HANNAH I've spent my entire twenty-one years on this earth in the background. Walked over by friends. Family. Strangers. And I didn't see a problem with it; I'd rather nobody pay attention to me. It was safer that way. Easier. Until I got the wrong kind of attention. Lev Somov caught me running from an impromptu crime I was committing against my ex-boyfriend, and in that moment, he somehow decided I was worth giving his attention to. All the bad kinds of attention. Next thing I know, he's watching over me, hijacking my job and becoming my client. And then he takes things above a level I never thought possible. He is a monster, incapable of feeling any type of remorse or guilt for anyone and anything, including me. All I can hope for is that I make it out of this obsession alive. LEV This life wasn't meant for me, but now that he's gone, it's mine for the taking. And no one is going to stop me. I've shown my loyalty through blood, and I make no plans to change my future. Especially not for the little kukolka I found stumbling into the wrong alleyway. I'll take my time before I break her. And then, the Dynasty will be mine.

[COMPLETED] Three years ago, she ran away from something she doesn't want to go back to, and never looked back. But that doesn't mean she's safe. 21 year old Alina Anthony thinks New York City is safe for her-well, safe enough to not be found. Hidden in plain sight, she goes to school during most of the year, but works at a florist shop for the summer. But the switchblade she always keeps on her is a reminder of what she and those searching for her are capable of. So she has her one rule: don't get too close to anyone, no matter how bad she wants to. But when Daemon Kade sneaks into her life without an explanation to who he is, the two opposites can't help but attract, even if she hates his bossy demeanour and how attached he is to his gun. She knows he's dangerous, and he is definitely hiding things from her, but she can't help but fall deeper with the guy with a cold heart and even colder eyes. But when his secret comes out, all that's left is betrayal and heartache. t r o p e s : grumpy/sunshine, frenemies-to-lovers, banter, secret identity, mafia fiction, smut, no strings attached

[2021 Wattys Shortlist] Monica Kelly returns to her hometown years after abandoning it, only to bump into and befriend Liam Belkin-who, despite his walls and issues, cannot help but draw himself closer to someone he can't have. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎✦ ✦ ✦ After being screwed over too many times, Monica Kelly ran from her hometown as soon as she graduated high school, leaving her brother and former life behind. But it isn't until four years later when she returns, and in need of money and a distraction, she gets a job at the local diner. She swears this isn't a forever thing-when the summer is done, she'll go get her masters and become somebody, far away from the people who screwed her over. But when Liam Belkin, the towns residential brooding man who hides behind a baseball cap, steps into the diner every night, she finds herself breaking down her one rule: don't get close to anyone. And although he doesn't talk, or even smile for that matter, he finds himself doing so every time Monica is around. But when two people with broken pasts come together, there's no telling if two wrongs can make a right-especially when betrayal is right around the corner.

After losing a friend, Clover Fields finds comfort in the one person who understands her feelings-Jared, her best friends brother. xxx After Clover Fields loses her best friend to a tragic accident, she enters her first year of university without a friend or a care in the world. She's alone, and she wants to keep it that way-it's easier that way. But when she finds herself bumping into her school's wide receiver and ultimate flirt, she does her best to keep him at arms length. Because even though they have chemistry and a past alongside it, Clover knows that mixing with Jared Harvey can only lead to trouble. Because despite having a friendly persona and seemingly bruised knuckles every time they meet, he's her best friends brother, and the last thing Clover wants is to be reminded of her guilt. But with an unidentifiable past that ruined her life, only Jared can bring the pieces back together-even if that means learning something unexplainable. t r o p e s: best friends brother, football romance, college romance, hurt comfort, underground fighting, mutual pinning

I spread my legs wide open so that he had a clear view of what I was about to do next, a strangled sound escaping his throat as I inserted the phallic shaped vibrator into myself. The pulsing instantly radiated throughout my body and the tingling pleasure combined with this voyeuristic peep show, had my senses heightened. A loud moan fell from my lips. Dare I say it?, I contemplated. Screw it, I had already come this far. Why not finish what I had started? "Ooh, Matt," I cried out breathlessly, my toes curling around the bedsheets. "Fuck me harder." From across the hallway, he sharply inhaled and a smile immediately played out over my lips. Mission accomplished. Vanessa Adams can't believe her fantastic luck when she meets hot bad boy, Matthew Jones. It's just a shame that he's introduced to her as her twin brother, Jake's new best friend. Unable to resist his charms, she embarks on a forbidden and steamy affair with him. She knows she's playing with fire but Jake is also hiding a massive secret of his own that just may destroy the bond he shares with his sister. What's a girl to do when the love of her life is off limits and her brother is not all that he appears?

Rosalie wants more than boring hookups-she wants fire. Enter Reed, a cocky frat boy with a secret, and a plan to give her exactly what she craves. ౨ৎ Rosalie is tired of boring, vanilla hookups. Who can match her freak? Enter Reed Hurst, the cocky frat boy quarterback, who thinks he can give Rosalie what she wants. When their worlds collide at a frat party, sparks fly-but Reed's got a secret. He's not just after her for fun. There's a reason why he knows exactly what she wants and needs-and he's not backing down. One thing's for sure: this game of push and pull is just getting started. The tension is sizzling, the stakes are high, and in a world of cocky jocks, frat boys, sorority girls, drama, and endless parties, Rosalie might just have to throw caution to the wind. But can she handle the rush of it all?

Sterling Carter's life is built on control-perfect grades, perfect form, perfect trajectory straight to the Olympic volleyball team. At twenty-two, she's the star outside hitter at the University of Michigan and top of her class in dentistry, the golden product of an old-money family that only loves success. One game, one bad landing, and one opponent's foot hidden under the net is all it takes to blow it apart. With a torn ACL and PCL and a nine-to-twelve-month recovery, Sterling's dream is suddenly on life support. The scouts stop calling. Her parents pull away. For the first time in her life, there's no plan she can grind her way through, no version of "try harder" that will fix what's broken. Enter Maddox King-twenty-four, captain of Michigan's D1 hockey team, human freight train on the ice, and soft-hearted menace off it. He has everything Sterling doesn't: a loud, loving family, a stupidly loyal group of friends, and the unshakable belief that people are worth more than what they can do. When a twist of timing and one overinvested best friend pull Sterling into Maddox's orbit, he becomes the one person who refuses to treat her like she's ruined. As the season she was supposed to dominate turns into a year on the sideline, Sterling has to learn how to exist without the one thing that's always defined her-and decide whether letting Maddox in is one more risky play she can't afford... or the first choice she makes entirely for herself. Book #1 in the 'Carter' series

She witnessed horror... and became one. After surviving a harrowing near-rape and watching her best friend brutally assaulted and murdered before her eyes, Aurora vanished-emotionally. What rose from the ashes was someone unrecognizable: Cold. Fearless. Savage. Untouchable. She trusts no one. Loves no one. And as far as she's concerned, no man alive could ever break through her fortress of ice. Love? Dead. Her rules? Simple. No emotions. No attachments. No second chances. But her new college? A battlefield. And him? Leonard Grande - the kind of trouble she didn't prepare for. Wounded. Rebellious. Addictive. Dangerous. A walking paradox with a face carved by gods and a soul damaged by demons. A notorious playboy who takes pleasure in breaking girls, shredding hearts like paper-because he believes every girl is a liar in disguise. Until Aurora. She doesn't look at him like he matters. She doesn't fall. She doesn't even flinch. And that pisses him off. Now it's war. A toxic game of destruction and seduction. She wants to erase him. He wants to ruin her. But when secrets from the past start surfacing, both realize they've been walking in the dark... and maybe-just maybe-they were destined to collide. How deep do their scars go? And who's really pulling the strings in this web of pain and passion. Dive into a dark college romance where love is a weapon, trust is deadly, and only the strongest survive. When bad meets baddest... there are no rules. Trigger Warning: This story contains themes of sexual violence, emotional trauma, murder, psychological manipulation, and abusive behavior. Reader discretion is strongly advised. Some scenes may be distressing or triggering to survivors. ©2025

Logan Romano didn't just enter the NHL. He tore through it. Dark. Brooding. Untouchable. With brutal talent and a reputation as cold as the New York winter, Logan dominates both the ice and every room he walks into. He doesn't lose. He doesn't bend. And he certainly doesn't fall in love. Not after the last time. Not until November Levine crashes into his life like a beam of sunlight he never asked for. She's warmth where he's storm clouds. She's soft where he's jagged edges. A walking contradiction to everything Logan swore he needed. When a deal forces the polar opposites under one roof, tensions ignite fast. Teasing turns to feuds. Feuds turn into something dangerously close to desire. And Logan is forced to confront the one promise he's never broken. Because once you step into the light- it's impossible to return. ✩ Grumpy x sunshine • forced proximity • slow burn Will the hockey captain cross that line? ✩ "Nova." I whisper, my voice low and hoarse against her neck. "Stop it." "Stop what." She whimpers back innocently as her thighs tighten around my hips. My teeth nip at the skin on her jaw in warning. "Either stop teasing, or put me out of my fucking misery." November pulls her head back from mine, resting it against the wall, and bats her lashes up at me. "Say please."

[2023 Wattys Shortlist] When a feud between siblings goes too far, Solana finds herself falling into the hands of his enemy. Two university state teams have been fighting for generations, and unfortunately for Solana, her brother happens to be the quarterback for the Hawks, while his ex-best friend and current enemy leads the Tigers. She's normally supportive, but after an argument goes too far with her brother the night of a party, she finds herself welcoming a certain player into her bedroom. Christian Kane knows all about loyalty, and that it was his loyalty to others that got him screwed over. While he hides his anger behind his smooth words and flirty smile, the one person who can't fall for his charm is the little firecracker he's known for ten years. But with his loyalty to his team, he knows that surrounding himself around Solana will only lead to issues he doesn't need. But as the unlikely pair come to a mutual fake dating agreement to stir some problems, it's only time until things shatter into pieces. t r o p e s: faking dating, brothers enemy, one bed, banter, sleepover, college fiction, football romance, past history