Which is why when I sat down nine years ago and put pen to paper, mapping out a ten-year plan, I meant business. Everything that could set me up for a lifetime of joy had to go down on the list, and every day, I worked my ass off to fulfill it. Open my own sports agency. Check. Earn first million by my thirtieth birthday. I did that a week before I turned twenty-six. Negotiate the most lucrative contract in Major League history. Did that, too. Then went and broke my own record. (Thanks, big bro!) I could go on, but this isn’t about bragging. It’s me admitting that in the midst of drafting something that helps shape and mold much of my success, I still made a costly mistake. One day I realized all those entries with corresponding checkmarks are pointless if I don’t factor into the equation the most important goal of all. Avery. Perhaps way back then I wasn’t ready to see how much my best friend of fifteen years deserved that number one spot in my life. Maybe I was blind, since the whole “settle down and get married” scenario wasn’t my thing. But now that I’m aware of the role I need her to fill in my life, there’s no such thing as letting go until I can convince her to be mine. Her being about to marry someone else does make winning her heart a little bit dicey. But if there’s anything you should know about me, it’s that I always play to win. And losing Avery is nonnegotiable. The Breakup Plan A Best Friends to Enemies Romance

    They are all arrogant and think you are supposed to bow down to them. Until I was accosted by Travis. Travis Spencer III: Handsome, extremely wealthy, and very smart. He dates women that are extremely beautiful and equally as rich, and I am way out of his league. Our one night together was a complete mistake. Travis: I promised my family that I would leave the younger ladies alone, but then I ran into Kriss. Kriss was everything I never knew I needed. How dare she thinks that we are non-compatible? After our one night together, I wanted more and I was going to get it... by any means necessary.

    Being raised by his father since the age of four without any involvement from his mother, makes him feel like he’s been missing something. Regardless of his dad’s endless love, he knows that his mother has to care about him. After his dad is shot and killed, his hopes are high for reuniting with his mother, but once again, he is left without her love. Moving in with his paternal grandparents wasn’t what he expected, but it’s his fate. Learning to adapt is hard and after his introduction to music, he uses it to ease his soul. At some point it’s not enough and he turns his attention to women. Sex gives him an adrenaline rush like no other and it helps him manage his demons. However, when he meets Ulanni Alvarez at a spoken word performance, he has a different outlook on life just from that moment of being in her presence. When she leaves, he knows she will be the one to change him forever. The problem was that he would have to convince her of that fact… after he can convince himself that he deserved everything she has to offer.

     To say Deluxe Moore hasn’t had an easy life would be a huge understatement. Her main complication? LaCross Paul, the walking temptation determined to make her his. From the streets to the sheets, Luxe learns that Black Friday was never about shopping, and if Cross has his way, she’ll be asking for a repeat performance by Cyber Monday. Special Note: If you enjoyed Claimed By Crayson (To Marry a Madden), you’ll enjoy these High Life short stories.

     Duty. Honor. Succession. Legacy. My regal life in a nutshell. I never intended to break procedure. To shirk responsibility. To break a necessary arrangement… But desperate times called for drastic measures. It was accidental how I met her. Alice. The African American maid in my family’s palace. And it was just as unintentional to fall for her. For those dusky sienna eyes… Silky black curls… Warm brown skin… Neither heaven nor hell could keep me from having her. Our secret affair always had an expiry date. I was betrothed to another. But whatever f@#ked up plan we loosely had went to the wayside. Fast. Alice got kidnapped by mistake. And pandemonium reigned down. Now, even if I can rescue her, I need to make a choice… My kingdom or Alice? This steamy BWWM royal romance includes a torrid love affair between a royal and his maid; it also includes a beautiful little princess that is the result of their love.

    So she developed her own line of naughty toys to get the job done. Now, she’s bringing her talent to LA, hoping to launch her new company. Only her new business consultant has her thinking about more than just her product line. As a favor to his boss, Bishop Lang agrees to help Paityn develop her new business. The only thing he knows about her is that she’s off limits, but the moment he sees her, he realizes staying away might be harder than he thought. And his own personal journey may take a backseat to the blossoming relationship developing between them.

    But he plans to be on the first flight out of Southlake Park as soon as the auction gavel comes down. However, he doesn’t count on the beautiful woman who wins his bid or the instant, undeniable attraction between them. Romeo learned from his parent’s toxic marriage to steer clear of relationships. Yet the more he resists, the more he wants Zola...to have and to hold. Settling down isn’t high on Zola Harrington’s list, either. The freelance photographer is having too much fun traveling to her next assignment. All that changes when she captures a sexy, brooding Adonis in her lens. From an impulsive bid and smoldering kiss to a whirlwind Las Vegas affair, Romeo is heating up her nights. Zola is tempted to say yes to a lifetime of passion...if she can convince the reluctant bachelor to truly let her into his life.

    

    For years she’s given up on her dreams to keep peace within her family, but now she’s ready to pursue the life she wants. With one small window of opportunity she’s given room to do just that, however, not everyone is happy for her. Facing the repercussions of her decision from her family and a surprising diagnosis that’s threatening everything she’s been working for leaves Melanie wondering if her dreams were ever supposed to be anything more than a dream. Then enters Kamali James – a natural born nurturer and a man who has been a giver and lover all of his life… until he crosses paths with the beautiful Melanie Moore. Melanie doesn’t have time for a relationship, let alone the emotional strength to deal with everything she’s going through. Will she let Kamali in to be the rock that she needs and continue pursuing her dreams, or will she give up on everything... including him?

    She wants to shed her anxiety, and while looking for a stress-free resolution, the answer to her quandary comes from an unanticipated source—her best friend. He’s been the only consistent person in her life, and the unexpected way his touch ignites a passion within her takes Jada to new heights she wasn’t ready to explore, until now. Award-winning MasterChef Solomon McBride has reached the end of his reservations regarding Jada Wilson. As her best friend for the past three decades, Solomon’s had enough of witnessing her heart break. But aware of her vulnerability, he carefully treads a path to rebuild her trust in love, and he’s ready to lead the way if she is willing to allow him. Read the other books in this series! Heart’s Desire by Delaney Diamond Soul’s Desire by Sharon C. Cooper

    I thought nothing could ever shock me after my mother died and my father married my high school girlfriend.    It was always assumed that I would take over the family business, but I went to the military to start over instead.    After all these years my father needs to see me. He’s dying and I have to go back to say goodbye.    Her I’m finally getting to where I want to be and with a promotion in sight, I can’t afford to make any mistakes.    When I see my brother's best friend all the hurt and embarrassment comes rushing back.   I still have feelings for him but his father’s company is the focus of my investigation. I can’t get attached to him or his little brother. I need to focus on me.   His Family Secret is a 20k word steamy stand alone romance that includes a secret baby, a bonus collection with a happy ever after and no cheating.

    Jamal Holmes. My best friend’s cousin. So what he may be able to help me finally make the move to get my business off the ground. He’s a pompous jerk and judgmental to boot. At least, those are the very excuses I tell myself to avoid his help at all costs. Now, if I could just get my silly body to stop reacting every time he’s near. If I could manage to control my erotic thoughts whenever he opens his mouth or tosses one of those goofy grins my way, everything would be just fine. Only if he didn’t look so damn good in everything he puts on… Jamal I can’t stand her. Gabriella, Gabby for short. She’s brash, snarky and seems to have it out for me. A damn she-devil. I don’t give a damn how great her legs look in the tight jeans and leggings she wears. Or, how appealing her mid-section appears in the halter tops she frequently dons. Nor do I care that her smooth, brown skin always looks good enough to taste. She’s a pain in the ass. At least, I thought she was until I started getting to know her. The real Gabby, and not the defensive, sarcastic, she-devil she initially hid behind to put up a wall between us. Slowly, I start to realize I get under her skin just as much as she gets under mine. And once we finally begin to break those walls down, we are both surprised by what’s underneath. Neither of our attitudes, or our pasts that come back into our lives can come between what’s inevitably … Something Special.

    To help me cheer up, my friends decided I needed a trip to Las Vegas. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right? At least that’s what I thought until I woke up married. Morgan Bridgewater I’m having the day from hell. I broke up with my long-term girlfriend Mia. I thought she would go quietly but boy was a wrong. She brings down a hell storm like no other. My brothers decide that I need an escape. Vegas has always been fun for us. However, this time it took on a new meaning when I met a beautiful brown skin woman. From the moment I climbed between her legs I forgot all about Mia. My brown lover was my savior until she woke up in the morning with my ring on her finger. Now I must figure out how to keep my wife and deal with the hell my ex is trying to put us through.

    Despite Naomi's apprehension, the two teenagers engage in a forbidden romance, which lasts two years, until William's mother discovers their secret. Everything is irrevocably changed. William is sent to school in Massachusetts, and Naomi is shipped off to Seattle. To William's devastation, his mother has effectively severed the ties he had with the only girl he has ever loved and he is forced to move on with his life. Forty years pass before fate allows William and Naomi's paths to cross again; but now, William is a married man whose wife has been diagnosed with a potentially life-threatening illness, and Naomi is retiring from the nursing profession. Naomi could never have prepared herself for a spontaneous reunion with William - a reunion which forces both of them to confront the menacing ghosts of their past. But will she be able to prepare herself to act as the private nurse for William's dying wife? And will she be able to handle the hidden family secrets that are brought to light once she returns to her hometown?

    . .He's hot and he's single, but Antonio Billups has been out of the dating game for three years. Since his wife died, his focus has been on his business--and their son A.J. Enter new-in-town sultry, sexy Serena Jacobs, a woman who just might inspire Antonio to change his mind about being alone. . .That His Body Can't Resist. . .Serena's new restaurant is about to take off, and so is her heart--to Antonio. But events from her past are about to hit the fan--with a little help from Antonio's scheming sister-in-law. Soon, Hollywood catfights and long-ago love affairs threaten the steamy relationship between Antonio and Serena, and when their secret histories collide, they must choose between a future with--or without--love. . ."Hodges delivers a sizzling romance. . ." --Publishers Weekly on More Than He Can Handle