Showing results by narrator "Blake Lockheart" in All Categories

Men tremble at the sound of their names while women run, their lives flashing before their eyes. They’re the monsters under your bed, the boogeymen in your closet. Every living soul fears them. They’re relentless and they’re coming to play. They’re the sons of the most notorious mafia boss, the leader of the DeAngelis Family, and they’ve just set their twisted sights on me. They stalked me through my apartment, haunted my hallways, and crippled me with fear. They led me straight into their trap and captured me as though they had every right.

A simple promise I made to myself after escaping a brutal childhood of abuse and being trained to enact violence on unblessed witches. Since that moment, I've managed to survive on the streets by successfully pickpocketing. Unfortunately, after years of hiding, the monster who stars in all my nightmares is closer than ever, and I'm faced with only one option—to seek refuge at the Dark Imaginarium Academy. The Academy is filled with the elite witches of our society. I should have expected I'd run into some of my previous targets. Normally, that wouldn't be a proble—except for my last hit.

Sam reminds me of the horses we rescue. Scarred, skittish, and…strong. Beautiful. He’s a bit of a hat-stealer, and, truth be told, I’m a little leery of his chosen profession. The things he does in front of a camera...well, it makes me blush just thinkin' about it. But if that scar on his face is any indication, he could use somebody at his back. I aim to be that person. And yeah, some of my parts get confused by the fact that he’s all delicate and sparkly, but that’s not important. Even if the good hand lotion has somehow made it into the tack room.

As a divorced man in my thirties with a throwaway job and very few friends, I admit that I've made a lot of bad decisions over the years. Rounding out the top of that epic list was allowing my son's best friend, Quinn, to talk me into taking him on a two-week summer road trip... alone. What was supposed to be quality father-son bonding time before Joshua went off to college has somehow transpired into a battle of wills between me and his nineteen-year-old best friend. Quinn may be young, but he genuinely seems to enjoy spending time with me, something I've never experienced before.

Not once…but twice. I slept with him twice. With the one man that I was supposed to stay away from. Not only that…I got pregnant the first time around and never told him. My world is spinning. How complicated could my life be? Especially now that Chase is also my boss? That’s not the only problem. Chase is also my brother’s best friend. And let me just say that my brother would be furious. He would be furious if he found out who the father of my first child is.

There are three things my best friend Nash Dupree and I are good at. Fishing. Fighting. And another F-word that sure isn’t friendship. Nash has been by my side for the last thirty years, but despite our long, complicated history, there are some things the town bartender still keeps close to his chest. And now those secrets are threatening to tear us apart.

I’ve lived in the same small town my entire life. And I like it, for the most part: being a rancher, taking care of my chickens, and even my meddlesome family. What I don’t like is the limited dating options. I’m gay, and at 36 years old, I’ve never been with a man.

I've been dreading this for a year. Okay, that's a lie. I've been dreading this reunion since we graduated high school 10 years ago. So why am I here, standing outside the door like the eternal wallflower I am? I'd say it's because my younger sister browbeat me into it, but the truth is, I'm tired of being a nobody. Of never taking a risk with myself and my life. And...well...maybe I'm also hoping to see him. The tall, insanely gorgeous man walking my way now. Oliver Fritz is regarded as one of Boston's sexiest doctors. I know him as the former god of our school.

When I left Plum Valley ten years ago, I never thought I’d return. But a call about animals in crisis brings me back to the town that inadvertently broke my heart. What I don’t expect? Sam. The animal control officer looks every bit a cowboy wet dream, and for whatever reason, he’s latched on to me like a dog with a bone. One impulsive night together only leaves me wanting more, but as a single parent with loads of baggage, dating isn’t easy. Could I try with Sam, the man with the quick smile and surprisingly filthy mouth? Or am I only setting myself up for another round of heartache?

I came to Texas with a single goal: to find my bio-dad before the end of summer. Instead, I found Will, a spitfire of a man with sharp blue eyes and a swoon-worthy drawl. When he proposes adding benefits to our newfound friendship, I’m all in. The problem? I’m smitten. With not one, but two men. Because Will has a friend that makes me smile like no other. My time in Plum Valley is coming to an end, but if I’m not careful, I’ll be leaving my heart behind when I go.

Wren is the sweet barista who always lights up with Elliot, Rhett, and Oliver walk into her shop. All three of the guys are drawn to her, but they know getting closer to Wren would put her life at risk. But after a chance encounter at a masquerade ball and one night together, these men are all forced to face one undeniable fact:

I just told off my billionaire CEO in front of the entire company, and it was totally worth it. Do I care that a viral video of our exchange sent his stocks into freefall? Nope. Am I going to help Rand Wolfe rehab his company’s reputation? Not a chance in hell. There’s just one problem: I’m the bastard son of a mafia don, a fact Wolfe finds out the hard way when he tracks me down at the docks. Saving his life puts a mafia-style extradition order on my head, and the only place to hide is his high-rise penthouse.

At 12, he was my best friend. At 16, he became my crush. And now, at 34, he’s the man I’m still pining after. Falling in love with Easton was never part of the plan. But now that I’ve done it, I can’t seem to stop. It doesn’t help that we’re living under the same roof. Or that Easton is so dang sweet I want to lick him from head to toe.

Being out and proud as a nonbinary person didn’t come easy, but I’ve finally found my place. I have an amazing work family at the cabaret bar where I perform, Chicago fits me better than my Texas hometown ever did, and I’m truly happy. Especially once Jameson walks into my life. Our new bartender accepts me effortlessly for who I am, and the man is more than easy on the eyes. In fact, the way he looks out for me is giving me all sorts of ideas, even though those cuddles were purely platonic. Weren’t they?

Marry him…or end up broke. It was an obvious choice for me. Marry me…or lose an entire lifetime’s work. The choice was pretty obvious for him too. Never in a million years did I think that I’d be flying to Vegas. Not to get drunk. Not for a bachelorette party. But to get fake married to the man every woman on the planet wants. He’s hot, he’s smart, he’s everything except for my real husband.

Catching feelings was never part of the plan. Taking in Kason Fuller as roommate is meant to be a favor; one I regret immediately. The bumbling, virgin football player drives me to the brink of sanity—stealing my food, my sleep, my peace, and solitude. My solution? Call a ceasefire.

There’s a lot I’ve never told my best friend. The fact that I love him. That I miss him every day he’s gone. That, sometimes, I ache for him with a ferocity that leaves me breathless. Lucky Buchanan tore into my life as a boy, wild and daring, my opposite in every way. He drew me in, stole my heart without trying. He hears me, even though I rarely speak a word. But I always knew this place wouldn’t be enough for my free-spirited friend. I knew he wasn’t mine to keep.

Bronc riding has always been my main focus. The plan was simple: work hard, go pro, and show the world what I was made of. It hasn't been easy, but I did it through dedication and a whole lot of determination. My dreams came true, my life more than fulfilled… Or so I thought. I never knew how much I ached for more until I stopped to help a stranger on the side of a one-lane road one chilly fall afternoon. He couldn't be more different than me, with his messy curls and the chipped black polish.

There is nothing like hiding a secret identity from your roommate besties to complicate... everything. And when they decide I need a love life makeover, I can't tell them why I don't have time for their schemes. Retirement home nurse by day, lead singer of a rock band by night. Not on the schedule: Men. I'd rather cuddle with Bernice, the hangry boa next door. I can't think of an excuse fast enough to get out of betting my prime parking space against them finding me true love, but luckily, they pick the worst possible guy for me.

After years of move after move, Witness Protection settled Keira McKenna in Wyoming. Unfortunately, while Keira embraced her new small-town life, her larger-than-life past wouldn’t stay away. And with it, the one man she’d never forget. Four years ago, one massive mistake made Archer Reynolds resign from Boston’s police force. Moving home, he opened Reynolds Protective Group—an elite bodyguard agency—to atone for his failure. But when a series of crimes occur in town, he comes face-to-face with the woman whose name was apparently as fake as her death.