"What would you like me to play; The violin or your pussy?" • • • He lived on the street. They called him a tramp. He slept with trash and found his meals in the garbage. Nobody knew who he was. Melody knew the moment she met him, something about him was off. Something about him was missing. Impassive and unpredictable, he always lurked around, his hulking figure a wandering question mark on the streets of New York. But give him a violin and watch him play...

[Edited] "You had to be extremely low on cash to wank into a cup for it," Dani sneered, feeling like a vindictive bully in a playground. But Carlo deserved it. She felt the first sharp stab of fear that went through her heart when Carlo looked at her with thunder in his eyes. "What are you going to do now? Kill me?" she continued. Fingering the 9mm in her back pocket, she remembered that she'd never even shot the damn thing, despite her brothers' pleas to teach her. Carlo's shadow blanketed her. "Kill you?" His brow furrowed. "Do you really think that lowly of me, cara? I'm wounded." "Then what the hell do you want?" His face flashed with a look she barely recognised - pure arousal. Even when he reached out and pulled her to him, she could feel it. "I realised that the mother of my child is more of a spitfire than I thought." His lips brushed her earlobe. "Call me a pyromaniac." *cover by @bullethood*

Warning: Mature Content. Outside, it was cold and breezy, with those familiar night stars that twinkled above us years ago. We walked side by side along the little path that ran across the gigantic grassy park at the center of campus. I held my breath every time my swinging hand brushed his, hoping to feel his warm palm in mine again. I just wanted more with him, but I knew it was wishful thinking. So I buried it. I buried it with the silence and the distant looks. I desperately wanted us to go back to being friends, before all the feelings showed up, before he embarrassed me in front of half the school by dismissing any chance at us being together. ~o~ Evelyn Martinez has had her heart broken exactly once, by Liam Saunders. But that was over a year ago, so it shouldn't bother her when she sees him with his best friend, Mason Van der Gelt, in the busy dining hall on her university...right? Her best friend, Harper Green, decides to take the situation into her own hands by fulfilling the promise she had given Evelyn the year before, that if she ever met him, she'd break his heart. An eye for an eye. Operation Dickbag's Heartbreak. Yet, as the plan proceeds, Evelyn starts to date Mason, almost falling for his charm and sincerity. Almost. Her heart was still Liam's, no matter how damaged it may be. This proves to be a problem when Harper falls for him as well. Everything changes when Liam reveals his own feelings and the truth behind why he hurt Ev. Commitments and loyalty become a house of cards in a hurricane as truths start to spill, leaving their chances at happiness to hang by a thread. Fair warning, there are detailed sex scenes and a shit ton of cursing.

"So I can ask you anything?" I gulp a large amount of saliva. "Yes, I'm a virgin." She doesn't even turn to see my reaction, which is a blank face, blinking in bewilderment. Not what I expected but good to know. "Why did you think I was going to ask that?" "I don't like assumptions, but if I am at a party like this hosted by a person that I've heard enough for you to be, I would think you'd look into hooking up with someone by the end of the night." She turns over, finally, with the light of the moon sparkling in her eyes. "By the way," she says with a grin, "No thanks." Tam is just trying to stay in her own lane as she lives with the constant bullying of her ex-bff, Natasha. She puts on a strong face to keep from worrying her Vietnamese-only speaking mother. When two of the most popular jocks in school fall for her, she finds herself in a tough spot. Over time, she finds it more and more difficult to choose, as she can't think straight when she's around one guy, but she's just as weak in the knees when she's with the other. Meanwhile, she has to deal with a past that she's ignored for much too long, bringing up old wounds to fix new ones.

Warning: Mature themes. "Alex? What's wrong?" I noticed his bulge pressed against me. "I didn't bring any protection," he mumbled. "Oh, I have some condoms in my purse," I told him, brushing my worries away. "You do? Did you anticipate..." "I always supply the protection for my clients," I reassured him. "Clients?" He loosened his hold on me and I got on my feet. "What do you mean clients?" "Alex," I stated, my tone firm and serious, "You know that I'm an escort, right?" "You're a what?" ~o~ Valerie has life in the palm of her hands, making an earning as an escort and living luxuriously through her clients. Her days are free and her nights are fun. That is, until she is approached by a regular client about posing as his friend's girlfriend for a weekend trip. Alex is a workaholic and he's not ashamed of it. But with the pressure his parents put on him, he has to find a girlfriend quick since he had let it slip that he already has one. This white lie leads him to vent to his best friend, Lance, for help and with a pat on the back, Lance reassures him that everything will be alright. Unexpected passion between an unlikely pairing shakes up their lives in more ways than one as one weekend turns into many.

A painful breakup pushes Kyla Evans to get into a fake relationship with the person her ex-boyfriend hates the most: Seth Everett. But what will she do when the game starts to feel too real? ***** Seventeen-year-old Kyla has sworn off love. After getting dumped all too suddenly by her longtime boyfriend Cedric, she becomes convinced that people are never really who you think they are. So when notorious playboy Seth Everett suggests that Kyla fake date him to get back at Cedric, it seems like the perfect plan... as long as she doesn't end up falling for him. Content and/or trigger warning: This story mentions cancer, which may be triggering for some readers. [[word count: 150,000-200,000 words]]

When Mia, a world-famous pop star, turns up on Tyler Sullivan's door to announce she's pregnant from a one-night stand, they agree to hide the pregnancy so Tyler can raise the baby alone. ****************************** Despite fame and fortune, Mia Malone's life has been far from easy. Plucked from poverty by a record deal, Mia's been trained by her Momager to keep her eyes on the money. When she discovers she's pregnant from a one-night stand, the choice feels easy. She can't keep this baby. Tyler Sullivan, a costume designer by trade, has been content to run his second hand shop and work with local theater companies. When Mia Malone blows into town announcing the unwanted pregnancy, Tyler, seeing his chance at fatherhood, offers to raise the baby alone. Deals of the heart are never simple. Will Tyler raise the baby alone, or will Mia come to realize the value of unconditional love?

**SAMPLE ONLY**A decade ago, Ellie was heartbroken when the love of her life chose his Hollywood party lifestyle over her. Can she forgive him and give love a second chance? ***** Thirteen years ago, Ellie Cooper struck gold. She secured a coveted movie role that sent her life spiraling out of control. Landing in the arms of Wyatt Burgess, her world-famous co-star with some hard-partying ways, she was enveloped into a world of clubs, romance, and drugs. But when one of Wyatt and Ellie's best friends overdoses outside a nightclub, Ellie gives Wyatt an ultimatum: the lifestyle or her. Wyatt makes the wrong choice. Now years later, Wyatt is out to set things right. But Ellie has moved on; she's in a committed relationship and has left the party life behind in exchange for something more stable. There's just something about Wyatt though that sets her heart on fire. And now Ellie is forced to choose between the new world she has carved out for herself and the passionate whirlwind that allowing Wyatt back into her life could bring. Content and/or trigger warning: This story contains scenes of drug use, including an overdose. There are mentions of sexual abuse and harassment, which may be triggering for some readers. [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]] 2020 Watty Award Winner - Romance #1 Romance, NA, and ChickLit

Warning: Mature Content | "Excuse me?" My heart was pounding, not only because of what he was saying, but because I recognized his goddamn scent and it triggered an automatic flashback of every touch, every kiss, and every fucking thrust he gave me the last time we were even remotely this close. His eyes pierced through me, and I found myself frozen in place as I met those green wonders. "I know you're hiding something from me." Victoria Hutson has had a tiring four years of college, working to support herself after the passing of her mother. Now that she's done with that part of her life, she's found a stable job and she's letting loose for once. Except her choice of "letting loose" meant having sex with a handsome green eyed man she doesn't know and recognizing said green eyes on her boss the first day she comes into work. Please note that this story does not hold back on detailed sex scenes or profanity. COMPLETE STORY WILL BE AVAILABLE ON GALATEA.

When college student Emmy joins an online support group at the encouragement of her therapist, the last thing she expects is to connect with the lead singer of the most famous rock group in the world. ***** Emmy has had a rough couple of years, to say the least. So when her psychologist recommends that she joins an online support group, she thinks she knows what to expect. But the back and forth e-mails between her and famous rock singer Johnny Decker are the last thing she ever counted on. Despite the world of differences between them, Emmy can't help but feel like she knows Johnny better than she knows herself. Supportive emails turn into a growing friendship, and Emmy is grateful to finally have someone who understands. Soon, life without Johnny seems unthinkable, but is there hope for them in the offline world? [[word count: 70,000 - 80,000]] Cover designed by Ashley Bandy Spin-off to Holding onto You Trigger warning: This story contains swearing, mature themes, sexual content and references to substance abuse.