It started out as a game. She's everything a girl wants to be. He's everything a girl wants. As head cheerleader and quarterback, Kody Taylor and Austin Collins would normally be expected to be together with them being the schools Mr. and Ms. Perfect. Lucky for all the single boys and girls in their school, it'll never happen. They hate each other and they aren't afraid to show it. Not like it'll ruin their reputations anyway. If anything, it makes it better beacause people seem to enjoy the show. Will things change when they have to work together to keep their positions as head cheerleader and football captain? All their lives, everything between them has been just a competition. A challenge. A game. But what happens when it isn't just a game anymore?

Cassandra Caravello has everything a girl could desire: elegant gowns, sparkling jewels, invitations to the best parties, and a handsome, wealthy fiancé-yet she longs for something more. Ever since her parents death, Cassandra has felt trapped, alone in a city of water, where the dark and labyrinth canals whisper of escape. When Cass stumbles upon a body of a murdered woman-with a bloody X carved across her heart-she's drawn into a dangerous world of secret societies, courtesans, and killers. Soon, she finds herself falling for Falco, a poor artist with a mischievous grin... And a habit of getting into trouble. Will Cassandra find the murderer before he finds her? And will she stay true to her fiancé or succumb to her uncontrollable feelings for Falco? Beauty, romance, and mystery weave together in a novel that's as seductive and stunning as Renaissance Venice itself.