Being a cowboy is in my blood, just like my father, and his father before him. Except unlike my father the only thing that interested me were my horses. I was the quiet one, the one who stood in the back and watched things unfold. Until I found her fighting for her life. Something inside me shifted. I couldn’t stop it, I fell in love with her. Even though I knew, in the end, she would leave me. 

Bella: Meeting him was a fluke. Dating him was a mistake. Watching him become a drug addict put me through hell. Running was my only option. Jackson: I'm running from my demons and when I find out she's trying to escape her past, I know what I have to do. One broken cop. One woman fighting for her life. A fragile love. Sinister secrets that threaten to tear them apart. They've been to hell. The hard part will be finding their way back together.

Being an entertainment journalist was the last thing I thought I would be doing. I thought once I got my degree, I would be reporting on stories that made a difference, but now all I do is report on who broke up with who and who is dating who. I was over it. Then I got my next assignment. He’s Hollywood’s bad boy.

When I inherited the Dallas Oilers from my father, I became one of the youngest owners in hockey history. Even though the team was at the bottom of the hockey standings, I had big plans to change that and bring the Cup to Dallas. Falling in love was something I never believed would happen to me. You’d think I was getting everything I ever wanted with the girl and the winning record, but I still have a promise to fulfill to my childhood best friend.

CrystalI was the strong one, they said, until two words brought me to my knees. It was a secret I didn't share with anyone, a secret that made me promise I'd never fall in love. I no longer wanted that white picket fence of every woman's dreams. But then the unthinkable happened. GabeI thought I had it all with the best medical practice in the state and the woman of my dreams. I wore a smile on my face every single day. I couldn't wait to watch her walk down the aisle and start our forever, except she never did. My runaway bride made me realize love isn't worth it.

When you grow up surrounded by hockey players you know one thing for sure: you should never settle down with one. And I was never going to. Heck, I didn’t even know what icing was. I was too busy climbing the corporate ladder, becoming one of the most successful realtors in New York City. I wasn’t interested in dating or anything that got in my way. First, he was my client, and then he became my friend. 

Hockey star Max Yearwood was everything I needed at the time - fun, sexy, up for anything, and only around for a few months, since he’d signed with a new team 3,000 miles away. Max proposed we spend the summer helping me forget my ex. It sounded like a good plan. Things couldn’t get too serious when we had an expiration date. Right? Though, you know what they say about the best-laid plans. 

Fifteen years ago, I fell for Jack O’Donnell. I was just a girl, but I knew my brother’s best friend was the only man I’d ever love. On my 18th birthday, when I asked him to kiss me, I never imagined it would change my life so completely. I gave Jack everything that night. In order to move on, we had to go our separate ways and pretend like nothing happened...as though it wasn’t the greatest moment of my life. But even that wasn’t as heartbreaking as the secret we were forced to keep. 

It’s natural to want the one you can’t have. And for as long as I could remember, I’d secretly wanted my brother’s best friend, Jace. He was six years older and always treated me like the sister he never had. Fast forward a decade. We were all in our 20s now. Jace had moved in with my brother, Nathan, and me to help us make ends meet after our parents died. It was just the three of us - an odd family dynamic. Living under our roof, Jace was as bossy and protective as ever. But he certainly didn’t look at me like a sister anymore. That was what made things so complicated.

For years, I’ve watched her - followed her, stalked her. At first, it was about protecting her, keeping her safe and out of harm's way. Then it became a full-blown obsession. I vowed to never touch her again, to protect her from everyone, including myself. But when enemies lurking in the shadows threaten to take all that away, I know I’ll do anything to keep my butterfly safe...even if it means betraying the only family I’ve ever known. 

I’m the son of Liam O’Reagan, next in line to wear the crown. And when I prove myself worthy, I will RULE over the Irish Mafia. I don’t have time for distractions - much less time for a woman who has always been the bane of my existence. When Maeve comes back into my life, I fight like hell to resist the pull she has on me. An attraction that has only grown stronger with time. 

For the last two years, I've told myself she’s off limits. That a man like me, can't be with a woman her age. Then my little maniac turned 18...and I gave in to my temptation. I shouldn't have, but now it's too late. She's mine now, and I'll never let her go. Then one of the biggest sinners in Vegas thought he could just take her. He's forgetting; it's my job to protect her. Mine. Now, I'm going to burn this city to the ground. I'll reap havoc until my little maniac is back in my arms.

Eden Murphy came into my club looking to make some extra cash. A girl like her didn't belong in a place like this. She'd get ripped to shreds. Most likely by me. There's nothing but sweetness dripping from her sexy little body, and I'm the monster who's salivating to get a taste. 

Like currency, I’ve become part of a transaction. Blade took me to pay off a debt. I try to tell myself, Eve, you should hate him. He’s a bad guy. But then again, I’m not a good girl. Blade’s the president of the Disciples, the notorious motorcycle club. I should be frightened, yet somehow, he doesn’t scare me. If anything, I think I scare him. 

To be “just friends” with a guy, you’ve got to follow The Rules: Don’t touch him unnecessarily. Don’t share your intimate dreams with him (even if he asks). Don’t kiss him, and definitely don’t sleep with him. Scout Dunne and I have been “just friends” since childhood. I’m one of the few people who knows the first-round NFL draft pick wants more than a life of sports.