ARD

I’m a golden boy. A genius law student, the heir to the Carson empire, and the dutiful son. Or, at least, that's what it looks like from the outside. Deep inside, I have the urge to set the world on fire. I keep these impulses in check, rarely indulging in mayhem. Until one night of debauchery backfires, and I'm caught by a villain. I bury the entire ordeal with the rest of my skeletons. That is, until that night walks into my classroom in the form of my new professor. Kayden Lockwood.

Okay, so my bad for assuming the guy I was going on a date with wasn't married. And my bad for taking him to a friend's house for dinner, only to find out my friend is also friends with his wife. Because, in fact, he is married. And she happens to be at my friend's house because her husband was "busy working." Confused? So am I. Unsurprisingly, my date's wife is super angry about finding out that her husband is a cheating asshole. Girl, I get it. Then to make matters more convoluted, there is the man sitting next to my date's wife. A man named King, who is apparently her brother.

I'm marrying a beautiful monster. A crooked fraud. America's wealthiest bachelor. He claims we're in love, yet all I taste in our kisses is hate and lust. I don't remember why or how. But I do remember he's the enemy. Now, I'm stuck inside a nightmare. And Oliver will do anything to keep me in the dark.

I’ve been desperately looking forward to Christmas in my family’s snowy alpine chalet. Two blissful weeks of skiing, eating, and sneaking off for 'naps' to listen to my favourite audio erotica star. Yes, the man who warms my bed each night may have no idea I exist, but that doesn't stop me fantasising that his spicy stories and filthy words are for my ears only. It's set to be the most relaxing Christmas ever. Until my brother shows up… with an unexpected guest.

Growing up, the ice was my safe space. I excelled at playing hockey. However, these days, it's hockey players who provide sanctuary—one bed at a time. We have an arrangement. I offer them a night of pleasure, and in return, they grant me all the temporary, artificial love I can get my hands on—a chance to feel whole. Happily ever after doesn't exist where I come from, but I crave it just the same. It was a foolproof system. Until Barrett. One night with him was all it took to tear down walls and crack the facade I worked so hard to build.

I live my life head over heart and never rock the boat, which is how I wound up engaged to Bryan Davenport—the biggest mistake I ever made. We were a power couple, but no one knew how cruel he could be behind closed doors. When I decide to leave, my fiancé shows just how ruthless he can be and sends me running to the last person I expect: his best man.

He was the talented bad boy everyone wanted. I was the irrelevant geek everyone hated. He was the sun...drawing all of us in. I was a black hole...taking up space. He was destined to be a star. I was destined to remain an insignificant no one. Until he made me believe I was special...and then he destroyed me. I never thought I'd see Phoenix Walker again after he broke my heart, but fate had other plans. One tour. Eight weeks. Forty shows. Countless opportunities to make him pay. The world thought he was a god...but I know the truth.

I fell for the villain. It happened back when I was a clueless girl. But he ruthlessly broke my heart and trapped it in a jar. Since then, I’ve sworn to hate him to the end of my days. Eli King might be a savage devil, but I’m out of his way. And league. That is until I wake up in a hospital and find him holding my hand. He tells me the words that change my life forever.