Where We Belong

Moving back home to my parents' cattle ranch in Texas was the last thing I thought I'd be doing. But, here I stand...in front of my high school girlfriend. A beautiful, confident woman has replaced the young girl I once knew and loved. Hell. I'm still in love with her. Yep. Paxton Monroe was my first love and the one girl in town who now hated my guts. So much so, Paxton swore her revenge on me if it took her until the day she died.

Ian Chase broke my heart at 17, and I’ve spent the last 18 years hating him for it. He makes it easy, with his smart mouth and playboy lifestyle - which I unfortunately have to observe since he lives behind me. Every time I see him climbing out of his pool, practically naked and unreasonably sexy, my blood boils. I’ve always loved to loathe him. I never planned to need him.

Jace Crawford heals hearts for a living. More than that, medicine is his life. To become the leading cardiothoracic surgeon on the West Coast, he’s made sacrifices. No social life. He barely has time to sleep. Love? Forget about it. But when everything goes horribly wrong on his table, and he unexpectedly loses a patient, Jace is suspended from work. When a man has nothing but his job, what does he do when that’s gone? Joy Thompson collects unwanted strays. A dog with one eye, a three-legged cat, a bird that swears like a sailor? All part and parcel of her veterinary business.

Sweet, nerdy, lovable Keaton. She's my best friend and has been for years. Sure she likes numbers and math, and thinks doing other people's taxes is fun. And I like...none of that stuff. She reads novels I'll never understand, and yet we just click. There's no one I'd rather share breakfast burritos with or binge watch hours of Netflix with. She's my person. And so when she takes off her glasses and asks me to help her improve her skills in the bedroom, I barely have to think about it. Of course I'll help her. There's no one better for the job. But what happens when she's ready to take her new-found confidence and move on?

Ari Daniels didn't count on her whole world tumbling down around her in a mess of shredded promises, broken love, and unbelievable heartbreak. Alone and stricken with grief, she shouldered the blame and eventually closed her heart off, refusing to open it for another. After all, anytime she tried, guilt and regret were waiting in the wings to remind her how painful it was.  A bet and one steamy night with a stranger force Ari to confront all she's been hiding behind. She tries to move on, but he refuses to stand down, wanting what she is terrified to give - herself. 

My best friend, Natalie, has been by my side through everything. Leaning on my shoulder, borrowing my sweatshirts…and making my pants too tight when she flashes me that sassy smile that drives me crazy. But she has no idea about that last part. She doesn't have a clue I've felt this way about her for years. Until one night after too many cocktails, we fall into bed together. I'm flirting with my forever…she just doesn't know it yet. 

My name is Laurel Holloway, and I’m 27 years old. I moved to Seattle four years ago to pursue my dream job as a journalist for the Seattle Times and to get as far away from my dysfunctional family as possible. One of my assignments was to interview and write an article on two well-known hot and sexy bachelors who were self-made millionaires under the age of 35. Women wanted to know why they were still single.

When I put up a "Roommate Wanted" poster, he was the last person on earth I thought would respond. He was also the last person on earth I'd agree to let live with me...on purpose. But, here we are - roommates. I'm certain we can coexist without it being awkward, and I'm determined to make it work. There will be no sexual tension building with each accidental touch, no flutters when he wears that stupid backward baseball cap, and definitely no flirting when we text back and forth. Caleb Mills can't be the guy for me. He's my best friend's ex-boyfriend.

It's a long story, but I messed up at work. Big time. To earn back the trust of my boss, I promised to save one of our magazines. Yep. That Hot Dad contest you've seen advertised all over the place was my idea. And if I'm successful, if I'm able to increase our online readership, then I get a shot at my dream job. But the one thing I never expected to happen, happened: Contestant number 10, Grayson Malone. Hello, Mr. Difficult. And did I mention sexy as hell? Unfortunately he knows me. The old me, anyway. I remind him of before. Of the woman who broke his heart....

Hannah Malone loves her new town. Despite living in Cunningham Falls for five years, she's still considered a "move in" by most of the locals, and that doesn't bother her in the least. She's the "new girl", and she hasn't regretted it for one day. This town is her sanctuary. Her home. The one place she finally fits in and feels safe after a lifetime of being different and running from the memories and a past so far away it can't haunt her anymore.

Year after year, Willa stands by, watching as the bartender/playboy drowns his demons in beer and sex. Then one night, he shows up at her door, suddenly aware that the girl he's seen around Lark Cove is now a beautiful woman. Except what he doesn't remember is that this visit isn't his first. They spent a night together once before. A night he's forgotten, thanks to a bottle of tequila. A night that crushed a timid girl's heart and set a broken man on the path to heal them both.

Being confronted on the beach by a sexy stranger wasn't part of Natalie Conner's plans for a peaceful morning taking photos. And why on earth would he think she's taking pictures of him, anyway? Who is he? One thing’s for sure, he’s hot, and incredibly romantic, feeding Natalie’s wounded soul.

It was just a typical Monday. Until the big boss asked me to make the pitch for a prospective new client. After two years on shaky ground at work because of my screw up, an opportunity to impress the senior partners was just what I needed. Or so I thought, until I walked into the conference room and collided with the man I was supposed to pitch to. My coffee spilled, my files tumbled to the ground, and I almost lost my balance. And that was the good part of my day. Because the gorgeous man who crouched down and looked at me like he wanted to eat me alive was none other than my ex.

Badass Athlete: I dare you to... Delaney Shaw: Who is this? The late-night text is random, but "Badass Athlete" sure seems to know who she is...Delaney Shaw. Good girl. Lover of fluffy kitties and Star Wars. Curious. His dare? Spend one night in his bed - a night he promises will be unforgettable - and she can solve the mystery of who he is.   

I've been named LA's sexiest and most eligible bachelor. I'm filthy rich, live in a house on the beach, drive a fast sports car, and I do a job I love. My hobbies include partying and beautiful women. A lot of beautiful women. They adore me because I'm charming and fun, until I walk away, leaving them crying on the floor and begging me to stay. I can have any woman I want with the snap of my fingers, except for one - an incredibly beautiful woman named Kinsley Davis. She isn't affected by me in the least. In fact, she wants nothing to do with me, and I can't figure out why.