Every guy knows the bro code. Thou shalt not touch thy best friend’s sister. It’s part of the bro code. Written in stone like one of the commandments. But when my best friend’s little sister moves in next door, all bets are off. She’s the sweetest little thing I’ve ever seen—too perfect for my rough hands and dirty thoughts. I know I should stay away, but how can I, when her fluffy little menace of a puppy keeps barreling into my yard and dragging her with him? It’s like fate is laughing at me, daring me to break the rules.

Hadley’s world shatters the night her stepdad sneaks into her room, and with nothing but fear gripping her heart, she bolts. She doesn’t care where she’s headed, as long as it’s far from the nightmare she’s escaping. Damon’s instincts roar to life the second he spots her—lost, trembling, and too innocent for her own good. She’s an angel who’s fallen right into his path, and he’s a man with a past he can’t escape. A felon with no right to touch someone so pure, someone so tempting.

Ivy’s totally psyched for a summer in Scotland. Sure, it’s not going to be “hot”—the isle her aunt lives on never gets above sixty degrees—but it’s the perfect chance to relax before starting her practical career. Who cares if it’s not her dream job? A girl like her has to be realistic. But what she doesn’t know? That Scottish summer is about to turn a whole lot hotter than she ever imagined thanks to the man who looks like he just stepped off the cover of a romance novel—a rugged Highlander with eyes that burn. The second he sets his sights on Ivy, things start to sizzle.

He’s the one she’s not supposed to want—but he’s about to make her his, whether she’s ready or not. There’s only one bright light in my dark, twisted world, and her name is Olivia Carson. Every time she comes up to that fence, defying her father’s orders to talk to me—a felon with a past that should keep me in the shadows—I see something in her eyes that makes me believe there might be a shred of goodness left in this godforsaken place.

The moment he pulled her back from the brink, she became his. Not just his patient, but his obsession. She’s everything he’s ever wanted, and now that fate has placed her in his hands, he’s never letting go. She wants to keep her distance, but he’s not the kind of man to be denied. Her fears? He’ll soothe them. Her heart? He’ll claim it. Because she’s his, and nothing—not even her resistance—will stop him from making her see it.

Cindy Crews is everything I never even knew I dreamed of. Winning the championship used to be my number one goal in life, but one look into Cindy's pretty golden eyes, and I see my future. But Cindy is a feisty little thing who's fighting me every step of the way. I know she feels this electric current zinging between us, but she's put up walls so thick it's going to take a bulldozer to knock them down.

I’ve got one thing on my mind: the biggest fight of my career. But the second I lay eyes on her, nothing else matters. She’s perfect. A knockout in every sense. Problem is, she’s the senator’s daughter. Off-limits. Too good for someone like me. But the way she looks at me? Hell, it's like she’s asking for trouble. And I’m the kind of guy who gives exactly what people ask for.

Jenny has always been a Christmas fanatic. Born on December 25th, she lives for the magic of twinkling lights, snow-dusted streets, and the joy on children’s faces during the holidays. It’s why she volunteers as Santa’s helper at the mall every year. She doesn’t need the money—she just loves spreading cheer. But this year? This year is different. Because when she walks into the workshop ready to don her elf costume, she comes face-to-face with Santa himself… and he’s nothing like she imagined.

Erik Duvall is half the man he used to be. The war scarred him—physically and mentally. The right side of his face is a reminder of the hell he went through, and he’s sure it makes him a monster. He hates what he sees in the mirror, and he’s convinced everyone else must feel the same. So, he hides away, letting his music be the only thing that keeps him from losing his mind. A renowned composer, Erik keeps his music locked away, refusing to share it with anyone.

Ava Sinclair has it all—a life of luxury on her father's sprawling plantation-style estate in Georgia, a bright future ahead, and a sense of freedom that comes with youth. College is just around the corner, and she's ready to step into her new life. That is, until her father crosses the wrong man—the notorious New York kingpin, Gage Morelli. Suddenly, Ava’s perfect world shatters when she’s kidnapped by a man whose power is only matched by his ruthless reputation. But Gage? He’s nothing like the cold, calculating criminal she expected.

The moment I first saw her on that stage, I was done. Every move, every twist of her body is pure seduction. She’s nothing like the other dancers—no fake smiles, no practiced routine. She moves like she’s meant to be worshipped. A ballerina. A goddess. Poetry in motion. Her long red hair flows like fire, and those green eyes—hell, they burn right through me. I can’t think. I can’t breathe. I need her. My body craves her. If I don’t have her, I’ll lose my mind. She’s my obsession, my fantasy, my everything. And tonight, on New Year’s Eve? She’s mine.

Summer spends more time on the beach than she does anywhere else. That's where Dane first sees her—and she sees him, too. She wonders who the insanely hot businessman is, but she never could have imagined that he'd end up being the developer who just bought the apartment she and her mom live in. When she goes to his office to try to persuade him not to demolish the only home she's ever known, he hits her with a proposition. One she's not sure she can turn down.

Ella Brown. The prettiest little thing I’ve ever laid eyes on. She doesn’t realize it yet, but she’s already mine. Sure, she fights it—says she’s not interested. But I see the way her breath hitches when I’m near, the way her cheeks flush when our eyes meet. She can push me away all she wants. It won’t work. I didn’t get to the top by giving up, and I’m not about to start now.

Mariana isn’t the kind of woman I ever expected to have a chance with. Not when I’m a rough enforcer, someone who shouldn’t be within 10 feet of anyone as innocent as Mariana. But I can’t shake my need to have her, and when she looks at me with those big eyes, I can feel the heat behind them. She wants me just as badly.

I fell in love with Beckett when I was 7. He broke my heart when I was 15. When I was 18, I promised myself I’d forget about him. And I did. For a dozen years. But now he’s back home. Here. In Darling Lake. And I don’t know if I should give in to the temptation swirling between us or run the other way.