"Kiss me." He orders, slamming my locker shut. "Is she coming?" I ask, turning my head to look behind me, but he grabs my face and makes me look up at him. "Yes, now kiss me." I do as told, getting on my tippy toes as I lean up to kiss him. He kisses me back slowly, before he pins me against the lockers and deepens the kiss. My eyes widen and I try to push him away. This isn't part of the deal. He pulls away, a full on smirk plastered on his face. "I lied." He confesses, turning around. "She wasn't coming." Then, he walks away.

If your very first meeting with the infamous Heath Parker was an embarrassing incident in the boy's bathroom, your life will be turned upside down. ~*~*~*~*~ Jasmine Winters has two decent options when she mistakenly catches the school's notorious bad boy running the Sidney Lanier Bridge. Option 1. She CALMLY excuses herself and WALKS AWAY. Option 2. She silently WALKS AWAY. Instead, she freezes, screams and RUNS AWAY, getting herself tangled up in a messy deal with the Bad Boy: Keep the story a secret, or be prepared to face 'the worst'.

"If you want to try again, I've learned a few things since then and now I'm sure... I would make it so, so good for you..." Luke pulls back, a troublemakers grin on his lips. "You wouldn't be able to forget it." *** Dylan Anderson never expected to be back in the small beach town where her family used to spend their summers. Especially not after that one July night that changed everything. But after a recent fall, her grandmother needs a caregiver and as Dylan recently dropped out of college, she's the perfect girl for the job. So now, after years of deliberately staying far away, Dylan is back and determined to interact with the town, its people, and the tragedy that took place there as little as possible. But when her stubborn Grams and super good looking ex-boyfriend turned nemesis, Luke Henson, team up to destroy her plan, she's in for quite the challenge. What's supposed to be a quiet summer reflecting on her new life plans turns into a whirlwind of love, pain, lust and forgiveness as Dylan finally learns the truth about that summer. All rights reserved ® kjobrien ™ TW: without giving away the plot, this story has moments which are very dark/upsetting, alluding to trauma/tragic death, and struggles with mental health. please read with care and remember to take care of your mental well-being❤️ (Started 11/30/2020) #1 in Steamy #1 in ExLovers #1 in Beach Romance #1 in Player #1 in Sad Romance #2 in Women's Fiction #2 in Mature #2 in Grieving #3 in Romance #3 in Coping #4 in Healing #4 in Moving Forward #4 in Summer Vacation #5 in Flirty #6 in Young Adult #6 in Enemies to Lovers #7 in New Adult #7 in Summer Love #7 in Drama Romance

Griff Donovan once walked away from true love choosing his desire for the fame and glory of the NFL instead. But when his life is turned upside-down by a mysterious and dangerous individual, he knows there's only one person who will even consider helping him. No matter what it takes, he vows to convince her. After all, everyone has a weakness, or a price, as he's learned all too well. Annabelle Durand watched the love of her life walk away not once, but twice, and she's hidden her heart, and her secret, since then. But when Griff walks back into her life demanding she help him, Annabelle realizes she might be able to save the one thing she values most in this world if she accepts his deal. But will she be able to protect her heart, and her secrets, in the process? They say that the truth can set you free. But, in this case, Griff and Annabelle are bound together by the desperate lie they share, and the one they don't. A big thank you to Tricia Dehler for the prompt and for hosting the Golden Writer Writing Contest.

glass jaw: 1. Noun. Where a fighter is easily knocked out via a blow to the chin or jaw owing to a vulnerability in their strength and training. 2. Metaphorically, a fighter's weakness. ~~~ Ryan Chamberlain is the embodiment of vulnerability. She's kind-hearted and maybe a little too keen to trust people. Plus, she barely has any real-world experience, but that was never her choice. For the last eight years, Ryan has been pushed into the corner. There was only ever room for one star to shine and that star was not her. With college on the horizon, Ryan finally sees the opportunity to step out of the shadows and live life on her own terms. Will it be that simple though? To Landon Atwood, showing weakness is not an option. In the octagon, and in life, people will always take advantage of your vulnerability. The only people he lets close are his childhood friends-and that's only because they refuse to leave him alone. What will happen when those same friends adopt a stray in the form of an unwelcome freshman?

One minute you're at the top of your game, and the next, you receive a hit that knocks your skates out from underneath you. Still reeling after an unexpected loss, Ryan Nyberg not only finds himself back in his beachside hometown of Neptune Bay, but a guardian to his 6-year-old nephew. As he slowly begins to learn the ins and outs of what it means to be a parent, he begins to reconnect with Sloane Montgomery, a local woman from his past. Both dealing with grief and their new familial responsibilities, the pair quickly find comfort in one another; there's only one problem - Ryan isn't sticking around once the summer ends. The brewing chemistry between them, however, didn't seem to get the memo.

Power forward Connor Haas's game is strong on- and off-ice... until he meets his match in Reese Carter. * Let's just say Reese takes after her dad. * LSU #1 Tropes - enemies to lovers, instalust, forced proximity