~ 2021 WATTY'S SHORTLIST ~ "I-well, I..." I hesitated with my response. I wanted to let go. To not worry about what would happen in the future. I'd always loved staring into fires. It hypnotized me with its beauty and danger. It was so tantalizing to look at, but one little touch could destroy. I knew the heat between Tyler and I was similar. It started off small but it had only grown in the weeks he'd been here. We'd fed it unintentionally, and it had gone from an ember to a crackling flame. Every nerve in my body wanted to reach out and touch it, even though I knew I'd get burned. *************************************************** Pia Callahan always lived a carefree life with no worries. Her only responsibilities were to attend her college classes (sometimes) and keep herself fed (on ramen). When tragedy strikes, Pia is all of the sudden thrown into a whirlwind of change. She has to grow up and take on more responsibility than she could ever imagine: the custody of her best friend's son. Pia may not believe she is the best person for the job, but she is determined to do it. She'll trade in frat parties for PTA meetings and beer-bongs for apple juice. But what happens when the ruggedly hot motocross athlete Tyler Westwood shows up in her small town? Tyler lives on the fast track, never caring too much about consequences. You can't when your job is to do backflips through the air. Sometimes, you just have to send it and hope for the best. From the second Tyler meets Pia, he knows he wants her. But she is determined to ignore their bubbling chemistry. She has priorities now and a summer fling isn't one of them. Will Pia be able to stay away from Tyler? Or will she decide to hit the throttle? ***************************************************

Daisy Thompson is your typical University student; her sleep schedule is practically non-existent, she's barely surviving on her minimum wage job, she's constantly falling behind in her assignments, and the state of her mental health is certainly questionable. When she's not studying or working, she's down at the local gym learning self-defence. But when her shifts at the café change, her gym sessions are forced to change with them. Used to the sparse lunch time numbers, the new, rougher crowd is a shock - especially when she lays eyes on a recent one night stand. [18+]

"You just have no idea." His voice was thick with restraint. "W-what," I breathed. His gaze flicked to my lips as his thumb stroked again. The calloused pad against my soft flesh sent goosebumps down my arms. His once warm eyes were dark as they lifted and bared into my soul. "What you do to... men." His husky whisper weakened my knees. I almost fell but his other hand settled on my hip, pulling me closer to him. "What you do to me," he added on a breath. The hand on my jaw shifted. His fingers left trails of tingles as he slipped them back slowly, under my earlobe and into my curls. *************************************************** As a young girl, Charlotte Avery's favourite pass time was daydreaming about her Prince Charming: Archer Johnson. She never stopped to consider that Archer was her brother's best friend.. Or that he always appeared severely creeped out by her attention. On her 16th birthday, Charlotte received a harsh reality check. Realizing just how embarrassing she had been acting, she swore to never make a fool of herself in front of Archer again. The problem? She is about to head to college and unfortunately it's the same school where Archer is currently the star quarterback. Follow Charlotte during her first year at USC as she juggles new experiences, social anxiety, family drama back home, and avoiding Archer. These are the unintended consequences of an embarrassing childhood crush. *************************************************** Top Ranks: #1 - Hot #1 - Collegeromance #1 - Brothersbestfriend #1 - Football #1 - Brooding #1 - Slowburn #1 - Quarterback #1 - Athlete #2 - Newadult #2 - Player #5 - Badboy #73 - Romance ***************************************************

Mr. Billionaire makes a proposal of marriage to a beautiful baker woman. She is to be his wife in a loveless marriage, as he, her husband. ••• Giovanni Brown was born into a successful and wealthy family. He is to be the successor of his father's company. That was until his personal unhidden affairs began to earn him a reputation. His father gives him an ultimatum to find a beautiful woman to settle down with, as far as the meaning of marriage, or get stripped away from becoming CEO of the company, Brown Enterprises. Taking his father's words seriously, he takes a getaway trip to Las Vegas to visit an old friend and enjoys the little time he has as a bachelor. He expected his fun but never did he expect a beautiful stranger to save him from nearly dying. Hardworking bakery owner, Kira Sanders, had expected to see many things on the street of Vegas but never did she expect to save a man, unknowingly the wealthiest billionaire that's all the way from Phoenix, Arizona, from near death. Of course, she gets him to the hospital on time but when he wakes, she is introduced to who he really is though a stranger. A rude, handsome looking man with an arrogant and self-confident personality causing her to retaliate out of reaction. She finds herself taken off guard when he makes a proposal of marriage of one year. Faking a love marriage is one thing but faking attraction is something these two can't seem to do. I|Word Count : 60,000-70,000|I

Asha Mitchell is all about her education and the next box to check off her list of goals. She never allows anyone to steer her from her path or take her eyes off the prize. She's a big time lover who also knows how to choose herself or play the game if she feels it's necessary. But she rather not. She admires love and wants everything it has to offer if she can. Some of the best relationships are built on friendship, and Asha doesn't realize that until Sanchez Harmon. He's goal oriented and doesn't have time for games. He knows what he wants for all aspects of his life - except his love life. Relationships aren't his strong suit because he's never been in one and never wanted one. Romantic love is a fantasy to him; nice to watch but unrealistic. A few things come to light when the two become friends after a homecoming party. One is an open-hearted lover and the other can't see himself in love. They love different but they'll try to figure out which way is best for them.

"And it doesn't matter how much time passed or how much time will pass-it's him. It always has been him and it always will be him...I just don't know how to tell him," When it's more than a like, and they're more than a friend. When they know you better than you know yourself and just the thought of them is all you need to put a smile on your face-telling your best friend you're in love with them should be simple. Right?

A promise. It seems like the simplest thing in the world to keep. But so often, they're broken, empty and hollow. They seem like the easiest thing in the world to believe, but after the words are left out to bleed, after they leave you waiting and wanting, after all the emptiness and hollow words-how are you going to believe the one who actually say what they mean?

Even when it gets to be too much, don't jump.

nir·va·na a state of perfect happiness; an ideal or idyllic place. where we see what happens when an emptiness that one thought could never be filled is overflowing. when two lost souls find each other. where a broken record plays a perfect harmony. when after years of searching, you find nirvana.

𝗠𝘆 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗮 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗜'𝗺 𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹.