Brothers of Paradise

Hayden Cole was my brother's best friend and the boy from the wrong side of the tracks. Broken smiles, dark hair, and eyes that had seen far too much for his age. We spent a summer together in secret. In the darkness, in the silence, our hearts spoke the same language. Until he left without a word and tore mine right out of my chest. Ten years later, he returns from the Navy, demanding a second chance. He's every inch the rogue I remember—crooked smiles and dark eyes—but now he's a man grown. Tall and broad and persistent.

He offers me the position of his personal assistant. Is it the job I want? No. But his firm is brilliant, and I'm determined to work my way to the top. Nothing will stand in my way, not even an inconvenient attraction to my new boss. He's competitive, ambitious, harshly good-looking. His new favorite sport is challenging me—my limits, my wits. The chemistry between us soon sizzles and burns. Lines get blurred. Boundaries are crossed.

"They're just models. Air-headed and vain." That's what Rhys Marchand says the first time we meet, knowing I can overhear him. He's the last person I want to be paired with for this travel campaign, but unlike him, I wasn't born with a silver spoon. I don't have a choice. It doesn't matter how much we despise each other because I'd be crazy to turn down an around-the-world job to shoot in exotic locations. Not even Rhys's brooding will stop me.

Being forced to move back to my hometown after a decade away is embarrassing, but I'll do anything to protect my little girl. I'll even wait tables at the elite Yacht Club… now owned by the boy I once had a huge crush on. He's grown up and claimed his rightful place as King of Paradise Shores. Parker Marchand was a star athlete and professional sailor who never looked at me twice. He's strong, and steady, everything my abusive ex wasn't, but I'm a struggling single mom and a professional screw-up. What could we possibly have in common?