If my parents had it their way, I’d be off at college. Instead, I’m drowning in secrets, every one of them involving my brother’s best friend. Hayes Wilder is a walking red flag, warning me to stay away. And yet, all I can think about are his calloused hands on my skin. He’s a total player, on and off the ice, but right now, the only playing he wants to do is with me. Sneaking around isn’t easy, especially when you live in a small town where nothing stays hidden. And when our secret ends up in the wrong hands, decisions and regrets come as a package deal.

For years, I've dreamt of what college life could bring, and while some things changed, there was always one constant. It didn't matter how wild I allowed my imagination to run, it always led me to the same place in the end. It led me to him. My future was clear, and he was it. Until suddenly, he wasn't. Now there's a new man in my life, one who isn't afraid to go after what he wants, and what he wants...is me.

Nathan Davenport, CEO of the Davenport empire, is my complete opposite. He hates chocolate. I'm a size sixteen dessert chef. He only wears black. I love glitter and pink. He's grumpy, while I look on the brighter side of life. Too bad his piercing eyes, and high cheekbones, haunt my dreams. When he offers to loan me the money to save my bakery, I have no choice but to agree.

I'm the face of the NHL. The golden boy with quick hands and a million-dollar smile the fans adore. My contract is up at the end of the season, and with playoffs starting, I have to be on my best behavior. Keep my head down and respect the press when they shove their microphones beneath my nose. This isn't my first rodeo, so it should be easy. Right?

My best friend is in love with his girl, his ex girl. He's determined to win her back at any cost and at first, I was happy for him. I just didn't know that I'd want her for myself, but I do. Keeping my distance gets harder each time. She's the one thing I can't have, yet I can't stop reaching for her.

Aeris Relera has always drawn the short end of the stick in life—a self-absorbed ex, neglectful parents, and a past that continues to haunt her. When she's down on her luck one night, a mysterious knight in shining armor—or, more realistically, a knight in hockey shoulder pads—saves her from a few too many tequila shots.

Bianca Chopra. Gorgeous. Forbidden. My past obsession. When she propositions me for a sham marriage, I say no with a warning to stay away. Like a dirty vixen, she raises the stake, reawakening the forbidden feelings, and I find myself throwing caution to the wind. She thinks she'll walk away unscathed but doesn't realize she made a deal with a monster with a secret that will wreck her entire world.

I was supposed to be attending a friend's birthday party, not used as bait to lure out the elusive Holden Hayes. Holden was the last thing I needed. My life was already spiraling, a slow-moving head-on collision that you couldn't swerve to avoid. In hindsight, so was his. Neither of us was looking for a relationship, but that is precisely what we found. An instant, all-consuming, soul-deep connection that few people ever find.

My high school sweetheart, the boy who shattered my heart, is back in our small town, and there will be no avoiding him for the next two weeks. Only there is nothing boyish about Miguel Fernandez. The NFL's best rookie defensive end is even more wickedly handsome than he was four years ago—tall, with abs for days, all that unruly hair, and eyes so dark they swallow you whole. And that's exactly what he's doing every time our paths cross.

Zanders: Chicago hockey isn't complete without me—everyone's favorite player to hate. I know my role, and I play it well. In fact, I thoroughly enjoy spending the majority of my game time in the penalty box before leaving the arena with a new girl on my arm each night. What I don't like is the new flight attendant on our team's private plane. She works for me, not the other way around. But I'll be sure to remind her of that, and I can guarantee, by the end of the season, she'll be begging to quit her job.

The first time Ryder James broke my heart, I was fifteen and fearless. The second time he broke my heart, I was eighteen and jaded. Both times, I fell for him effortlessly. Falling is easy. Our landings are hard. Painful. We were a sad song with a slow melody. Flowers with paper petals. Hidden letters with visible tears. A beautiful tragedy. Except tragedies have endings. Our story just . . . stopped. Seven years later, I still have more questions than answers. Questions I'm too proud to ask after almost a decade of silence.

After a nasty break-up with her ex, moving to Orchid Beach was like a breath of fresh air. Harper landed a brand new job as a sports photographer for a professional hockey team. It was just what she needed to get away from everything she had ever known. One drunken night at a club had her sneak into another room with a stranger. But that stranger ended up being no one other than Nico Cirone. The star rookie player for the Orchid City Vipers. The same team that she was now working for.

Hockey has always been my sole focus, getting to the playoffs, winning the Stanley Cup—that’s my number one goal. I won’t let the fact that I’ve just been traded to a new team derail my future. Nor will the daughter of the so-called King of Canada, aka my new boss. Aliyah, the gorgeous, feisty brunette who’s just been assigned as my official “babysitter.” Although, when you're trapped in a room with a temptation like her, there’s only so much restraint one man can have.

As a single father, I often feel like the weight of the world sits on my shoulders. When my daughter’s nanny gives me her two weeks’ notice, I’m sweating bullets. Fear that my NHL season with the New England Bay Sharks could be derailed consumes me. Finding a replacement seems impossible when, suddenly, Maci McKenzie—a struggling author who’s running from some deep, dark secret in her past—steps into the picture. She needs a change of scenery to help her write, and I just need someone who isn’t a complete weirdo to watch my kid when I’m not around.

Knox Holland is in a jam. After an incredible first year on the pro motocross circuit, he should be on top of the world. Instead, his bad reputation has landed him without a team. He's untouchable and desperate to turn it around. Which is how he ends up at my gym asking me to train him. As a college gymnast with two Olympic medals to my name, I know a thing or two about the pressure to succeed. Last season I choked and then injured myself before I could show the world that I'm not a twenty-year-old has-been.