Trouble had found its way to our doorstep, and it hadn’t come alone.
And now, things were shifting under our feet.
Every move mattered.
Any mistake was a hit we couldn’t afford.
And through the lies, the blood, and the betrayal, there was her.
She was part of my past I couldn’t bury.
I never expected to see her again, but there she was.
Beautiful as ever and a pull I couldn’t shake
It was time to face the truth.
Love doesn’t play fair.
Blood doesn’t always mean family.
And the choices we make aren’t always the right ones.
I’m Goose.
This is my story.
And if you think you know how this ends… trust me. You don’t.
Wall Street Journal and USA Today Best Seller, L. Wilder, writes about hot, alpha men and the women who love them. She currently has six series available for readers: The Devil Chaser’s MC, Satan’s Fury MC, Satan’s Fury MC-Memphis, the Redemption Series, the Happy Endings Collection, and the Ruthless Sinners MC. If you’re looking for a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat and have you smiling like a school girl at the end, L. Wilder is the author for you.
Tropes: Rock Star Romance; Age Gap; Forced Proximity; Fake Relationship
Release Date: March 10, 2026
He’s the man the music world forgot. She’s the one it refuses to forgive.
When thirty-eight-year-old former rock legend turned producer Quentin Russo agrees to help salvage the career of Raine Dennison—a Gen Z pop-punk star clawing her way back from public collapse—he expects a paycheck and a shot at professional redemption.
What he doesn’t expect is her.
Raine’s talent is undeniable. So are the scars she hides beneath her bravado. And, as Quentin pushes her to tell the truth in her music, he finds himself confronting the very demons that once destroyed his own career.
Their creative chemistry is volatile. Their attraction is reckless.
And the label has a plan to exploit it.
They want a fake romance to sell the comeback. But real feelings don’t follow a well-laid-out plan.
In an industry that feeds on spectacle, where one mistake can go viral and forgiveness is never guaranteed, falling for each other could cost them everything—or force them to decide what’s really worth losing.
Break the Girl is a raw, emotional rockstar romance perfect for fans of A Star Is Born and Jamison’s Wilder Love.
“They canceled all my tour dates and threatened to not record the third album…and that’s why they sent me here.”
Raine clasped her hands together in her lap again and let out a small breath. Although Quentin had been quiet, she had no doubt he was judging her—and maybe even believing she was full of shit.
When she looked up, he finally spoke. Even though his voice was quiet, it felt like thunder. “Was there ever a time, through any of that, where you felt like you could say no?”
Two tears dropped at almost the same time, but she pursed her lips together, forcing them to stop quivering. And then she said, “No. And I know the media had a heyday with what happened at the concert, saying my partying had finally gone too far—but that wasn’t fucking it. Obviously, they hadn’t listened to a goddamn thing I’d said.” Letting out a long breath, feeling like now she was in control, she shifted her eyes from Quentin to her hands again. “They just couldn’t see that I was trying to escape my reality. Instead, it was just a big fucking joke.”
When she looked up at Quentin again, he gave her a soft nod, his eyes telling her that he believed her—and he saw her.
Jade C. Jamison writes steamy contemporary romance that’s full of heat, heartbreak, and hard rock. Known for emotionally raw rockstar romances, sizzling billionaire stories, and unforgettable second chances, Jade delivers passionate stories with fierce heroines and brooding heroes.
When she’s not writing, she’s jamming to metal, sipping strong coffee, or spoiling her pets and family. Whether set in small-town Colorado or on tour with a band, her books take readers on an intense, romantic ride—one story at a time.
It’s understandable, really. I mean, there didn’t seem to be anything worse than walking in on your elderly parents doing things no child should ever see. Add into that their proclivities, and Eddy is disgusted and disturbed.
So of course, after seeing the atrocious things her parents—the pastor and pastor’s wife that are supposed to be holy and a teacher of faith—are into, she makes it her life goal to expose them to their masses. The cult-like following her father has will see him for the man he is—an abuser who gets a sick thrill at seeing his girls suffer.
She will no longer allow the people of Sawtooth, Montana, to think that they’re safe when they’re anything but.
That’s where Weaver Grant comes in.
A sexy lineman who climbs poles for a living, has forearms that can break a woman in mind, body, and soul, and a smile that does things deep inside of her that she refuses to acknowledge just yet.
She has a plan.
A really good one, too.
But that plan dies a thousand deaths when she’s attacked by a bear on a hike that she was using to cleanse her soul. She thought she was supposed to be afraid of men, but that rabid bear showed her a new side of herself.
She spends weeks in the hospital, and a certain hot lineman takes it upon himself to see her healthy again. He never leaves her side. He solves all her problems. And he shows her how a real man treats a woman.
But once she’s healed and her world is once again righted, will he have a reason to stay since she no longer needs saving?
Lani Lynn Vale is an American author of humorous romantic suspense novels. Born in the Great State of Texas, she has lived the majority of her adult life in East Texas where most of her novels are based. She’s married to her high school sweetheart whom her readers refer to as “LLV’s Bearded Half.” She published her first novel, Boomtown. in the summer of 2013 after the birth of her third child. She’s gone on to publish over 100 novels, with most of them going on to become USA Today Bestsellers.
When I get the chance to showcase my art at an exclusive gala, I know it could catapult my career. When I catch the eye of Tanner Steele, a commanding billionaire with an insatiable appetite for control, he offers me a commission…that I can’t refuse. Welcoming me into his world. Lines between a patron and artist begin to blur, along with pleasure and pain, art and reality. What scares me most isn’t the enemies or the whispers behind designer masks—it’s the way Tanner looks at me, like I can undo the walls he’s spent years building.
TANNER
I’ve spent years mastering control in and out of the bedroom. Nothing gets in without my permission. However, when I see Eve Harrington’s art for the first time, I don’t expect it to shake me. With her wild black and bright green hair, I’m drawn to her. And somehow, she becomes more than just a painter to me. She becomes my obsession. She doesn’t care who I am. The more time I spend with her, the more I realize she sees through everything—the charm, the money, the armor. She makes me feel… exposed. And for the first time in a long time, I don’t hate it.
***this is a full length erotic romance with suspense*** This is suitable for ages 18 and Up.*****
TANNER
I swirl the amber liquid in my mouth, trying to erase the taste of Eve on my tongue. Her eyes bore into mine, and I know she feels how I feel. There is an undeniable pull between us, like an invisible string being tugged back and forth. Why the hell did she let me kiss her?
Now that I have tasted her lips, I fear it’s going to consume me, and it’s too late to turn back. Too late to forget.
“I think I am going to bed,” she announces as she finishes her second drink, and I remain silent. I just nod because my thoughts remain clouded, and I wonder if I can trust my own judgement. We barely know each other, yet I want her like I’ve never wanted anyone. She claws at something inside me.
Heading upstairs to my room, I pace the floor, and a light flickers on. Peeking out of my room, it’s the room Eve is painting in. I imagine her creative juices are flowing, so I vow not to interrupt her.
Lying in my bed, the thought of her beneath me, owning her, consumes me. I’m wired and wide awake, my heart stammers just thinking about what it would be like to be with her. I toss and turn for an hour before I get out of bed, and I notice the painting room light still flickers.
I pull on a pair of jeans. Barefoot, I stand outside the room, taking in deep breaths. Entering the room, Eve’s attention immediately turns to me.
“Mister. Tanner.”
“Take those overalls off and crawl to me.”
Locking her eyes with mine, she doesn’t hesitate for a second. Eve wears black biker shorts and a white crop top underneath her overalls.
On her knees, she begins to crawl, the paper covering the floor crinkles underneath her. The only light on is in the far right of the room. But my eyes stay glued to hers, and my heart begins to race.
Reaching me, Eve kneels up to unbutton my jeans. My hand catches her wrist, and she freezes. “What are you doing?”
“I thought…”
With a nudge, I guide her up and push her toward the wall, her back to my front, and I hold her hands behind her back. “You have to ask permission to touch me.” My breath skates over her neck in a whisper.
“Can I touch you, please?”
Renea Porter is best known for writing realistic stories with realistic characters. Her stories may even cause you to shed a tear or two. She mainly writes New Adult and Contemporary Romances. However, she’s not afraid to venture into other genres like Paranormal Romance.
She enjoys spending time with her husband of over twenty years, and stepson. She calls Pennsylvania home but loves to travel and try new things. In her free time, you can catch her reading books, watching reality tv, and baking.
A familiar stranger. A forgotten past. A love that defies timelines.
Soren
For as long as I can remember, something’s been missing from my life. When I meet Lyall Eriksson, I realize it was never something I was missing but someone. Lyall is sweet and gorgeous, and our connection is instantaneous. Like we’ve known each other for years.
Because we have. Lyall insists that we had a life together… in the Viking Age.
Oh, yeah, and he’s a Viking werewolf.
My whole life has been a lie, constructed to protect the secrets of the paranormal world. Learning the truth could cost Lyall everything, and I could be forced to forget him, us, all over again.
Despite the risks, Lyall’s determined to remind me of the truth: I’m his mate, and nothing, not even time itself, will come between us again.
Devotion of a Wolf is the third book in the Viking Wolves series, featuring amnesia, second chances, and a hard-won happy-ever-after. This installment can be read as a standalone, but the series is best enjoyed sequentially.
CJ Ravenna loves to tell stories where the ordinary meets the extraordinary. Her books often feature an explosion or two, possessive and protective werewolves who adore their mates, steamy and swoony romance, and of course a happy ending.
Alpha Hero/Emotional Scars/ One True LoveRelease Date: March 9, 2026
Cover Design: Artscandare
Photographer: Wander Aguiar
Cover Model: Jonny James
There’s nothing quite like going home.
Breathing in that fresh Montana air with the woman I love at my side is something only the luckiest of men ever get to experience.
And I’m one of them.
After surviving a deadly virus, false imprisonment, watching the woman I love nearly die, and a dishonorable discharge, things are finally looking up.
I got the one thing I wanted—to return to Murky Falls Ranch and take over with my brothers.
But things are never what they appear. The ranch is no longer a ranch. I pulled my brother out of a fire set by a man who hates our family, and there are several new additions to the family I was not expecting.
I thought the worst was over, but now I’m beginning to wonder if I’ll ever know how forever feels.
My stomach churned as we approached Parker’s family ranch, and it wasn’t just because I suspected I was pregnant.“Do you see that third peak to the right?” Parker pointed out the windshield. “That’s where the edge of my family’s ranch is. Murky Falls is over there. That’s where our ranch name came from.”
I nodded, trying to take it all in while also fighting the urge to leap out of the SUV and run back home. What was I thinking, agreeing to move here when I hadn’t even met anyone in his family first?
Mountains painted the midnight landscape as far as the eye could see. It should have been beautiful and welcoming, but an odd sense of impending doom told me this wouldn’t be the wonderful welcome he thought it would be.
“Blake,” Parker said, shooting me a curious glance. “Are you okay?”
“Of course,” I grinned, attempting to keep the fear and urge to puke from showing on my face.
“Then why do you look like I just told you we’re getting married?”
The smirk on his face eased the tension in my body just a little. “Well, we did come out here with the intent of starting over.”
“Just not getting married right away. Trust me, I haven’t called your family for a shotgun wedding.”
My head snapped so fast toward the passenger window at his words that I nearly pulled a muscle in my neck. If only he knew how close we were to using that phrase.
“Here we are,” he announced, stopping at the open gates of the ranch.
An emblem of Murky Falls Ranch greeted us on either side of the entrance, sealing my fate. There was no turning back now.
“It’s been years since I was home,” he murmured. “It’ll be good to see everyone.”
In order to do that, we’d have to actually drive forward, but I wasn’t exactly yelling at him to get moving. The delay was the only thing holding me together at the moment.
But just as I thought that, he pulled through the gates toward my doom.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Amazon Review – Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart by Giulia Lagomarsino “Some of her best writing…Holy cow, this book! I was immediately immersed in Murky Falls! I could not put this book down. Im excited to read the rest of the series!”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Amazon Review from C. Luna – “Real Good Man by Giulia Lagomarsino is the kind of small-town romance that sneaks past your defenses with humor, heart, and a slow-burn love you didn’t see coming—but end up rooting for with your whole chest.”
I’m a stay at home mom that loves to read. Some of my favorite titles are Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Horatio Hornblower. I started writing when I was trying to come up with suggestions on ways I could help bring in some extra money. I came up with the idea that I could donate plasma because you could earn an extra $500/month. My husband responded with, “No. Find something else. Write a blog. Write a book.” I didn’t think I had anything to share on blog that a thousand other mothers hadn’t already thought of. I decided to take his challenge seriously and sat down to write my first book, Jack. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed writing. From there, the stories continued to flow and I haven’t been able to stop. I hope my readers enjoy my books as much as I enjoy writing them. Between reading, writing, and taking care of three small kids, my days are quite full.
I’ve lived my whole life in a golden cage, the captive daughter of a powerful mafia don. When my father arranges my marriage to Vincenzo Vici, a cold-blooded assassin from a rival family, it’s a death sentence. For both of us. Because my father uses our engagement to slaughter the Vicis and take their territory.
But he makes a grave error. He doesn’t kill the most dangerous Vici of all: Vincenzo himself.
I’ve never met my intended fiancé, so when I stumble upon a handsome, bloodied stranger being tortured in a laundromat in the middle of the night, I follow my instincts and save his life.
Big mistake. The man I saved is Vincenzo Vici, and when he discovers I’m the woman who led his family to slaughter, I realize there are circles of hell my father never showed me.
Vincenzo should kill me. He wants to kill me. Instead, he decides to make me pay in a different way—by holding me to our arranged marriage and exacting his revenge on me.
But Vincenzo isn’t the monster I expected. His ruthless kisses light up my soul. His darkness is a dangerous addiction. And when my father hands me poison and orders me to finish what he started, I’m caught between two impossible choices: loyalty to my own blood, or devotion to the darkness that sets me free.
Author’s note: Cruel Savior is a standalone MF arranged marriage mafia romance with a virgin heroine and a possessive and obsessed alphahole. There is no cheating and no other women. The story is dark, dirty, and delicious, so please read at your discretion.
Lilith Vincent is a steamy romance author who believes in living on the wild side! Whether it’s reverse harem or M/F romance, mafia men and bad boys with tattoos are her weakness, and the heroines who bring them to their knees.
Genre/Tropes: Mafia Romance; Forbidden Romance; Enemies-to-Lovers; Age Gap of 13 years; Touch Her and Die; Revenge/Redemption; Found Family; Strong Heroine; Slow Burn; Virgin FMC; Angsty; Penpal
Release Date: February 23, 2026
He stole my brother. So, I stole his freedom…
There’s a villain in all of us.
I just never realized that until the worst day of my life.
It started with a sandwich from a stranger—an act of kindness that was nothing more than a veneer to hide the devil behind the mask.
Renzo Iannelli took everything from me that day. My family. My life. My future.
I wasn’t even a blip on his radar when he made me an orphan—left alone to be bruised and abused in foster care—all for the sake of his revenge.
Well, he got his. Now, I’m going to get mine.
No matter how long it takes, no matter what I have to sacrifice, I will make him rue the day he destroyed my life.
But the world is never black and white, and there are far more heartless monsters closing in around me.
So what happens when the devil I know becomes the only person I can trust?
He was my downfall.
I never expected him to also be my redemption.
**This book spans over eight years and is divided into three parts: then, letters, and now. During the “then” portion of this book, the main female character, Ainsley, is a minor. As a disclaimer, there is absolutely no romantic interaction during that portion of the book. However, this section is crucial to the development of their romance later on.
The first time I met Renzo Iannelli was the day Noah died.
I hadn’t known Noah was dead at the time. All I knew was that my brother was missing. He didn’t come home, didn’t go to his second job of the day, and didn’t answer his phone or check in on social media.
Renzo Iannelli—though I didn’t know it was him—approached me, slouched as I was against a corridor wall at the busy police station with my arms wrapped tight around my growling stomach.
“Are you lost, piccola?”
Such a simple question. Almost kind, delivered in a bass, nearly apathetic voice that seemed to mute the surrounding conversations and the nonstop ringing phones. It was so rich and deep that it reminded me of creamy chocolate on a hot day. Dreamy, but the man himself…he made my teenage brain fire in all directions. I didn’t even realize guys like that existed outside of movies.
He had to be in his mid-twenties, towering over me by a good head and a half, every inch of his face defined and strong. His jaw was all hard angles with prominent cheekbones. Thick eyebrows framed cold emerald eyes, gleaming with different shades of green. Man, I wished mine were that color instead of wet dirt.
His suit looked crisper and finer than the ones my dad used to wear, giving him that over-the-top refined image, broken only by the tattoos covering his hands, from his knuckles to the tips of his sleeves. A few also crawled up his neck over his dress shirt collar. A gaudy gold ring decorated one of his hands, with diamonds encrusted around the band, and a large but delicate pendant hung from a thick gold chain around his neck. Whoever this guy was, his look practically screamed, “Wealthy and perilous, pay attention.”
“You shouldn’t wander off in a place like this.” He spoke without even glancing at me.
I eyed both ends of the corridor. Neither wait line had moved up. “Doesn’t look so dangerous.”
“Danger always lurks where you least expect it.”
As if to emphasize the dangers of starvation, my stomach picked that moment to growl as comically loud as a cartoon character’s burp. I squeezed my stomach, my face flaming, eyes wide and glued to the grout lines between the tile at my feet.
“Eat.” My good-looking stranger held out a sandwich in front of me.
Steak, cheese, cooked onions, peppers—the smells made my mouth water. Plus, I recognized the logo on the wrapper. I loved that Italian deli place. Mom and Dad used to take me there every Friday after school. Noah and I kept up the tradition but only once a month. I licked my lips, hesitating. Taking food from a random stranger always seemed like the start of a really bad kidnapping story. But…we were in a police station. It’s not like he could do much of anything to me here, with all these cops, right?
“Why?”
“If you starve, it’ll be your choice, not mine.”
Excerpt 2:
I thought he hadn’t seen me. I hoped he hadn’t. Out of sight, out of mind kind of thing, but he had, and now Boyan was exposed to him too.
“Cool car.” Boyan’s little voice trilled with excitement and awe as he squirmed out of my hold. His head peeked through the shotgun window. “Whoa. Anzy, it’s blue. Blue like Sally. Mister, that’s a girl’s car.”
I sucked my chuckle back in where it belonged and pinched my lips together. Still, a grimaced smile crept up my face from the shock on Renzo Iannelli’s.
“It’s not,” the outraged mafia man stated.
“Yes, it is.”
“Is not.”
“Is.
“Not.”
“Is.”
“Are you seriously arguing with a five-year-old right now?” I ridiculed.
“I win.” Boyan tossed his little arms in the air. The sleeves of his size seven shirt on his five-year-old frame slipped down to his shoulders, exposing the wrinkled, scarred skin on his left shoulder and bicep.
Iannelli cleared his throat, his fist wrestling the steering wheel. “Get in the damn car.”
“Language,” I snapped back, mockingly covering Boyan’s ears before he wiggled away. Honestly, the little chipmunk probably knew more curse words than polite vocabulary at this point.
Renzo Iannelli’s jaw clenched, and the veins along his neck popped out. Totally worth it. Jerkwad. His eyes death-glared at me, a silent dare to continue defying him. I almost did. Pissing him off gave me the same high as a slice of black forest cake—so freaking delicious—but I wanted a car ride more.
Addy Anders writes romance meant to tug hard on your heartstrings and never let go. Her books deliver deliciously possessive anti-heroes, strong heroines, a touch of angst to set you on edge, and a cocktail of spice. Addy loves to travel, preferably outside of major cities. When she’s not writing or out in the wilderness, she can be found with her kindle and a very large cup of tea surrounded by her very supportive husband, two kiddos, and two fur babies.
Tropes: Small Town; Second Chance; Secret Baby; Blue Collar; Past Abuse (FC); High School Sweethearts; First Everything; She Runs
Release Date: February 16, 2026
In fisherman tales, there’s always talk about the one that got away… This is that story.
When they were in high school, Brock and Courtney felt they were destined to be together. They’d had their future all mapped out. Until a week before graduation, when two pink lines changed everything, diverting the course of the life they’d planned.
Young and scared, Courtney made the impossible decision to keep it a secret and leave their hometown, never planning to return, and breaking both their hearts in the process.
And for years, her plan works. Until her abusive father dies, leaving her mother rudderless in her newfound freedom. Returning home with her secret daughter is the only answer. But what will happen when she comes face-to-face with the past she’s tried so hard to forget but couldn’t?
Thirteen years after the only woman Brock has ever loved ran from the small Alaskan island they’d called home, he learns she’s back—with a preteen daughter. Too many emotions and unanswered questions hang heavy between them. And when the answers are brought to light, the chasm between them widens further. Will it be possible for them to reconcile for their daughter’s sake?
Benny Reed came back to Waypoint to rebuild a baseball team, not to fall for Quinn Logan, the hometown girl turned global pop sensation who once wrote songs about him. Keeping their distance should be easy, but unresolved history, explosive chemistry, and nonstop attention from everyone make it nearly impossible. Readers who love missed connections and return-to-hometown romances will fall head over heels for Lineups and Lyrics by Tina Gallagher, a steamy, small-town sports romance.
Benny Reed has a plan. Quinn Logan isn’t part of it.
Managing an MLB team means building something from the ground up, and that challenge is exactly what drew him back to Waypoint. He knows the game. He knows the job. And he knows one rule that’s always served him well: baseball and his personal life don’t mix.
Then he meets Quinn Logan.
She’s Waypoint born and raised.
She’s also a retired pop star with a name the world recognizes.
He doesn’t remember the quiet girl from high school.
She remembers him—and the crush that inspired her first songs.
Getting close is risky.
The town is watching.
The media won’t stay quiet.
And some connections don’t care about timing.
Lineups & Lyrics is a steamy small-town sports romance about missed connections and unexpected love.
Benny and I stepped into the elevator and the doors slid shut. The car moved maybe two feet before a dull clang sounded and the motion stopped dead. A single, half-hearted ding followed—less “arriving at your floor” and more “I tried my best.”
I stared at the panel like it might offer an explanation.
Benny pressed one button, then another.
The lights flickered, then dimmed into a steady glow.
He hit the red emergency call button. A few seconds later, the speaker crackled to life.
“Building security,” a tinny voice said. “Are you stuck in an elevator?”
“Sure looks that way,” Benny said.
“All right. Maintenance will be there within the hour.”
The speaker clicked off, leaving only the hum of the fan.
Benny looked at me and exhaled a slow breath through his nose. “Guess we’re not going anywhere for a bit.”
“Guess not.”
“Might as well get comfortable,” he said.
He pushed off the wall and sank to the floor, one leg stretched out, forearm resting on his bent knee.
I hesitated for a second, then slid down the opposite wall. The space between us felt smaller sitting like this, our legs only a couple of feet apart.
“I like Dane and Marin,” I said.
“Yeah, I think they’ll work out well.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m glad Dane recommended her. She’s not someone I would’ve normally looked at.”
“Because she’s a woman?” I asked, feigning a gasp.
“Partly,” he admitted, a half-smile tugging at his mouth. “But mostly because her résumé isn’t what I’d usually go for. Most of her experience is in travel ball and D3 college—not exactly the traditional path to the majors.”
“Then why’d you hire her?”
“Because I trust Dane. And after talking to her, I believe him when he says she’s the best.”
“She comes across calm and collected,” I said. “Like nothing shakes her.”
“That was true until you walked in.”
“She was sweet.”
Silence stretched for a beat before he spoke again.
“I take it that happens a lot.”
“More than I ever knew how to handle,” I admitted. “And it still feels strange. Underneath all of it, I’m just me.”
“You ever miss it? The stage, the spotlight?”
“Sometimes,” I said honestly. “I loved my fans and performing for them. I loved the feeling of a song connecting with a stadium full of people. The way a show can feel like everyone’s heartbeat syncing.” I scratched lightly at my wrist, searching for the right words. “But the noise, the scrutiny, the feeling that every breath had to be on display wore me down, and I needed a break.”
“Everyone thinks they want the spotlight until they realize how hot it gets.” His eyes met mine. “Still…walking away takes guts.”
“Or weak knees.” His brow lifted, amused. “I’m serious,” I said, smiling despite myself. “Those final tour workouts nearly killed me. Dancing in heels under stage lights at forty? That’s an Olympic sport.”
He laughed quietly, the sound low and easy. For a moment, it felt lighter between us, like the conversation had traded its weight for something simpler.
“You know, sitting here, it’s hard to picture you as the same person who used to be on all those magazine covers.”
“That girl had a whole team behind her,” I said with a small laugh. “The lighting, the styling, the editing—none of it ever felt like me. I just look more like myself now.”
“Looks good on you,” he said. “The real version.”
The words landed softly but lingered. His gaze held, not sharp, just…intent. Curious. Like he was trying to see all the parts of me I kept tucked away.
“Thanks,” I managed, though my voice came out thinner than I meant it to.
“You make it easy to forget you used to fill stadiums,” he said.
“Good. I just want to be plain old Quinn.”
His mouth curved, slow and sure.
“There’s nothing plain about you, Quinn.”
My heart did an unhelpful fluttery thing, and I tried to steady my breath. He didn’t look away, and I didn’t want him to.
“Benny—” I started, but whatever I meant to say vanished the second his knee brushed mine. Funny how something so insignificant could change the temperature of a room. Or, in this case, an elevator.
He leaned in, close enough that I could catch the warmth of his skin and the faint, clean scent of his cologne. His gaze flicked to my mouth, then back to my eyes, and for a beat the world felt balanced on that breath between maybe and almost.
“Quinn,” he said, my name coming out rough, like gravel and hesitation all at once.
The sound of it was enough to undo me a little. I shifted forward just a fraction, and for a heartbeat, the world went perfectly still. Then the elevator jolted hard. A metallic thunk echoed through the car as the lights flickered back to full brightness.
The jolt sent me off balance, and I caught myself against the wall. Benny blinked, then let out a short laugh.
“Perfect timing,” he said.
“Yeah.” My voice came out breathier than I wanted. “Impeccable.”
Wait until I tell Erin the elevator cockblocked me out of kissing Benny Reed.
About Tina Gallagher
Tina Gallagher grew up and continues to live in Northeast Pennsylvania. As a tween, she and her best friend would create happily ever afters for their favorite soap opera couples. Eventually, the soap operas lost their appeal, but the writing never did. Before living her dream as a full-time author, she worked a spectrum of jobs ranging from baking and cake decorating to marketing and project management. In between creating memorable characters, traveling, and taking pole dance lessons, Tina enjoys spending time with her two grown children and Golden Irish named Thea.
Trouble had found its way to our doorstep, and it hadn’t come alone.
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