Miguel has a natural air of maturity. His body is a canvas for his latest tattoo, covered with long sleeves and a suit coat by day as he runs an esteemed line of cruise ships out of Port Canaveral. He won't hesitate to bash a metal bar into the side of a person's head if they cross him or anyone he cares about. He also has a dark past that he would rather forget. Miguel does not intend to fall for any woman. Love is a weakness he does not need. Then he meets Kiara - his employee. She is an intelligent, petite woman with long brown hair. She is dedicated to furthering her education all while working two jobs and sending money back home. Kiara has also been betrayed by the man she was going to marry, hurt in the worst way possible. She tries to cut ties with Julian, but it's more difficult than she imagines when he is the son of her father's best friend. Julian follows her from her home town of Miami to Orlando where she attends school. He tries to attack her but she manages to escape. She escapes right into the travel agency where she works and passes out, only to wake up in one of the guest bedrooms in Miguel's home.

"Go ahead," I said, backing up against the pink wall of the shop. "Do something other than glare at me." I waited. One, two, three seconds... and nothing. I raised my chin at him. "You're boring me, mute boy." He stepped closer. Leaned toward me as his gaze burned into mine. Then... ❀ ❀ ❀ After three months in juvenile detention, it's time for Romy Pereira to help out with her family's flower shop. And it's not all bad... until they hire Jack Michel to work beside her. He doesn't speak, communicating with glares and scowls instead of words, and seems to be more interested in literal rocks than other human beings. And with an ex-convict mother, her friends drifting away, and the flower shop falling apart, the last thing Romy wants to deal with is Jack's attitude. She'll forever praise the day he screws up big time and gets himself fired, but until that day comes, it's mostly one cold-hearted girl, her silent (but still infuriating) coworker, and a whole lot flowers. [word count: 100k] [originally written in 2014-2015; re-write completed 2020-2021] ❀ Rankings ❀ #1 in #badgirl #1 in #goodboy #1 in #flowershop #1 in #sociopath

When it comes to seventeen-year-olds Aurora “Rory” West and Kale Mathews, there is no such thing as the concept of ‘common ground.’ Their interactions (the few that they have) are always filled with overly-sarcastic remarks and countless number of trips to the principal’s office. One day, when a particular interaction goes a bit too far, their principal decides to punish them with The Baby Project- a month long project, worth more than half their grade, that requires them to parent a fake baby. In the beginning, the partnership is discarded as a joke by both students. However, when threatened with the possibility of expulsion, Rory and Kale reluctantly agree to make peace for the sake of their education. Over time, something changes, making them question their thoughts and feelings. They say there's a thin line between love and hate, but will a baby be the last push? (Editing but still updating)

Watty Finalist: Mystery/Thriller, On the Rise I see him vividly in my head. Him. The guy who calls himself A for whatever reason. The guy dressed in a black cloak with a hood that makes his face look like an endless sea of darkness. The guy whose voice is like velvet; so smooth; yet so deep and dark it sends chills down my spine every time he speaks. The guy whose simple words and actions are enough to send my heart into a frenzy. The guy whose black-as-night eyes captivate me day and night. The guy who enjoys teasing me and making me angry, like it's one of his new hobbies. The guy who has the power to make my legs turn to jelly in an instant. The guy whose past is so deep, dark, and bottled up that it scares me. The guy who spends most of his time stalking me; visiting me at night. The guy whose arms hold me so tight and securely. The guy who evokes feelings in me that honestly scare the hell out of me. But he's not just a guy. He's a criminal. The criminal that calls me cupcake.

"Give me ten days, and I can give you ten reasons not to die." Evan paused. "And if I can't change your mind by then, you can go jump off that cliff."

Emerson knows high school can be messy, but nothing could prepare her for Oliver Remmer's return. Dangerous, mysterious, and rumored to be a psychopath, he's the kind of boy everyone fears... and everyone watches. Yet Emerson isn't everyone. She sees the layers beneath his intense exterior-the boy shaped by a troubled past, moments of tenderness hidden under bursts of anger, and a vulnerability most people would never notice. Between the gossip, the chaos, and the adrenaline-charged tension, Emerson can't help but be drawn in. Oliver is unpredictable, and being near him is thrilling-and maybe a little bit reckless. Standing her ground almost feels like a dare. But some loves are worth the risk. Some loves are easy. Back Cover Copy: "Write down one word that describes you." Oliver didn't hesitate. Psychopath. Everyone expects me to run. To stay away. To be careful. But I didn't. Because there's something behind the intensity, the walls, the mystery. Something only I get to see. Because sometimes the thrill of the unknown is exactly what your heart has been waiting for. Set in North Carolina, Open is a teen romance about taking risks, discovering who someone really is, and finding that love can feel mysterious, dangerous... and irresistible. C O V E R B Y @ZiaDavis

When 17 year old November Jones accidentally burns off her left eyebrow in a freak accident, she brushes it off. Nothing a bit of makeup can't fix, right? But when she finds herself shoved into the backseat of her own car as a couple of very big, very bad, and very dangerous-looking men drive off with it, things can't be so easily fixed...especially since it's not just her missing eyebrow that needs to be covered, it's also the fact that one of the most wanted criminal organizations in the country accidentally kidnapped a teenage girl while trying to escape a drug deal gone wrong. Could things get any worse? Well, with a girl like November in the mix, the answer is yes.

18 year old Florence Remy has three things that mean the world to her: Twizzlers, her best friends Ade and Clancy, and her parents' coffee shop the Espresso House in downtown Brooklyn, New York. As a small business amongst huge corporations, Florence and her parents struggle to make ends meet. However, they remain optimistic and happy. The coffee shop may not bring in much, but it's enough to keep them on their feet. But what happens when a group of dangerous Brooklyn mobsters force Florence's parents into giving them co-ownership of the shop? Crime boss and leader Wolfe Sterling takes a great interest in the tunnels that lead past the Espresso House cellar. Dirty business is what he's best at and dragging people into his dangerous (and illegal) activities are no bother. But things go sideways when he also takes a strange interest in Florence. And it really doesn't help that he's hotter than freshly brewed coffee...

Forced on a crazy camping trip with her family, Erin Summers thinks her parents are insane. Her plans to go out of state to the Michigan University isn't what her parents want. This trip is meant to change her mind. She continues with the rotten luck of an annoying family, and her camp instructor is a complete pain in the ass. Mathew is the opposite of helpful. Erin just has to make it through this month-long trip of craziness.