One tragedy changed everything.I left her. Not because I didn’t want her—but because I wanted her too much.
Marriage. Kids. The white picket fantasy. I told myself I couldn’t be that man… because I’m my father’s son. And he broke my mother in ways I can never forget.
So I let Lizzy go.
But fate had other plans. Now I’m here, ready to fight for her, to protect what’s mine—with teeth, fists, and fury if I have to.
She says she doesn’t trust me.
“Hey, did you have a good run?” Lizzy asks, looking me up and down like I’m a dessert she can’t wait to eat. I love that she can’t hide how much she still wants me.
Maybe this will be easier than I thought. “It was… therapeutic.” She nods, knowing running is how I clear my head. “I’m going to shower.” Smooth, dumbass. You have better game than this.
But Lizzy has always made me into a babbling idiot stumbling over my words. My therapist told me it’s because I actually give a shit about Lizzy and care what she thinks. Halfway down the hallway, I stop, remembering I decided to change things with Lizzy, beginning with a date. “Do you have plans tonight?”
She glares at me and snarks, “What, do you have a hot date and want the apartment to yourself?”
I shouldn’t mess with her like this, but she’s asking for it by thinking I would look at, let alone be with, anyone but her. “Weeellll, I’m not sure yet. It depends on her.”
“Such a fucking gentleman. I can stay with Dee. Actually, I probably should’ve moved out by now. I’ll do that while you’re on your hot date.” Anger oozes from her even though she’s trying to hide it, but I know her too well. After slapping her laptop closed, she heads to the guestroom, but I stop her when she’s within arm’s reach.
Fuck. I’m messing this up already.
“I didn’t ask if you had plans, so you’d leave. The last thing I want is for you to leave tonight… or any night. I was hoping you would be my hot date.” I brush my palm against her cheek and see her take a deep breath. I haven’t lost her yet. I whisper, “I’m going to shower and get ready for this smokin’ hot blonde who makes my heart race.”
“Makes your heart race? Too bad it’s not enough for you to make a long-term commitment to her.”
Wrapping my arms around her, I breathe in her light scent and say in a gravelly voice, “If I did, she’s the only one I would ever think about making any type of commitment to.”
“If. I can’t live in a world of ifs. I need—”
I interrupt her with my lips. At first, her lips are stiff, but in mere seconds, she melts into me. Thank God.
My body relaxes into the kiss. Her lips soften and mold to mine, followed by her arms gripping the bottom of my shirt, showing me she’s trying not to get lost in this kiss—lost in us. She changes the kiss from soft and languid to desperate and demanding as she slips her hand under my shirt, skimming her fingertips along my abs.
I break the kiss only so I can feast on her beautiful neck. I need to taste her—remind myself of everything about her. Those subtle sighs. Quiet moans. How she melts in my arms.
I should stop us. Change our old patterns of falling into sex. But damn, I can’t think straight when she touches me. I always cave to her.
After Lizzy pushes my shirt up, I whip it off and she immediately runs her hands up my chest, causing my dick to become a steel rod. My lips continue to attack her neck and suck on that little spot right below her earlobe. Working my way down to her cleavage, pulling her tank top down, she gives me access to her beautiful tits that I need to cherish and ravish. I wrap my mouth around her nipple to suck, kiss, and flick her desire from her.
“I hate you,” she moans, directing my head back to her mouth.
“I can tell you hate me so damn much.”
“I hate how sexy you look after a five-mile run.”
“Try thirteen miles today since I couldn’t get this gorgeous woman off my mind.” I groan and swirl my tongue around her nipple, causing her to give me a long moan.
Her fingers dig into my hair, further turning me on. I love it when she marks me with her nails, even when I used to get counseled and lectured for allowing my girl to damage government property. Instead of telling her to stop or at least mark me where my uniform covers, I rewarded her with more orgasms. I pray she does the same tonight.
Switching to the other side with the same fervor, I wrap her legs around my waist and grind myself to her warmth. I can feel how turned on she is through her tiny athletic shorts.
“I hate how sweet you are to Cristian.”
“Let’s not talk about our godson right now.” That kid has a knack for killing a boner. He’s been a cockblock a few times when we were babysitting him. My dick is trained for Cristian being a no-fly zone until he goes to sleep.
“We shouldn’t—”
I interrupt her with my lips, knowing she’s trying to talk herself out of being with me in any capacity. If we stop, she won’t go to dinner with me either. She’ll shut me out. I can’t do that again. I need this woman with every fiber of my being.
As I’m about to roll my hip into hers, she pushes my shorts down, releasing my hard cock. Her lust-filled eyes tell me what she wants from me, and no way am I going to deny her anything. I have her shorts off in a matter of seconds. I almost shoot my load when she wraps her hands around my dick, strokes me a few times, and rubs me along her wetness. Fucking teasing me. I smirk, pulling her right nipple into my mouth and doing a combination of flicking and sucking, which I know drives her wild.
“I hate that you know me so well.”
I thicken my accent, knowing how much it turns her on. “Back at ya, darlin’.”
She continues rubbing my dick up and down her slit, but when she moves me down, I slip into her completely, causing her nails to dig into my shoulders and down my arms. I didn’t realize her hands moved until I felt them. Yeah, that’s going to leave a mark.
“I hate—right there, sexy… God, yes—how you fuck me.”
“Obviously,” I say, kissing her neck. I can feel her tightening around me, and I pray I can hold out until she finishes. Jesus, she’s fucking heaven.
“I hate—”
“I hate how much you’re talking.”
“Then shut me up.” She flashes me a challenging look.
One summer changed everything.Dee
One night.
One decision.
Taking chances isn't a new concept to me, but I've never been one to take a chance on love. Michael changes all of that. No more party girl, no more one-night stands. I fall hard for the cerulean-eyed sex god who shows me what it's like to truly be cherished and loved.
Only, I'm not sure how long it can last.
Michael
I knew the moment I met Dee that she was trouble. But when she unexpectedly opens up to me the night we meet, I realize she's the only person who could change how I think about relationships, how I feel, and how I look at life. She's a fiery, spontaneous woman who challenges me at every turn. I should let her go. But I don't think I want to.
But right now my career won’t allow me to be the kind of man she deserves.
And Dee doesn’t trust herself or my love for her.
If I’m going to keep her, I have to let her walk away, as much as it pains me to my core.
Yes, it sounds crazy and it might just backfire, but if my plan pays off, we’ll both stop running and finally realize how much we need each other, how our hearts were made for each other.
One look is all it takes to change everything. Cat
I've been the black sheep of the family my entire life, so I'm looking forward to this fresh start. My job and new friends are great and I’m finding happiness. Then I met Brax--the gorgeous soldier with huge muscles, but he’s also sweet, caring, and loves art. Oh, and he’s completely off-limits, thanks to my overprotective brother who’s Brax’s first sergeant. Will he chase Brax away like he’s done my entire life?
Brax
To protect and serve: it's all I've ever wanted to do. Being a model soldier has been my life's dream. But then I met Cat, the little pixie artist who stole my heart. Now, all I want to do is be with her, but there's just one problem--her brother is my first sergeant. Now I'll have to choose between being the perfect soldier for my unit… or being her perfect partner.
One moment changed their lives.Ivy
I've harbored a secret crush on Grant ever since that freckle-faced kid first set foot in our yard when I was just six years old. I knew he was special. Grant has always had this uncanny ability to understand me on a soul-deep level, yet I've kept my feelings hidden, knowing he's not just my brother's best friend but also my rock. He's the one who keeps me steady, soothing me when the chaos of life threatens to overwhelm me. Grant is my true north. Until we cross that line.
As the line blurs between friendship and something more, I'm left grappling with a daunting question: Is he worth the gamble of disrupting the delicate balance of our friendship and the stability we've carefully built together?
Grant
I'd do anything for Ivy Rose, but even I have my limits. I've tried everything to show her how I feel. Helping her raise her son? Done. Starting a friends-with-benefits arrangement? Maybe not my best idea. Admitting I want to spend my life with her? Definitely, the scariest thing I've ever done. Then the unthinkable happens, turning our world upside down. I'm hurt, and angry, and that's when I need her the most.
Can I put my anger aside and forgive her, or will we be stuck in silence forever? Our friendship might be on the line, but my heart tells me Ivy is worth the risk.
One costume is all it takes to change everything.Joel
My dream girl unexpectedly falls into my life, but with only one weekend together, she’s left me craving more. When she reappears, warnings from my friends urge me to stay away, but I can’t. I keep finding reasons to see her. Talk to her. Be near her.
Can I convince her to give our connection a chance?
Sami
I never imagined encountering my Comic Con fling among my sister’s social circle, only to have him play the role of a stranger. Despite his charming demeanor, Joel doesn’t fit my usual type of nerdy guys. But as I discover more about him, I question whether there’s more beneath his confident exterior.
Can he show me that opposites attract in the most unexpected ways?
Will they give in to their feelings and give their romance a chance, or will they let their differences and their friends keep them apart?
Randa Knight was born and raised in a small town on the Ohio/Indiana border. Her love of reading began when her grandmother curled up together with a new book every weekend. She studied Literature with a Creative Writing minor at Indiana University (Go Hoosiers!) where she fell in love with writing. The idea for the Boys of Bragg series began during a creative writing course and has evolved over the years.
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Cool!!
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