Thaddeus Patrick Lourie saw her, wanted her, and declared that he would have her. No person, thing, or beast would stop him from having his rightful mate. As the next in line for the top, there were expectations set. What happens when the set expectations go against his destiny of having her? Will he stick to the expectations or show his teeth and move toward his destiny?

In the club, with flashing lights and loud music, seeing him across the room is a scene out of a movie. We lock eyes and sway to the beat—instantly connecting. He nudges his head, calling me to the other side. Me? Of all the women in the club, this sexy man wants me to join him in VIP. So I do. And then I realize how tall he is, and the other guys surrounding him are also. Wait. This guy was on the basketball court at the game I watched the night before. The guys standing around him are his teammates on the Houston Outlaws.

Meet Trent Bailey, who is fighting for the right to continue his stellar professional football career after enduring striking legal woes in the recent past. Trent cannot and will not blow his second chance for anyone; after all, this is the blessing he's been praying for. After receiving confirmation that staying focused is all he needs, it's what he aims to do. No distractions. That's until he bumps into two unexpected overnight guests.

I had my chance at love and I threw it away. I don't deserve another. I've dedicated my entire life to my community. There's no time for anything else. But then I met her. Ciara Jeffries is everything I told myself I didn't want but she might be everything I need. If I can just hold on to her.

What started as a night out, letting her hair down, turned into a night Gianna would never forget. The moment she saved his life, she felt a connection with him. But when bad news hits her family, she might push away her future before it begins. Take a ride with the baby of the Parker sisters and see how one night changed her whole life.

Hearts are broken and healed. Scars, both physical and emotional, are formed. Happiness is found, then lost, then found again. Over the course of a year, these sisters face shattering blows and remarkable triumphs as they embark on a journey, figuring out that pesky little thing called love.

Against her controlling father’s protest, Doctor Janelle St. John worked hard to become a veterinarian and open a practice with her best friend. As much as she loves her family, she can’t stomach dealing with her father’s betrayal. While she thought her parents would live happily ever after, he was cheating on her mom and starting a family with one of Janelle’s childhood best friends. Seeing how her parents’ happy marriage was just a fraud gave Janelle the realization that love was a hoax at a young age.

What happens when gang loyalty is tried by a generation of children who are loyal to a fault? Savion Saint and Gianna Lewis fall into a situation and quickly realize that everything they’ve been taught can be defied with one act of love. With Savion Saint naturally filling into the shoes of his late father and Gianna Lewis being the gateway to all the answers he has, they learn that everything isn’t black and white. Can the love that Savion and Gianna found blossom while being on opposite sides of the tracks? Take the ride with them and find out.

Halani Henley experienced a shocking and devastating loss. At six months pregnant, she loses the child she is carrying, and it turns her entire world upside down. To make matters worse, she feels she is the only one taking her miscarriage as seriously as it is. Her boyfriend of three years, Onyx Sawyer, is moving through life as though he hasn't just lost a child as well. When a secret comes out, Halani is faced with the fact that she may not have known her man as well as she thought she did.

Retired hitwoman Celine Briggs loved few people in this world; Her husband Caleb, and her ex-handler, Brian Devereaux. When Celine took her marital vows, she exchanged the life of guns, drugs, and violence for the peaceful life as Caleb's wife. However, not all things buried stay hidden.

One random encounter. One electrifying conversation. One night of passion. Is that all it takes for two strangers to fall in love?

She's a go-getter who walks to the beat of her own drum, ready to ride for her sisters whenever and wherever, and taken by a man who would rather she play housewife than CEO. He's an undisputed king in his city, a man who commands the attention of any room he walks into, and unconcerned with matters of the heart. Thyri Wright and Killian Miller are next on Cupid's hit list. And one thing about Cupid's arrow? It never misses its target. Once Thyri and Killian's worlds collide, nothing will be the same ever again.

Megatron Loric Manfield is the definition of perfect imperfection. He is not scared to love—he just knows that when it comes along, he wants it to be God-sent. When the right woman comes along, he will fall in line to receive his favor. Ruth Lindsay Gordon is saved, sheltered, and suffocated. Being a preacher’s kid is never easy and even harder when the preacher sometimes references himself more than the God he claims to serve. Desperately, she wants to be released from the hold that is her father, so she prays for God to send her Boaz. They say to be careful what you pray for.

Whimsy Coral Taylor has been bent, twisted, and shaken, but never broken. It wasn't like her to be broken or to allow herself to get into situations that could potentially break her. A potentially breakable situation was a serious relationship. She had secrets in life that could detour the best of men. Will the entrance of a new man into her life and body make her reconsider all that she thinks she knows?

In this collection are updated stories from some of your favorite Valentines.

Asher Kane Wilson and Katniss Raven Roland have reentered the stadium. A lot has changed since the last time they were here. A new little fan was born but that wasn’t on either of their programs. In this continuation of Naughty F.A.N, find out if the new rules of the game call for a touchdown or technical foul.

All work and later for play has always been Nikki Wade's motto. Until the enticingly hot yet complicated Bakari Youngblood convinces her otherwise while at a conference in Jamaica. After a tough emotional two years of pain and loneliness and one night of unexpected passion with Bakari, Nikki gives in to his request to be uninhibited. And soon, she rediscovers herself and realizes that love is possible again. But is that love possible with Bakari who seems to be holding something back?

One fifteen-minute encounter as teenagers changed everything for Rex Goode and Truce Redmond. They both walked away different people. For him, it catapulted his career in boxing. For her, it challenged her commitment to family. Years later, Rex is a retired boxer, single father, and furniture store owner who has left his fighting days behind him. Truce is a dutiful daughter, loving big sister, and owns the popular soul food restaurant, Redmond’s. On the outside, her life is perfect, until it’s not.

Devin "Smoke" Dillinger lives by a simple code—protect what's his at all costs. As the third oldest Dillinger and owner of a successful weapons distribution business, Smoke has a reputation that precedes him. He's a man of few attachments who prides himself on control, discipline, and keeping people at arm's length... until an unexpected visitor walks through his door.

Romi Mitchell is fighting battles on all sides. Seven months pregnant with her second child, she's desperately seeking protection from threats she can no longer handle alone.

Salima Navarro, a driven young woman with dreams larger than her current circumstances, takes a job at the upscale Aura nightclub to support herself and her recovering mother. This decision unexpectedly propels her into an unfamiliar world. Deuce Dillinger, the commanding heir to a powerful family empire, is accustomed to control in all aspects of his life. Upon seeing Salima, he resolves to make her his, despite her initial resistance to his domineering personality and lifestyle.

Sound interesting? The author thinks so too! Listen to Seduced by the Plug and be prepared to get deeply captivated in this romantic story.

Amari Moody, the daughter of a powerful mafia boss, is navigating her life with a mental health disorder and a troubled past. Just as she is finding her footing, her world is turned upside down when her father arranges a marriage between her and Domonick Rivera, the son of a rival cartel leader. Amari is hesitant, but as she gets to know Domonick, she finds herself drawn to him in ways she can't explain. Meanwhile, finding out her best friend Britt is pregnant with Amari's brother Channing's child causes a rift in their lifelong friendship.

These are the tenets that rule the De Santis family—until an arranged marriage potentially threatens all three. Born into the most ruthless crime family in the South, Azreal De Santis is bred to lead, dominate, and rule. When a strategic marriage forces him to take Natoi Kingston as his wife, Azreal learns power is not always defined by strength, blood is not the strongest bond, and loyalty isn’t always black and white. Sometimes there are shades of gray.

One random encounter. One electrifying conversation. One night of passion. Is that all it takes for two strangers to fall in love?

Michelle and Kelsie have never had it easy, but the one thing that has remained consistent in each of their lives are each other. Both in their early twenties and with the stress of the world on their shoulders, they both manage to still be there for each other through it all. Michelle's dream is to be a top stylist, well her dream was a reality until she was fired from Naomi's shop because of her boyfriend. Tasheem is all Michelle knows, and that's being physically and mentally abused by the man she has loved since she was younger.

Thaddeus Patrick Lourie saw her, wanted her, and declared that he would have her. No person, thing, or beast would stop him from having his rightful mate. As the next in line for the top, there were expectations set. What happens when the set expectations go against his destiny of having her? Will he stick to the expectations or show his teeth and move toward his destiny?

Gambino Nahtahn takes over the family organization with plans to take it to new heights. Before he can settle into his new position, an arranged marriage request is put at his feet. There’s no way he will approve the marriage for his ex. She’s the one who got away, and Gambino is determined to use his new position to secure a second chance.

Kora Caselli is the second oldest of the Caselli siblings. Right along with her brother, she’s had to grow up quicker than she wanted to. Sacrificing the life, she thought she would have to be there for her youngest siblings and step into a role that was always chosen for her. As a federal judge, Kora Caselli, or Judge Case, has built her career on being fair—sometimes, tough—and about business within her courtroom. At 34, she’s one of the youngest and most feared judges in the system, known mostly for the high-profile cases she has tried.

Meet Trent Bailey, who is fighting for the right to continue his stellar professional football career after enduring striking legal woes in the recent past. Trent cannot and will not blow his second chance for anyone; after all, this is the blessing he's been praying for. After receiving confirmation that staying focused is all he needs, it's what he aims to do. No distractions. That's until he bumps into two unexpected overnight guests.

Xander Brown is a skilled surgeon who lives a carefree life. With him being the Chief of Surgery at GHM, his plate is always full. However, he made room for the one woman he couldn't see himself without. Zara Lyles is the hood Barbie; that's all about her family. She does what needs to be done for them to survive, all while keeping a certain elegance. As usual, she has it all together without the help of a man.