I've never looked at Lyric as anything other than my wife's daughter. The deepest my attention and affections have ever run are that of any fatherly figure, but those neglected baser needs take one look too long, and my fate is suddenly sealed—especially after the "accidental" nude debacle. I figure ignoring her and staying as far away as possible will get my point across; we can't happen and I can't be attracted to her.

Hockey is the only thing I care about. College? Hell no. And the last thing I need is Kayden, a golden retriever teammate who thinks I'm gonna drop my surly attitude and become his BFF. I know from painful experience to never let my guard down, and the only rule I follow is my own. But unlike everyone else, Kayden doesn't sprint away from me. Instead, he's skating too close. And we're set to collide.

Hockey is my life. It's my only goal, my only escape. Everything was going according to plan. All I had to do was focus on the game, keep my head down, then get drafted into the NHL. Starting the year as the captain of FU should have made that easy, but now my attention is torn between the ice and taunting my rival's little sister, Madeline Peters. My only real solace is the mystery girl inside my phone who refuses to tell me her name. Then, one drunken knock on the wrong door brings Madeline into my bedroom.

When Devon Sawyer desperately searches for his brother in the middle of the night, beaten and broken, he finds Maddox Kane instead. With his dad on his trail, he has no choice but to stand on his enemy's doorstep and let Maddox help. Maddox has never seen Devon this vulnerable. Living in Garron's trailer park means families dole out discipline on the regular and violence is a part of life, but something about how far Jim Sawyer takes it this time has Maddox unnerved.

Bryant Nicks is the head football coach for the Groveton College Jackals, determined to do anything to push his team toward a championship season. When scouting out new players, Nicks comes across a rookie running back that impresses him both on and off the field. His attraction to his student runs deep, but Nicks knows better.

After moving back to his hometown ten years ago, Riley Tuck thought he had left his major league hockey career—and his broken heart—far behind. But when an unexpected tragedy strikes, it brings ex-teammate and former best friend with benefits Adam Sheppard back into his life. Coming to the small town of Avery River, Nova Scotia, might have been a mistake. Adam’s not sure he’ll ever win back Riley’s trust after the way they left things—and the attention he’s getting as a huge hockey star isn’t exactly helping. Yet the chemistry that crackles between them is undeniable, even now.

Just the sight of Nico ‘Stix’ Jamieson makes me want to hurt something. Between his stupid smiles on that annoyingly handsome face and the constant drumming of anything that makes a sound with those drumsticks of his, I want to throttle him. No one is that happy. I don’t trust it. Even when my hate for him is clear, he throws it back in my face with a smile and wave. And how he loves to push my buttons when he’s feeling especially obnoxious. If I hate him, then why am I obsessed with him?

I’m never one to turn down a bet. Especially not when it comes to retaliating against the dean for pulling a dick move before summer break. So when the dean’s golden child arrives at Astor for his freshman year, my fellow troublemakers throw down a wager I can’t resist. The target: the dean’s son, John Thomas Hawthorne, or “JT”. The bet: corruption in any way I choose. It should’ve been easy. With his mess of brown curls, pouty lips, and good-boy reputation, JT is the perfect revenge. And even better? He’s straight.

Of all the people who could have seen me when I was at my most vulnerable, it had to be him. Caleb. My stepbrother and the golden child of our messed up blended family. We barely know each other, but for some reason, he takes care of me when an incident at the club leaves me helpless and alone. He hates me as much as I hate him, but something about his bossy attitude and unflappable calm soothes me. I don't want to want him, but no one has ever made me feel the way he does.

I've never been a good bet. I wear my emotions on my tattoo-covered sleeve, I say all the wrong things, and I revel in pissing off a certain redhead far more than I should. In other words, I'm the last person the court would choose to parent any child, let alone three of them. Yet being their father is all I want. So when the woman I love to hate offers to help make all my dreams come true, I jump at the chance. Marrying Ava is a convenient solution: she's my kids' favorite person and the court will absolutely approve of the woman who runs the biggest charity in Boston.