Showing results by narrator "Alexander Cendese" in All Categories

Evaleen Bechmann is too busy running Human Resources for the billion-dollar company, Mimir, to even consider dating. As for emotions, she refuses to discuss that, too. It doesn't matter anyway. She's invisible to men, especially one man in particular. Evaleen is fine with that. Not everyone gets their happily ever after; that's only for novels.

They say love comes from the most unexpected places. I found mine hiding in my bushes from the cops. My life before Luke was a carefully structured routine. It was predictable and organized, just the way I like it. Some would call it boring, but I call it smart self-preservation. If there’s one thing that could threaten to bring it all crashing down, it’s Luke van Beek. He swept into my world like a tropical cyclone, all hot and chaotic, and tore down my safeguards. Now I can’t seem to rid myself of this charming, larger-than-life, ridiculous man.

I'm having my bosshole's baby. Safe to say that's not ideal… especially because he doesn't even know. As a matter of fact, Kirill is clear across the country, and I'm pretty sure he's never coming back. That's fine. My daughter and I will be a-okay without him. At least, that's what I thought. Five years goes by like pulling teeth. I learn something. It hurts to do this alone. It hurts to do this without him. It hurts to know what could have been if only we hadn't both been so unbelievably stubborn with our hearts. Then, one day, just when I think I can't bear to hurt anymore, he's back.

I know this is wrong, but I can’t help myself when it comes to him. My mom deserves to be happy after losing my dad to tragedy over a decade ago. But her blissful new relationship comes with a catch. His name is Emery, my new stepbrother, and he’s the most infuriating, impulsive, chaotic, and strangely intriguing man I’ve ever met. I’ve managed to avoid him for a year but then on our way to our parents’ cabin, we get lost alone in the snowy mountains of Utah.

After a little mishap in an alleyway with CCTV, my public image needs fixing. Oops? It might have been a stunt to get the attention of Lane Pierce, San Jose’s new PR manager, but I didn’t realize what the consequences would be when I did it. I’ve got Lane’s sole focus now in all the wrong ways.

So I forgot about the night I spent with Sylvie Davis...big deal. Listing all of my one-night stands would be impossible. It’s par for the course for any man who decided early in life they’d rather enjoy a buffet instead of a single entrée. But now my boss has ordered me to accompany her back to her hometown.

My newest obsession is nothing like any of my past hookups. A perma-scowl and general leave-me-alone attitude? Yeah, that's the kind of thing I usually stay away from. But the most shocking part about all of this is that the person who's got me all out of whack . . . isn't a girl. Bash is a six-foot-four-tatted personal trainer who seems to want nothing to do with me. Until I'm naked, that is. As soon as I'm dressed, he's more than ready to say goodbye. But if there's one thing getting a taste of Sebastian Crawford has taught me, it's that one taste just isn't enough.

Micah: Constantine Ross is a cocky, provoking little...yeah. And I swear, I'd think that even if his family's business wasn't my biggest competition. It's time someone taught the man a lesson or two about life. At least that's what I tell myself when I offer him a job. Call it my good deed for the year...maybe the century.

It turns out making out with my best friend in high school could be considered gay. Who knew? Apparently, everyone but me. Now that it's been pointed out, I can't help reliving it in my head. Repeatedly. Good-bye Denial Town, hello Confusionville. When my path leads me down the gay dating app route, I don't expect to meet anyone I like, but then I meet him. He can't be more opposite than me. He's smart, he hates hockey, and he identifies as demi - something I've never heard of. Yet I can't deny something's there.

Noel Fitzwilliam is pitching the most important project of his life - the type of project architects dream of. Everything has to go right, so when he finds the new caterer naked in his office bathroom right before the meeting, he's torn between being thrilled and being extremely irritated. He doesn't have time for romance, no matter how incredible she looks without her clothes on.

Four young socialites have gone missing in the Chicago area. Two found dead, bearing the signature marks of a brutal serial killer. With the kind of tragedy that mars Nola Tensley's past, she should be concerned, but without a pot to piss in, all the struggling single mom cares about is making a normal life for her son. After all, she's clearly not the murderer's type. Or is she?

After months of refusing, I finally agreed to make the move to Alrick Falls. My family thought it was best - that a new scene would be good for me - and I was sick of having the same conversation. So here I am, and the plan is simple. Smile through each day and avoid her at all costs. It's perfect. Until the cocky quarterback comes into play. The last thing I want is his crooked grin and dark brown eyes focused on me. Yet here he is, constantly in my space, pushing me, daring me to care. Telling me what I think and feel, as if he knows. He doesn't know anything.

I live for the pain; it's what drives me to keep moving. I thought I was ready to finally live. Until...my brother, Alex; he throws me into the fire - right into the place I could never control myself, the one place I never want to be again. When I put my hands on people, they get hurt. Things happen that bring me back to that night. The one that will forever torment me. I'm doing fine, keeping to myself in order to ensure no one gets hurt by me. Then along comes Lyric, and all I want to do is touch her, to put my hands in places that I know will only lead to her being crushed by me.

My club - constantly under siege by the Italian mafia. My city - in a war lasting two generations caused by our fathers. Yet, in amongst the turmoil, I met her. In a froyo store. This sassy woman who's ready to throw down and defend her friends against my brothers and me. But we aren't the enemies in this story, and little did she know our chance encounter would set us along a different path. This story isn't full of partying and fun - it's chaos, carnage, deception, and lies. War - it's brutal. Can you resist?

Harrison Phillip Fletcher III isn't supposed to be here. Not in Burlington, Vermont, not running Vino & Veritas, a quaint inclusive bookstore and wine bar, and definitely not still alive, at 42. Also not supposed to be here? An unexpected delivery of chickens. Finn Barnes knows chickens. The burly organic farmer knows all about rare breed poultry, but dealing with a hot older bookseller is an entirely different matter. City-slicker types like Harrison never end up staying in Vermont for the long-term. They should steer clear of each other. But the flare of attraction is mutual.

You know what’s the worst feeling in the world? Being in love with someone since you were twelve years old, knowing they only see you as a little brother type. Not even becoming an NHL star has made him realize I’m all grown up now. All of that changes when I ask my brother’s best friend to ref a charity match and we spend an entire week in each other’s pocket. Being close to him is torture, but for the first time since my adolescent crush started, I begin to feel hope.

After my divorce, I’m ready to have fun, date around, and not get into anything serious. Then I meet Gabe Crosby, superhero firefighter and a disgrace to the Crosby name. He doesn’t even like hockey! Yet, there’s a draw to him I can’t deny—something I haven’t felt since my teens. But that’s the problem. I have no idea what dating is like, let alone how to do it with another man. He makes me flakey and nervous, and I’ve never been that guy.

Before their futures become the present, Noah convinces his friends they need a group vacation—a final play before they're all tied down by responsibility and unyielding schedules. Everything is changing. Marriage. Kids. Careers. A trip to Fiji is the last hurrah to end all hurrahs. And from disastrous marriage proposals to grand gestures to life-changing confessions, two weeks on a private island becomes the beginning of the rest of their lives.

I always thought of Silas Rush as my biggest rival on the track and a stuck-up loner off of it. He and his fancy pro career left our crappy hometown in the dust before high school even finished, and then I didn't think of him much at all. I was too busy trying to keep my little sisters from turning into addicts like our mom, and myself from turning into a rage-junkie like our dad. All while keeping food on the table. Now he's back, reminding me of all the things I don't have, just like he always did.

1998: Lily Lawlor and Drake Morgan form a punk band. Drake inspires faith in some. Fear in others. Lily is a believer. 1999: A Battle of the Bands ends in a shocking death, and a riot that claims the lives of three teenagers. 2009: At the height of her stardom, Lily walks into a police station and confesses to murder. Now: The band has refused to talk to the press about the night of the riot, Lily’s confession, or anything else. It's been over a decade, but Lily has finally agreed to an interview. And the band is following her lead.