidentally walked in on him naked. I was shocked, seeing all of him, a cocky grin on his face. I didn't know what to do. So I ran. No matter what I do, I can't get that image out of my head. To make matters worse, Gavin wants a date with me.

I don't remember a time I didn't love Crenshaw Bennett. I tried to deny it, but my feelings grew deeper. I thought he could never love me the way I love him. I was wrong - outrageously, deliriously, and beautifully wrong. One innocent kiss changes my life forever. Suddenly, Shaw is mine. Loyal, devoted, and the most loving man on this Earth. Together, we create an explosion of fiery passion, devotion, and chemistry I never knew was possible. All of my dreams are within reach, but I should have known it was too good to be true.

I always believed in fairy tales. So much so that I made a career out of them. As a wedding planner, I made it my goal to perfect everyone else's happily-ever-after. I even believed in finding mine once, too, until one man left me alone and pregnant - crushing my dreams and leaving me jaded.

Sassy, dramatic, hot-headed are just some of the words used to describe me since the time I was born. A few little mishaps growing up and my mom has a running "Emerson Baker" prayer circle, and I have the reputation of a spit-fire that won't go away. I prefer the terms loyal, passionate, fiery, and possibly a bit impulsive. So when my best friend proposes the concept of starting our own business, I jump on the idea. Cheaters Beware! That should be our motto...because your secrets can't stay hidden for long with Trixsters Anonymous on the case.

Claire Walters has worked for Jason Danvers as his assistant for three years, but he’s never appreciated her as a woman - until the day she jumps out of a cake at his friend’s bachelor party.... To support her ailing mother, Claire is forced to work a second job at a party-planning company. But when her handsome boss ends up with a front-row seat to the action, she’s mortified - and he’s intrigued. With Danvers International in the middle of an important merger, Jason asks Claire to accompany him on weekend business trips - and suddenly all her fantasies are coming true.

Diner waitress Allison Abraham has no idea her mundane life is about to change dramatically the day she serves a devastatingly handsome customer. Allison is immediately captivated by the mysterious man who stares through her soul with his electric-blue eyes. After he abruptly leaves the restaurant, she can't get him out of her head. She has no idea that he actually came on a mission to find her. Cedric Callahan wasn't expecting to fall in love at first sight with the pretty waitress he'd set out to find.

Quincy has baggage, and lots of it. After a tragic accident spins her world on its axis, she finds herself as a single mother, raising a newborn nephew she never knew she had. Between parenthood, her full-time job, and dealing with the suffocating grief of losing her sister, every day is a struggle. When they begin to cross paths unexpectedly and often, an unlikely friendship starts to evolve. Feelings change. Lines get crossed. What happens next surprises them both....

He was my best friend since we were little. Even though he was off-limits, as we grew up, he became my forever, my everything. But I couldn’t let my selfish dreams hold him back. They say that if you love someone, you should let them go. I did. He became the world’s greatest soccer player. Money. Fame. Beautiful women. He had it all. One thing I never expected was for him to walk back into my life again.

Julia del Mar Ortiz is not having the best year. She moved to Dallas with her boyfriend, who ended up ditching her and running back to New York after only a few weeks. Left with a massive - by NYC standards, anyway - apartment and a car lease in the scorching Texas heat, Julia is struggling...except that’s not completely true. Running the charitable foundation of one of the most iconic high fashion department stores in the world is serious #lifegoals.

Mia Saunders needs money. A lot of money. She has one year to pay off the loan shark who has threatened her father's life and is coming after his unpaid gambling debts. One million dollars to be exact. Her mission is simple - serve as a high-priced escort for her aunt's Los Angeles-based company and pay monthly against the debt. Spend a month with a rich man whom she doesn't have to sleep with if she doesn't want to? Easy money. Unlucky in love with a spirit that never gives up, this curvy motorcycle-riding vixen plans to get in, make her money, and get out.

Zahi was young and living life to the fullest. Then, he was thrust into fatherhood and forced to change his outlook on life, love, and happiness. The self-proclaimed bachelor did not expect to be swept up in emotions he'd never felt. However, caring for his daughter, Zuri, charged a part of his heart that he thought was dead. The spark awakened a need for more out of life. From the moment he laid eyes on India, he was drawn to her. The pull was so intense, and no matter how many times he told himself to stay away from her, he just couldn't follow his own command.

Serena Howard and Blake Russell are two driven individuals with tunnel vision when it comes to their goals. The two meet in Philadelphia, and there's instant chemistry between them. They date, have fun, and eventually fall for one another. Will the desire to achieve their goals interfere with their feelings for one another? Will they sever ties, or will their connection be too strong to break?

Choosing his career over a relationship, Blake Russell left Serena Howard in Philadelphia to pursue opportunities in San Francisco. After being away for almost a year and a half, Blake is back in the city of Brotherly Love and still holding onto feelings for Serena. Even with the time that passed, he's never quite gotten over her or how their situation ended. Being back in his hometown, with memories of their time spent, Blake makes it his mission to check on Serena.

Receptionist Isis Bennett isn’t looking to be boo’d up. Opting out of the complications of love and relationships completely. She’s single, carefree and loving it, and that will never change. Until Freedom Owens steps into her job, challenging the love ‘em and leave ‘em attitude that had always worked for her.

With ten years into a successful marriage and a thriving business, Destiny Harris was living the life most only dreamed of. There was only one addition that would bring everything full circle, but a harsh reality turned her world upside down. Betrayal and lies replaced the truth she believed to be the foundation of her happy life. MyKyng Masters was a man of substance and structure. Even at a very young age, he had a firm grasp on everyone and everything around him. With an already complicated life, the last thing he needed was a reminder that no one can maintain complete control.

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.

Fiona and Croy O’Brian were the prototypes of ‘I’ma stick by em’. Their relationship started in an unconventional manner, but it only made the love grow fiercer over the years. Introduced to you by Megatron himself, find out why the saying birds of a feather flock together rings true when it comes to Fiona and Croy.

Brandon Sims has it all. The brain that produces million-dollar ideas, the charming personality to get what he wants, and the looks to seduce any willing bachelorette. According to his mother, the only thing that’s missing is a wife and kids, and the more time he spends with his personal assistant, Calliope, the more he agrees with her. Calliope represents everything he wants in a woman—educated, ambitious, and so damn sexy. The easiest thing for him to do would be to marry the woman of his dreams, but the hard part is convincing Calliope.

I wasn’t looking for a man. I was looking for a mentor. When renowned photographer Luca Romano returned home to teach a photo storytelling workshop, Hamilton University was buzzing. But a campus-wide email warned us not to approach Luca if we weren’t selected to participate—and I wasn’t selected.

This is a collection of Alexandria House’s published holiday short stories. This collection contains no material that has not been previously released.