Showing results by narrator "Holly Warren"

Kailyn Flowers was always calm, rational, and controlled - until she ended up sprawled all over Daxton Hughes, the former actor she totally crushed on as a teenager. Then she did the unthinkable: She became a mortifying fangirl in five seconds flat, which may or may not have included professing her undying love. And oddly, he didn't run away. In fact, their meet-cute led to a friendship she never saw coming. Of course, she never saw his betrayal coming, either.... Now, Dax needs her help. As guardian to his 13-year-old sister, he's in way over his head.

One rule: No more men. Two years ago I walked away from a marriage I thought would last forever and all I got from it was Dick…And I don’t mean the one between my stupid ex’s legs. I’m talking about the 150 pound furry dog said ex dropped off at my doorstep. But I’d take Dick over any man, any day. So why did I resemble my dog, panting and drooling, whenever I ran into Hudson West, my sexy new neighbor? True, the gorgeous veterinarian was hotter than sin. And my new roommate only made it impossible for me to avoid conversation with a man I didn’t need. 

Dating an American princess comes with a massive amount of baggage - all of which I’m willing to carry strapped on my back in quicksand and through seven hells. But Jane Cobalt’s baggage, I’m unprepared for. It comes in the form of her five equally famous and notoriously hard-to-please brothers. I want Jane. Completely. Unconditionally.   

Jane Cobalt is an American princess. The loyal and painfully curious 23-year-old has inherited immense pressure to preserve the Cobalt legacy. But for Jane, sex, love, and life have been a series of royal failures. After a friends-with-benefits ended in disaster, she's sworn to a "no sex" hiatus for, well, eternity - and she has no intention of letting anyone in her bed and definitely not her heart.

The first time I kissed Scarlet, I knew I was in trouble. The night I slept with her, my life changed forever. The day I found out I was going to be a father, I ran from her. Now that I’ve been given a second chance I won’t be so reckless. Will my love be enough to prove to her that even in the darkest times I won’t repeat the past?

The words on the page jumbled into a toxic mess my brain refused to comprehend, much less accept. Please consider this letter as a formal request to arrange a paternity test (DNA). I barely remembered Chelsea Airy. That wasn't true - we'd gone out once, and we'd been friends for a while after. But I hadn't heard so much as a peep from her since I'd gotten married. I'd reached out a handful of times, but she'd quit responding and fell off the face of the earth.

Sebastian Blackwell isn't only the sexiest man I've ever met. He's also my boss. The way our every interaction is laced with sexual energy makes my already difficult job that much harder. He turns me on so much, I constantly fantasize about him. To the point where I find myself writing at work about what would happen if we had an affair. It's not a big deal, I swear. This is meant to stay at the purely fantasy level. Until he finds it.

Some of North Carolina's finest fiction and nonfiction writers come together in Every True Pleasure, including David Sedaris, Kelly Link, Allan Gurganus, Randall Kenan, and more. Within the volume - featuring writers who identify as gay, trans, bisexual, and straight - are stories and essays that view the full spectrum of contemporary life though an LGBTQ lens. These writers, all native or connected to North Carolina, show the multifaceted challenges and joys of LGBTQ life, including young love and gay panic, the minefield of religion, military service, and more.

Following the sudden death of his wife, Nathan Bell spent nearly two years burying himself in work and neglecting his biggest responsibility: his daughter. Overcome with guilt, he wants to connect with little Marley, but he doesn't know how to do it alone. And then Jenna Savage throws him a lifeline. A single mom of twins, Jenna is more than capable of taking care of Nathan's adorable two-year-old and wants to help Nathan however she can. As the days go by and her attraction to Nathan grows, she can't help wondering what might happen if they became a family for real. 

The girl next door. Pretty. Sweet. Kind. Submissive. Until I met her, I was alone with the dark desires that I didn't understand, that I couldn't reconcile. She became my best friend, and then she became so much more. Desire. Disgust. Shame. Dominance. I wouldn’t have survived until college without her. When we were together, I was at peace for the first time in my life. But it was too good to last. Our appetite for pain and pleasure destroyed us. And all the drinks in the world weren’t enough to get used to missing her. On the verge of earning my degree, Ana walks back into my life, those gray-blue eyes still able to see right through me. It’s the chance I’ve been waiting for. One last chance to overcome my shame. If only it were that easy. 

Tegan Raccini's heart has been hardened her parent's divorce, and by the recent loss of her bad-boy biker lover to a lifelong prison sentence. She isn't bitter; in fact, she's rather upbeat. But, she simply doesn't trust men. When she causes an accident with a motorcycle on the freeway, she's immediately attracted to the handsome biker, but knows she can't stand another heartbreak. Even though she's unemployed, she agrees to pay for the damages, hoping to never see him again.

Violence has always been part of my life. I was angry as a child, with no outlet for my dangerous rage. Years have passed, and I'm no longer a victim of my own aggression. I'm in control now. A control that many seek to surrender. Just like her. My pet. The beautiful blonde who agreed to submit to my will. She agreed to be kidnapped and locked away until our contract is over. She's here to play a role. But her defiance seems too real, her terror too honest. Watching her struggle is bone-chilling. She's getting to me like no one ever has before, seizing a heart that cannot love.

I’m dying. I can feel the life begin to fade from me. My body, which has been tortured for days, perhaps even weeks - I don’t even know anymore - will give up soon. And all I want to do is think about her. That smile. The sweet taste of her lips. The little sounds she made as she gave me the most precious thing any woman could give a man. The love in her eyes in the afterglow. She was mine then. And I would forever be hers. “Jos,” I groaned, letting the first tear leak from my eyes.

Creswell Springs is a small town in Trinity County, California. Population 1,500 - maybe. It's a quiet town, with small town values. Its greatest income is the university just outside of the town limits...and the revenue the local motorcycle club brings in. I was the MC's only weakness. Or so my father use to tell me as I was growing up. Mad Max Hannigan was once Angel's Halos' president. He made the rules and everyone was expected to follow them or come face to fist with the enforcer....

Leksander never meant to fall for an angeling, and he certainly never meant to hurt her. The protection of humanity is his most sacred duty, but how can he do that when he can't even protect the woman he loves? Saving Erelah means saving himself; he'll be useless for anything else until he does, including finding a mate to fulfill a ten-thousand-year-old treaty to keep humanity safe from the fae. While he may not win her love, he will risk everything to save his angeling from her fall.

Leksander is a dragon prince of the House of Smoke, and he is in love with the wrong woman. Leksander never meant to fall for an angeling, and he certainly never meant to hurt her. The protection of humanity is his most sacred duty, but how can he do that when he can't even protect the woman he loves?

Leksander: I am a dragon prince of the House of Smoke, and I am in love with the wrong woman. I never meant to fall for an angeling. And I wasn't supposed to have the duty of fulfilling a 10,000-year-old treaty to protect humanity. But now I'm trapped between the immutable facts of magic and the irresistible force of my love. When a fae queen offers unparalleled sex and an unprecedented renewal of the treaty, the temptation is substantial. If only the prospect didn't leave me hollow inside.  

I'm studying to be a sex therapist, and I haven't even had sex yet. Which is why I decide that Professor Hanks is going to be the one to take my virginity. I want Professor Hanks to be my dom. Hung Hanks. That's what they call him. All the students know Professor Hanks' reputation since he grew up in Blackwell. Small-town high school football star turned Harvard PhD. Only in town to care for his dying mother. Too good for local girls. I've done my research, and he's the perfect candidate for what I want. Hot, smart, dominant. Did I mention hung?

Liam is the perfect rebound to bring to my sister's wedding. And with my car still on the fritz, it can't hurt to have a sexy mechanic along for the ride, right? I'm not looking for anything serious. Not after my last horrible breakup. Besides, Liam is such a cocky jerk. I can barely stand listening to him. Although I love looking at his handsome face and ripped, gorgeous body. The man works well with his hands, and he's great at running his mouth, too. I can't trust this arrogant mechanic. But maybe I'll let him have another ride.

Oliver Steele is supposed to be my knight in shining armor. He's tall, handsome, and as cocky as he is rich. With his good looks and charm, no one's going to suspect a thing. No one's going to believe our engagement is fake. But he's taking this thing way too far. The way he wraps his arm around me like I'm his. The way he kisses me and presses his hard body up against mine. I almost believe that it's real. Almost.