I’ve spent the better part of the last few years successfully avoiding my brother’s best friend, Weston Aldrich. As CEO of Andes Inc, the infuriatingly handsome and incessantly grumpy Weston also happens to be my new boss. It shouldn’t have been hard to continue avoiding him. After all, he’s on the executive floor, and I’m one of many copywriters. Weston has his own ideas about how things should go between us. He’s in my emails, leaving notes on my desk, and as if that’s not enough, he arranges for me to accompany him on a business trip.

One minute you’re a struggling graphic designer in L.A. who's finally coming to terms with being single forever, and the next, you're flying to New York in a private jet to get engaged to your ex-boyfriend’s older brother. At least...that’s what everyone thinks. Forced to clean up his playboy image in order to protect his company, Beckham Sinclair, the city’s most eligible billionaire bachelor, wants me to be his fake fiancée and personal assistant. Now I'm spending every spare second with a man I thought I’d never see again.

It was supposed to go like this: meet-cute at the dog park, have a hot and sexy hookup, and never see each other again. Things didn’t go quite like I was hoping. I met the fine Irishman in the park, but the rest of my plan was upended by an extremely inconvenient break-in. My record label isn’t thrilled that the lead singer of their biggest new band might have a crazed fan or angry ex out for revenge, so they hire a bodyguard to protect me. That sexy Irishman from the dog park? His name is Ronan Walsh, and he’s now my big, bossy bodyguard.

I caught her staring at me from across the quad, eyes fixed on the football jersey stretched across my wide chest. And if I flexed my muscles, showing off the strength of a defensive tackle, it was just to see her blush. And then she did, and I couldn’t get her out of my mind. Her wide eyes. The freckles on her cheeks. I needed to know her. The girl who scampered away every time we bumped into each other—by accident and by design.

You want to know the secret to everlasting happiness? Never fall in love. That was the wisdom my father imparted to us James boys after our mom died, and it’s a piece of advice that’s served me well. Until dear old Dad asks me for a favor over Sunday brunch. No big deal, right? I love making my old man happy. Except this “favor” is a lot more complicated than picking up his dry cleaning. Dad wants me to marry and provide a few heirs for the James empire, and he’s even done me the courtesy of handpicking my bride-to-be. Lucky me.

There are a few things that life doesn’t prepare you for. Like what to do when a super-hot guy catches you sneaking around in his basement, or what to do when a mysterious package shows up with tickets to a hockey game (because, apparently, he’s a professional athlete). Nor how to handle it when you get to the game and realize he’s freaking famous, since half of the 20,000 people in the stands are wearing his jersey.

Love. Sucks. I don’t know where I went wrong. Whether it was letting a man convince me that suddenly, the things I’ve never wanted are right for me, or if simply believing the best in the person who I wasted three years of my life on was what lead me here.

“Give me a second chance, babe . . . and I’ll blow your mind.” Monroe doesn’t know why she answers the text that’s obviously meant for someone else. Or why she keeps answering. Maybe it’s because she’s all alone in a big city and in desperate need of a lifeline. Or maybe it’s because each exchange leaves her intrigued and more than a little turned on. Still, Monroe never would’ve snarked back if she’d known she was talking to the “Golden Boy” of the Dallas Knights.

Running away from home at 17 wasn't easy. Let's face it, though, nothing before or in the ten years since has ever been easy for me. And I'm doing okay—sorta. I just need to keep scraping by, living under the radar. Staying out of people's way, off people's minds. When a man walks through my open patio door, stepping boldly into my home and my life, I should be scared, frightened, terrified. I must be more broken than I realized because I'm none of those things. I'm intrigued—and I'm wondering if the way to take control of my life is by giving in to him.

She's back. We were kids the last time I saw her, but my innocent crush from childhood is full-grown now. And it's not so innocent anymore. She's a breath of fresh air from the series of one-night stands since being drafted into the NHL. I've only got one shot with her, and I'm not taking it for granted. I may give her the passion she's been craving, but she's the intimacy I've waited for my whole life.

I fell in love with Beckett when I was 7. He broke my heart when I was 15. When I was 18, I promised myself I’d forget about him. And I did. For a dozen years. But now he’s back home. Here. In Darling Lake. And I don’t know if I should give in to the temptation swirling between us or run the other way.

As a scruffy, disorganised daydreamer, Lucy Mayweather is like a fish out of water at the high-powered offices of her brother’s billionaire best friend. When she agreed to work for Felix, she had no idea quite how cut-throat his world–or he–would be. She just wanted to escape her reclusive life and be close to her childhood crush, hoping he might notice her. But Lucy’s lonelier in London than she’s even been in her tiny village back home.

Single mother Emily is resigned to yet another stressful holiday season alone. That is, until she meets a charismatic man playing Santa in a local bar. Their chance meeting leads to a playful and flirtatious text exchange throughout the holiday season until Santa is on her doorstep, ready to give Emily her Christmas wishes.

The first time I laid eyes on Theo Whitlock, I chased him and his frat boy friends with a bat. I’m no white knight. I’m broke. He’s rich. I destroyed his car. He chooses not to rat me out. I was never supposed to go to college, but especially not one like Savage U, where only the wealthiest need apply. One might call this a lucky break, only I don’t feel so lucky with a drug dealer breathing down my neck, and a gangster threatening to burn my house down.

I'd spent my entire life loving my best friend's older brother. Every single one of my birthday wishes was spent hoping Cade would finally notice me. And then, one day, he did. But not all love stories have happy endings. It's been years since I left the small town of Sutten Mountain devastated and heartbroken. I'd used the pain to fuel a bestselling novel that solidified I'd never have to return. Until tragedy struck, forcing me to face the man who shattered my heart.

Meet Randi Burnett—she’s brilliant, she’s beautiful, and she works for the bride. Missing groom? Intoxicated in-laws? Crying ring-bearer? You name it, she wrangles it. Too bad her personal life isn’t thriving like her side gig as a bridesmaid for hire. Recently dumped, Randi throws herself into her biggest challenge yet when she’s hired as a maid of honor and pretend best friend for an ice queen bride. There’s just one problem—the best man is infuriating, overprotective, and anti-marriage.

Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of best-selling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish. Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity's notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn't expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read.

Ryder, Garrett, Kenzo, and Diesel - The Vipers. Their deals are as sordid as their business, and their reputation is enough to bring a grown man to his knees, forcing him to beg for mercy. They are not people you mess with, yet my dad did. The old man ran up a debt with them and then sold me to cover his losses. Yes, sold me. They own me now. I’m theirs in every sense of the word. But I’ve never been meek and compliant.

Beckett: If you’re reading this, well, you know the last-letter drill. You made it. I didn’t. Get off the guilt train, because I know if there was any chance you could have saved me, you would have. I need one thing from you: get out of the army and get to Telluride. My little sister Ella’s raising the twins alone. She’s too independent and won’t accept help easily, but she has lost our grandmother, our parents, and now me. It’s too much for anyone to endure. And here’s the kicker: there’s something else you don’t know that’s tearing her family apart.

I'm addicted to my stalker. He watches me at night, sneaking in through my living room window and making my blood turn to ice. I feel him all around me as chills snake down my spine. Each night he becomes bolder, getting closer and welcoming himself into my bedroom, feeding his addiction.

I’ve spent the better part of the last few years successfully avoiding my brother’s best friend, Weston Aldrich. As CEO of Andes Inc, the infuriatingly handsome and incessantly grumpy Weston also happens to be my new boss. It shouldn’t have been hard to continue avoiding him. After all, he’s on the executive floor, and I’m one of many copywriters. Weston has his own ideas about how things should go between us. He’s in my emails, leaving notes on my desk, and as if that’s not enough, he arranges for me to accompany him on a business trip.

It was supposed to go like this: meet-cute at the dog park, have a hot and sexy hookup, and never see each other again. Things didn’t go quite like I was hoping. I met the fine Irishman in the park, but the rest of my plan was upended by an extremely inconvenient break-in. My record label isn’t thrilled that the lead singer of their biggest new band might have a crazed fan or angry ex out for revenge, so they hire a bodyguard to protect me. That sexy Irishman from the dog park? His name is Ronan Walsh, and he’s now my big, bossy bodyguard.

I have one simple rule: no boyfriends until graduation. I'm too close to my goal of landing a full ride to college to get distracted now. Besides, I blend in better at the skate park than I do in the hallowed halls of Savage Academy, a boarding school for the rich and overprivileged, so staying away from guys hasn't been a problem. Until him.

My proper Southern belle mama might disagree, but I say I was born to be a rebel. From the second I got my hands on a pair of drumsticks, my future was sealed. I never fit in anyway, not with my rocker soul and curves that never take a day off. But what’s a drummer without a band? Oh, that’s right. A cocktail waitress. That is, until the chance of a lifetime falls into my lap - Unrequited needs a drummer, and I happen to have an "in" with the band.

The first time I laid eyes on Theo Whitlock, I chased him and his frat boy friends with a bat. I’m no white knight. I’m broke. He’s rich. I destroyed his car. He chooses not to rat me out. I was never supposed to go to college, but especially not one like Savage U, where only the wealthiest need apply. One might call this a lucky break, only I don’t feel so lucky with a drug dealer breathing down my neck, and a gangster threatening to burn my house down.

I have my senior year planned: keep my head down, don’t make any waves, and get the diploma. I’ve done the popularity thing at Savage River High, but after two years away, I have no interest in reclaiming my crown. Unfortunately, my carefully laid plans go to hell when I grab the attention of dark, forbidding, and brutally hot Sebastian Vega. He looks at me like he wants to kill my puppy or eat me alive. Quite possibly both. Sebastian is everywhere I go, and he’s decided I’m the twisted game he wants to play, whether I’m a willing participant or not.

I've loved Hendrix Cole all my life. I was seven when I met him. Thirteen when I first kissed him. Sixteen when I gave him my heart. And 18 when he gave me his ring. Hendrix swore to love me forever. Instead, he broke my heart. Scarred my soul. Destroyed my entire world. Six years later, he wants a second chance. Problem is, I don't trust him. Not to mention, I have a secret. One that will destroy us both.

Monte Carlo, 1982. The odds of a man like Marco de Noli falling for a girl like me were a million to one. He's old money, a classic European jet set, a master of the universe. When we met, I was a shy girl from Oklahoma, pretty enough but nowhere near his league. One year later, after he stands me up on our first anniversary, I have to face facts. Our marriage was a mistake. My in-laws think I'm a gold digger, Marco lives at the office, and nights of passion aren't enough. There's nothing keeping me in Monte Carlo.

Secrets...dirty ones. He was mine...there was a time.... Or so I thought. Instead, I was simply his dirty little secret. He couldn't, no, wouldn't, risk telling his best friend - my brother - about us. So, I kept quiet. Blinded by love and bound by my own desires, I allowed it all. I didn't tell a single soul about my time with Sawyer, not my brother, not my closest friends. Not then, and especially not now. How can I? My best friend is his ex-wife. The past is the past. I'm over him. I refuse to still love him.

Rome Armanelli is supposed to be a monster—an enforcer for the strongest family in the Italian Mafia. Yet, when I saw him take a man’s life, he did it to save mine. Since then, Rome doesn't want me anywhere near him. Sparks may fly when we're in the same room, but his famiglia is all he cares about. He tells me to leave, but he, of all people, should know—the Mafia doesn't let anyone go. Blood, ties, and partnerships sink their claws in. And when we find out exactly why his family kept me around, there's no turning back.

I was never supposed to see him again. One night of passion with a complete stranger. My last tryst before senior year. >But I was lost the moment his tempting lips were on my skin. His intense touch on my body. It should have ended there. But he's not a stranger. He's my history teacher.

Rachel Miller is a lawyer and mother of two who’s just as comfortable in a courtroom as she is on the sidelines of a soccer field. Sure, her marriage is on autopilot, her parents are overly involved, and the other suburban moms are just a little bit catty. But if you ask Rachel, life is good. That is until her world is upended when racy photos of her and her high-school boyfriend, the famous actor Jack Bellow—along with his love letters to her—are published in a tabloid, unexpectedly thrusting Rachel into the spotlight.

After the stunt my ex pulled, no one would blame me if I swore off men forever, especially one like Mr Jay Anderson, Hollywood’s sexiest heartthrob. Maybe undressing me with his striking blue eyes as I perform the safety demonstration on a flight to LA is normal behaviour for him. Maybe not. But I know one thing for sure, he should come with a warning label. Because once you meet a man like Jay Anderson, there is no going back.

My contract is up with the Carolina Comets this year, and I need to get it together if I want to stay with the team. I need relaxation, not a relationship. But when I’m scrolling on a dating app and stumble across the pretty girl who almost ran me over, I know I can’t let her walk away this time. Harper is funny, smart, and doesn’t care about hockey. I’m not supposed to be focusing on anything other than my career, yet I can’t get Harper off my mind. I know I shouldn’t fall for her…but I think I already have.

From USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Nina Levine comes books 1-3 of the Escape with a Billionaire series.